I'm taking gabapentin 300mg three times a day. After about 5 days, I already notices I'm building a tolerance to it some, not too much though. I tried for a few years taking it every few days or so, so that I would not build a tolerance to it, but of course, you experience the withdrawal those few days of not taking it consistently. A lot of POSITIVE comments about it here. Most sites are all very very negative about it. I'd really like to see if anyone has been using it for anxiety for a long period, such as a year or more and say it still is working for them.
Using gabapentin for long period of time without building a tolerance?
Question posted by patindaytona on 27 May 2018
Last updated on 22 February 2019 by Rachealcirilo3
3 Answers
Rachealcirilo3
22 Feb 2019
I've been taking Gabapentin since 2007 and I too have experienced quite a high tolerance considering I'm prescribed 4 capsules 3 times a day. But I have found to be useful because of my high tolerance is to switch to something similar like Lyrica and go back and forth like how a doctor would tell you to take Tylenol and then go to ibuprofen and back and forth. I too have tried to stop but as we all know you get the withdrawal symptoms that can be unbearable, I'm prescribed mine for mood stabilization because of my anxiety and other things. I like how Gabapentin helps with my anxiety and other issues with mood stabilization because I'm not a fan of anxiety medication so I have no intentions of stopping my use of Gabapentin for this purpose as it is very helpful
StyxNyx
28 May 2018
Wow... I have never built such a rapid tolerance to any medication within 5 days, not even pain meds. Usually it takes around a year for me. But, I'm not doubting you as everyone is different.
I've been taking Gabapentin, 600mg 2x a day for pain & muscle spasms, since 2002. My doc raised me to 1800mg, {600mg 3x a day}, but that amount makes me too lethargic and foggy in the head, so I usually just stick with my 1200mg a day unless I'm having extra pain/spasms that day, then I'll take 1800mg.
I have yet to lower my dose or start weening off of Gabapentin so I'm not familiar with how it's withdrawals are. Hopefully, since I haven't really built a tolerance to them in the 16 years I've been taking them, it won't be too bad if I were to ever ween off of them.
But, in answer to your question... not sure about anxiety... but, yes, they are still working great for my pain & spasms without having to raise my dose. But remember... as I said before... we are all different, what works for one may not work for another. Hope this helps a bit.
patindaytona
28 May 2018
Styx, thanks for your valuable input. It's good news to hear that you didn't build up a tolerance for a long time. I still FEEL it, but it's just a little less so now. Hoping it will at least settle into a consistant effect. Most, like you have taken it pretty long for things like what you use it for... pain. And I've read several places that it CAN continue working for that. One question: do you still feel the anxiety reducing effects from it? Not just the pain reduction. Their is a certain lack of better word... "high" that is associated with it for the anxiety.
Kingbuba
27 May 2018
I took it for pain and at first it helped. Still, after some bad interactions for some meds they took me off a lot of stuff. Even doing the reducing doses it is no fun getting off gabapentin. I have been successful twice, but it was miserable.
Related topics
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Further information
- Gabapentin uses and safety info
- Gabapentin prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Gabapentin (detailed)
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