View Full Version : Pregabalin diary (of sorts)
Thought I'd try and write my experiences down with this drug, for personal record and also for the information of others. Please feel free to comment, but no obligation to.
Am on day 4 of 50mg morning and 50mg night. Even on this very low dose I feel a difference. If my anxiety was 100% before, I'd say now it is 90%. Let's say you need 50% to function with difficulty, 20-30% to function effectively. So 90% is a big improvement. Though obviously not enough, but hopefully that will come with time and increasing the dose. My sleep is better, I've been able to get to sleep easily, instead of the usual insomnia, I feel more sociable, it's much easier to let go of a worrying thought, less anxiety when I'm out. I'm off work through sick leave for another week, but despite this had to go in yesterday for 1 hour. It was difficult but more manageable with the preg. Also, no side effects so far except increased appetite and dry mouth.
I would compare it to being on a very low dose, say 3mg, of diazepam, but whereas diazepam at this low dose wears off after a hour or two for me, the preg effect seems to last 8-9 hours+.
For some reason today I feel worse than the past 3 days. I have that sense of doom, of not wanting to do anything. Though I read on here that ups and downs are normal in the first couple of weeks. Am off out to the pub in a bit with some friends. I don't drink any more but watching Leicester vs Swansea; I am a die-hard Tottenham fan so if Swansea get a draw or win I'm sure my symptoms will improve.
Hope everyone is doing okay.
SmilingAlbert
24-04-16, 16:28
Thanks Pinnor - I like the Spurs too - very exciting season for us.
A diary can be useful - glad to hear it seems to be helping, and that you're able to get out and about a bit more. Exercise can be very useful too to help anxiety; I find swimming useful in that regard.
Good luck,
Albert
Thanks Pinnor - I like the Spurs too - very exciting season for us.
A diary can be useful - glad to hear it seems to be helping, and that you're able to get out and about a bit more. Exercise can be very useful too to help anxiety; I find swimming useful in that regard.
Good luck,
Albert
Thanks Albert.
Yes very exciting season for us indeed. I will be there at the game tonight (season ticket holder).
Exercise is very useful and without it I would have probably disappeared into a pit of despair a long time ago lol. I used to do swimming too but now find running to be more practical and cheaper. Still swim sometimes though too.
I'm still doing pretty good. Can't shake the morning anxiety though. It seems to be a thing many people suffer from on here.
I'm on my second week of taking x2 75mg. Up until the last few days I have been great however feeling a bit pants today and yesterday.
I'm asking myself what have I done different and when I think about it I have really let myself down.
- not been running or done any exercise for ten days.
- been spending more time in my room
- not working more than 6 hours a day.
- not practising mindfulness.
I have felt very tired the last week or so. My sleep pattern is random. I wake a lot and toss and turn!!
I'm not going to increase the pregablin as I don't think I have been doing enough myself to feel good!
Not sure where I'm going with this lol. But I guess I will give a better update in a few days once I have got my arse motivated which I'm determined to do...
Does anyone feel tired all the time ? Had bloods etc all ok...
I'm on my second week of taking x2 75mg. Up until the last few days I have been great however feeling a bit pants today and yesterday.
I'm asking myself what have I done different and when I think about it I have really let myself down.
- not been running or done any exercise for ten days.
- been spending more time in my room
- not working more than 6 hours a day.
- not practising mindfulness.
I have felt very tired the last week or so. My sleep pattern is random. I wake a lot and toss and turn!!
I'm not going to increase the pregablin as I don't think I have been doing enough myself to feel good!
Not sure where I'm going with this lol. But I guess I will give a better update in a few days once I have got my arse motivated which I'm determined to do...
Does anyone feel tired all the time ? Had bloods etc all ok...
I can relate to the constant tiredness! It's one of my main symptoms. So much so that I have been diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome. There may be a physical/infection side to this with me, but I think the main thing that keeps it going is my anxiety. (For other people with CFS/ME, anxiety may not be an issue, it's an umbrella condition IMO comprising of many different things, but certainly the anxiety is a huge part of it for me). At my worst times, I can't even watch TV or go on the laptop due to it making me too tired.
