Side effects help

[Coni]

Morning everyone,

I have just gone from 250mg a day to 450mg (in 3 doses) and I feel awful. Only had 2 days at this dose. Yesterday afternoon and evening felt so drunk I thought my speech was slurred (hubby says it wasn't).
Couldn't get myself to wake up this morning and now I am awake I feel really sick and have a terrible headache.
Anyone else gone up to this dose?
How long before these effects settle?
Am supposed to be working on Monday but I can't if I still feel so drunk.
But if I don't increase the dose I don't know if I can carry on feeling how I've been feeling lately.
The lower dose was working fairly well until about 6 weeks ago. Can you become tolerant to these? Though have had more stress at work as well.
Back to my mind going round and round, knot in stomach and feeling scared all the time.
Sorry for the rant
Any advice greatly appreciated


X

[Speranza]

Really sorry, it's not my drug, just replying so you don't think peple are ignoring you! I'd say hang in there for now. It sounds as though it could be a temporary effect, but you will need to speak to the doctor. :hugs:

[Coni]

Aw thanks for your reply speranza, that was nice of you. I can be a slight bit paranoid at times (or more embarrassed if I think I've posted something stupid) lol.


Thanks again


X

[Speranza]

Nothing people post on here is stupid. Concerns are concerns - and magnified when we are anxious/depressed. x

[Tufty]

Hi Coni,

I've been on Pregabalin for 6 months on doses ranging from 100mg - 450mg a day. Jumping from 250 to 450 is a big jump, I have only increased a max of 100mg waiting 5 days before any further increase, sometimes I got the drunk/spaced out feeling but not always. I remember feeling any side effects of increasing the dose after 2 days but by 5 days I was fine again, so hopefully by Monday you'll be OK.

I found that the low dose worked well for me for a few weeks and the anxiety lessened considerably but after 2 weeks I started getting anxious and this became the pattern for about 2 months, I'd be OK after the increase but then the anxiety would resurface and I'd do another increase until I reached 450mg. At 450mg I had little anxiety but had put on a bit of weight, was getting a very dry mouth, constipated and just didn't feel right, not depressed but fed up. I disliked taking tablets twice or three times a day as I felt it was a constant reminder of being unwell and decided as I do in one of those the grass is greener doing something else, that I would try an antidepressant again, that was in April.

Well long story cut short, I cannot tolerate antidepressants and I wish I'd stuck to just taking Pregabalin, I haven't been at work since April when I started taking antidepressants. I have continued to take Pregabalin during this period at my doctors advice but had lowered the dose. I am now off antidepressants and increasing my Pregabalin again from 150mg and am already feeling better at 300mg daily. I aim to get back up to 450mg, it wasn't perfect but I was functioning and much better than I have been for the past 4 months.

In my experience Pregabalin is great for anxiety, give it another few weeks at 450mg and remember that we all have good and bad days and anxiety is normal, you have reasons to feel anxious and remember to take good care of yourself, medication is only a small part of the solution - eat, sleep, meditate and talk about how you're feeling if this helps.

In the long term I'm not sure about Pregabalin, some people seem to take it for years with excellent results. It is a fairly new anxiety treatment and there is lots of research being done about how it may be used in the most efficacious way. My doctor mentioned that studies are being done to see if the doses can be altered regularly so it's titrated in a more as needed basis, unlike antidepressants, so in low anxiety times you could lower the dose and increase as needed to maintain efficacy - BUT this is not recommended at the moment. Interesting though.

I hope some of this has helped, stick with the 450mg your body should adjust to that dose fairly soon, PM if you prefer for any further info, there are a few threads on here about Pregabalin which regular posters will respond to any queries on Pregabalin, so keep posting and asking questions, it's what the forums all about.

Take care
Sam

[Coni]

Thank you Sam, it's good to hear someone else's experience. I have been on 250mg since last February and generally felt great until about 6 weeks ago when I noticed things were starting to get to me more and more and I had all the physical symptoms.

Having said that things have been awful at work, short staffed, pressures from managers to do more and more, not time to do the job properly. I started over reacting to stuff-really panicked one day and walked out of the office and ended up in a car park blubbing and hyperventilating.
I get fixated on thinking Ive either done something bad which I don't know about or that I'll do something bad or make a terrible mistake at work and someone will be harmed, Ill be struck off and my name will be in the papers and everyone will know how bad I am. (I'm a nurse and try to work really hard and be conscientious.)


So that's what is behind the increase. But now worried i'll be so dopey I'll do something really stupid at work.
It's like catch 22-trying to stay at work and managing by the skin of my teeth but now the meds make me feel so dopey I don't know if I can work :(


You sound like me, I always think the grass is greener and I do worry about being on these long term.


The plan was to start the process of coming off everything in October because I would have been 'well' for a year.


