Setback/increase in Pregabalin?

Hi guys,

Long-time reader of this website but first time posting.

I’ve been on Pregabalin since mid-2015, originally at 100mg per day and increasing to 300mg in 2017. It’s been great and really helped with GAD, although there have still been limitations in terms of travelling i.e long distances by car.

However, after two years of doing well at 300mg and being able to do more than I have in a long time, the anxiety crept back in just after Christmas, almost to how it was before I started on Pregabalin.

I went and saw the psychiatrist at the start of January who’s increased the Pregabalin to 400mg which I’ve now been on for a week (not sure how long it’s meant to settle in), although no improvement as of yet. I’m trying to view this as a setback as opposed to the Pregabalin having stopped working but am struggling. Any advice/reassurance would be greatly appreciated!

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Originally Posted by Paperback Writer

Hi guys,

Long-time reader of this website but first time posting.

I’ve been on Pregabalin since mid-2015, originally at 100mg per day and increasing to 300mg in 2017. It’s been great and really helped with GAD, although there have still been limitations in terms of travelling i.e long distances by car.

However, after two years of doing well at 300mg and being able to do more than I have in a long time, the anxiety crept back in just after Christmas, almost to how it was before I started on Pregabalin.

I went and saw the psychiatrist at the start of January who’s increased the Pregabalin to 400mg which I’ve now been on for a week (not sure how long it’s meant to settle in), although no improvement as of yet. I’m trying to view this as a setback as opposed to the Pregabalin having stopped working but am struggling. Any advice/reassurance would be greatly appreciated!

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Hi Paperback writer,

I am finding the same. I have been on it for about a year and it has worked pretty well. I've managed to move house, find a new job and make some new friends in a different part of the country but my anxiety is spiking again big time and I am hyper vigilant all the time. I am very tearful and not even sleeping well anymore. I am also on Quetiapine and Sertraline so it's a heady mix ! I am hoping to see a psychiatrist soon but I am only just holding on.

Hi Greycylinder,

Very sorry for the late reply! How are you doing now? Really sorry to hear you've been going through some rough times but the amount of things you've been able to do whilst feeling rubbish is amazing! Hopefully you're starting to feel better?

The 400mg did start to help after a few weeks so it's worth persevering with, although in the last week the anxiety's slowly returned which is annoying to say the least! I saw the psychiatrist again who thinks there could be an undertone of depression which may be triggering the anxiety so he's recommend Sertraline 50mg which I'm considering taking. I've asked to go up to 450mg of pregabalin first just to see if that makes a difference as I've never introduced another medication alongside the pregabalin so am slightly nervous about doing so. It's quite common to have an accompanying medication alongside pregabalin isn't it?

Yes, it’s very common. The Pregabalin is not an SSRI or SNRI so complements these medications. I take Pregabalin alongside Venlafaxine with no interactions.

Hi miracleboy,

Thank you very much for your reply, that's very reassuring to know. I've been advised by the psychiatrist to go up to 600mg of pregabalin and see if that helps to level things out again with the idea to introduce an SSRI such as Sertraline alongside it depending on how the raise of dose goes.

Hi, yes. I'm on 45mg Mirtazapine, 2 lots of Quetiapine, 100mg Sertraline and 2 lots of Pregabalin. I am waiting to speak to a pharmacist recommended by my local mental health team but the wait is frustrating. I have to use Diazepam some days which does take the edge off but I feel sick and scared a lot of the time. I am proud of what I've been able to do but I feel such massive frustration in not being 'better' . I am seeing a CAT therapist and having EMDR treatment. Not sure how I feel about this but I'm going with it for now.

Ah I'm sorry to hear you're still struggling :( You do have a lot to be proud of, this thing requires so much strength to get through and battle each day but you've done an awful lot! You've moved house as well as find a new job which are both massive achievements in themselves. Let us know how the CAT therapy goes and the EMDR, I've got experience in the family of EMDR being very effective so I hope it is for you.