It sounds like you know what is needed, in the short-term at least, in terms of getting back into doing things that were helping you. Maybe go easy on yourself for the slip in habits, whilst also getting on with doing those things. Good luck.
Hi
the Dr has put me on the same dose as you , ive been on them for about 2 months now and like you I have good days but have really pants days where I just feel alone and spaced out or I constantly sleep which makes it worse for me :(
Hi
the Dr has put me on the same dose as you , ive been on them for about 2 months now and like you I have good days but have really pants days where I just feel alone and spaced out or I constantly sleep which makes it worse for me :(
Do you think that the feeling alone is an effect of the drug? It sounds like that would be to do with other factors in your life, though I could be wrong. Have you been on 50mg x2 for 2 months? That seems a low dose for two months; this is only my starting dose. Then again I'm not sure if feeling spaced out and sleepy is a side effect, in which case you might not want to raise the dose, though it could be that they are again related to other things, e.g. depression can cause excessive sleeping.
I hope things improve for you.
I can relate to the constant tiredness! It's one of my main symptoms. So much so that I have been diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome. There may be a physical/infection side to this with me, but I think the main thing that keeps it going is my anxiety. (For other people with CFS/ME, anxiety may not be an issue, it's an umbrella condition IMO comprising of many different things, but certainly the anxiety is a huge part of it for me). At my worst times, I can't even watch TV or go on the laptop due to it making me too tired.
It sounds like you know what is needed, in the short-term at least, in terms of getting back into doing things that were helping you. Maybe go easy on yourself for the slip in habits, whilst also getting on with doing those things. Good luck.
How do you cope with the tiredness and work ?
How do you cope with the tiredness and work ?
It's very, very hard when I'm in a bad patch, but tiredness goes up and down. When I'm in a good patch, it's maybe slightly difficult but okay. I only work 3 days a week, two of which are half days.
When I'm in a bad patch, I try and take naps at work between seeing clients, I go for frequent walks around the area (these liven me up) between clients, I also go running before work. I try and eat healthily and have small, frequent meals. I find digestion makes me tired, but so does being hungry. Other than that, just try and survive it, really, then stay in bed the next day if necessary.
---------- Post added at 15:50 ---------- Previous post was at 12:16 ----------
^Also I do all other work other than seeing clients (I am a counsellor/psychotherapist) and supervision on a different day. So I'll do my notes, admin, referrals, phone calls etc, on a different day (when I'm not officially working) to save energy.
Been on it a week now.
It definitely helps with my anxiety, sleep and tiredness. However, I feel my emotions are somewhat dulled. This is what I was trying to avoid! (i.e. why I wouldn't take an SSRI). I wondered at first if it was just my anxiety itself dulling my emotions, but I think it is the preg. It seems especially to dull excitement. However, I have found that if I feel relaxed than the emotion is stronger, though not as strong as it would have been before taking the preg. If I am feeling some anxiety, plus another emotion, it seems the preg will blunt both of them significantly.
This really bothers me. I am wondering if I can't just take it as PRN for work and days on which I'm feeling particularly anxious. It seems to work instantly for me. It feels a bit dodgy doing something which isn't recommended but I'm tempted to do it to be honest.
I stopped taking it two days ago as just felt permently tired!
Helped with anxiety for a re weeks then stopped sadly.
I stopped taking it two days ago as just felt permently tired!
Helped with anxiety for a re weeks then stopped sadly.
Did you/are you having any withdrawal symptoms? I'm sorry it didn't work out for you.
SmilingAlbert
29-04-16, 21:30
Pinnor - I guess it's your call. Personally, I much prefer dulled emotions and tiredness to high anxiety.
I find coffee helps a lot in the AM for tiredness, and the dulled emotions is I fear a price that might be paid in this - the whole point of the Preg is to calm down your CNS, the GABA interaction. So getting 'excited' is going be lower, but as we know there can be a very thin dividing line between excitedness and anxiety - think of being on fairground roller-coaster, for example. I suspect that no drug is ever going to be able to allow 'good excitement' but not the bad kind.
