Staggering round like a drunk on Pregabalin

[ExtremeAngst]

Hi, I'm new to no more panic. Been suffering from severe GAD since May 2011 and been off work since then. My anxiety and insomnia has been really severe. I feel like a total freak. Have been tried on Olanzapine, Quetiapine, Chlorpromazine and Mirtazapine - got much worse on all of these particularly Mirtazapine. Now on 50mg of Sertraline and just started Pregabalin last night. Took 75mg at 8.00 pm - went into a really deep sleep with strange dreams - didn't hear alarm clock go off. Dizzy and staggering around all over the place and dropping things. Feel really drunk (but not happy), anxiety not too bad. Supposed to be taking 150 mg - 75 in morning and 75 at night. Have not taken my morning dose as I'm home alone all day. Will this pass?

[robinbrum]

I think other users have experienced these initial effects too but hopefully they will pass. That's quite a low dose but maybe you're more sensitive than most and maybe the sertraline compounds the effects of the pregabalin but that's just a theory, I know nothing about that drug.
http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=106493
Best of luck.

[ExtremeAngst]

Thanks for your reply. You could be right. My docs have told me I'm very sensitive to some meds - particularly SSRI'S and neuroleptics! Good at tolerating benzos though but been told long term will cause way more problems that it will fix.:)

[haz]

Thanks for your reply. You could be right. My docs have told me I'm very sensitive to some meds - particularly SSRI'S and neuroleptics! Good at tolerating benzos though but been told long term will cause way more problems that it will fix.:)

I'm very senstive to meds too! I think we must be twins separated at birth!!:D

On a more serious note, I couldn't handle Pregabalin for more than a week as it made me feel really drunk and "spaced out". I didn't trust myself to cross the road I felt so "out of it". BUT, I was also on escitalopram, 15mg diazepam and 7.mg zopiclone at the time as well.

Good Luck with it.

Haz.x

[robinbrum]

Hardly any wonder you were spaced out on that cocktail - you were probably orbiting saturn! Have heard it makes some people feel slightly inebriated though...

[haz]

Hardly any wonder you were spaced out on that cocktail - you were probably orbiting saturn! Have heard it makes some people feel slightly inebriated though...

I know! Still felt really anxious though.

[ExtremeAngst]

I'm very senstive to meds too! I think we must be twins separated at birth!!:D

On a more serious note, I couldn't handle Pregabalin for more than a week as it made me feel really drunk and "spaced out". I didn't trust myself to cross the road I felt so "out of it". BUT, I was also on escitalopram, 15mg diazepam and 7.mg zopiclone at the time as well.

Good Luck with it.

Haz.x

Hi Haz

I agree we must be twins:roflmao:We seem really similar. I'm on day 2 of the Pregabalin - I'm just taking the 75mg at night instead of 75mg twice a day. Didn't sleep aswell last night but I don't feel so drunk or spaced out today. I'll keep at it for as long as I can. I took my last diazepam on Sunday so now I'm just on 50mg of Sertraline and the Pregabalin. I hope it works:huh:

Take Care and hope to catch you again soon
Sarah x

[dan1234]

Hope its helped sarah? Any updates, considering trying this med!

[VivreSaVie]

Hi Sarah,

I felt completely stoned when I started on Pregabalin - I started low and then built up to 150mg twice a day. The feeling goes after a while (I think it was a few days for me), but it is a bit disconcerting to begin with.

I found it really effective though, so do stick with it for a bit!

[eight days a week]

Pregabalin works on one of the same key parts of the brain as alcohol - Gaba - so it's no surprise.

It should pass though :)

(Has it?)

[ExtremeAngst]

Hope its helped sarah? Any updates, considering trying this med!

Hi Dan

Hope you're ok. Pregabalin has had a really weird effect on me. First night on 75mg slept like a log and felt drunk and stoned until about 12.00 noon the following day. Next night 75mg - nothing - hardly slept and didn't feel drunk etc. Next day took 75 mg in morning and again at night as prescribed. Again drunk and stoned and really forgetful. Dropped it back down to just 75mg at night on Monday and Tuesday - very little sleep. On Tuesday morning this week started having intense panic attacks and weird visual stuff going on inside my head. Tuesday afternoon mood went through the floor and started crying and fleeting suicidal thoughts. Spoke to pysch and she told me to persevere and make sure I took am and pm dose. Depression got worse and worse, anxiety going through the roof and into extreme phase - couldn't read, talk or write (sudden dyslexia), couldn't follow anything on the tv or conversations with partner. Couldn't remember what I was doing from 1 minute to the next. Took me five attempts to remember I was trying to get some milk out of the fridge to make a cup of tea. Putting things in all the wrong places. Also could co-ordinate to eat my dinner on Thursday evening - knife and fork just out of sync on plate - couldn't find my mouth. Spoke to pysch again and I said I didn't want to take it. She said to try it for 3 weeks but if I really didn't want to she would support that. Decided to stop it so had last dose am yesterday. Tue, Wed, Thur also had the runs, persistent peeing and being sick. Psych said this was my anxiety. Ok so why have I gone so anxious on something that is supposed to stop it - also had the same results with mirtazapine, olanzapine and quetiapine. I just think some meds don't agree with me and have the opposite effect.

Lots of people say pregabalin is really good so have a talk to your doctor about it. I don't think I'm a very good bench mark. Seen GP again this morning and he's given me a low dose of diazepam to get severe angst under control again. I know benzos are bad news but they help me a lot when I've got extreme anxiety and I don't seem to have a problem stopping them.

All the best
Sarah:unsure:

---------- Post added at 13:53 ---------- Previous post was at 13:46 ----------

:unsure:
Pregabalin works on one of the same key parts of the brain as alcohol - Gaba - so it's no surprise.

It should pass though :)

(Has it?)

Hi - the drunk, stoned and high feeling passed after about 4 days but I crashed with depression and rapidly building anxiety - don't know what that was about. Depression was really severe and and anxiety and insomnia out of control. Probably needed a higher dose but was having dyslexia and memory problems even at lower dose so didn't want to risk it. After taking to pysch decided to drop it. I seem to experience weird results with certain meds where they have the opposite effect. I guess my biochemistry must be a bit out of kilter with everybody else!

Happy to be off it and GP has given me a low dose of diazepam to squash the extreme anxiety - once it gets hold only benzos with put it out - it's like a forest fire in the Australian outback.

Take Care
Sarah :unsure: