View Full Version : Starting Pregabalin....
Morning All,
Sooooo my story, I have suffered with gut wrenching anxiety for more years than I can to remember, it kicks in that fight or flight response and until I do something to make it go away it slowly tears me apart.
Its why I have had so many jobs, when I feel comfortable somewhere it kicks in about 3-4 months in and until I leave said job it will eat me alive. Same with relationships, or anything I try to commit to.
Right now I am suffering badly and my doctor has decided to put me on Pregabalin starting ten days once I have weaned off my Venafalaxin.
I would be grateful to hear some positive stories on if this worked for you or even if it didn't. I have also self referred myself for some CBT as I did have it some years ago and yet again I did not commit to it and stopped going thinking that I would be fine.
I am 30 years old and need to stop doing this in my life, I am always looking for something to fill this "void" I have and go from idea to idea, but I never EVER follow it through.
Starting to get a little annoying now :(
HB xx
Hi HunniBee,
Anxiety is based on the "fight or flight" danger response. This is why your escape ("flight") to something different temporarily stops the anxiety, but then it slowly builds up again.
As a good-news story, I found pregabalin mostly stopped that. Maybe not 100%, but certainly enough for me to feel comfortable being in one place for some time.
Good luck with pregabalin. Although some people notice immediate benefits, it can take some time for others. This is particularly the case when you are stopping an AD, so be prepared for some ups and downs over a few weeks before you feel it is stable.
Thank you :)
I feel awful at the moment....I just want to stop feeling like this!!
HB xx
Hi HunniBee,
If you can see your doctor, there is probably no reason against you asking to start a small dose of pregabalin immediately and taper up against the venlafaxine withdrawal. The two work quite differently, so it should not be a problem.
Nevertheless, if you do have to wait ten days, try to take it as calmly as possible.There are some very supportive people on the pregabalin thread, so feel free to comment or ask any questions.
Thank you again :)
A duty doctor will be calling me back as my doctor isn't there today!!
Fingers crossed!
HB xx
---------- Post added at 14:51 ---------- Previous post was at 13:32 ----------
Well I've been advised I can start taking them if I wanted to but they prefer it when you don't have so much of one drug in your system hence tapering off of the Ven. Although I would still be taking the Ven when I started the Pregabalin albeit 1 tablet less.
Fingers crossed that it might help me, I am going to take the first one this evening once I am home from work, roll on 5pm!!
I will keep you all updated.
---------- Post added at 17:31 ---------- Previous post was at 14:51 ----------
So that's one down...I'm only on 2 X 50mg a day so I'm guessing at my next appointment at the end of June he will evaluate it.
It's weird, I feel strangely calm when all day I've felt on edge but right now I'm just like a big sigh of relief it's quite nice....
HB xx
Hi Hunni Bee.
I am on it too, have been for a month. I found that it is helpful to take the edge of anxiety but does not eliminate it in the way benzos do. In a way that is more helpful though, because you can learn techniques for dealing with your anxiety which will help you if/when you quit the drug. Perhaps at higher doses it completely gets rid of anxiety. It feels to me quite a subtle drug. Another positive is that, for me, it started working instantly. It seems to work for both worrying and also panic attacks.
The downside is that tolerance has built for me so that 50mg x 2 a day does little for me now, and I need to take around 200-250mg for a day when I go to work. The other, more serious downside, is that it has caused sexual dysfunction for me (I'm a man in long-term relationship FWIW). For this reason I am going to get off it in a month if this hasn't changed (GP said that it can take 2-3 months for this to settle, but I'm not hopeful).
Anxiety is so horrible, I really hope that pregabalin gives you some relief!
Hi pinnor thank you for your reply it is much appreciated :)
I've taken my second one today and I can feel the anxiety there but it's not breaking through if that makes sense? It's not right there tearing my stomach up like it has been although I feel a bit dopey lol & I'm not normally but it's a welcome feeling rather than anxiety 24/7!!!
Sorry to hear it's affecting you & your relationship, has it not changed at all? I'm lucky that I'm single so I haven't got that to worry about. It's such a shame that these drugs have so many side effects that seem to outweigh the good really.
I'm happy that they seem to have had some sort of effect already so I'm hoping on a whole day they work throughout the day. I have a high tolerance to these pills so I'll probably have to up them sooner rather than later.
I hope it gets better for you & you find some relief somehow. I'm hoping to try CBT as well so hopefully the preg gives me clarity to work through my issues.
HB xx
Hi pinnor thank you for your reply it is much appreciated :)
I've taken my second one today and I can feel the anxiety there but it's not breaking through if that makes sense? It's not right there tearing my stomach up like it has been although I feel a bit dopey lol & I'm not normally but it's a welcome feeling rather than anxiety 24/7!!!
