My Pregabalin & Anxiety mini story!! [Archive]

ISLASMUMMY

13-05-11, 19:22

Hey guys,

I want to post to see if my experiences can help anyone else :)

I have chronic anxiety spanning about 15 yrs, diagnosed with Generalised anxiety disorder, Chronic health anxiety, and elements of OCD.

I am married with 2 young babies, and have a job with the NHS......but have had so much time off work with anxiety its unreal, and also seen more 'standard' counsellors than ive had hot dinners.

Ive also been on every SSRI, eventually settling slightly on Citalopram 20mg.

My main worry was palpitations.....I had them so bad, and they scared me daft.

Anyhow I swapped my GP a few months ago because i was fed up of getting nowhere with my own......and what a difference :yahoo:

I have eventually seen a CPN, a Keyworker, and had an assessment done by a consultant phychiatrist.

I was put on Pregabalin 75mg Twice a day and felt imediate improvements, but not great! Side effects I felt were a drunk feeling, my balance was shocking, I ate like food was going out of fashion, and generally I couldnt co-ordinate sentances.

I went back to GP and they wanted to increase, but I was scared :scared15: about increased side effects but to be honest they didnt last as long, and were no worse than the first time.

After 8 weeks I have reached the maximum dose (recommended by consultant) of 300mg Twice a day. The consultant said that for anxiety in general the max dose is needed, and the lower dose is grossly misused :doh:

Anyhow my anxious state has gone, my palps have gone, and I have stopped overeating and now am actually losing some weight (i think because I feel less stressed)

I still feel nervous & anxious, but only when 'normal' people would, and it subsides like in everyone else.

I dont know if this is the end of my story......or just the very beginning, but by god I recommend going up through the doses before gving up on it!

To me its a life changer!!
:yesyes:

Hope this helps anyone, and if anyone wants any help either pm me, or ask away on ths thread. Pharmacy is my trade, so I may be able to help.

Lisa x

P.s I do still take the Citalopram 20mg along side these

sunset30

13-05-11, 21:28

Glad its worked for you lisa really positive chick. It didnt for me so much. Wish it did but i suppose everyones different and its all trial and error with meds.

Really pleased for you though chick!:Dx

Spidergirl

13-05-11, 21:47

Hiya Lisa,

Really good outcome for you. I tend to take myself off medication if put on something I have to take every day. For now I've settled on a low dose betablockers, it's better than nothing. It's great that you feel more normal now

Hope it works for you :)

kt23

24-05-11, 03:40

noticed an immediate positive effect in a friend when started on pregs. Hopefully he'll be put up to the full dose then!

Belleblue

26-05-11, 14:02

Hi - I am still enduring very bad anxiety due to particular circumstances at the moment.

My GP recommended Mirtazapine or Pregabalin. I am (probably foolishly) concerned about the side effects of both these meds.

My main concern regarding Pregabalin is the cognitive side effects - being incoherent is not an option for me at the moment - I need to be able to string my sentences together. Can anyone tell me if this side effect remains or does it go in time - if so how long does it usually take?

Thanks all:)
BB

JT69

26-05-11, 14:29

Hi Bluebell,

Where did you read that about pregabalin?? Cant say that I had noticed much at all but I guess now you have mentioned it sometimes find I cannot think of the word I need to say?? Maybe thats a side effect?? Just thought it was an age thing!!

I have been taking pregabalin along with mirtazipine for over a year now and both have helped me so much...especially the pregabalin with my anxiety. I am currently weaning off the mirtazipine and on 15mg/7.5mg. The mirtazipine made me gain so much weight but it does come off in the end!!

Go for it!!!

Jo.xx

Belleblue

26-05-11, 15:55

Hi Jo,

Thank you for replying. I read it on a couple of other sites. Pregabalin is supposed to be a derivative of Gabapentin (Neurontin) and apparently some people on Neurontin call it Morontin LOL because of this side effect. I suppose it would stand to reason that these side effects would apply to the derivative also (with some folks).

I find it encouraging that you have not as such experienced this side effect. I certainly get the "age thing" trying to retrieve words also!!

