Pregablin withdrawal

[almamatters]

I want to cut my dosage down on this medication, number one reason the weight gain, I am finding this issue is starting a whole new lot of anxiety symptoms. I take currently 400mg daily. Would I be able to safely half that dose, I have not discussed this with my GP as do not have an appointment for a few weeks. I am not sure if I am ready to come off this medication completely but thought cutting down may be a start.
Thanks for listening.

[clio51]

I'm not on the med, but I wouldn't go down that much.
Why not try going down say 50mg say for 2 weeks at least. Personally I think you would have withdrawal symptoms heightened anxiety,panic etc. Just I thought.'m

[hanshan]

I agree that it's best not to cut back too quickly. On the other hand, if you do and suddenly get symptoms again, you can always push the dose back up a bit again.

There are different schools of thought on why pregabalin causes weight gain. I tend to go along with the view that it affects appetite and hunger, making you feel you haven't eaten enough when you have, and making you eat more than you need. My answer was to count calories (as I couldn't trust my own judgement as to how much was enough any more) and learn to tolerate a certain degree of hunger for part of the day. I found that if I didn't eat much during the day before dinner time (and put up with feeling somewhat hungry), I could eat reasonably well (and feel quite full) from dinner time on without going over the energy limit.

[Tufty]

I've reduced from 450mg to 300mg a day in 8 days without any problem so far. I have started Sertraline so that may be masking any withdrawls but I would of thought I'd be more anxious starting a SSRI and reducing Pregabalin but I'm not. I'm reducing 50mg every 3 days or so and I think my appetite has decreased already. I'm hoping to stay on 150-200mg of Pregabalin a day until the Sertraline starts working in 3-4 weeks time.
Sam

[BobbyDog]

I wouldn't do it without discussing it with your GP first. I tried to withdraw myself without any intervention and had rash like symptoms and was itching all over, antihistamine did not help either. But we are all different and you may not have any withdrawal symptoms.

[Mark13]

I'm not withdrawing but will be reducing dosage so I'm following your thread with interest.

To be blunt, I'm not keen on the sexual problems, memory deficits and increased appetite, I hope they'll decrease with the dosage.

I was on 450mg but only for a week as I went up the dosage range, with GP's approval, so I can't really remember the side effects for that particular week :)

[almamatters]

Thanks all for your replies and input, am going to do it really slowly as your posts suggest, this seems like the sensible option, I want to get down to 200mg if I can, I have heard that pregablin alters your metabolic rate and it can take time for it to sort itself out again, I have not noticed too many other side effects, occasional brain fog, but I do get a bit wobbly when I have not had a tablet, suppose this is my body missing them. Thanks again

[BobbyDog]

Damned if you do and damned if you don't. Sorry for being so apathetic, but that is how I am feeling about it at the moment.x

[hanshan]

It is a common claim that a drug alters metabolic rate, but with no actual evidence that it does.

Metabolism requires the "burning" of fuel sources to produce energy. In most cases, resting metabolism needs oxygen and produces carbon dioxide, similar to burning wood or petrol.

The supply of oxygen in the body is limited to only a few minutes, and carbon dioxide is not tolerated and quickly removed via the lungs.

This means that metabolic rate is easily measured using facemasks which measure oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide output. This equipment is now commonplace in, for example, sports physiology labs.

Despite changes in metabolic rate being so easy to measure, there are no published papers saying various drugs change metabolic rate.

[Mark13]

I agree with hanshan, I'll take the metabolic rate claims seriously when there's any scientific evidence to support it.

I've found that both mirtazapine and pregabalin increase appetite initially, and this extra intake can soon become a habit, but any "counting" diet will lose you weight on either drug - it's just tough to stick to early on till you break habits and retrain your subconscious.

I've now got going on my diet after putting on 9lbs since starting pregabalin. I've lost 3lbs in 3 weeks, which is what I would expect given my food intake. Slow but steady :)

[almamatters]

I started yesterday by taking 100mg less so have taken 300mg today, I feel rubbish though not sure if it is because of this or just that I am feeling fed up generally. Feel breathless and agitated but this can be normal for me some days. Have taken 400mg today, my usual dose as am now stressed about withdrawal symptoms. Still don't have GP appointment for a couple of weeks and don't like phone appointments.
I thought building up to my dose was difficult but now it seems cutting down is equally hard.

[SarahH]

Just a thought....but why reduce it if it makes you feel bad? Count calories to loose weight perhaps........

I look at it like this....a diabetic has to take insulin....if you have high blood pressure you take medication...........If taking pregabalin keeps me well then I will take it for the rest of my life.

no offence :)

[Mark13]

almamatters

I've just come off pregabalin in 3 days, but I wouldn't recommend it. GP OK'd it though, although TBH I'm the first person he ever prescribed it to for GAD.

There's not supposed to be a withdrawal sydrome AFAIK, so I'm not sure whether it's pregabalin withdrawal or duloxetine start up effects, but I've barely been out of bed since Wednesday morning - good job I booked leave.

SarahH - I agree with you, but I was 4 stone overweight before pregabalin, then put on 9lbs in 9 weeks, could shift it.

