Another Pregabalin Diary.....

[nicola1980]

Hey Nicola. Thanks for the message Yes, things are going better than I could have hoped so far. But am careful not to get carried away.

Sorry to hear you're not. Are you also taking pregabalin?

Hi no im taking citalopram, been on it 8 weeks things were getting better but i seem to have gone backwards, panic attacks r back with avengence this time xx

[Scratchappy]

Hi Scratchappy - I'm pleased to hear that you are doing well so far on this medicatiion I am reading your diary with interest as I am considering taking it too.

Take care now and keep on keeping us informed.
Belle x

Hey Belleblue Again, thank you for your message also. Yeah, the medication is by far the best I've tried for anxiety that isn't a benzodiazepine. Mind you it is still early days and the research, helpfully provided by others, indicates that tolerance build-up is an issue. So am wary of that.

I'm glad someone other than Nicola is reading this Was beginning to think no one really cared I really do hope my experience can be of some help to you. If you want to know anything, obviously, please feel free to ask away.

Thanks...............Scratchappy

---------- Post added at 09:00 ---------- Previous post was at 08:44 ----------

Hi no im taking citalopram, been on it 8 weeks things were getting better but i seem to have gone backwards, panic attacks r back with avengence this time xx

Oh dear :( I'm really sorry to hear that Nicola. Panic attacks are awful at the time. Very debilitating. Going backwards happens unfortunately. Just when you think things are going in the right direction......you get a set-back. Just try and keep going, hard as it can be, and do what you know helps.

I found citalopram very ineffective to be honest. It made me flat-line in a way. I neither felt happy nor sad. Just existed. And I hated it's side effects too.
I first took citalopram about 7 years or so a go and was up to 40MG (although I think 60MG is the limit). Whilst I certainly think it helps a little with anxiety and is better than most anti-depressants I tried, it really wasn't what I was looking for. It just didn't do enough.
I've recently just stopped my citalopram as I was switching to pregabalin. The difference is, well, you can probably tell from my posts.

Hope this week is better for you Nicola

[JT69]

Hi scratchappy,

Please keep posting...it really does help others and even though they may not always reply we do read posts...I find it very interesting as I take pregabalin myself and have found it to be of enormous help to me.

I hope your recovery continues to be positive.

Jo.x

[Scratchappy]

Hi scratchappy,

Please keep posting...it really does help others and even though they may not always reply we do read posts...I find it very interesting as I take pregabalin myself and have found it to be of enormous help to me.

I hope your recovery continues to be positive.

Jo.x

Hey Jo Yeah, I know I found reading these boards so useful and helpful before I was prescribed pregabalin. I was reading threads from last year so you never know when someone might need some information or first hand accounts of using the drug. I guess that's why I started a thread as it kind of inspired me, reading about other posters experiences.

I think I've read some of your posts which were helpful and useful so thanks for that

Really good that the med. is making a positive difference in your life How long have you been using it Jo? I was interested in your thread about long-term use. On other sites, I've read that users have come off of the drug as they found the effectiveness to wear off. But some have had no problems at all and continue to use it every day.
Have read about some bad withdrawal experiences though and the medical profession claim this drug is not addictive But withdrawal is nowhere near as bad as coming off benzo.'s apparently. And a few now just use pregabalin on an as and when needed basis. But the one thing they pretty much all agreed on was that it was very effective for anxiety, possibly the best out there, and that if you discontinue for a day or so and then take it again, you pretty much get the same effects as to when you took it initially.
The general feeling seems to be that the medical companies are on the right road for developing really effective drugs to help with anxiety disorders. I think they may well be too. It's about time.....

[Scratchappy]

Day Five

Dosage: 3 x 100MG daily

1st/2nd/3rd dose @ 100MG:

Effect:

Feeling pretty much the same as yesterday. Anxiety low. Mood good and positive. Mind sharp, concentration decent. The usual really.
I actually went out mountain biking for 3 hours at the weekend. I haven't done that for about 3 years. So I'm definitely feeling more like doing things and being sociable. Which is a far cry from about 2 weeks ago when I was having a lot of difficulty leaving my own property and staying indoors for 3 days straight without going out. Progression has been fast.......none of this 2 or 3 weeks waiting for an anti-depressants to kick-in.

Side effects:

Dry mouth, as usual. But not all the time I've noticed.