There has been discussion here about taking it PRN, and some report success. You haven't been on it for long - your body is still adjusting to it; I would consider trying it for a bit longer normally, and talk to your doctor etc. if need be.
Albert
Pinnor - I guess it's your call. Personally, I much prefer dulled emotions and tiredness to high anxiety.
I find coffee helps a lot in the AM for tiredness, and the dulled emotions is I fear a price that might be paid in this - the whole point of the Preg is to calm down your CNS, the GABA interaction. So getting 'excited' is going be lower, but as we know there can be a very thin dividing line between excitedness and anxiety - think of being on fairground roller-coaster, for example. I suspect that no drug is ever going to be able to allow 'good excitement' but not the bad kind.
There has been discussion here about taking it PRN, and some report success. You haven't been on it for long - your body is still adjusting to it; I would consider trying it for a bit longer normally, and talk to your doctor etc. if need be.
Albert
Thanks, once again really appreciate your post. It was helpful.
Tiredness is not a problem for me on preg. It's actually cured my constant tiredness through the anxiolytic effect, which has been nice.
I agree with you re: the anxiety/excitement thing, they are not a million miles from each other. I have felt similar things before with alcohol and diazepam. I used to be a hardcore drinker, but when watching Spurs play I would try and limit my drinking to a couple of pints before the game because it took some of the excitement out of it. Ditto for when I was having diazepam for panic attacks. So it makes sense that other CNS depressants will have the same effect. I've never been on a drug you take all the time before (except briefly citalopram) and I guess the joy of alcohol or diazepam is you can have the effect when you want it and not when you don't.
I've also had problems with sexual functioning now on preg. I guess this might pass as my body adjusts, and I know it's partly anxiety related too (though not wholly). Again, this is what I was trying to avoid, in not taking an SSRI. (FYI I'm 31 y.o. male in a r/s, been with my girlfriend for 15 years). And again, it makes sense...such issues occur also with alcohol.
I can see myself being functional on preg, but I guess it's whether it's worth the trade off of a somewhat duller life. For example I am going to the Spurs game at Chelsea on Monday. I would normally be so excited about this, I normally go to the vast majority of away games but haven't been to one since West Ham (start of March) due to my tiredness, from anxiety. But I'm not...I think this is the effect of the drug.
Right now my life just feels like it's one obstacle after another.
I will search for threads on here about using it PRN.
Thanks again Albert (and let's hope we win on Monday).
Hi Pinnor,
A week is a very short time for your body and mind to adjust to pregabalin, so my advice would be stick with the regular dose for a while longer until it settles in.
That said, I don't think there would be any harm in taking it on an as needed basis, if that works for you.
As for me, I might have lost some of my excitement, I can't say for sure, but I'm definitely calmer overall which is a big plus. I can focus better on things, and maybe don't need to get so excited.
Keep up with the diary and good luck.
Hi Pinnor,
A week is a very short time for your body and mind to adjust to pregabalin, so my advice would be stick with the regular dose for a while longer until it settles in.
That said, I don't think there would be any harm in taking it on an as needed basis, if that works for you.
As for me, I might have lost some of my excitement, I can't say for sure, but I'm definitely calmer overall which is a big plus. I can focus better on things, and maybe don't need to get so excited.
Keep up with the diary and good luck.
Thanks for your post.
I kind of feel like there is a blanket over my emotions, and things do get through it, but in a kind of muffled way. I feel like this isn't living. I feel kind of ultra-sobre, as I did when I stopped drinking ironically. But then again, with my anxiety recently I was a mess, and also couldn't get to do things or feel things properly for that reason.
I'm so sick of my life right now.
I think I will try and carry on as planned for now and see what happens.
At what point, i.e. after how long of usage, do you have to worry about withdrawal? I suppose that is a question like "how long is a piece of string?"
I'm still tired!! Not as much but I guess that's just recovering from a major anxiety upset :(
Arran I hope you feel better soon.
