anyone else taking pregabalin? don't seem to be a popular med

[Kayla-Marie]

??

[Mark13]

Well as you know, I am. There are a few more folk on Pregabalin, who you'll see posted in my diary thread. It's not a popular med because it's still patented and therefore expensive. It costs over £60 a month to the GP's practice, whereas fluoxetine costs them about £1 a month because it's generic.

[Kayla-Marie]

ahh thats why my gp was reluctant to prescribe it then!! thanks mark x

[Mark13]

There's also the fact that it started as an anti-epileptic seizure drug, was then used for nerve pain, and was only licenced for anxiety treatment in 2006, so many GPs aren't aware it can be used for anxiety so are reluctant to try it.

My own GP had only ever prescribed it for nerve pain but was good enough to look it up, then prescribe it.

[ricardo]

Mark,

over here pregablin is called lyrica and as you rightly say it was originally prescribed as an anti epileptic drug .
Having tried so many different SSRI drugs, which I am intolerent to mainly because of urine retention, my doctor urged me to take Lyrica (which can be bought over the counter at a fraction of the cost in the UK) but it had no effect for me except a huge amount of weight gain.

I have major stress in my life at the moment and apart from 2 x 40mg Propranolol and trankamazin 2mg which is very addictive I have not been offered any other drugs.

[Mark13]

Ricardo

Yeah, it's Lyrica here too but I've got used to just using generic names.

TBH I'm suffering now with these, I had a few days last week when I felt they were helping, but since Saturday, my anxiety is high. They do seem to be helping my visual perception though, things seems sharper at times and my head clearer.

I started on Propranolol yesterday too (a day after feeling bad on Lyrica) and that's made me a little dizzy and foggy headed, but I've been on it before with no problems.

Anxiety still high though and I'm supposed to be going back to work on Thursday :scared15:

[Kayla-Marie]

sorry to hear your not doing so good now mark :( can i just ask what is lyrica/pregabalin supposed to help with the most? general anxiety or a panic attack?

---------- Post added at 21:11 ---------- Previous post was at 21:07 ----------

do you have the derealization/depersonlization at all?

[Ats666]

These tablets were helping me, but my anxiety has become worse lately, now I've just read a thread saying that pregabalin causes heart problems. I am now panicking. Has anyone else read this as I don't want to just come off them, but I'm now scared to take them :weep:

[Kayla-Marie]

surely drs would'nt prescribe them for any ailment if they cause heart problems....

[Mark13]

[QUOTE=Ats666;1099254now I've just read a thread saying that pregabalin causes heart problems.[/QUOTE]
Don't believe everything you read. Check the official and scholarly literature not hearsay.

Heart failure is very rare due to this drug and the vast majority of these rare cases are elderly people with existing advanced heart disease.

[hanshan]

Hi Ricardo,

I've just finished booking my next holiday in Spain (just kidding).

I don't want to seem to be advertising prazosin to all-comers, but it is used for problems related to urinary retention, including (but not limited to) benign prostatic hyperplasia and urinary sphincter dyssynergia. In addition, it can help with stress-related anxiety, which may be helpful. Also, it's generic, so not expensive.

---------- Post added at 23:14 ---------- Previous post was at 22:59 ----------

Hi Mark,

Stick with it. If my own experience is anything to go by, the night before going back to work will be stressful, but it does subside.

[Mark13]

sorry to hear your not doing so good now mark :( can i just ask what is lyrica/pregabalin supposed to help with the most? general anxiety or a panic attack?

---------- Post added at 21:11 ---------- Previous post was at 21:07 ----------

do you have the derealization/depersonlization at all?
Hi Kayla-Marie

Pregabalin is licenced for Generalised Anxiety Disorder, not OCD or panic.

As for derealisation, I've had that constantly since waking up with it one morning when I was 12 (in 1978) that followed a traumatic period in which I had life-saving brain surgery.

Depersonalisation I've only ever had with acute depression, so it never lasted long.

---------- Post added at 13:24 ---------- Previous post was at 13:21 ----------



Hi Mark,

Stick with it. If my own experience is anything to go by, the night before going back to work will be stressful, but it does subside.
Hi hanshan

I intend to carry on with Pregabalin indefinitely despite the fact the beneficial effects seem to have disappeared, just in case they come back. It might be the effects are so subtle I'd only notice their absence if I came off it.

I've taken 2x40mg of Propranolol these last 2 days, and apart from slightly more disrupted sleep than normal, and a bit of dizziness, no major side effects.

[hanshan]

Hi Mark,

Best wishes with the return to work.

[Mark13]

Hi Mark,

Best wishes with the return to work.
Thanks mate, much appreciated.

[Kayla-Marie]

sorry mark only just read this post!!
my derealisation started in 2009 after i had ECT for severe depression and its 24/7
its like i'm living in a dream world :weep: i wish it would disappear and then i could manage my anxiety better as my depression has now gone x

[Mark13]

its like i'm living in a dream world :weep:
Exactly what I thought when I woke up that day when I was 12. I couldn't talk about it for fear of people thinking I was "mad".

Fortunately we have the internet now, where you can get support, I just felt very alone in my "unreal world".

After 34 years of DR I've got used to this "dreamworld" as I know it's just my perception of the real world. In fact if my old "reality" came back I'm not sure I'd cope!

[Kayla-Marie]

did you go through a traumatic event at 12? my Cpn came on wednesday and she said it usually happens when you go through a traumatic time in your life,
i believe mine was caused by losing my baby daughter and my dad iin 2008 i shut myself off from the world and still can't seem to get back to 'reality'
i too had trouble explaining the 'derealisation' in case i was the only one i thought it was just me and i was 'mad' its a awful thing and mine seems to be worse when i step out the front door its very scary.

[Mark13]

did you go through a traumatic event at 12?
Yes I did. I won't bore you with full details, but I had to have a life-saving brain operation, I went into a coma thinking I was going to die. I've always considered that to be the trigger for my derealisation and my Health Anxiety, depression and GAD.

Like I said, I had to get used to it to appear normal to my parents and schoolfriends at the time. Now, TBH I only think about it when it's mentioned on here.

Plus the pregabalin gave me a few glimpses of my old reality but they were fleeting.

I feel like I'm walking around in a great big hamster ball, with reality on the outside I can't quite touch.