I really would prefer to try the Mirt - but I am so scared of the weight gain to be honest. I believe it's really hard to control your appetite on it - sounds like agony to me:unsure:

So pleased the pregabalin is working so well for you:)

BB x

JT69

26-05-11, 16:04

Hi Bluebell,

I re-read your post as I thought your GP had suggested you taking both....out of the two I think the pregabalin is more useful in anxiety...I found the mirtazipine helped me with the depression but not as helpful with anxiety.

You will hopefully get some other responses around this.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do and keep us posted.

Jo.xx

Ali.R1234

24-12-12, 00:13

Hi all I have just started on pregabalin and am really paranoid about the side effects. Does anyone know how long before the anxiety starts to go away.???

hanshan

25-12-12, 09:28

Good luck to all of those on either pregabalin or mirtazapine or both.

I'm taking both, and they have pretty much banished the anxiety monster. He's hanging around outside somewhere, though, so best not to get complacent.

I went through the physical coordination problems of pregabalin for several months before they settled. However, I always felt mentally quite sharp - even better than when I was suffering from anxiety.

Based on posts to NMP, pregabalin works quickly for some people (within a few hours), but can take one or two weeks for others. Some people report a patchy working/not-working period when they first start taking it, particularly if they are in the process of increasing the dose to the maximum. Finally, unfortunately, some people report no change, or discontinue due to side effects. It's a bit of a lucky dip, but worthwhile if it works.

Mark13

25-12-12, 16:39

Some people report a patchy working/not-working period when they first start taking it, particularly if they are in the process of increasing the dose to the maximum.
That describes me at the moment. On day 26 now, but only day 2 of max dosage. Really quite agitated / anxious today, but have had many good hours and days over the past 26.

I'm hoping it'll help, although I'm not quite as confident as I once was about that.

Utopia247

11-04-13, 17:04

Lisa thanks for your truth it is much appreciated. I have tried so many different drugs to try and help me with my panic attacks but to no avail . I'm 40 yrs of age and can't even do my shopping with out being panic stricken . I'm so tired of being an anxious person. I've tried everything I can think of , self development corses conseling . Prescription drugs the only one that worked was diazepam for a few weeks then my gp stopped them. Please Lisa if you don't mind can you give me info on where I can get prescribed pregabapentin as like others it works . I can put up with feeling drunk for a while as my anxiety is torture . Thanks once again for your story. Kind regards. Ken . Ps please get back to me if you can

hanshan

12-04-13, 03:25

Hi Ken,

There are two separate, related, medications - gabapentin and pregabalin. Pregabalin is the one most commonly prescribed today. It's licensed for Generalized Anxiety in the UK, and needs to be prescribed by a doctor.

As said above, it's effective for generalised anxiety. It's probably not as effective for panic attacks, but it may make a dent if you suffer general anxiety as well. It can be taken long-term (unlike benzodiazepines like diazepam) and combined with an antidepressant (which may also help with panic).

Talk with your doctor about the possibility of taking it, and good luck.

nonny

04-10-13, 17:49

hiya i know this thread is a few months old ,but its the best one ive found so far,im into week 5 of Pregabalin 150mg twice a day ,its reduced my servere anxiety from 24/7 ,to a few times a day ,but when i actiually try to face one of my fears its comes back full flow ,so with my excellent avoidence skills and Pregabalin im currently still alive at the present
My question is i keep reading its addictive and you need to be taken off it ,so what sort of time scale could this be ,obviously with my anxiety still lurking in the background im now worried ill just be back to square one !!!

hanshan

04-10-13, 22:17

I don't know where you read that pregabalin is addictive and you need to be taken off it.

Pregabalin is not addictive in the sense that it has abuse potential. Occasionally there is an initial mild euphoria, but it doesn't last. After that, it's just like any other medication that works for some people but not for others, along with the usual range of side effects.

Since it is a preventative but not a cure, it may need to be taken long-term, but that doesn't make it addictive.

Mark13

05-10-13, 16:26

I agree with hanshan, I find no evidence that pregabalin is addictive.

I came off it in 4 days with no withdrawal effects so there's certainly no chemical addiction.

By the way, I wouldn't advise the above, best to drop slowly from any med, but I know what I can risk as I've taken many drugs for anxiety.

