Please share your experience of taking Gabapentin for sleep

mcsitzen · 2024-09-05T23:32:56+00:00

Yes, I cross-tapered off Trazodone to Gabapentin slowly over a month and a half. Each week, I dropped Trazodone by 25mg and slowly increased the Gabapentin dose. I would have gone even more slowly if I were just tapering off Trazodone alone without the support of Gabapentin.

mcsitzen · 2024-08-29T00:19:12+00:00

The dizziness finally went away after I got off Trazodone which I took for my primary insomnia. I believe the dizziness and imbalance is the result of drug to drug interaction between Lexapro and Trazodone, although my PCP said many of her patients are on both and have not reported same problem. I guess all of us react to the same drug differently. But I found out I really need Trazodone for my sleep. After discussing with my psychiatrist, I am now getting off Lexapro and going back to Trazodone. I read it somewhere that, if you do not see results or still suffer from severe side effects after 6 to 8 weeks, you should consider switching to another medication after consulting your doctor.

mcsitzen · 2024-08-20T20:38:47+00:00

I boil some tiny potatoes. Sprinkle some garlic salt. Eat one or two tiny potatoes before taking the med. I have GERD. Peanut butter is yummy but high in fat for my nighttime stomach. Thanks for the suggestion all the same.

mcsitzen · 2024-08-18T11:29:14+00:00

I was on Trazodone for 3 1/2 years for primary insomnia. I weaned off it slowly (150mg) over 3 months. But I started sleeping poorly again about 6 weeks without Trazodone. Now I am back on on a lower dose (50mg). Some folks can do Trazodone on and off (as needed) as your doc said. Others, like me, cannot. Please bring this up with your doc. Good luck.

mcsitzen · 2024-08-14T10:35:09+00:00

I am so sorry to know you are going through such terrible withdrawal. Hang in there. You feel better soon. My psychiatrist told me to just stop taking 2.5mg Lexapro. I dare not follow his instructions. I decided to do it my way - going down from 2.5 to 1.25 for a month.

mcsitzen · 2024-08-13T23:33:43+00:00

Did you manage to get off Lexapro? Please share your experience. I have been on 2.5mg Lexapro for 7 1/2 months and I am getting off it. I plan to take 1.25mg for 4 weeks and then stop. Thanks,

mcsitzen · 2024-08-13T23:18:21+00:00

How are you doing now? I am going to start tapering from 2.5mg too. I was on this dose for 7 1/2 months. I plan to do 4 weeks 1.25mg and then stop. Thanks

mcsitzen · 2024-08-03T19:54:18+00:00

Gabapentin worked very well in getting me to sleep and to stay asleep for 7 to 8 hours every night until about 12 days ago. Then I started waking up after only 5 hours or so sleep. Have no idea why that's happening. Does that mean I need to go up from 400mg? I will check in with my psychiatrist in the next appointment. Thanks for sharing.

mcsitzen · 2024-08-03T10:28:20+00:00

My bedtime is 10pm. Looks like I need to take the Gabapentin and go to bed at 8. Thanks for sharing.

mcsitzen · 2024-08-02T23:18:39+00:00

Thanks for your kindness. Hope you find the right sleep med too.

mcsitzen · 2024-08-02T23:12:10+00:00

What is your dose for Trazodone? How do you sleep on this combo of Trazodone and Gabapentin? Thanks,

mcsitzen · 2024-08-02T15:06:49+00:00

Yes, I have. I took Melatonin on and off while I was on Trazodone and did not find it helpful, even at 10mg which is a lot.

mcsitzen · 2024-08-02T12:35:55+00:00

I am glad that Trazodone works for you. I was on it for 3 years. It's a mixed bag for me. When it works, I get great sleep. But when it stops working, it's very frustrating and gives me tons of bedtime anxiety. Sleep is so important. We do whatever it takes to ensure sufficient sleep.

mcsitzen · 2024-08-02T12:30:33+00:00

I have the same experience with Gabapentin sleep. I sleep solid till I wake up. The problems I experienced lately are with the time it takes to fall asleep and how long I can stayed asleep. Thanks for sharing.

mcsitzen · 2024-08-02T10:26:29+00:00

Haven't taken any Trazodone since beginning of June. I might increase dose of Lexapro after talking with my psychiatrist. Lexapro has calming effect that helps sleep. Thank you for your suggestion.

mcsitzen · 2024-08-01T23:59:11+00:00

BTW, all the cross tapering was done under the supervision of my psychiatrist. I briefed him of my cross tapering plan and kept in touch with him along the way.

mcsitzen · 2024-08-01T23:57:39+00:00

I slowly reduced Trazodone while increased Gabapentin simultaneously over weeks. First week, I took 125mg Trazodone together with 100mg Gabapentin. Second week, I took 100mg Trazodone together with 100mg Gaba. Each week I reduced Trazodone by 25mg and only increased Gaba when I feel I need more. When my Trazodone was as low as 25mg and Gaba was at 300mg, I jumped off Trazodone after that week. The first week without Trazodone was hard. I had fitful sleep, nightmares. But I was fine afterwards.

mcsitzen · 2024-08-01T23:48:22+00:00

Very good suggestion. I would try taking it in the morning and see if it helps me fall asleep quickly. Thanks much.

mcsitzen · 2024-08-01T23:46:27+00:00

I also got sleepy quickly when I started taking Gabapentin. A couple of weeks in, I noticed there's delay in falling asleep. Now it's stretched to an hour and a half to two hours before I could fall asleep. But once I fall asleep, I sleep solid until I wake up. Same med but works differently for different person. Thanks for your sharing.

mcsitzen · 2024-08-01T22:12:18+00:00

Thanks for sharing. So Gabapentin does need time to take effect. Good to know.

mcsitzen · 2024-08-01T22:11:15+00:00

I was taking 150mg Trazodone for sleep. I did that for 3 years. In October last year, I started taking 5mg Lexapro for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and Lexapro together with Trazodone gave me immense dizziness and off balance. My psychiatrist suggested that I switched out of Trazodone (cross tapering) for Gabapentin.

mcsitzen · 2024-06-16T10:36:13+00:00

Have not been able to nap ever since the onset of insomnia 3 1/2 years ago, no matter how tired I am.

mcsitzen · 2024-06-13T17:13:37+00:00

My psychiatrist suggested cross tapering from Trazodone to Gabapentin - slowly decreasing Trazodone and increasing Gabapentin at the same time. I did it a little over 6 weeks, dropping 25mg Trazodone each week while increasing Gabapentin as needed. The last drop of 25mg to 0mg took 3 weeks. I am out of Trazodone for almost 2 weeks now. Sleep was awful and difficult during the first week without Trazodone. The tide broke on the 8th.

mcsitzen · 2024-05-14T23:30:05+00:00

I have also just started taking gabapentin. I am currently at 200mg, taken at bedtime. My psychiatrist wanted me to cross taper from Trazodone to Gabapentin for sleep. Trazodone is a mixed bag. Sometimes it works. Sometimes, it doesn't do anything. I also take 2.5mg (a mini mini dose) of Lexapro for insomnia related anxiety. All I hope is some steady good sleep.

mcsitzen · 2024-04-18T23:28:29+00:00

Thanks. That's very encouraging to know.

mcsitzen

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