Pregabalin and cognitive function

[Lissa101]

So my doc has eventually agreed to prescribe me these. I've read up on the side effects and think I can cope with most of them. The only one I'm concerned about is a decrease in cognitive function because I'm a student and need to be able to use my brain. Anxiety has already affected my memory and ability to think clearly so I'm not so keen on my cognitive function getting even worse. Has anyone noticed this effect, how bad was it and did it last?

xxx

[BobbyDog]

Not sure what dose you have been prescribed. I have to say that taking Pregabalin has affected my cognitive function. I find it hard to accomplish a task unless I write it down on paper, for me to refer to, so as I don't forget to do it. For me just going from one room to another in the house is long enough for me to forget why I am there. Sometimes when I open my mouth to speak I can't find the words in my memory bank. But, this can happen with any type of medication especially antidepressants. I am sure some people are not affected at all. This is just my experience. The positive effects for me far outweigh the negative.

[JaneC]

Unfortunately, epilepsy drugs are notorious for this Lissa. However, my daughter has been able to offset the effects by making a small reduction in her dose. She takes a different drug and for epilepsy itself but keeping your dosage as low as you can might minimise possible problems x

[Lissa101]

BobbyDog - I'm like that already! I call people and forget why I called them, I have to keep a diary for the first time in my life just to remember what I'm doing day to day.

I'm not sure what dose I'll get as I'm tapering down my current meds at the moment. If it makes me feel better I think I can stick being a bit 'slow' as I'm so desperate to feel normal again. I once had a prof who developed late onset epilepsy in his 50's. He was a geneticist and I remember watching this mightly intellect struggling to do some very simple statistics because of his meds. Scary. But, happiness is more important in my book. Thanks for the advice xxx

[Mark13]

I have a reasonably high IQ and can usually get my head around things, but since taking pregabalin, I'm more forgetful, find it hard to understand instructions and basically feel a little dazed.

My GP has now agreed for me to reduce my dosage over a week from 600 to 400 (an amount which is supposed to have the same benefits).

And my typing is all over the place, I have to proofread a lot to get rid of all the typos.

Good luck.

[little wren]

Lissa I feel disoriented at a low dose (180mg a day) but the cognitive dysfunction is not as bad as with the high dose of prozac I currently take. That is so sad about your professor - for someone who has been highly intelligent their entire life to now struggle with the basics is a cruel blow indeed.

[Lissa101]

Hi Little Wren, thanks for your reply. I was on 100mg Sertraline and it destroyed my memory so surely Preg can't be much worse that that... Sadly my professor is no longer with us. He had a very bad seizure and knocked his head. He lived alone and wasn't found until it was too late :(

[little wren]

Hi lissa did you get your memory back after you came off sertraline or are you taking sertraline alongside pregabalin? Sos for being 'nosey':lac: but I am in the same boat but it is prozac which has affected my cognition - love little wren

[Tufty]

I'd be interested to hear if anyone is on Pregabalin alongside a SSRI. I've been on Pregabalin for 6+ weeks now, starting at 150mg and slowly increased up to 450mg at 4 weeks, it's OK but it's not brilliant. I am getting waves of panic and my mood is low at times, I'm going to my doctors tomorrow and am going to ask about adding an SSRI. I took Prozac for 9 years and it kept my panic attacks to a minimum but I stopped taking it and when I restarted the side effects were horrific. I tried Escitalopram with milder side effects but at 6 weeks I was suicidally depressed - which I wasn't when I started it.

So I'm wondering if Pregabalin will mask the increased anxiety I suffer when starting a SSRI? If I could get onto a SSRI which didn't cause depression like the Escitalopram I would then taper off the Pregabalin.

[BobbyDog]

Pregabalin seems to work well alongside Mirtazapine which is a tetracyclic(NaSSA). i think it was originally prescribed for depression and now for anxiety/depression.

[Lissa101]

No I've been advised to taper off the Sertraline first -but only because my GP didn't know what to do! :)

[hanshan]

I think you'll just have to try it and see - it affects everyone slightly differently.

For me, the major side effects were physical, not cognitive, and they decreased over time. If anything, I can think more clearly because I no longer have to deal with constant anxiety. I teach at a university, so I have to stay sharp. My pregabalin is combined with mirtazapine, which, as has been pointed out, is a common combination for anxiety.

Good luck with pregabalin. It doesn't work for everyone, but if it does it's a godsend.

[Lissa101]

Thanks Hanshan, that really helped! What do you teach if you don't mind me asking?

[hanshan]

Hi Lissa,

I work at a university in Japan, and teach English and academic skills.

I hope pregabalin can help you.

Take care,

Hanshan