Feeling really ill. Am I in withdrawal? I'm on my own

[PaillettenBedeckt]

It's my turn to have one of these.

I genuinely don't know what's wrong with me or whether it's serious.

I've already requested a call back from 111, which is supposed to be in 2 hours but no doubt will end up being at 6am and I'll miss it.

I have arthritis, suspected fibromyalgia, and bursitis in both hips. My GP prescribed me Gabapentin to try a few weeks ago. I ran out of the tablets and I've not been able to get through to the surgery to talk about any more, so I've gone cold turkey.

I've been getting serious insomnia (I already have insomnia so this has been balls to the wall insomnia). I've dropped off a few times today and had very, very vivid brief dreams before waking back up. I don't have a temperature but my chest is burning hot. I've been feeling very hot and sweaty and I've been next to fan on full blast for about 24 hours now. I had some nausea in the first half of the day that then turned into violently throwing up bile. I've not been able to eat today because I don't have much in, I live alone, and I don't have the strength to prepare a meal. I don't even have bread and butter so I can't just make a piece of toast or something. I couldn't even hold down water earlier either, so it probably wouldn't have helped. I feel a little unusual and on edge. No tremors and I'm pretty sure I haven't had a seizure. I haven't been sick in the last few hours.

I wasn't even considering whether this was withdrawal until late this evening. I thought I was just tired and nauseated from exhaustion. But I'm not sure now.

But what is anyone going to do? All the late night pharmacies have closed and I'll bet anything A&E would rather tell me to get in a Biffa Bin than give me Gabapentin If I went there. 111 won't call me back until tomorrow morning or I'll eat my shoe collection.

Is this withdrawal dangerous, if that's what it is? I can only find information about people who have been taking it long term. But I keep reading about it being able to cause seizures and I'm completely alone.

I don't know anything about gabapentin, could you dial 111 and explain the situation?

I could but I think they'll just do the same online assessment I've done. I worked for 111 for a bit myself in the past so I imagine they'll say I need a call back for a clinician which I've already booked in myself.

Oh I'm sorry, I missed that! 🤦‍♀️ Tiredness.

Keep drinking warm fluids and hopefully do some calming things or anything to distract you. Hope clinician calls soon

I don't feel as bad as I did earlier, at least. I've been keeping a few sips of water down. I really want to start gulping it down but I shouldn't.

Thanks for getting back to me. I don't know if I'm worried over nothing or if I genuinely might be at risk of a seizure. I might even have a coincidental stomach bug but I doubt it - I haven't left the house since Saturday. I don't see where I'd have got one from.

Do you have any sepsis symptoms?

Call a neighbour/friend/ambulance?

It could be gabapentin withdrawal but it could also be an infection.
You need to be seen quickly to exclude infection / sepsis.
Call an ambulance .
( GP here )

I don't think so with the sepsis, although obviously it's a possibility. I've been very close to going into in the past with an infection and I was very confused, had a very high temperature, and I just knew something was seriously wrong, like a sixth sense.

I don't feel anything like that. I've tried messaging a few friends who must be asleep and my neighbour is away. My closest family member is 50 miles away.

The hot chest is puzzling me though. I'm boiling to the touch but my temperature is 36 on the dot when I take it on my forehead. I couldn't switch this fan off though. It feels like an oven in here. It's 20 degrees in the room.

I’ve had fibromyalgia for years but never taken gabapentin. Just had a quick read and sounds like it may be withdrawal related.
But if you do have fibro that can make you feel restless, insomnia even though you’re tired, hot and sweaty or freezing cold and I also get itchy skin ( can’t remember the oroperty name for it) even though there’s nothing wrong with my skin. Also makes me bloody irritable most of the time.
All I can suggest is treat the symptoms — cold fan or hot water bottle whichever is needed, a tens machine if you have one ( my best friend) , distraction —- anything that works from tv to game on your phone to podcasts. Try some relaxation —- steady breathing counting down in your head on each out breath from 10 to zero. BBC Sounds has something called the Sleeping Forecast which might help too.
Hope 111 get back to you soon.

Just seen the post from @LunaTheCat and I think if a GP says ambulance go for that.
Have everything crossed for you.

The fibromyalgia is a relatively new thing my consultant discussed with me on the last appointment. I've never had anything like this with it in the past. I'm not even convinced I have it but the consultant was quite insistent.

I did find the gabapentin was making me feel a bit better though.

I'll think about calling an ambulance but I don't want to waste anyone's time. I just don't know what to look out for if this deteriorates. Tremors, maybe?

Please get help- ambulance would much rather see someone now and they are well then faced with seriously unwell person who had not called help.
I am trained and it’s a hard call for me !