Sorry to hear it's affecting you & your relationship, has it not changed at all? I'm lucky that I'm single so I haven't got that to worry about. It's such a shame that these drugs have so many side effects that seem to outweigh the good really.
I'm happy that they seem to have had some sort of effect already so I'm hoping on a whole day they work throughout the day. I have a high tolerance to these pills so I'll probably have to up them sooner rather than later.
I hope it gets better for you & you find some relief somehow. I'm hoping to try CBT as well so hopefully the preg gives me clarity to work through my issues.
HB xx
Yeah I know what you mean re: feeling a bit dopey and the anxiety not being right there like before!
No the sexual stuff has not really improved sadly :weep: Was not so bad first week then it got gradually worse, has stabilised now. Yeah I'd be less bothered if I was single, but having a girlfriend you love intensely is a nice problem to have so I won't complain! it's just a question of finding the right med. In the short term I think the preg has been worth it because it's helped me regain confidence at work, but I don't want to be on something long-term if it means I am basically unable to have sex.
Good idea I think to have some form of therapy alongside the meds.
Weird isn't that you know it's there but you've kind of numbed it out if that makes sense? I've still got the racing heart but not the stomach aching & churning which just feels odd....it's like is this what slightly normal feels like lol.
It's strange as when I'm typing out a message on my phone it feels like typing one when I've had a few too many...like your fingers feel heavy & thumping on the phone keyboard....basically I'm a mixture of things bar the anxiety!! But let's see how I feel in the morning as that's when it's quite bad as it stays there & just intensifies throughout the day.
I understand that being in a relationship which someone you love so much & not being able to have that act of love can be frustrating & damn right annoying!! But it seems like you've got a very understanding partner who sticks by you no matter what & that is pretty awesome :) all I can say is give it time if you want to stick on the preg but I'm not too sure what other meds are out there for anxiety as I didn't know of preg until my doctor mentioned it. I think Buspiron or something like that is one but it's also used to help quit smoking. I had it when I had my first ummm let's say meltdown & had to be referred to emergency mental health & see a physiologist, it did nothing for me though, hence my high tolerance to meds lol, they stop working after a while for me which sucks....think I'm on no.4 at the moment lol.
I know I can get past this, talk to someone & try & work at what my issues are once the anxiety isn't there getting the better of me. Let's just say I'm single as I've got issues committing to literally anything & everything from relationships to gym memberships!! :roflmao:
HB xx
So now starting my full days on preg....took 1 x 50mg this morning and so far it has kept the anxiety at bay, I still get little waves of it BUT it has helped me to be able to focus at work and not constantly sit here miserable because all I can focus on is the anxiety.
It feels nice and I feel quite calm :)
HB xx
MyNameIsTerry
20-05-16, 10:43
Hi HunniBee,
If you can see your doctor, there is probably no reason against you asking to start a small dose of pregabalin immediately and taper up against the venlafaxine withdrawal. The two work quite differently, so it should not be a problem.
Nevertheless, if you do have to wait ten days, try to take it as calmly as possible.There are some very supportive people on the pregabalin thread, so feel free to comment or ask any questions.
There is a Moderate interaction warning between the two because they are both have CNS effects. However, it should be pointed out that in switching, and with combined meds of a CNS nature, the interaction warnings are normally Major but people are constantly switching with little or no issues.
It's just something for a doctor to keep an eye on. The good thing about Ven though is the half life if so short, assuming it's the standard and not the XR version, that the body will completely eliminate the whole final dose within an incredibly short time when compared to most meds (about 25-35 hours to get <5%, 35-49 hours to 100% elimination using a standard elimination model). I think Ven is a bit slower than the standard model though as it takes longer to reach steady state than it should but I expect it will still reduce very rapidly, as can be seen by anyone who misses a dose and goes through hell!
Preg doesn't exist in the switching guidelines over here, hanshan. Normally it's easy to check how to do this but Preg just isn't in any of the sources so we can't check a Ven-Preg switch. I've looked before and can't really turn anything up on switching to or from Preg, but I guess with Ven you could assume the other switch methods to similar meds?
HunniBee - don't worry about the interaction issue, like I said there is normally a Major one in pretty much any switch but people do it all the time and the issues doctors look out for rarely seem to pop up. I think I've seen 2 people mention something and they were minor anyway since I've been here...and I read a lot of meds posts. :winks:
Weird isn't that you know it's there but you've kind of numbed it out if that makes sense? I've still got the racing heart but not the stomach aching & churning which just feels odd....it's like is this what slightly normal feels like lol.