I can completely empathise with the feeling scared, it's like being on a constant knife-edge but that's the anxiety talking where you're constantly scanning yourself. It's a tricky thing this anxiety lark but I know it can get better, it's just the mountain to climb to get there being the hard part. I really hope you start feeling better asap and that both therapies have a positive affect :hugs:. I'm looking at starting on Sertraline soon so hopefully that will compliment the Pregabalin to give enough of an umbrella to keep moving forwards.

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Originally Posted by Paperback Writer

Ah I'm sorry to hear you're still struggling :( You do have a lot to be proud of, this thing requires so much strength to get through and battle each day but you've done an awful lot! You've moved house as well as find a new job which are both massive achievements in themselves. Let us know how the CAT therapy goes and the EMDR, I've got experience in the family of EMDR being very effective so I hope it is for you.

I can completely empathise with the feeling scared, it's like being on a constant knife-edge but that's the anxiety talking where you're constantly scanning yourself. It's a tricky thing this anxiety lark but I know it can get better, it's just the mountain to climb to get there being the hard part. I really hope you start feeling better asap and that both therapies have a positive affect :hugs:. I'm looking at starting on Sertraline soon so hopefully that will compliment the Pregabalin to give enough of an umbrella to keep moving forwards.

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Hi Paperbackwriter.

Have you found a way to stop the constant self scanning? This is the hardest part for me. I feel the panic rising and then I feel desperate. Any tips gratefully received. :)

Hi Greycylinder,

To be honest this is one of the things I've struggled with most since the anxiety kicked in again. I've found exercise to be a great help to be honest, always tired afterwards but it seems to calm things down for a period. I think what we're meant to do it to stop trying to fight the constant thoughts and feelings and instead accept them and welcome them in. I've tried this with various success, sometimes it seems too difficult which is when I take to the forums etc which I do find to be a massive help in terms of support and knowing I'm not the only one feeling this way.

Other than that I try and read books from people who have suffered and come out the other end such as Paul David's 'At Last a Life' which I know is a popular book. I'd definitely recommend it if you haven't read it. Also Matt Haig's 'Reasons to Stay Alive' is a reassuring read, or I've found recently listening to audiobooks helps as well at times when I'm struggling to concentrate.

Ah, thank you Paperback Writer. It's kind of you to reply. I will check out the books because books can be helpful in the worst moments. Yes, it's hard to 'accept' the thoughts when every bit of you wants to fight them. I do yoga but sometimes even that is too hard. Now it's getting a bit warmer, walking in nature is good. Haven't tried Audiobooks but that sounds like a good idea and one I haven't tried.

Exercise and diet is very important. Alcohol, nicotine and caffeine are all very bad for anxiety. Some have had success cutting out sugar - look up Ali Miller and Sarah Wilson.

https://www.health.com/anxiety/anti-anxiety-diet

Thanks Miracleboy. I don't drink because I am frightened of alcohol's effects and my mother was an alcoholic. I don't even tolerate being around drinkers very well. I only drink tea so I could look at decaff. Thanks for the tips.

Hi guys,

Thank you for your recommendations, I've been looking at trying yoga for a while so have finally bought a yoga mat so I can try it, hopefully that will help. I gave up smoking a couple of years ago and it's definitely fo the better, as well as limiting alcohol if you do drink as as miracleboy says it can have a real detrimental affect. I've given up caffeine recently but love the taste of coffee so I've switched to decaff. You can definitely get decaff tea Greycylinder, it's usually on the bottom shelf in the supermarket just to make it that much harder to find :). I'll certainly look at the sugar article as well thank you, chocolate is the hardest thing to give up!

I was sent this article about the RAIN technique which is based on mindfulness which I'm trying to apply, thought it might be worth sharing incase it can provide anyone else with an extra resource:

https://www.mindful.org/tara-brach-r...ness-practice/