I always worry that if I feel well on meds that it isn't real but drug induced if that makes sense. I know I should think who cares but I can't help thinking that its false and that as soon as the tablets stop it'll be right back to square 1.


I also think I think too much lol! :)


Thank you again for your reply it has been really helpful.


Have only taken my normal morning dose so far, am still pondering the next dose.


Thanks again. Take care.


X

[hanshan]

Hi Coni,

Hopefully it will only take a day or two for you to adjust to the new dose, and you will be able to go to work without feeling impaired. But if not, can you call in sick? I think it would be 100% legitimate, because in your work you are responsible for the lives of others, and this is a prescribed medication.

I'm interested by Sam's comment about moving the dosage of pregabalin up and down according to circumstances and stress levels. I've been taking pregabalin for about three years now. It has totally changed my life. No more waking up each morning to jolts of anxiety. Now, because I am in remission as it were, I'm wondering if I could reduce the dose, as I'm currently on the top level of 600 mg a day.

Rather than setting October as the time for coming off medication, it may be better just to say you'll do it when it feels right for you.

[SarahH]

Hi,

I have been on 400mgs a day since the beginning of April. My doesage was increased over a space of two weeks. I was in a Psych Unit at the time. By the time I left hospital after 18 days (so 4 days after the last increase) My SE's had diminished a great deal. But yes at first my speech was slurred and I felt like I had drunk a bottle of wine very quickly. But this passed!!!

I know we are all different in our reactions to drugs so I can only say what happened to me (see my thread "Pregabalin .....at last!" for full story).

Hope that helps

Sarah

---------- Post added at 17:03 ---------- Previous post was at 16:44 ----------

Oh!! and also I jiggled the times I take my doses which helped ease the SE's during the day!

100mgs morning
100mgs lunch
200mgs eve

[Tufty]

How's it been today Coni?

I'm a RN too, I work 24 hours a week so was able to increase my doses of Pregabalin when I knew I had some time off and managed to keep working during this period. I know what you mean about a catch 22 though, I was working to keep myself well and busy but felt I was hanging on by the skin of my teeth and was worried my anxiety and/or the Pregabalin was effecting my performance. I think we know ourselves well enough to be able to tell if we are practicing safely, if you feel unsafe you know what you must do.

Are you getting any support? or had any CBT? It sounds like it would be helpful if you are thinking about things a lot and maybe not in the most helpful way. You said about coming off everything in October are you on other medication? Medication only plays a small part in your recovery, you have made yourself well, you have continued to work and live and overcome your anxiety - this is not the medication. It may of helped a little and turn off some of the anxious feelings but give yourself credit - you are stronger than you think.

Sam

[Coni]

Thanks guys, am taking some time off work, hopefully not too long, to get used to new dose and try and get things back into perspective.

Youre right Sam and that's what decided it for me. I need to protect my registration and don't want to put people at risk because I'm not functioning properly. I couldn't live with myself if anything bad happened because of me.

I am also on venlafaxine and have been for almost 2 years. I was so looking forward to feeling 'normal' and free from medication but now I don't know.

How does this happen? I was ok for ages and then suddenly things start to slip :(

I have had cbt and its useful to an extent but I find it hard when I'm really scared and anxious to believe anything other than what my thoughts and feelings are telling me. I become so convinced by my fear (does that make sense)?

Feel relieved now I've made the decision not to go to work. It takes the pressure off a bit. Now for my second lot of pregabalin for the day.

Take care everyone

X

[SarahH]

Hi Coni,

Hoe are the side effects today?

Sarah

[Coni]

Hi Sara,
still felt drunk but don't think it was just as bad.
This morning I could hardly open my eyes though weirdly my brain was very much awake.
Felt very anxious yesterday at times and again this morning :(
I feel like such a pathetic failure for allowing myself to get like this again. I want to hide myself away and pray that my friends and family don't find out (not all of my friends just some of them).
I don't want to go into the garden because then the neighbours will know I'm home and not at work and will know something's wrong.
I don't want my husbands family to know.
My eldest son returns from holiday soon and obviously he'll find out.
Failure, can't cope, pathetic-that's what people will think :(

Sorry for the moan this morning.

Note to self-stop wallowing!!

Hope everyone's ok?

X

[SarahH]

Hi Coni,
Sorry you feel so rubbish. If you are not comfortable telling people about your anxiety you could always tell them you have a virus.

You are NOT a failure. This illness hits "strong" people who have pushed themselves too far and it can happen to anyone!!!

keep going with the pregabalin and hopefully it will kick in soon..

You could also ask your GP for a little valium to help you through this rough patch. I Take Lorazepam as it is short acting (last for 2 hours) and is less addictive (according to the nursing team at my psych unit).

Take care
Sarah