Note:

Took 3MG diazepam with 1st dose of pregabalin.
Took 3MG diazepam with 3rd dose of pregabalin.
Pregabalin dose taken 4-6 hours after previous dose.


***Have decided to up the medication again to 150MG per dose. Some days earlier than scheduled but reckon it'll be fine**


Day Six

Dosage: 3 x 150MG daily

1st/2nd/3rd dose @ 150MG:

Effect:

Couldn't stop singing Which annoyed my younger brother no end. Increasing the dosage seems to give a bit of a kick, which you'd expect. Mood was really good. Felt incredibly calm and relaxed. Very content
Felt a little bit spacey but I quite like that feeling It is like being stoned/a little drunk in a happy way for me. But it's like you're stoned and stimulated at the same time. The mind feels a bit fluffy sometimes but it passes after while. I wish it lasted for longer
On the 3rd dose, I hadn't eaten for about 5 hours and it hit me a bit harder. Almost as hard as when I walked into the coffee table I still have the bruises. That really, really hurt. At the time I just found it funny but knew it would hurt more later on. Have to be a little bit careful as I was unsteady on my feet if I got up too quickly. A little but dizzy now and then. But again, this passed after a couple of hours or so.
As my anxiety was none existent and I felt a bit spaced out I decided not to take my usual afternoon dose of diazepam.

Side effects:

Dry mouth, as usual. But not all the time I've noticed. Dizziness (but not that bad). Physical coordination impaired (walking). Stoned/drunk feeling. Wishy washy head. Singing rubbish songs.
All but the dry mouth lasted about 2-3 hours before levelling out.


Note:

Took 3MG diazepam with 1st dose of pregabalin.
Did not feel the need to take any more diazepam.
Pregabalin dose taken 4-6 hours after previous dose

[Scratchappy]

Week One Update

It's now been over a week since I started on the medication so I'm going to do a summary as it makes more sense rather than listing days 7,8,9 etc etc.

Positive Effects:

- Anxiety levels reduced significantly
- Uplift in mood = more positive outlook on life
- Calmness of mind
- Clearer thinking and thought processes (mostly)
- Stimulating effects assisting in concentration and focus
- Feeling more sociable
- More enthusiasm for life and for doing things in general (tasks, exercise, socialising)
- Good nights sleep
- Fast acting (2nd dose for me) compared with anti-depressants


Negative Side Effects:

- Tolerance build-up
- Tiredness (generally when increasing dosage)
- Dizziness (not that bad and not constant)
- Stoned/drunk feeling (although I don't mind it but probably not ideal for work environment and not for everyone. Likely at dosage increase but does subside quickly for me)
- Physical coordination slightly impaired (e.g. walking into the coffee table). Generally at increased dosage
- Slight tightness around my head. Like a headache but different. Feels like pressure being applied. Only experienced twice though and wasn't prolonged
- Cognitive impairment (generally when taken on an empty stomach and at dosage increase)
- Dry mouth (intermittent)
- Slight speech impairment (not often)
- Memory impairment (not often and not that bad)


Summary

This medication really has helped in reducing my anxiety levels and by giving me a more positive outlook on life with a better mindset in general. It's taken the edge off life and anxious thoughts are nowhere near as frequent as they were. I still get anxiety but at a level that's manageable and also what a 'normal' person might expect and experience on a day-to-day basis.

As my head is calmer and anxiety is eased I find my ability to concentrate has improved and I am able to focus on one thing at a time much more easily. My head no longer has to fight between so many different thoughts. I seem to have more control of my thinking.

Someone described the effects of taking this medication as like layers of anxiety disappearing and having a weight lifted off their shoulders and that's a pretty accurate description of my experience so far.

On the negative side, the only thing that really bothers me is the quick tolerance build-up resulting in a lessening of the drugs effects. I am unsure how well this medication will work over the long-term

Most of the other side effects listed were generally encountered when increasing the dose and would subside after a day or so. They really didn't bother me that much and I feel it is a very small price to pay. I found these effects could generally be reduced by eating properly before taking the medication.

Memory is slightly impaired for me. I find myself searching for words sometimes. But conversely, I feel I am able to retain more information and access it easier than I used to before.

On one or two occasions, when speaking to people, I've found that my mouth doesn't work as well as it should and have had a bit of difficulty pronouncing words. A little embarrassing but not a major concern.