While I was on it I used to forget to take it sometimes, and I felt no craving for it - although the anxiety returned quickly.

nonny

05-10-13, 20:16

thanks for the answers ,guess in someways i should be gratefull to be new to this being over 50 ,cant imagine a 13 year plus hell of anxiety :scared15:,a few months has been enough to send me to hell ,just hope im on my way back

hanshan

06-10-13, 03:46

Hello Nonny,

Hang in there. If you are over 50 and reasonably new to anxiety, then very likely one day you will be fine not need medication. In the meantime, you should be able to continue with pregabalin until things settle. Then, you'll be able to face those anxiety demons without it provoking anxiety.

Take care.

Smallie

27-10-13, 22:42

I just read through this thread found it interesting and good to know others taking same medication as me and their experiences.

I have been taking Mirtazapine 30mg for a year now. Been great for depression but not so much for anxiety so doctor prescribed me with Pregabalin this February. Initially he put me on a low dose of 150mg daily then a month later I asked him to increase the dose which he did to 300mg daily.

After being on this dose for about 3-4 months, I didn't feel much of an improvement. I wasn't sure as some days I felt it did work and some days I felt it didn't

As its quite hard to get an appointment to see my doctor, I wrote a small note when requesting a repeat prescription asking if its possible to increase the dose of Pregabalin to 400mg daily.

My doctor wrote a note back saying "the maximum dose of Pregabalin is 300mg daily which you're already on" so therefore he didn't increase the dose

I looked through this forum and have noticed that a few people here are in fact on 450mg-600mg daily.

I did actually up the dose myself last month and took 450-600mg daily, I think there was an improvement. I know medications aren't miracle cures but I think it did slightly help. However, by doing that, I used up all my medication quickly and and got the worst withdrawal effects as a result of running out and not taking any Pregabalin for 4 days!! horrid anxious feeling, no appetite and feeling sick.

so i'm thinking of making an appointment and asking my doctor in person to increase the dose and saying that the maximum dose is actually 600mg. I just hate doing it as I saw my doctor so many times this year as haven't been well and feel like i'm being a pain. And also worry that my doctor may refuse and i'll feel embarrassed.

I shouldn't over analyse too much I know. just hate anxiety

hanshan

28-10-13, 10:05

Tufty

28-10-13, 10:16

I think it would wise to go back to your doctor and explain how the Pregabalin isn't helping much at the dose you are prescribed and that you would like to increase. It can be difficult to be assertive with doctors but you have to do what's right for you. Some doctors don't like to be told they are incorrect or contradicted but if you approach it in a non judgmental, factual manner and explain that you have done a bit of research and discovered that the guidelines say that 600mg Pregabalin is the maximum daily dose.

The BNF, which in the UK is the doctors medicine bible, states that between 300-600mg is the recommended daily dose of Pregabalin for anxiety, it's there in black and white. There are many research papers that have concluded that doses of 400mg-600mg a day are most efficacious. Some people will respond to 300mg a day but the majority will need more.

Good luck x

nicola1980

28-10-13, 13:10

Hi i asked my psychiatrist today if she would prescribe me pregabalin for my anxiety and she looked at me shocked and then reeled off all the bad side effects it can bring and she doesn't prescribe it as its not in the nice guidelines?? I was really disappointed as have read some good success stories of this med x x

AndyatStanwell

28-10-13, 13:32

I've tried Citalopram, Mirtazapine & Venlafaxine for anxiety. All made me worse. Finally saw an NHS psychiatrist today who prescribed Pregabalin. It's really encouraging to read some of these stories. I'm putting all my faith in this medication, and feel slightly more positive already. Good luck everyone !!!

