Gabapentin Review – Guide for Recreational Use, High and Withdrawal

We know that with wonderful medicinal drugs, there can be not-so-wonderful side effects. These sometimes miracle medicines are also often abused and misused.

A good example of this is gabapentin. Let’s take a look at this drug and find out why some users are chasing that sometimes-elusive gabapentin high.

What Exactly is Gabapentin?

In short, gabapentin, also known as Neurontin, is an anti-epileptic or anti-convulsant drug. It can also be used in the treatment of certain joint and nerve pains. Some brands also treat Restless Leg Syndrome.

How Does it Work?

This is actually quite a tricky question to answer. Let’s start by defining the term neurotransmitters. These are chemicals naturally found in the body that send messages between the body’s nerve cells.

Another term to get familiar with is glutamate. This neurotransmitter excites nerve cells after electrical signals build up. The bad side to all of this excitement? It may be the key cause of epileptic fits. The fewer glutamates, the less chance of having a seizure and this is exactly what gabapentin does, it slows down the release of glutamates.

Another fact about this neurotransmitter is that it also plays a role in sending pain signals to the brain and to the nervous system. Again, the less glutamates, the less chance of nerve pain. However, it may elicit a gabapentin high in some users, which can become addictive.

What About Recreational use and Gabapentin Highs?

Gabapentin has not been labelled as a controlled substance and can easily be obtained with a prescription. It’s also quite affordable compared to other drugs, resulting in users easily chasing a Neurontin high.

In some users, the gabapentin recreational use is likened to that obtained from using Valium.

Some doctors prescribe the drug to clients recovering from alcohol addictions to help with some of the more unmanageable effects of withdrawal. These users may become addicted to the gabapentin high that they might obtain.

Another possible reason is that when searching for that gabapentin high, or even when using it medicinally, it doesn’t produce as severe side effects as some other drugs. Some users have only experienced dizziness and drowsiness, which seems like a small price to pay for a Neurontin high.

These are just some of the reasons that there may be an increase in gabapentin recreational usage and in users hoping to get that gabapentin high.

Gabapentin Dosage and Unintentional Gabapentin Highs

For medicinal use, the dosage will depend on the medical condition. A guideline is that the initial dose should be 300mg with a maximum of 3600mg for certain conditions. However, dosages should be discussed with your medical practitioner to avoid overdosing and accidental gabapentin highs, which may become addictive.

Recreational users usually start with gabapentin 100mg. Some users have been known to take much more than this and not feel any type of gabapentin high, so it really depends on the person as gabapentin’s recreational dosage will differ accordingly.

How to Start Taking Gabapentin

Before you begin taking gabapentin, read the printed information leaflet provided inside the pack carefully. It is essential to learn as much as you can about the drug and be aware of the full range of side-effects you may experience from starting the treatment.

Always consult your doctor before starting to take gabapentin and take it exactly as the doctor recommends.  Gabapentin is available in many different strengths and different forms such as tablets and capsules. More than one strength may be prescribed to you. It is important to start with a low dose and slowly increase this over a few weeks. This will give your body the time to become accustomed to it.

Many people who are on a regular maintenance treatment take three doses a day. The dosing instructions will be printed on the back of the pack, and your doctor should explain all this to you. If you’re still unsure about the dosing, you can ask your pharmacist for more information.

Gabapentin can be taken before or after food. If you’re taking it in the form of tablets or capsules, swallow these with a drink of water. If you’ve been given oral liquid medicine, you can take it using an oral dosing syringe.

Once you begin your regimen and start taking regular amounts of gabapentin, ensure that you take your doses at the same time every day. This way you can make sure that you don’t miss any doses.

If you do end up missing a dose, take it as soon as you remember. However, ensure that you don’t take two doses at once and try to take the right number of doses each day. Do not take any other medications during the two hours before or two hours after you take your dose of gabapentin. These can interfere with the amount of gabapentin being absorbed by the body.

Gabapentin Warnings

Even though gabapentin’s side effects may not be as severe as some other drugs, there are still some warnings that go along with taking the drug medicinally or to obtain a gabapentin high.

Because this drug may cause blurred vision and drowsiness, users should not operate heavy machinery or even drive until they know how it reacts with their body. Also, because of this side effect, users shouldn’t mix gabapentin with other relaxants such as sleeping tablets. In fact, rather than opt for harmful sleep aids, you could substitute Gabapentin which gives you better sleep. This is often evident in recreational users searching for a more substantial gabapentin high.

In some cases, users have been reported to go into anaphylactic shock. This is why it’s extremely important to determine if you’re allergic to any of the ingredients in the drug before you try reaching for a Neurontin high.

Because gabapentin can be passed on through breastfeeding, pregnant and lactating women should consult their doctors before starting or continuing with gabapentin.

Drugs such as gabapentin have been known to increase the risk of suicidal and depressive thoughts and behaviors, which could be a dangerous risk to take when seeking a gabapentin high.

These effects appear to be exacerbated in the elderly and in children between three and 12 years of age. 

Gabapentin Side Effects

There are many side effects of gabapentin. These include mild effects such as dizziness and drowsiness. Some users experience loss of memory, uncontrolled eye movements and a distinct lack of coordination. More serious side effects include tremors and even viral infections.

Recreational users seeking a gabapentin high have reported extreme relaxation and sluggish movements.

Some users have also reported that they had an increase in suicidal thoughts as well as some less common effects such as shortness of breath and ulcers.

These side effects may be more pronounced in children under the age of 12 and in the elderly.

It also may be more intense in users who have taken more than the prescribed dosage to obtain a gabapentin high.