I find I am able to drink alcohol on this medication but that after a few pints I can feel my concentration start to go and my head a bit clouded. Bit like being drunk


I have settled on a dosage of 150MG x 3 daily for the time being and will continue to monitor progression and post updates as and when. But so far so flippin' good

Bye for now

[panicpanda]

Thanks for posting this. I've been pondering whether to take my pregabalin for the last two months and every positive post about it persuades me that bit extra that it's worth trying them, whether I will or not remains to be seen

[Scratchappy]

Thanks for posting this. I've been pondering whether to take my pregabalin for the last two months and every positive post about it persuades me that bit extra that it's worth trying them, whether I will or not remains to be seen

No worries PanicPanda Hope it's of use. I've tried a lot of medication over the years and pregabalin is the most suitable one for me. It's effects, once you get over the initial spaced-out feeling, seem quite subtle. Yet how it makes me feel can't be understated.

When I was told about pregabalin I decided to give it a go after I'd done a fair bit of research. I thought "Well, the worst that can happen is that it won't work or I won't be able to deal with some side effect". And if that happens, I can always stop taking it anyway I'm just concerned about long term dependence and it's effectiveness over a sustained duration.

Good luck, whatever you decide

[Belleblue]

So pleased that this is working for you Scratchappy.
You said that you were concerned about long term dependence and effectiveness over a sustained period - this is one of my worries about taking pregab. I'm also slightly concerned that it may be a bit like the benzos as far as tolerance is concerned and so therefore it may follow that withdrawal when the time comes could be very unpleasant. These may be my own unrealistic concerns - but I would love to hear from someone who has been on this medication for a considerable length of time (or even several months) and has withdrawn without many problems. So little still seems to be known about it's use for anxiety/depression issues.

Take care.
Belle x

[Scratchappy]

So pleased that this is working for you Scratchappy.
You said that you were concerned about long term dependence and effectiveness over a sustained period - this is one of my worries about taking pregab. I'm also slightly concerned that it may be a bit like the benzos as far as tolerance is concerned and so therefore it may follow that withdrawal when the time comes could be very unpleasant. These may be my own unrealistic concerns - but I would love to hear from someone who has been on this medication for a considerable length of time (or even several months) and has withdrawn without many problems. So little still seems to be known about it's use for anxiety/depression issues.

Take care.
Belle x

Thanks Belle Yes, I am feeling well. 'Normal' I guess.

Yes, long term dependence is a concern. I don't really want to swap a benzo for something else if I can help it.
Having said that, if I have to be on this medication long term and it is effective in that I am able to lead my life then I'll take that any day. Life on pregabalin is definitely better than life without it. But then I've only been on it for 2 weeks and I may feel differently in time.

Withdrawal is never nice I guess and it seems that coming off this medication is easier to handle than it would be for benzo's. But tapering down is recommended.

I have built up a tolerance to this drug quickly, no doubt. I no longer get the same buzz I had initially but then I just feel 'normal' now so I see it as a good thing. The spacey feelings have passed and I don't actually notice being on the medication. Apart from it obviously helping with my anxiety. See how it's going in another 2 weeks or so.

This link is to another forum where some posters have told of their experiences on pregabalin and WDing:

http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=90812

I've pasted the posts below:


SWIM = Somone Who Isn't Me

Lyric (pregabalin) withdrawal or addiction

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Swim has taken Lyrica on and off for a couple years now but hes never really taken it for more than a couple months at a time. Swim notices after a month or two at doses in the 300-600 mg's a day when he stops he gets some diarrhea, some sweating and cold feet, nothing major. Swim also has had great results with lyrica eliminating all of Opiate withdrawals so it makes him think that over time this stuff might present some serious withdrawals if taken at high enough doses. I was wondering what some members have experienced in terms of either withdrawal or addiction with Lyrica.


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SWIM has noticed that he gets a rebound anxiety/shaky feeling when he stopped his Lyrica too quickly. But SWIM was using Lyrica to fight off GHB withdrawal so it might have more to do with a return of those symptoms which Lyrica covers up well. SWIMs GABA system is all out of whack.

If SWIY has ever experienced a withdrawal from other GABA drugs you will probably get the same thing from Lyrica or related drugs that work on GABA (Benzos, GHB, Alcohol, Phenibut, etc). My aunt was on Lyrica for a few months and had no problem just stopping, she was never addicted to other GABA drugs though which seems to be the problem for SWIM.