Interestingly, today after a night of poor sleep, I feel more anxious but also more emotional, euphoric and excited. Something must happen in the brain when you're sleep deprived which has this effect. I like it, but it would probably be more difficult to work in this state.
In the meantime, I've been having some insights into the underlying causes of my anxiety. That is good.
Thank you !
How are you doing this eve ?
Thank you !
How are you doing this eve ?
I'm not doing great. Feel a bit spaced out. Probably a mixture of tiredness and the preg. I think I am feeling very bad about myself and life to be honest.
On the other hand, I have gained some new insights today which I really hope will eventually be a turning point for me. What I want to is to try and solve the underlying issues so I don't have to rely on any med, though this is a long, hard road, and I'm not sure there's an end to it. We can hope though.
How about yourself?
Well that's a positive then :)
I'm not to bad. Taking my horse to a show tomorrow so looking forward and getting ready for that at the moment.
I was have the same conversation with a friend earlie about taking that very same route.
Hi Pinnor,
With regard to withdrawal, most of the pre-marketing studies that run for several weeks (usually up to about eight weeks) reported that participants were able to stop without major withdrawal effects (though individuals may vary).
Definitely, after that, I would think about a taper down rather than an abrupt cessation. But for the moment worrying about how and when you will stop will probably impact negatively on you. My advice would be to give it a couple of weeks at a regular low dose to settle in, then, if it suits, switch to taking it PRN. That way, as you get better, you can stop it or keep it for difficult times.
But one step at a time. It's a step forward that you have started pregabalin, something to feel positive about, not a step back.
Hi Pinnor,
With regard to withdrawal, most of the pre-marketing studies that run for several weeks (usually up to about eight weeks) reported that participants were able to stop without major withdrawal effects (though individuals may vary).
Definitely, after that, I would think about a taper down rather than an abrupt cessation. But for the moment worrying about how and when you will stop will probably impact negatively on you. My advice would be to give it a couple of weeks at a regular low dose to settle in, then, if it suits, switch to taking it PRN. That way, as you get better, you can stop it or keep it for difficult times.
But one step at a time. It's a step forward that you have started pregabalin, something to feel positive about, not a step back.
Thank you. This was a very helpful post.
I think the worrying about the drug itself in the way I have is, ironically, a symptom of the problem it is there to fix. Strangely I've found it to be better for panic attacks than the worrying itself so far, considering it is licensed for GAD and not panic disorder.
I am going to give it until Thursday night (which will be 2 weeks since starting), and then have a review. No worrying about it until then!
---------- Post added at 22:23 ---------- Previous post was at 22:14 ----------
Well that's a positive then :)
I'm not to bad. Taking my horse to a show tomorrow so looking forward and getting ready for that at the moment.
I was have the same conversation with a friend earlie about taking that very same route.
That's amazing! How did it go? Hope you had fun.
What's your opinion on the route to solving the underlying issues? Can it be done? Me, I've been in therapy 2x a week for 3.5 years, and I think my therapist is a very good one, hell I'm even qualified as a therapist myself and I've done a lot of working on myself during training too, and yet my anxiety is worse than it was at the start...yet I still feel I have come somewhere I needed to come to.
I'm not sure if I will always suffer. I still retain hope that one day I will not!
In my work as a therapist I've seen some people (i.e. clients) get a lot better, some people a bit better, and some people stay the same.
Uh. Woke up today shaking with fear. Maybe some tolerance is building up. Hopefully this will mean tolerance to the adverse effects as well. I do feel a bit more emotional so far this morning. Haven't taken my morning dose yet.
I had a good day in the end on Monday. Went to the Spurs game in the evening, and in the end I did feel plenty of excitement, and also fear, sadness, joy etc in the appropriate places. The feelings were maybe 80%-85% of what they were before, but I can live with that. They were still very strong emotions. That is so important to me, THFC is the second most important thing in my life after my family (I include my long-term girlfriend as family), so it is massive to me that I can still enjoy it as much as before, or almost, which I could.