Call the ambulance. Don't worry about wasting anyone's time. What's important is that you're looked after, and since there's no one near you to help, you'd at least be somewhere you can be checked on and get the meds you need.

It could be withdrawal, what dose were you taking? If a large dose, such a big drop off could cause those things.

Ive suffered withdrawal from multiple medications over the years and it can be brutal.

However, it could also be something else and you need to be checked. Withdrawal alone can be concerning, ive had to reintroduce meds before to avoid severe symptoms of withdrawal. But without being checked you cant be sure and you cant know how badly its affecting your body.

Being checked can both rule out something else and get you medication if it is withdrawal as unless you are on a small dose, you really should taper down rather than just stopping.

Regardless of what it is, you need help if you are that unwell. Tonight.

All the very best x

I've just rung 111 to talk about whether I need an ambulance and she said my case is locked because someone else is looking at it. So they might be calling me back.

She said give it 15 minutes to see.

I bet they'll just look at it and decide it's not urgent though. I had to go down the flow for vomiting. 111 can struggle with nuance at times because of those flows. It's the heat I'm worried about now. I feel like a rotisserie chicken even though I don't have a temperature and it isn't hot in here.

It wasn't a very high dose as I only just started taking it. I was on the 100mg tablets three times a day.

It was definitely doing something though. I was very spacey the first week.

That's high! 300 mg a day? I had 100 mg a time when ill and that made me spacey.

I think that may well be the issue and therefore you'll need help to smooth it all out. Your GP hasn't been great. Try to manage till morning and then call them and insist they refer you into hospital or at least get you an interim prescription.

111 have called me back. They're pretty certain it's withdrawal. They've confirmed what I already knew though - A&E won't have medication available in the middle of the night and neither will the OOH GP.

I'm very reluctant to go to A&E asking for pain medication anyway because I've had to go before when I've been in severe pain and they treated me like a piece of shit on their shoes and refused to give me anything.

I'm getting a headache now though and I still feel like the room is on fire.

No, they've been awful. They brought in a new system recently where you aren't allowed to book an appointment with a GP in advance. If you don't manage to get one on the day, it's tough luck. I've tried a few times recently and I can't even get through to the receptionist because they've just closed the line.

111 suggested codeine but I've already got that here. I threw up the dose before but kept the last one down. It hasn't done anything though. I've been on codeine daily for about four or five years now so it barely affects me anymore.

I take 300mg three times a day which isn't an uncommon dose. I started taking it in 2017 for a particular type of nerve pain which eventually resolved. I tried to come off it in 2019 with my doctor's support, but the withdrawal was awful, so I have continued to take it.

Have to say, it definitely took the edge off my extreme pain, but it was still there and very uncomfortable. Not a pain I could live with for the rest of my life. What took it away completely was a very high end CBD oil which my friend recommended. Took my first dose one afternoon, got up the next day and the pain had gone! This was after having been in agony for over six weeks. My doctor was happy for me to try it and I was grateful for her support.

it definitely took the edge off my extreme pain, but it was still there and very uncomfortable

That was my experience. Although even having the edge off for a bit has been great.

I do sometimes smoke weed for the pain when it's very bad, which really helps. But it's expensive and gives me an appetite I can't afford to keep up with. I save it for emergencies, like if I have to do a long drive, I'll have it after as I can end up shaking in pain from sitting there for so long.

I was originally given morphine now and then. But I get random GPs now. Some of them try to persuade me to not even take paracetamol, which is very upsetting because I'm in agony. The last one I spoke to seemed to take me seriously and put me on this gabapentin but I'm not allowed to book a follow up appointment.

So now, horrific withdrawal symptoms.

I've been referred to the pain clinic but god knows what is happening with that. It was ages ago and I haven't even had an appointment. I'm probably on the waiting list for the waiting list.

If anyone has got invested, the ambulance turned up anyway and they've just got me down to the hospital now. My heart rate was jumping around a lot so they wanted to bring me.

I feel really poorly still. I'm getting a bit confused and all over the place.

Oh, I'm relieved you're in medical care! Sorry about the uncomfortable waiting around you might have to endure - but you were uncomfortable at home, too, and if things get worse now you're in the right place. Wishing you well!

I know it’s not the same but animals can suffer withdrawal from Gabapentin, you can’t just stop giving it to them once they’ve been on it awhile. So hopefully it’s that and not anything more serious, you’re in the right place and hopefully will feel much better soon.

I hope you get some relief from that debilitating pain. A friend takes Naproxen for chronic backache, she also has APS so is now taking a fair amount of meds (unsure what).