It's strange as when I'm typing out a message on my phone it feels like typing one when I've had a few too many...like your fingers feel heavy & thumping on the phone keyboard....basically I'm a mixture of things bar the anxiety!! But let's see how I feel in the morning as that's when it's quite bad as it stays there & just intensifies throughout the day.
I understand that being in a relationship which someone you love so much & not being able to have that act of love can be frustrating & damn right annoying!! But it seems like you've got a very understanding partner who sticks by you no matter what & that is pretty awesome :) all I can say is give it time if you want to stick on the preg but I'm not too sure what other meds are out there for anxiety as I didn't know of preg until my doctor mentioned it. I think Buspiron or something like that is one but it's also used to help quit smoking. I had it when I had my first ummm let's say meltdown & had to be referred to emergency mental health & see a physiologist, it did nothing for me though, hence my high tolerance to meds lol, they stop working after a while for me which sucks....think I'm on no.4 at the moment lol.
I know I can get past this, talk to someone & try & work at what my issues are once the anxiety isn't there getting the better of me. Let's just say I'm single as I've got issues committing to literally anything & everything from relationships to gym memberships!! :roflmao:
HB xx
Thank you. Yes she's very understanding. It's an annoying problem, I wouldn't mind so much if it was definitely just for a few months, but I don't want to have the pressure of coming off a med until I'm ready, so I might as well find something I'm happy on for long-term (even though I don't want to be on a med long-term, it just takes the pressure off, if you know what I mean...so I don't think in 3 months time, "right I've got to come off now").
Yes I asked a psychiatrist about buspirone, and they said that it was as effective as a sugar pill, unless you take it alongside an SSRI! So I don't think that's just you having a high tolerance.
I guess for you the question is addressing why you have that difficulty with commitment. Why it is that anxiety kicks in and thwarts you whenever you start to feel comfortable. Like you say, you could do this after having the anxiety under control with CBT and medication. This question is something better suited not to CBT but to other forms of psychotherapy, e.g. psychodynamic psychotherapy. I see you've made 200+ posts on this forum, so maybe that it is a start, not leaving this place!
Hi,
I've been on it now for about 12 days, first few days at 75mg/ twice a day I felt much better.
But then I needed to double my dose 150 twice a day, it does help! I think this dose it mostly ok, my sexual function has gone way up lol! think this differs for some! I sleep better, appetite isn't the best right now but I'm coming down from Valium, and Matazapine.
Its really helped with staying off benzos!
Chris :)
Thanks MyNameIsTerry, I haven't had any side effects as of yet that I've noticed, apart from I felt a bit sick after my first dose last night and was kind of hyper for a bit then calmed down and was just so so tired!!
Pinnor, I am glad she is very understanding, it really helps having that when you are in these kind of issues. If they said it was just a week of having these kind of side effects then I guess you would be like "hell yeah lets give it a go!" but a few months could ruin a relationship.
Buspirone isn't great as you've mentioned, I only took it for a short short while as like I said it did nothing.
I think I could benefit from speaking to someone like a psychotherapist rather than CBT as it didn't really help last time. What is psychodynamic psychotherapy? I've never heard of that before....
I love this forum as it is so nice to speak to people who are in the same position and they offer great advice and help :) I am feeling great today, being able to concentrate and get on with stuff and I kind of feel a bit hyper again like I just want to dance around the room lol!!! Bit of a change from yesterday!!
HB xx
MyNameIsTerry
20-05-16, 12:31
The guys on here have mentioned some short term euphoria when starting...it must be nice to have a friendly side effect from a med!!! I bet it makes a change to starting SSRI's.
Definitely!! I feel so productive too like I could take on the world lol.
Definitely beats feeling rubbish & side effects of nausea & panic attacks I'll tell ya!!
HB xx
Hi Hunibee,
It's good to hear that you are feeling so much better and quickly, too. The "temporary euphoria" does wear off after a couple of days, so don't worry if you have a flat day or a down day - it hasn't stopped working. I feel it's best if I don't feel anything in particular from pregabalin, just no constant anxiety, but still the normal range of feelings.
And Pinnor, I really do hope the sexual dysfunction subsides. I know you are not hopeful, but give it some time. It's good that you are in an understanding relationship, and the cause of the problem is easily identified, and doesn't reflect on you or your relationship
Thank you hashan :) if I could feel like this forever I would be one happy lady lol. It's like this hyper feeling inside me that can't wait to just bounce out!!
I've actually been smiling today it feels so good!!
HB xx
---------- Post added at 15:34 ---------- Previous post was at 15:33 ----------
I don't mind what I feel as long it's not constant anxiety!!
---------- Post added at 15:36 ---------- Previous post was at 15:34 ----------
I don't mind what I feel as long it's not constant anxiety!!