Now the only thing bothering me is the sexual difficulties, which I won't go into detail about for fear of too much information! I am supposed to go up from 50mg x 2 to 50mg x3 tomorrow. What I am going to do is stay on the same dose for another 2 weeks, and hope that my body adjusts and sex is not so difficult. However, I go back to work tomorrow, and I will take the 50mg x3 for that...which should be okay as I am only going to be working 2 days a week, for now at least.
One step at a time...
Hi Pinnor,
Good to hear that you could enjoy the Spurs game - not so good about the sexual effect. Hopefully that will become less in time. I find that pregabalin slows things down a bit but not completely, so okay with some adjustment, but there was one poster a while back who had to discontinue because of sexual dysfunction. If it continues to be a problem, you may be able to work around it by switching to PRN.
Hi Pinnor,
Good to hear that you could enjoy the Spurs game - not so good about the sexual effect. Hopefully that will become less in time. I find that pregabalin slows things down a bit but not completely, so okay with some adjustment, but there was one poster a while back who had to discontinue because of sexual dysfunction. If it continues to be a problem, you may be able to work around it by switching to PRN.
Thanks again for the response, this is a very supportive community.
I'm going to give it four weeks (re: the sexual stuff) and then either switch to PRN or try another med. I will discuss this with my GP as I have an appointment around that time.
Had my first day back at work yesterday. I took 50mg x 3 for the first time (it was also the day I was supposed to up the dose to this), though today I'm staying back on 50mg x 2...only going back one day a week for three weeks, then two days a week, then three (is the plan).
Work was fairly tough. The pregabalin took the edge off my anxiety, but it was far from comfortable. Also, I had to take my three doses all within a few hours, rather than spreading them out over the whole time I was awake. Next week I have a much longer working day, and I fear I may need to take more preg to get through it. However, I think as I get back into working, my confidence will improve and anxiety will decrease, so I'm feeling happy about that. Think I just need to go through a stable period of doing fairly well without being too anxious or having a panic attack.
A question to those who know more than me about this kind of stuff:
if in a really bad panic situation, would it be safe to take 5mg diazepam on top of a dose of say, 50-100mg pregabalin?
I think that it would be (bearing in mind I am not a first time user of diazepam, have been using 5mg for panic attacks on average once every month or so for the past 8 years). Literature seems to suggest that, though the two drugs do potentiate each other, preg does not have significant interactions with other drugs, in the same way as taking, say, barbiturates and benzos together would be unwise.
Hi
I can't see any reason why you couldn't use a PRN dose of diazepam to get you through a tough time. The drugs work in different ways.
Sometimes just knowing that you have that option is all you need to get by.
Take care.
Hi
I can't see any reason why you couldn't use a PRN dose of diazepam to get you through a tough time. The drugs work in different ways.
Sometimes just knowing that you have that option is all you need to get by.
Take care.
Thanks, yes good point with them having different mechanisms of action. Take care yourself too, hope you are well today.
Hi
I'm not too bad today thanks. Hope you are doing good.
I'm really beginning to wonder, and anxious of course, if this pregabalin is doing me any good or if it is harming me. I do not want to go higher on it in case it stops working and then I'll have another drug to wean off!
I've been on so many drugs and having come off 3 in the last 3 months, i don't know how I should expect to feel.
I just feel really down, the anxiety is better and I can sleep better but this depressed feeling is scaring me.
What a situation, I just want to be happy and at peace.
Thanks for listening.
Take care.
Mugs
Hi Pinnor,
I do need to add a note of caution. Meds like barbiturates (and alcohol and opiates) taken in a large enough quantity can depress the central nervous system to the point of death. Other meds like benzodiazepines and pregabalin, although much safer themselves, can potentiate the effects of more dangerous drugs.
Although benzodiazepines and pregabalin work in different ways, they both have a similar net effect of slowing down neurotransmitters that cause anxiety, and hence have an additive effect if taken together. You should discuss this with your doctor. Even if there is no physical danger, you may find the diazepam dose having a stronger effect than anticipated.