Lost 4lbs this week and I've only been off it 3 days, water retention of course.

Weight gain doesn't effect everyone, and even if it affects you, as you say it's a good trade off for feeling mentally better.

[Tufty]

What have you dropped from 600mg to nil in 3 days! What kind of side effects are you getting Mark?

As you know I've been on Pregabalin for 14 weeks now, I got up to 450mg but it wasn't doing what it said on the box and I had reduced it down to 200mg and added Sertraline. I wasn't aware of any withdraw side effects but since stopping the Sertraline 7 days ago I've been through all I can describe of as hell. I have increased the Pregabalin again with no improvement and feel I now need a wash out period of all drugs before trying anything else, although copious amounts of Diazepam and Zopiclone will be consumed to 'survive' the next few days and weeks.

With hindsight I wish I'd stuck with Pregabalin only, it was better than nothing and a hundred times better than how I feel now.

When are you due to go back to work Mark?

Take care
Sam

[Mark13]

Hi Sam

I'm back at work on Monday, I thought 4 days at home (my wife works Saturdays) would help the transition from pregabalin to duloxetine.

To answer your question, sky high anxiety, higher than a missed dose causes.

I think it was 3 days, maybe 4, I didn't really plan it well. I had alternated 400/500/600 for a week depending on how I felt daily but then went from 600 to 500 to 200 to none.

I've had extreme anxiety, insomnia, nausea and extreme tiredness, but I think only the first of these is due to withdrawal, the others due to the new drug.

[Tufty]

Blimey that was quick, well good luck with the Duloxetine. My next drug, which I've got a prescription for but am unsure if I am ready to take it yet is Mirtazepine, so I maybe quizzing you about that one soon :D
Sam

[Mark13]

Blimey that was quick, well good luck with the Duloxetine. My next drug, which I've got a prescription for but am unsure if I am ready to take it yet is Mirtazepine, so I maybe quizzing you about that one soon :D
Sam
Ahh, my all time favourite sleep aid :) No doubt I'll see you on the mirtazapine forum shortly then :)

[hanshan]

The cynic in me says that drug companies don't fund much research into withdrawal or discontinuation of their products - usually there is only a bland statement that people completing a four or six week trial discontinued without major ill effects (probably because they weren't taking the medication long enough).

My feeling is that the longer a person has been taking a medication that affects the balance of neurotransmitters, the more carefully they should approach discontinuation.

But good luck with it guys - I understand how side effects can also impact on mental health.

[becuille]

I've been on 300mg a day of Lyrica for just over a year. I didn't like the weight gain and although it helped some of my GAD, I felt it was making my depression a little worse so I decided to switch to Fluoxetine instead. My GP said to just half my dosage for a couple of days, then quarter it, then stop. I've honestly never been so ill in my life. I was scared. I went back on it and I'm now going to cut it down by 25mg a week. It'll take a lot longer to come off it, but I'd rather that than go through those awful withdrawal symptoms again.

So my personal advice would be to come off it slowly. From what I've read, this seems to really minimise any withdrawal symptoms.

[almamatters]

Hi after all this time I am still on 400mg of this medication. I have had days when I have managed with one less but then felt ill the next day. I don't know if I am just really sensitive to these kind of things. A doctor I spoke to said you should not suffer too many problems coming off these tablets, but I beg to differ to be honest. My weight seems to have settled down but I wanted to try life without the meds. I don't think I am ready yet. Thanks for all the comments.

[almamatters]

At present I am taking 200mg of pregabalin, have managed to cut down, can't say I feel any better or any worse. Weight issues or still an issue, I am convinced my metabolism has been altered but GP thinks this is not the case and that my increase in appetite is more likely to blame. Not sure whether I will be able to come off this drug altogether as I still feel like I need a safety net, I don't feel able to function without meds at the moment.

[almamatters]

Wanted to update this thread as I have seen a similar one and since I last posted I have gone back up to 400mg of pregabalin, I tried hard to manage on 200mg and then come off it completely but I really struggled, I started to become depressed (not a side effect of withdrawing according to GP) . Weight gain is still an issue, I seem to have levelled out but am still worried I may continue to put it on. I have spoken to people who have come off this medication fine with no problems but I found it difficult. I have to concede that for now I need to stay on it and cut down on my food intake, although I still am convinced it has slowed my metabolism down, but again GP said this won't be the case and I am eating more than I realise. I hope to try again in the future to withdraw but don't feel mentally ready at the moment.

[SarahH]

Give yourself a big pat on the back for acknowledging your need to go back on pregabalin:)
At least you know there is a drug there for you when you need it.
I am still on 400mgs a day and after 35yrs I have managed to give up a 20 a day habit of smoking (1 month ago). So pregabalin has made me feel confident enough to quit smoking!!!!!

Downside is I have put on 10lbs in that time:mad: Also my insomnia is worse:mad::mad:

Hang in there:)

[almamatters]

Thanks Sarah and well done on giving up smoking!! I would like to manage without meds but like you say sometimes you just have to admit that you need them and be grateful they are helping. :) xx