question: Hello doctor, I am a 34-year-old woman, otherwise in good health. I have a history of anxiety and panic attacks but I had not suffered any of these in a severe form in over 6 years. I was medication free for many years, up until 2 months ago when I went to see a psychiatrist for possible psychosomatic symptoms, I had chronic abdominal pains with no obvious source discovered after several medical tests. The psychiatrist gave me Gabapentin. She said to take 300 mg every night. I started the medication as she prescribed but after 3 to 4 days I found they were making me too groggy so I started taking 300 mg every three days. Then by the end of last month, went down to 300 mg every 6 to 7 days. I had no side effects except for a bit of nausea/dyspepsia, feeling drowsy and my mind was foggy. Around 2 weeks ago I stopped taking them altogether since my abdominal pain was getting better on its own. But around 8 to 9 days after stopping Gabapentin, I started having these weird symptoms that seemed to have come out of nowhere. Anxiety which has increased to dramatic levels over the last few days, panic sensations on every tiny negative or sad thought, a burning feeling in my throat and nose, horrible heartburn, waves of weakness like an adrenaline rush flowing through my chest, arms and legs. I have strange thoughts, bizarre ideas like mind control and telepathy (which is so uncharacteristic of me), confusion - I cannot get my thoughts together well, cannot remember things. Insomnia, cannot sleep for more than 1 to 2 hours at a time. I feel horrible. There is a bit of stress in my life at the moment but nothing that I would not have normally handled decently well. I also checked my thyroid and my TSH and FT4 are completely normal. It all started suddenly five days ago and since then it has been hell. Things have not gotten any better over these days, at the contrary I am worse. Can this be Gabapentin withdrawal symptoms? Because my doctor told me I can quit it cold turkey since it is not addictive but I am starting to believe it must be. No way I went crazy like this for no reason. I feel like I cannot fully control the way my brain is working and I am overreacting to any slight emotion and turning it into panic. Please help.