On the other hand, Mugs, you should not be afraid of increasing your pregabalin dose if your doctor has okayed it and side effects aren't a major problem. Although pregabalin isn't an antidepressant as such, it has been found to reduce depression in some people with anxiety, and that may kick in at a higher dose.
Hi Pinnor,
I do need to add a note of caution. Meds like barbiturates (and alcohol and opiates) taken in a large enough quantity can depress the central nervous system to the point of death. Other meds like benzodiazepines and pregabalin, although much safer themselves, can potentiate the effects of more dangerous drugs.
Although benzodiazepines and pregabalin work in different ways, they both have a similar net effect of slowing down neurotransmitters that cause anxiety, and hence have an additive effect if taken together. You should discuss this with your doctor. Even if there is no physical danger, you may find the diazepam dose having a stronger effect than anticipated.
On the other hand, Mugs, you should not be afraid of increasing your pregabalin dose if your doctor has okayed it and side effects aren't a major problem. Although pregabalin isn't an antidepressant as such, it has been found to reduce depression in some people with anxiety, and that may kick in at a higher dose.
Yes, you're right to be cautious. I think I know I would be alright with taking both (in terms of danger), as they're not high doses and I am used to both substances, but yes I agree it would have a stronger effect than usual, and that might be undesirable. I did ask my GP and she said "we tell people to try and not take them together". But I think it's different when in the grips of panic attack. However, I will try and avoid this combination at all costs and only do it if absolutely necessary, and then of course it is my decision.
---------- Post added at 21:47 ---------- Previous post was at 19:31 ----------
Hi
I'm not too bad today thanks. Hope you are doing good.
I'm really beginning to wonder, and anxious of course, if this pregabalin is doing me any good or if it is harming me. I do not want to go higher on it in case it stops working and then I'll have another drug to wean off!
I've been on so many drugs and having come off 3 in the last 3 months, i don't know how I should expect to feel.
I just feel really down, the anxiety is better and I can sleep better but this depressed feeling is scaring me.
What a situation, I just want to be happy and at peace.
Thanks for listening.
Take care.
Mugs
It sounds like you could do with a bit of stability having been on so many drugs, and also coming off them. Hard to know what's what. I would guess that the depression is not caused by the preg but I can't tell you that for sure. It might be an idea just to stay on the preg if it is helping your anxiety, and let your body/brain recover from getting off the other drugs for a while, and then reassess. It sounds difficult. Feel free to PM me, by the way.
Update...
Still on 50mg x 2, still waiting for the sexual side effects to go away. I feel that they won't now sadly but going to give it another week until my GP appointment. Maddeningly, at the same time the anxiolytic effect is waning, the hypnotic effect is gone totally, and I feel that it will become like taking a sugar pill at this dose in a week or so. A sugar pill that gives you shit erections, that is! :doh:
Worked last night, working a full day tomorrow. I will increase dose for tomorrow, didn't for last night. Have got really bad insomnia.
I can definitely see how this drug, at a higher dose, could work v well for people, and why some people on here speak so highly of it. But unfortunately it doesn't seem like the right med for me. I am, however, in a better frame of mind, due to work I'm doing on myself, inside and outside therapy, than I was when I started 3 weeks ago.
Update...
The sexual side effects seem to be shifting somewhat! Still not enough, but certainly some improvement. So perhaps that will continue, and reach a point where I can still have and enjoy sex. I will wait and see, give it a bit longer and discuss with GP next week.
At work yesterday I needed a whopping 250mg of preg, between the hours of 9.30am and 7.30pm. Even then I was still anxious, it really did seem to be the minimal dose I needed (it was not like on diazepam where I feel chilled out and super confident). I know it's not a large daily dose but I am supposed to be on 150mg per day, and actually only take 100mg most days, so it felt a bit naughty, but I didn't know how else to deal with the anxiety, i.e. didn't want to take diazepam. On the plus side, work went well and I think my confidence is gradually increasing, and it was a very challenging day in terms of the patients I needed to see etc. I think I'm moving in the right direction.
Hi
Good to hear, keep up the good work!
Mugs
Hi
Good to hear, keep up the good work!