Thanks MyNameIsTerry, I haven't had any side effects as of yet that I've noticed, apart from I felt a bit sick after my first dose last night and was kind of hyper for a bit then calmed down and was just so so tired!!
Pinnor, I am glad she is very understanding, it really helps having that when you are in these kind of issues. If they said it was just a week of having these kind of side effects then I guess you would be like "hell yeah lets give it a go!" but a few months could ruin a relationship.
Buspirone isn't great as you've mentioned, I only took it for a short short while as like I said it did nothing.
I think I could benefit from speaking to someone like a psychotherapist rather than CBT as it didn't really help last time. What is psychodynamic psychotherapy? I've never heard of that before....
I love this forum as it is so nice to speak to people who are in the same position and they offer great advice and help :) I am feeling great today, being able to concentrate and get on with stuff and I kind of feel a bit hyper again like I just want to dance around the room lol!!! Bit of a change from yesterday!!
HB xx
Yes. I am very lucky, we have been together since we were 16 (15 years) so it's not a problem for the relationship in that sense but obviously it would be nice to have that experience together again! We'll see what happens re: the pregabalin.
Psychodynamic therapy is really about working together to understand what is going on for you, especially focused on connecting your past with your present, and helping you become aware of things that you weren't aware of. I am a psychodynamic therapist myself so I'm a little biased lol. Honestly I think CBT is very good for the symptoms of anxiety (e.g. panic attacks, OCD rumination or behaviour etc) but interpersonal psychotherapy (of which psychodynamic is one kind) is better for working on the underlying problems. The downside is it tends to be long-term- though some people find short-term work of this kind useful too- and there's not much provision at all for it on the NHS so it can be expensive.
---------- Post added at 16:24 ---------- Previous post was at 16:22 ----------
Hi Hunibee,
It's good to hear that you are feeling so much better and quickly, too. The "temporary euphoria" does wear off after a couple of days, so don't worry if you have a flat day or a down day - it hasn't stopped working. I feel it's best if I don't feel anything in particular from pregabalin, just no constant anxiety, but still the normal range of feelings.
And Pinnor, I really do hope the sexual dysfunction subsides. I know you are not hopeful, but give it some time. It's good that you are in an understanding relationship, and the cause of the problem is easily identified, and doesn't reflect on you or your relationship
Thank you Hanshan. Yes who knows, it may change. Fingers crossed. And yes, I am very lucky regarding those things you mention.
I wouldn't mind some of that Psychodynamic therapy it sounds pretty good compared to CBT etc, I do suffer from OCD but funny thing is since starting on preg I have noticed I'm not doing things I would usually do as much like checking things are constantly locked etc so may be a possibility that it's helping with that. Think it may be a bit of a flat day today, I woke up with the worst anxiety, although I did have a drink last night, it's kind of eased off from what it was but I'm left feeling a little meh really, the only way to describe it but I'm up & getting on with things nothing stopping me today lol.
I've even got up & got my hair dye on which usually I'm milling about being lazy but not today!!
Did anyone find that 100mg a day wasn't a very therapeutic dose? I'd be happy to hear what anyone is on & found to therapeutic?
How are you today pinnor?
HB xx
Hi Pinnor,
I had psychodynamic therapy some years ago from a psychologist, and then later a psychiatrist. All very civilised in those days with weekly hour-long sessions over several months, but I found it very helpful.
Hunnibee - I hope you are still feeling good.
cfc4evr - it's also good to hear that pregabalin is helpful for you.
I'm feeling good thanks hashan:)
Just wondered as everyone is different....what's the best therapeutic dose of preg? As I know 2 X 50mg is quite low.
HB xx
Hi Hunnibee,
Good to hear you are still going well.
One review study put the therapeutic range for pregabalin at 200 - 400 mg per day, but it's important to know what that means. I think it means something like "at this dose, most people will notice a beneficial effect if it is going to work for them".
That is, some people may be fine on a lower dose, but others may need more. As a rough guide, think: 0 - 200 mg low range / 200 - 400 mid range / 400 - 600 high range. Overall body weight is also a factor - if you are a low weight, you need less.
Generally, a doctor shouldn't be concerned to increase a dose into the mid range, which may have a greater effect than a low dose.
Well over this weekend has been odd....
I've been feeling like random pangs of anxiety for no reason! Just comes on for like half an hour at a time not quite sure what to make of it.
Definitely not feeling as good as I did Friday :(
HB xx
Please expect some ups and downs after the initial high spirits. It's normal, and will even out in time.
Take care.
Well I'm surprisingly chipper at the moment!
Feeling really happy & hyper lol
HB xx
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