View Full Version : Taken my first pregabalin capsule
Well, I finally gave in yesterday when I saw the psychiatrist at the clinic, and agreed to try pregabalin. I've just taken my first one.
One of my real hang-ups is drugs and their side effects, and when he suggested adding it to my mirtazapine at my last visit 3 months ago I resisted. However, although I'm a hundred times better than I was at the start of all this anxiety and depression last year, I still have horrible mornings and feel quite 'fragile' much of the time - knowing any small thing can tip me into real anxiety.
He's only put me on a small dose - starting with one 25mg capsule for a few days and then going up to 2 a day if I'm okay on that. I'm only on 15mg of mirtazapine each night, so very small doses of both compared with what other folks on here are on. I was scared to take the pregabalin at the same time as my mirtazapine at night, so took it this morning.
Pregabalin seems to get a good press on here, so hoping it will help :)
Well done Coppernob:) I know how hard it is to take new drugs when you have horrible reactions. When I took my first dose in hospital I was so scared I made the nurse sit with me and show me where the defibrulater kit was:roflmao: I can laugh now but I really do have horrible reactions!!!
Good luck. You can look at all the pregabalin posts for advice. Hanshan,Mark 13 and Tufty will have loads more experience than me as I too am knew to pregabalin.
Thanks Sarah! I've been reading some of your other posts on this subject!
I've had no reaction to the first tablet, though it is a very small dose, and feel quite okay, so I may take another this evening and see if it helps in the morning. I'm sure if I could get the horrible mornings sorted out I would be better all round.
Welcome to the Pregabalin club Coppernob. I've found it good for anxiety but had to add Mirtazapine to it a month ago due to increasing depression, so you're doing it the other way round to me.
I started on 50mg twice a day and noticed an immediate reduction in anxiety, I increased by 50mg a day until I got to 250mg a day, then increased slowly from there. Initially I had a very pleasant euphoria, I became more talkative and interested in things - but it was not in a wacky kind of way. When I got to taking 150mg in a single dose I did have some drunk like feelings a few hours after taking them but again this wore off quickly. I did put on about 7lbs when I started taking them but other than that the side effects are minimal for me.
I don't wake with any anxiety now but am still struggling with a low mood which surfaces in the afternoon, I am hoping that the Mirtazapine will sort this out in time.
Sam
Well, I decided to go straight to 2x25mg a day instead of starting slowly with just one 25mg, so I'm hoping they will kick in soon. It's still a very small dose, but my normal dizziness (benign positional vertigo) was much worse last night, though it's okay today, and my anxiety was higher than ever this morning. But that's normal for me when I try anything new and before it's had time to work! I will stick with it and hope it will help.
Perhaps it's not the right time to do it, but I'm also starting on a Slimming World diet as the mirtazapine made me put on weight and I know pregabalin is implicated in weight gain too, and I am very fed up with being overweight when I'm normally quite slim. I've got 4 months before we go on a long cruise so it's very important to get into my 'cruise clothes' and give myself some leeway for the usual cruise weight gain! :ohmy:
Well, I've had 3 days on pregabalin and I can't say I really feel the effect yet. I've been even more dopey than usual in the mornings, presumably because I take both mirtazapine and pregabalin at night, though small doses of both.
Please work soon!
Some people respond really well to pregabalin and only need a low dose, but the therapeutic dose established by several studies is around 100 to 400 mg per day for most people. Some people may get by on less and others need more, but that's the range for maybe two thirds of people taking pregabalin.
I've also just started taking pregabalin along with my mirtazapine. I was a bit scared after reading all the possible side effect but so far no horrible side effects although I don't think it helping much yet but then its only day 2 and I think it takes up to 4 weeks to really work.
Just though I'd reply because I think is nice to know that your not alone and there's people out their in the same boat.
I slept through my alarm this morning, it didn't even wake me up so I don't know if it just a coincidence or the mirtazapine 45mg and pregabalin 150mg together are having a really sedating effect.
panicpanda
24-05-13, 18:11
Hey :)
I've been on Pregabalin for 3 days now (25mg 3 times a day). I don't feel like it's doing anything at all! I don't take anything else with it. With supervision from my CPN I will be increasing each week.
I hope we feel some positive effects soon!
I don't think my psychiatrist plans to increase my dose above 50mg. He is pulling strings to keep me from being discharged from the clinic, because he has to tick boxes on the computer and he is recording me as being worse than I am, so I guess I'm not nearly as bad as some other folk. I'm a million times better than I was when it all started last year, but can't seem to get past the dreadful mornings. IF I could get that sorted I think I would gradually get over the feeling of fragility, that any small thing could knock me off my perch so to speak, into mad panic!
I can only re-iterate what Han shan has said...The theraputic dose is 400mgs!!!!! a day.
Hi Coppernob,
If pregabalin does work for you (at whatever dose is right), then you will probably be taking it for some time. That means that at some stage you will have to transfer from your psychiatrist back to a GP prescribing it (I'm not familiar with the UK system, so forgive me if I get it wrong).
If your psychiatrist is having to check boxes to keep you on, it looks like you may soon be moved back into general practice health care. In that case, it's essential to get a medication regime set up that you are happy with, because the GP won't want to overrule a psychiatrist's prescription, at least not for a while.
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