Mugs
Thank you! :)
Hi Pinnor,
It's sounding more hopeful. Good luck whichever way you go.
Hi Pinnor,
It's sounding more hopeful. Good luck whichever way you go.
A belated thank you for this post.
An update. I am not doing too badly. Since taking pregabalin I have managed to achieve some stability in the life. That's not just down to the drug, it's also down to therapy and my own good work, but taking it has definitely helped. The sexual effects have shifted somewhat so that I am now functioning in that regard, but definitely different from before in all the usual ways including libido and level of enjoyment. I'm still unhappy about this but grateful for what the medication has done overall, which has been well worth it. I mentioned blunted emotions earlier in this thread, that now has passed entirely. Before taking this I was really an anxious mess; I am in a much better place now I'm pleased to say :)
At the moment what I am doing is taking 100mg (in two doses) on a normal day, and 200-300mg on days that I am working, which is only two days a week. This has worked for me in that I don't want a higher dose on an average day for aforementioned reasons, also don't now need a higher dose unless I am working because my panic attacks etc have been better. But I do need the higher dose for work.
I haven't told my GP about this. It was hard enough to get on the stuff in the first place, they initially seemed to think I was wanting to abuse the drug to get high, and I had to go to a psychiatrist to get it. I think if they knew I was sometimes taking larger amounts than I'm supposed to (am supposed to be 150mg per day) they would flip.
I'm kind of worried that there are some medium or long-term downsides to using it in this kind of way. Perhaps tolerance will build (though that would probably happen anyway) or I will eventually have some kind of withdrawals after the days I use it in higher quantities. I guess I will cross that bridge if/when I come to it.
I saw another psych (this time on the NHS) last week and told them about the sexual side effects. I told them I was giving it another month, and they prescribed me mirtazapine in case I wanted to quit pregabalin after that, which as far as I am concerned was a result...better than SSRIs and a good alternative to preg (from what I've read).
The 50mg x 2 I take on a daily basis no longer seems to be effecting me, or not as far as I can tell, except that it still gives me some sexual side effects. I am kind of considering tapering off this daily use and then just using it for work. Or alternatively tapering off it altogether and trying the mirt. But I am worried about withdrawal...I really wonder what this will be like. I know I'm on a low dose, and have only been on it for 6 weeks or so. But still. Withdrawal could threaten the happier life I've managed to achieve. I guess I could skip one dose and see how I feel.
Decisions, decisions.
I'd be grateful for any comments from those more experienced, though I have no particular questions so no pressure for anyone to reply.
Hope everyone is doing well and thank you for all who have helped me on here.
Hi Pinnor,
Thanks for the extensive update.
Unfortunately, too many possibilities to worry about, so probably best to take one step at a time, whatever direction you go. It's probably best to deal with the here and now, rather than dwell on the what may be.
Hi Pinnor,
Thanks for the extensive update.
Unfortunately, too many possibilities to worry about, so probably best to take one step at a time, whatever direction you go. It's probably best to deal with the here and now, rather than dwell on the what may be.
Thanks, yes I agree! I think that is a problem of mine, to look too far in advance and look at not only all the possibilities but all the possibilities they might lead to etc. I remember reading that in chess, even the grandmasters only think two moves ahead normally; good advice for life as well.
Update...
So my pregabalin schedule these last few weeks has been taking 100mg in two doses most days, but then on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday taking between 200-350mg for work. This has worked well, in terms of controlling my anxiety, giving me a sense of control over my life, and significantly raising my confidence levels.
However, the last two weeks, after feeling fine on the Friday (presumably because there was still a lot of preg left in my system) I have felt increasingly shitty at the weekends, before starting to feel better on Monday night and Tuesday. How I've felt has been achy, lots of muscle pain and tension, tired, bad mood, nightmares and raised anxiety. I've asked the question: is it a recurrence of anxiety or is it mild withdrawals?