SarahH

28-10-13, 15:37

Tufty

28-10-13, 22:23

I am amazed that your psychiatrist told you that Nicola - here is a link to the NICE guidelines for the treatment of GAD http://publications.nice.org.uk/treating-generalised-anxiety-disorder-and-panic-disorder-in-adults-ifp113/what-treatments-should-i-be-offered-for-gad dated Jan 2011 - so nearly 3 years old.
1st line treatment is a SSRI
2nd line is a SRNI
3rd line is Pregabalin :huh:
The last psych I saw said it is now a 2nd line treatment for anxiety, straight after SSRI's have been tried.
I hope you're OK Nicola, I thought you were doing OK on your current meds?

nicola1980

29-10-13, 07:25

Hi Sam, i seem to be having a major blip and the anxiety has been overwhelming to be honest its never really left me fully, i can have a good few weeks but then it hits me again, i thought adding pregaclin in with my venlafaxine might help and allow me to eventually to be able to come off diazepam for good but she wouldn't budge and was adamant she wouldn't and doesn't prescribe it which shocked me as she is in charge of a psychiatric ward too and is quite up on her meds but nope she refused point blank :( x x

hanshan

29-10-13, 10:19

Hi Nicola,

I'm with Sarah and Sam on this - the doc is wrong. Pregabalin has been approved for generalized anxiety in the UK since (I think) 2006. How many years does it take a psychiatrist to become aware of that? As for the list of side effects, every drug has them.

If your doctor will not prescribe pregabalin, ask for a second opinion. I think this is a formal right that a doctor cannot refuse.

nicola1980

29-10-13, 10:52

Hi, my problem is my psychiatrist prescribes all my medication so my gp won't prescribe but i will mention it to him but i doubt he will override my psychiatrist :( i was very disappointed when she said no x x

SarahH

29-10-13, 18:15

I would print off the Nice guidelines and show them to her................If she still wont budge ask for a second opinion..........legally you can ask to be referred as many times as you want on the NHS, to anywhere in the country....................good luck Nicola:)

nicola1980

29-10-13, 18:45

Thanks Sarah, think i will as Im really struggling anxiety wise at the min x x

SarahH

29-10-13, 19:23

It really has helped with my anxiety Nicola....my mood has now dropped in the last few days, but there is no anxiety!

nicola1980

29-10-13, 21:37

I can't understand why she was so set against it but will freely prescribe me diazepam to use on a daily basis?? I really want to be off Benzos but whilst my anxiety is as bad as it is at the min I've got no chance :-( x x

Otter13

30-10-13, 12:45

Hi, I have been on 150mg a day for a few weeks now. I am much less anxious but I am allergic to it. I have eczema on my face and hayfever type symptoms. My doc says its safe to carry on taking it along with antihistimines. He told me the lowest effective dose is best but the first post here says the low dose is 'grossly misused'. I'm confused now on whether I should be considering upping the dose or just stay where I am for the mo as it seems to be helping. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. :)

SarahH

30-10-13, 13:15

Otter,

I would stay with the dose you are on if it is working for you......you can always up the dose later if the anxiety breaks through.

Nicola,

I too am astonished that she is ok with diazepam but not pregabalin..............you could suggest to her that pregabalin will help you come off diazepam!......Although from what you say she just will not prescribe it.

Is there any way you can get a second opinion through your GP....he/she may be more helpful if you show them the Nice guidelines?

Sarah

Otter13

30-10-13, 13:19

Thank you Sarah. That's pretty much what I was thinking. It's great to have my thoughts backed up though because I never quite trust my own brain!

Wow Nicola! Most doctors are so anti-benzo! Can you see another doctor and get a second opinion? Best of luck!

nicola1980

30-10-13, 18:42

Hi, I've got an appointment with my gp in 2 weeks so Im going to do some research and present it to him and see what he says, Im only on 6mg of diazepam a day but that's 6mgs too much for my liking! X x

SarahH

31-10-13, 10:22

I think that is a great idea....................go armed with info!! That's what I do:)

hanshan

31-10-13, 10:56

My days of confronting doctors with contrary info go back almost 30 years to the pre-internet era of the early 1980s, when I made one or two forays into the university medical library to find books in the card catalogue, and journal articles in the bound volume abstracts (no computer search, of course). I kept worrying that someone in authority would confront me and challenge my right to be there.

And yes, I did find what I wanted and made photocopies, only to have my doctor repudiate me at my next consultation. I stood my ground, and was referred for a second opinion. Fortunately, the second doctor was more agreeable, and things improved from there.

