Awful side-effects 4 days in-shall i stop?

[Kat1984]

Hi all,

I am on a low dose of Sertraline but psychiatrist recommend Pregabalin and when i read the side effects it did put me off. I have anxiety but it isnt crippling, i can still work but can have panic attacks in busy places. I thought id try and started off on 25mg at night 4 days ago and noticed side effects immediately- feleing off balance and abit drunk. I carried on and 3 days in started to feel strange weekness and faint at work. This is not normal for me and it got me worried as one of the main reasons i can be anxious is with a fear of fainting. I still dont feel well and have decided to not carry on as i dont think any medication is worth feeling like this for. I just wondered if anyone else has experienced this and still carried on? I just hope the side effects wear off really quickly as want to feel less ill.

[hanshan]

Hi Kat,

The lack of coordination is a common start-up side effect of pregabalin, but it doesn't last. You say feeling faint at work is not usual for you, but you also have a fear of feeling faint. It's possible that you have some medication anxiety - many posters to NMP suffer increased anxiety soon after starting a new medication. This is often due to a fear of side effects and an anxiety reaction to those side effects they do experience.

[Cherryade]

I started Pregabalin 4 days ago as well. First day I was as high as a kite and very wobbly. Subsequent days not as bad. My thinking is that this is a side effect which means it is working. I am looking on the positive side and the long term. If it means a few days where I feel rocky, so what if it will help in the long term. Try not to dwell on it and ignore as best you can.

[Cherryade]

Have been on it for 7 days now and today I started taking one 75mg capsule in the morning in addition to the one at night. Feel very wobbly again today but have eaten a normal amount for the first time in weeks, so it is def helping in some way. Onwards and upwards. I'm sure the wobbly feeling will wear off in a few days so I shall just stick it out. I deliberately waited until today to take the extra one just in case as I do not have to drive anywhere for the next two days.