How long does it take to get addicted to Neurontin?

[Kokomo]

I HATE Neurontin! My doctor said it was not an addictive drug. I was put on it for anxiety. I truly believe that she has no clue what she has done to me. Well, it is addictive and the side affects are not good! HEADACHES, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, SLEEPLESS NIGHTS! 3 hours of sleep and I'm wide awake!!! PLEASE, don't take this medicine. There are natural ways to deal with so many of the reasons we've been put on this GARBAGE! I miss my old self so bad!!! Improve your diet, get plenty of excercise and sunshine if you can. I'm on 300mg at night before bed. Tonight will be the first night without it in 10 months. I'm scarred but I have to start sometime.

[may]

i was in rehab to detox from xanax that was prescribed by my dr. in the rehab they gave me neurontin 1400mg's a day. after two weeks i stopped it and went back into withdrawals, unbelievable! it felt just like the xanax withdrawals so i had to start taking it again, im so scared how can my system become addicted after only two weeks!!!! i have to get off this because i don't want to be addicted to anything again. thinking about going thro withdrawal puts me over the edge god help me!

[TrGa]

Also, reseaerch has just come out two weeks ago shwoing that Gabapentin freezes the growth of your brain so it cannot make new synapses! "The new work also pinpoints, for the first time, the biochemical mechanism by which the widely prescribed drug gabapentin (also marketed under the trade name Neurontin) works. "We have solved the longstanding mystery of how this blockbuster drug acts," said Ben Barres, MD, PhD, professor and chair of neurobiology. The study shows that gabapentin halts the formation of new synapses, possibly explaining its therapeutic value in mitigating epileptic seizures and chronic pain. This insight, however, may lead physicians to reconsider the circumstances in which the drug should be prescribed to pregnant women."

[Ellie]

Wow!!! I have been off of this crap for over three months now and my face still goes numb off and on when I drink coffee or take certain medications. NEVER happened prior to the gab. I wish that I could sue. That stuff made my life hell. Still dealing with some ear and sinus infection issues, which all started after I began the gab. Coincidence? I don't know.

[WhiteAngel]

NOW I know why the left side of my face often goes numb! My doctor was at a loss as to explain how that tied into my injury. I had my gab (1800 mg/day), my Cymbalta (120 mg/day), then my tramadol ER (100 mg) cut off cold turkey, not all at once. I went through a series of withdrawals (hell on wheels!), but always got to a point where it was too dangerous to my health or life, so was put back on in the urgent care clinic. I finally got a doctor and am on half the doses I was taking before. He understands I want to get off, so he's gradually prescribing less. So far I'm doing okay, but I'm back on the DRUGS! I'm very concerned about the lack of synapse growth. Geez, no wonder I've been so forgetful and can't remember things I just supposedly learned. How can we convince the public to never start taking these drugs!?

[j anthony]

obviously neurontin will work for some, not so much for others.

[j anthony]

it works for some, not so much for others

[Kandielkane]

Ryan Lewis wrote:

Hello everyone. I am terrified of the posts of addiction and withdrawal from Neurontin. I am a recovering opiate addict who is just now getting clean. I am now 21 days clean from Opiates. On day 4 of my withdrawals I was feeling suicidal and someone in NA reccomended Neurontin for the anxiety, I later found out my aunt had some from a while back that she said I could use for my withdrawals.
I now found out that this is addicting and it scares me as I do not want to have to face addiction once more. I have only been taking 1200mg once a day for about 2 1/2 weeks, and I don't feel addicted, but I just want to make sure it's safe to just quit this early into using it, and if I will experience any withdrawals.

I've been on Neurontin 800mg 3x/day since 2003. I've had to go without abruptly a couple of times when someone's stolen my bottle. I haven't experienced any withdrawls myself, but that's me. It's all across the board with this med.I have to go in for a blood check every six months for monitoring as well....good luck.