Dazzlar13

31-10-13, 12:48

Hanshan, ive been doing what you do recently. The woman at my doctors I see says she knows knows she's going to have to do a lot of reading when I turn up haha

Smallie

14-11-13, 13:22

So sorry your experiment suddenly caused you to be without medication.

It gives me no pleasure to say it, but your doctor is wrong about the maximum dose being 300 mg per day. It's 600 mg per day. Even that needs to be adjusted according to how people respond. But that doesn't automatically mean the higher dose will be effective.

Nevertheless, my only advice would be to do a web search for pregabalin dosage, print it out, and take it in to show it to your doctor. If you are hounded out of the room, get another doctor. There are reasonable people out there.

I think it would wise to go back to your doctor and explain how the Pregabalin isn't helping much at the dose you are prescribed and that you would like to increase. It can be difficult to be assertive with doctors but you have to do what's right for you. Some doctors don't like to be told they are incorrect or contradicted but if you approach it in a non judgmental, factual manner and explain that you have done a bit of research and discovered that the guidelines say that 600mg Pregabalin is the maximum daily dose.

The BNF, which in the UK is the doctors medicine bible, states that between 300-600mg is the recommended daily dose of Pregabalin for anxiety, it's there in black and white. There are many research papers that have concluded that doses of 400mg-600mg a day are most efficacious. Some people will respond to 300mg a day but the majority will need more.

Good luck x

I know its a bit late for many thanks for your replies. I saw the doctor on Monday and asked to increase the dose and explained the maximum dose of Pregabalin is 600mg. I also printed out info about Pregabalin to show him. At first he said that very few people are given the high dose but I said to him that I've suffered from anxiety all my life and he then said that he could increase the dose to 600mg and see how I get on.

I was pleased that he offered to increase to the maximum dose straight away as I was currently taking 300mg daily.
As well as that he also said he could increase the dose of the Mirtazapine to 45g so that was a bonus!

So I am very happy and hope improvements will occur soon. I started taking the higher doses of Mirtazapine and Pregabalin yesterday and it make me sleepy but I do think there is a slight improvement already in that my anxiety levels have reduced.

Good luck everyone

ISLASMUMMY

26-02-14, 18:20

Just letting you all know im still here, still on pregabalin.....I settled on 200mg Twice a day, although still very very tired with it, although I will take that effect if it carries on helping with the others. I also swapped back to my old ssri Fluoxetine......im sorry to anyone I didn't reply personal message to, ive made sure my email is my current one now, so shouldn't miss anyone else that needs help with it xxx

hanshan

27-02-14, 09:02

Hi Lisa,

I take my daily dose of pregabalin all in the evening. I'm not sure if this is recommended, but it may help lessen tiredness during the day.

ISLASMUMMY

27-08-14, 20:24

Still here, still love the pregabalin.....but now struggling with feeling completely flat......does anyone have any helpful hints on what could be added to keep my anxiety low, but my mood/motivation a lot higher.....feel like this is such a balancing act xxx

hanshan

29-08-14, 07:06

Hi Lisa,

Propranolol works by blocking adrenaline, which is one of the neurotransmitters which makes us feel energised (a big dose, of course, provokes the fight or flight response).

If you and your doctor feel comfortable with it, you may want to switch to a quick release, as-needed dose of propranolol, to be taken before some anticipated stressful event that might set your heart thumping. The rest of the time, a small amount of natural adrenaline might help with increased energy.

Otherwise, I find setting rewarding goals and actively visualising them helps provide a positive feeling, even if nothing particularly exciting might be happening right now. Good luck.

chl_hobbs

04-09-14, 09:41

Lisa, I found your post and really would love some advice from u or anyone else really re pregab. My anxiety is out of control and is based around physical sensations and my health. I too suffer from palpitations quite badly(lots of PVCs a day) and my reaction to them is one of panic as I get so many. I shake and tremble ,I get faint,I feel like I'm dying,I get dizzy
.. and when i havent got the pvcs im worrying about feeling dizzy,or that i will collpase and die infront of mt little girl. Ive noticed tgat the adrenaline that I produce is high all the time and is starting to affect my ecgs as its pushing all the measurements so high making me now worry that I have long qt etc... I'm currently taking 1.25mg bisoprolol(for heart palps) and am trying to taper off lorazepam which the Dr kept me on too long (that in itself has horrible side effects).