The sweating and cold feet sound like a mild form of the WD that SWIM gets when stopping any GABA drugs. He gets sweaty palms and gets very shaky with panic/anxiety and insomnia.

Good luck, your body will tell you if you need to taper or if just stopping is ok.
-DN

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SWIM want everyone here to know the withdrawls for lyrica are the worse experience i ever had to deal with. SWIM was taking recreational dosages between 1.2grams and 2 grams on and off for 4 months and i experienced a cataonic state where i almost lost my life. i experienced the worse anyone should ever go threw. staying up for 3 days etc. the withdrawl lasted from July29th to august 6th of 2009

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Someone who isn't me has experienced something similar. SWIM was first on Vicodin and Percocet for a bad back, got hooked, and had to get on something else. SWIM was then switched to Ultram (tramadol), but SWIM liked those enough to have an overdose/seizure. Then SWIM was prescribed Lyrica, but found a kind euphoric peace of mind with those too, and had to once again get off of it. SWIM remembers the tramadol and Lyrica withdrawals being worse than the opiates, imagine that! Now SWIM takes Gabapentin (neurontin), and finds it calms all those nerve endings in his back and other twitchy and painful spots, but gives only the slightest of highs, so its MUCH easier to keep to the regular dose. SWIM did run out of pills a few times when he took a few too many of his month's supply, but the WD was not anything like the cold sweat, paralyzed, and cross-eyed feeling from Lyrica. Peace

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Swim says there are stories of Lyrica withdrawal around the net. He took it regularly with Baclofen to get off GBL, taking stupid amounts really... as in 4 times a day 4 baclofen and 4 Lyrica (75mg). Thats 160mg Baclofen a day and 1200mg Lyrica. Sometimes not even to a schedule - just "as needed"...

The withdrawals from Lyrica were mainly phyiscal reported Swim - nausea, diahorrea, that kind of thing. Uncomfortable, but not too bad. Swim didn't notice much GABA related withdrawal symptoms.

Unlike the Baclofen - or any other traditional benzos - which can cause seizures, psychosis, delusions... all of which Swim is familiar with unfortunately.

Swim see Lyrica and even it's earlier incarnation Gabapentin as a great way to help you get off any GABA related drug, be it a benzo or otherwise.

Perhaps docs should prescribe this and other novel drugs intead of Benzos? GABA deregulation is no fun thing and anything that can help that has to be good. There are pleny of opiate withdrawal stories on here, and while the physical symptoms can be coped with GABA drugs (benzos, GHB, Alcohol etc etc) can kill and should be treated with respect.

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SWIM was prescribed gabapentin in his final stages of coming off valium and it wasn't a placebo pill to SWIM at all but not near as potent as valium. SWIM took 300mg of gabapentin three times a day for social anxiety mainly and it helped alot. He increased to 600mg three times a day and same thing..he felt it very effective but the effects fade faster than benzos! Gabapentin is the weaker version of Lyrica and not near as strong but it had amazing effects in the beginning and when escalating the dose. Gabapentin gave SWIM a different anti-anxiety feeling than benzos..with benzos SWIM would have that "everything will be ok" feeling but with gabapentin he had the "I don't give a F***" attitude. Very helpful for social anxiety. Felt more like some weak opiate to SWIM than a benzo. Too bad the effects weren't persistant for SWIM. SWIM has not tried Lyrica but would imagine the effects diminish as well. As for withdrawal..SWIM did feel some on gabapentin. He cut down from 600mg 3 times a day to 300mg 3 times a day and got eye twitches, hot flashes, restlessness and anxiety (2 very different gruesome feelings for SWIM). He felt like there were bugs or something crawling on his skin (this was when he went from 300mg 3 times a day to none), felt increased social anxiety, depressed majorly and kind of empty. It was a different feeling than benzo withdrawal for SWIM. He wouldnt see it as life threatening as benzo withdrawal can be (unless gabapentin was used in huge dosages and stopped cold turkey) but it wasn't any easier. Different withdrawal symptoms..some the same for SWIM. Overall it is a milder but still withdrawal producing drug than benzos for SWIM with a mild opiate, energized feeling..SWIM really enjoyed the first week or two on each new dose and SWIM would love to see a drug like this made that actually kept some effectiveness, SWIM has tried other anticonvulsants and gabapentin is the best for anxiety in SWIMs opinion. Not for long term use (unless "desired" effects persist) but excellent if used prn for social situations. It will quell your anxiety..very nice feeling. Oh and when SWIM took his gabapentin with some of his left over valium the synergy was amazing. SWIM uses benzos about 5-6 times a month and always with gabapentin. SWIM was up to 70mg a day of valium. SWIM would take 100mg and more sometimes and barely get a relaxed effect. SWIM still needs 30-40mg of valium alone for it to work(and that's just taking the edge off for SWIM) but if he takes 600mg of gabapentin then one of his 10mg valium tablets he gets an incredible socially boosting euphoria. If anything Lyrica and gabapentin could definetly help you cut your benzo dose down ALOT but they both have withdrawal (gabapentin for SWIM) and SWIM heard Lyrica was worse,

