Pregablin worries.

Hi everyone. I’m new here! I’m just wondering if anyone can give me some advice please. I’m a 31 year old female. For as long as I can Remember I have suffered with very bad anxiety. I tend to get a racing heart and very bad butterflies all the time. I also suffer with extremely bad blushing. Which has caused me to be the subject of bullying and comments. It’s a vicious cycle. I get so anxious going
Into public situations. Even going to pay for something! But I will get the anxiety feelings even if I’m alone. It just never stops. It’s awful to be honest. So I’ve tried many different snri and sari’s. I react extremely badly. I ended up in A and E on citalopram! I have asthma so I can’t take certain medications. They suggested pregablin. But I was concerned of the side effects. They suggested buspar. So I have tired it for 7 weeks. Absolutely no improvement. If not worse. Although it’s been a very stressful time lately. But I was also getting severe chest pain. So I agreed to try pregablin. Despite being very anxious about the weight gain and withdrawal coming of it. I’ve been on 50mg x3 a day. But I have become very constipated ( embarrassing!) and feel quite flat. I am so worried about all these side effects. Has any one got any advice please ? Do the stomach issues pass ? I don’t want
To deal with all these side effects yet I don’t want this crippling anxiety. I am so fed up and sad. Any advice would be appreciated please! Thankyou :).

Hi

This is just a courtesy reply to let you know that your post was moved from its original place to a sub-forum that is more relevant to your issue.

This is nothing personal - it just enables us to keep posts about the same problems in the relevant forums so other members with any experience with the issues can find them more easily.

Please also read this post:

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=213239

I found antidepressants gave me bad guts, the opposite to what you are suffering bowel wise.

Didn't have any change in gut problems on preg they even improved. 25 years of AD'S have left their permanent mark on my system.

Weight wise, yes that was/is an issue. I was on mirtazapine previously which has the same issue. I gained about 2.5 to 3 stone in a couple of years. Which was great at first as I'd never had an appetite going back to childhood, so new thing for me.
I now eat more sensible, using fruits when hungry between meals and have lost 1.5 stone in the last 2.5 months.
I'm on 150mg three times a day with the option to go up to 200 if I feel I need it. I also have 1mg of lorazepam for emergency moments, I get 28 of these per year.

Withdrawal from any 'brain' drug isn't going to taken lightly, but some I've hardly noticed others have be hell, paroxitine being the worst. Do it slowly and double the time the Dr tells you for each drop down, maybe even treble.

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Originally Posted by Shygirl23

Hi everyone.

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:welcome: to NMP,

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So I’ve tried many different snri and sari’s. I react extremely badly. !

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Which SNRIs and SSRIs have you tried, at what starting dose and how did you react?

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I ended up in A and E on citalopram

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What happened?

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They suggested buspar. So I have tired it for 7 weeks. Absolutely no improvement. If not worse.

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Buspar (buspirone) is one of a number of anxiety meds which works well for some, but not at all for most and then only for GAD, and maybe social anxiety, so your outcome isn't a surprise.

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I’ve been on 50mg x3 a day. But I have become very constipated ( embarrassing!) and feel quite flat.

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Hopefully, both the constipation and 'flatness' will soon ease. Eating a high fibre diet and keeping well hydrated will help. Also talk to your pharmacist about taking a stool softener for a while.

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I am so worried about all these side effects.

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The constipation, weight gain, and feeling flat, or are you having others too?

Pregabalin can be a useful anti anxiety med, but imo it is not a good long-term solution. An AD would be a better option, as would therapy. The cognitive and behavioural (CBT, REBT, etc) and mindfulness therapies can be as effective as ADs (they both have the same effect on the brain), so if this hasn't been suggested ask your GP to get the ball rolling asap as waiting lists can be long.

I appreciate that your experience with ADs hasn't been ggood, but often initial side-effects can be moderated, if not totally eliminated, by starting on a low dose and increasing it by small increments. Plus, SSRIs and SNRIs are not the only ADs, or, arguably, the most effective.

I have been on pregabalin for 9 years and it has been a life saver for me, along with the Mirtazapine which I also take. I must admit however, that I didn't realise it had a side effect of constipation, which I have been suffering from for years. I actually feel relieved to have read that because it answers a question! I knew Mirtazapine had that effect but as I'm only on a minimal dose of 15mg I didn't think that was enough to cause a problem. But combined with the pregabalin (100mg a day) it was clearly a disaster waiting to happen!

I was advised to stay on low doses of both drugs because, I was told, if I had another severe episode of anxiety as I had 10 years ago it would be very difficult to pull me back. I really have managed to stay on a pretty even keel once the low maintenance dose was established. I still get episodes of anxiety, but usually manage to overcome them, partly because the mirtazapine makes me sleep which makes a huge difference. I keep my weight steady by going to Slimming World every week, which was where I lost the stone I put on with mirtazapine when I first went on it. I have kept most of it off by keeping up with the food optimising.

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Originally Posted by panic_down_under

Pregabalin can be a useful anti anxiety med, but imo it is not a good long-term solution.

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Why is it not good long term? Tolerance?

Yes.