Serious side effects

Usage of gabapentin can lead to some severe side effects, and you should call your physician immediately if you experience any of these. If you feel like your symptoms are serious or think you have a medical emergency, call 911 right away. These are some of the grave side effects and their symptoms:

Changes in behavior and mood: Panic attacks, insomnia, anxiety that gets progressively worse, depression, violent or aggressive behavior, unusual behavior, extreme hyperactivity and increase in talking, trouble concentrating, thoughts of suicide or attempts to commit suicide.

Physical changes and allergic reactions: Fever, hives, skin rashes, frequent infections, persistent swollen glands, swollen tongue and lips, unusual bleeding or bruising, severe weakness or tiredness, muscle pain, yellowing of skin and whites of eyes.

Gabapentin Interactions

Some users might want to experiment with other drugs to obtain a stronger gabapentin high.

Users can expect serious and even fatal results if mixing this drug with sodium oxybate, which may be found in sedatives and other medication that affects the central nervous system. This interaction may cause slow breathing, agitation, incoordination and respiratory problems. The latter can also occur if gabapentin is taken with morphine.

If gabapentin is taken in conjunction with magnesium-containing products, the amount of gabapentin absorbed by the body may drastically decrease and affect the drug’s abilities. If you are using this drug recreationally, you may not be able to achieve the Neurontin high that you may be looking for.

It is your doctor’s responsibility to manage any medications you’re taking carefully. Ensure that you inform them about all the medicines, herbs or vitamins you’re taking. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor for information on how this drug might work with others.

Some examples of drugs that can have reactions when taken with gabapentin are:

Pain Medication: Certain painkillers can interfere with the level of gabapentin in your system. Taking these can intensify the side effects of gabapentin and decrease its efficacy. Make sure you avoid taking painkillers like morphine and hydrocodone when you’re on gabapentin.

Stomach acid drugs: Certain medications that are used to get relief stomach acid must not be taken with gabapentin as they can reduce its efficacy. Do not take medicines such as magnesium hydroxide and aluminum hydroxide along with gabapentin.

Gabapentin Misuse

We’ve already touched on gabapentin being used by recreational users looking for that euphoric feeling that a gabapentin high may produce.

However, even if the drug is used by its intended market, there is still a risk that it will be abused. This is especially evident in cases where the patient is using gabapentin to assist in the withdrawal process of certain narcotics and alcohol. They might be exchanging a narcotic high for a gabapentin high. There have been mistaken fallacies pointing out Gabapentin might be a narcotic itself. But the real truth is that Gabapentin is not a narcotic.

Instead of pain relief, users may also be searching for a Neurontin high, which would result in increasingly high doses of gabapentin. Once they stop taking gabapentin, they will go through another withdrawal process with sometimes severe results.

Another concern is that because misusers are chasing that gabapentin high, and because they can quickly develop a tolerance for the drug, Neurontin is often taken in conjunction with other drugs, which may have serious adverse effects on the user.

Gabapentin Withdrawal

For some reason, whether medical or because of a physical addiction to that gabapentin high, users may be forced to stop taking the drug. This may come with its own set of problems.

Symptoms of withdrawal can begin as soon as 12 hours after the last dose, or after the last gabapentin high, and can last for approximately seven days. However, some cases may last as long as a few months. If the drug was prescribed for seizures and convulsions and the patient suddenly stops taking it, it can actually result in an increase in seizures.

The most common symptoms include anxiety, an increase in suicidal or depressive thoughts as well as nausea.

It is important to note that there is no FDA-approved medication to assist with the actual withdrawal, but users can take medication to combat the physical symptoms such as anti-nausea tablets.

Gabapentin Reviews

It’s important to note that gabapentin is not as potent as other drugs, and that it is also takes a while for the effects of a gabapentin high to kick in. Some users feel it working after an hour, while some have to wait a bit longer to feel any type of gabapentin high.

Reviews would probably consist of two parties, users who are using the drug as directed and for medical ailments, and users who are using it recreationally to obtain a Neurontin high.

In the case of the former, the overall consensus seems to be that it works the way that it should, eases pain and helps with convulsions. It also seems to assist with afflictions not readily associated with the drug. These include hot flashes and even bipolar disorder.

Most recreational users have responded well to the drug, but have mentioned that it takes a while to kick in. Because a gabapentin high involves the relaxation of the muscles, it isn’t viewed as a suitable party drug.

Every person is different which means that gabapentin will have different effects on everyone, whether being used medicinally or recreationally. It’s important that all users research the benefits of the drug, and reviews of gabapentin highs, before they consider using it. Consulting your medical practitioner and visiting websites such as www.erowid.org are strongly advised.

When researching the effects of a gabapentin high, Erowid is a great site as it offers user reviews and recommendations.

Gabapentin and Pregnancy

This is another tricky question to answer. If the expectant mother is epileptic, it can be extremely detrimental to her health, and that of her unborn baby, to suddenly stop taking gabapentin.

This issue needs to be discussed in detail with her medical practitioner. There simply haven’t been enough studies performed to determine with absolute certainty the risks, or lack thereof, of taking gabapentin while pregnant.

Expectant mothers may have been taking gabapentin without knowing they were pregnant. They need to inform their medical practitioner as soon as they realize this.

In addition, gabapentin is passed on through breast milk. Again, because of the lack of studies, it is not clear if the baby will suffer any defects because of this. It will be important to monitor the baby for any sign of gabapentin side effects.

Pregnant users chasing gabapentin highs also need to have a discussion with their medical practitioner.

The Last Word

Even though the side effects of a gabapentin high may not seem as serious as those of other drugs, it should still only be consumed in moderate amounts and only by patients who require it for medical conditions.

The withdrawal process isn’t pretty so you’d need to be absolutely sure that this drug is something that your body actually needs.

Depending on the user, a gabapentin high might be a big price to pay for a traumatic withdrawal process.