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I'm really pleased i've found something discussing pharma assistance with withdrawal. The difficulties with designing an effective anti-depressant (appreciate not everyones view) shows how hard it must be getting a combination of drugs that will lift, flatten, impact the whole reward system. But its definitely coming. Sinclair has had fantastic results with Naltrexone on alcoholics and some tests are showing good reukts for cocaine when taken with modafinil. I don't want modern developments withheld a some sortof punishment and when the nhs in the uk suggests, really, weekly yoga and group discussion to control cravings. And still the 12 step - on nhs its only 12 step. With rapid ddiction to the groups and less than 10% effectiveness this is very odd One big probleml is tendency to self medicate, if up dosage and vomit it all up. Theres a type of antabuse now for cocaine which with some mild gabba help has just got to help.
And (waiting for hate texts) I think the reverence for the ashdown manual needs to be revisited - I see some posts here where the doses are relatively small but the tapering mechanism is so long it a) ensures the patient become definitely addicted and b) maintains their obsession with pills and anxiety formonths. "help, i'm withdrwing from 1mg xanax and i keep getting dizzy,i dont know whattodo? In my opinion 2 weeksshoulddo itprovided meds are prescribed and properlu used.I hope new meds will make it obsolete. The loonger this stuff is in your body the more it ends up in your fat (apparently) bringing on early dementia, fatigue. get rid of it. The addictive qualities of say adderall is miniscule compared to what we suffer.Am I banned, the rules are so severe.... cheers and keep trying or iif you want, enjoing!


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I took lyrica for anxiety. It helped my anxiety. I didn't experience any withdrawl symptoms.

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AFOAF has not experienced WD from Pregabalin, but has gone through quite a few nasty Gabapentin WD(as AFOAF understands they both work the same way) and he can say for sure that the WD he felt from them was unbearable and definitely comparable if not worse in a way to opiate WD(which he has also experienced simultaneously as he got into a horrible cycle of trying to combat the WD of each other by using the opiates for the Gabapentin withdrawal and vice versa, it didn't work out and he just put himself through a lot more pain because he would inevitable keep getting addicted to both and then have nothing to ease the WD when he would finally try to get clean).

Dosage - between 8-15 grams per day for around 5 months before first WD

The WD symptoms were as follows;

Extreme temperature fluctuations(sweats, and chills)
Restless legs and arms
Nausea
Depression(suicidal thinking/obsessing)
Insomnia

This lasted around 7 days of bad WD symptoms then slowly getting better after probably another 14 days.

AFOAF was also told that the medicine was non addictive by his GP which he thinks is unbelievable, although to be fair AFOAF did know the risks as he had researched it before taking it, but obviously got a bit carried away as he seems to be one of the few people he knows of that gets much of an effect off of Gabapentin.

AFOAF has experienced the WD from both more times than he can remember and is surprised he puts himself through it as he knows exactly what he is doing(as he isn't exactly stupid) but still he somehow does it anyway!*

AFOAF is once again trying to stop and as of today he is 7 days clean from opiates and 4 days clean from Gabapentin, the good thing is he really does want to give them up this time(has been said before admittedly) not just for himself but also as he has met a girl that he wants to change himself for the better for, so he is feeling optimistic, the longest he has gone before is 21 days.

Cheers

Psilocybo.

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As generally seems to be the case, some experience bad WD's and others seem relatively fine.

Ideally, I'd like to not be on any medication if possible so I do hope to withdraw from this drug at some point. Just hope it's not too bad. But would also like to hear of anyone else's experiences of coming off pregabalin.

Cheers..............Scratchappy