I think it is the latter. Because there's not been any reason at all for me to be anxious, and also it feels better by Monday night/Tuesday (and this is not because of taking preg at higher doses again on a Tuesday, on Tuesday I work- and therefore take preg at the higher dose- only at night and have felt fine in the mornings & afternoons). The worst day has been Sunday. Also, I've never had these aches and pains just with anxiety alone. Also, it started three or so weeks ago and has got gradually worse. This all points to some kind of withdrawal from the days I take a much larger dose. However, I could be wrong...anxiety is a funny beast and sometimes appears with no apparent cause. Still- withdrawals is my conclusion.
So if I'm right, I guess this is one reason why not to use pregabalin in this vaguely PRN way.
The other problem is the tolerance. It really does rise quickly! (For me at least.) Now it takes around 150-200mg to feel the same effect a 50mg tablet gave me at the start. And I have seen my doses for work rising each week, in spite of gaining confidence and the actual situation being less anxiety-provoking for me (though still, obviously, causing anxiety). My 100mg normal dose now does absolutely nothing positive except, presumably, keeping me out of further withdrawals.
Yet I have moderate sexual dysfunction (though I am now able at times to have sex and orgasm) even on my "normal" dose, and if I put the dose up everyday to 350mg- so that I am not ever in any withdrawal- I know the sexual dysfunction will be complete. And also I strongly predict my tolerance will keep rising so that I will end up with a dependency that will be very hard to come off...but eventually will not give me any therapeutic benefit. (Unless for some reason, tolerance at a low dose does not predict tolerance at a high dose...but that seems counter-logical to everything we know about drugs).
So I think my only choice is to give up pregabalin for now. This week I have been stable on my 100mg daily dose, using diazepam for work as needed. Starting this weekend I am going to begin tapering off this dose, with the hope of getting down to 0 within 3-4 weeks. I wonder what this will be like, if anyone has any experience of what to expect, please do comment? FYI it's been 8 weeks since I started, and the first 2 weeks were just 100mg per day, no extra dosing.
I'm sad that preg is not going to be the drug for me, especially as the side effects of other stuff scare me much more, which is why I wanted to be on preg in the first place. It will be mirtazapine that I try next. On the other hand, as long as the withdrawal is manageable, I would say it's been a very positive experience in terms of how it's helped me in my life, and it's very reassuring to know that I can go back on it in a crisis (providing the GP will let me!), because it does work very well for anxiety, and unlike SSRIs/SNRIs, does not appear to have any possibility of long-term side effects which last way beyond discontinuation of the drug.
It's interesting that tolerance seems to affect some more than others. I know there are some on here that are still getting a therapeutic effect after many years on preg. Then again there are people who say that about benzos too.
Hi Pinnor
Did you think about having a more regular dosage rathe than like prn. I found it be more effective when I changed from prn to a maintenance dose.
Having said that I've had to increase my dosage too, currently trying to remain on 300mg, but after only 8 weeks I think I need to increase again. I find the effects of this med to be quite subtle compared to lot of other meds, especially benzos like clonazepam. I think il persevere with it a bit longer, but I do understand why you want to come off before getting tolerance issues on a high dose. I hope the mirt works out better.
Tims
Hi Pinnor
Did you think about having a more regular dosage rathe than like prn. I found it be more effective when I changed from prn to a maintenance dose.
Having said that I've had to increase my dosage too, currently trying to remain on 300mg, but after only 8 weeks I think I need to increase again. I find the effects of this med to be quite subtle compared to lot of other meds, especially benzos like clonazepam. I think il persevere with it a bit longer, but I do understand why you want to come off before getting tolerance issues on a high dose. I hope the mirt works out better.
Tims
Hi and thank you.
I did have a regular dosage at first. I can see the benefits. Not having to be in withdrawal, for one, also I think there is propensity for withdrawal and perhaps tolerance due to less fluctuations in plasma levels. However, the problems for me were (a) tolerance was definitely building even on regular dosage, atm I'm still taking 100mg per day (regularly) and it has no therapeutic effect and (b) the amount I would need to take daily would certainly cause full sexual dysfunction.
It's interesting you were on PRN. Was that your decision or your GP's/psychiatrists? How did it go for you?
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