I did take pregablin in 2012 and it worked so so.well for me.however after about 5 months I decided it was a too risky drug after obsesseing over side effects and stopped it against my gps wishes.

I'm desperate I need to try something and SSRIs make my PVCs worse. I am obviously now also taking bisoprolol too now so also nervous about the potential interactions between all those meds.

I'm worried the pregab will mess my heart palps even more... And I'm worried I will die of these!!! But then I'm always scared. Always suffering from anxiety. And maybe it might help me calm down enough to calm the palpitations down??? Am so confused at what to do x.

Charlotte

hanshan

05-09-14, 03:46

Hello Charlotte,

Sorry to hear about your palpitations. It's easy to get caught in a loop where anxiety about palpitations just sets off more.

You don't say why you thought pregabalin was risky, particularly if it was working for you. Can you say some more about this?

I'm not familiar with bisoprolol, but it sounds like a beta blocker to control your palpitations, although it doesn't seem to be effective. Perhaps that could be reviewed.

Best of luck.

rachelleanne

19-01-16, 06:59

Hi Lisa

I just want to thank you for sharing your mini story. I've suffered with anxiety for the last 15 yrs. I have bi polar but it wasn't diagnosed for 10 yrs so like you I've been on every anti depressant known to man! I also got completely addicted to valium and other tranquilisers. I have just been put on pregabalin (I also take a mood stabiliser,citalopram & mirtazapine). I'd never heard of pregabalin and did not like the dizzy/drunk effects at first so I Google and found your story. Sticking to it and then they will increase the dose. I can already see and feel the improvement
I just wanted to let you know you settled my mind and encouraged me. Thank you again.

Rachel

shiznit76

19-01-16, 09:45

svissloki

25-08-17, 13:14

WOW! ... your story reads identical to mine lol.

I am now on 2 x 200mg Pregabalin, and an SNRI - Duloxetine.

...life has started to be enjoyable again, I laugh out loud at movies... haven't done that in ages. :yesyes:

ISLASMUMMY

28-02-18, 19:42

Hi everyone, I am still knocking around, and feel great that this thread has helped people! :yesyes:

I am currently taking Pregabalin 200mg twice a day, fluoxetine 40mg a day, ranitidine 300mg a day......and I am in the middle of coming off my PMDD treatment, so god knows how that is going to affect me

I am so very very very flat, quite emotionless, and cant remember the last time i laughed.....so GP wants to add in low dose mirtazapine. I took 7.5mg last night and I have been zonked all day, and last night i had major joint pain all night?

Can anyone give me some advice please? Is my combination of drugs too 'flattening', or is their potential for them to help with my motivation?

I am also quite anxious at the moment too, so the balancing act is really important. I am getting myself so wound up worrying about what to do for the best.......should i reduce any of my other meds? What works best, fluox or mitaz?? If I stay on mirtaz, should i bring down the pregab to help with the sedation?

Honestly, my head is fudged.....I am 40 in a couple of months, and trying desperately to finish my degree (2 assignments left), and I am struggling to keep a hold on everything

Sorry for the rant, rambling questions, and my absolute jibberish

Lisa x

SmilingAlbert

28-02-18, 23:23

Hi Lisa,

Mirt will zonk you at first, certainly - but many people are in hell when they first take it, so that can be handy. You should feel less zonked after a while.

Many people in these parts are on Mirt & Preg, including me.

You are also on Fluox, which makes for 3 mood drugs - most GPs wouldn't want to manage someone on so many, so s/he must be pretty expert, which is good. (my experience is that most GPs sadly arent expert with MH and don't like managing multi-drug people, preferring to leave that to Psychs.)

Certainly it seems that Mirt + preg can work well - dont know how/if Fluox too can add, but I've never taken that one.

The good news is that in that news report about AD efficacy, Mirt came 2nd from top (just behind Amitryptaline, which is old as the hills...)

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/feb/21/the-drugs-do-work-antidepressants-are-effective-study-shows

Bottom line, you shd get over the start-up side effects of Mirt soon; discuss with your doctor re dosages etc.

Albert