Pregabalin - just starting - help!

[chl_hobbs]

Hi all,

Ive been suffering from severe health anxiety since september after my routine operation went seriously wrong and the surgeon accidentally cut my spleen and i ended up in intensive care.

Ive been in and out of hospital with pain etc which is made worse by the HA. Ive tried beta blockers, amitryptiline and escitalopram (which im still on 20mg). Nothing has really helped, and 6months on im at the end of my tether. I am feeling so so low and pretty panicky all the time.

Yesterday my gp asked me to try pregabalin. Im freaked out by the long, horrible list of side effects. I started on 25mg last night and already this morning i feel woozy and lightheaded. Im dizzy a lot of the time with anxiety anyway so feel so scared. Ive perservered and taken my next dose of 25mg and then have to increase to 75mg a day slowly.

Please is this ok? Should i keep taking it?

Charlotte x

[JT69]

Hi Charlotte,

Sorry to hear about your operation.

I have been taking pregabalin for over a year now. The side effects you describe are normal for some people and will go away as your body gets used to the meds.

Along with 7.5mg of mirtazipine pregabalin has really changed my life, I suffer much less with anxiety now.

Hope they help you and you start to feel better soon.

JO.x

[xtremx]

Hello , I have just started Pregabalin at 75mg and must say so far it has changed my life and only on my 5th day (could be in my head) but yes i found it made me a bit woozy but that has passed.

I am finding it has at the moment made me feel like a new person. Hopefully you can stick with it.

[chl_hobbs]

thankyou so much for your replies Ive gradually felt better throughout the day. Although i am concerned that i am taking escitalopram aswell - is this ok? Obviously my gp knows im on the both but my Health anxiety takes over any rational thoughts. Im also supposed to take tramadol for my post operation pain...but ive googled tramadol and pregabalin and its come up with some odd and possibly dangerous reactions!!!!!! Does anyone know anything?

Sorry, i hope i start to feel better, this really is so difficult at the moment.
xxx

[bignik]

I had similar problem with my tramadol ( protruding discs L1-L5 ) and had been taking for three years , I was put on mirtazipine last year for depression and these two are supposed to be very dangerous together as well so I would double check with your GP, I can only suggest when put on mirtazipine it was an oversight as the tramadol was on repeat.

It was changed after I got off tramadol to co codamol 30 500 if of help as an alternative. I dont feel any better or worse than I did on the tramadol , but probaly like yourself when in severe pain it tends only to take the edge off it

[chl_hobbs]

Well today i felt awful when i woke up, like i was hungover. It took a few hours for it to pass and then i felt ok(ish). I had my first 50mg this morning and will have 50mg in a minute and then tomorrow i have to up to 75mg twice a day as directed by my gp.
Im in pain though because my operation has left me in quite a bit of pain long term. i used to take tramadol and paracetamol for the pain which helped a lot, but as i said above, ive read that i cant take tramadol with pregabalin on the internet and im scared to. My gp said that pregabalin would help with the pain, but so far it hasnt at all :(

Ive also read that escitalopram and pregabalin together has a 'moderate' reaction - and again im freaking out about that.

So all in all, not much difference. In fact im doing less due to the pain!!!

x

[chl_hobbs]

Well, its ben 9days since i started this and i have to say i have been my health anxiety and panic has calmed down quite a bit. I havent had any major attacks, and have felt calmer in general. Ive spent loads of quality time with my daughter and have been out and about. Im on 150mg. My GP wanted me on 175mg but i havent gone up to that due to feeling ok on 150mg.

Well today ive had stabbing pains and a sore chest. Ive started to feel really really anxious about it and the bottom of my throat feels like its tight and aches. Im conviced AGAIN that i have a blood clot. This happened 2weeks ago and my D Dimer test was over the range (58 over which the DRS have said is insignificant). They treated me with blood thinners until i had a lung scan and leg scan which were clear.

However, today ive convinced myself that i must have had a clot and now it has gone to my lungs. If i didnt have these pains id feel ok in myself but its so hard not to just walk into a+e AGAIN.

Charlotte

[xtremx]

Well today ive had stabbing pains and a sore chest. Ive started to feel really really anxious about it and the bottom of my throat feels like its tight and aches.

Hiya Charlotte (My daughter is called Charlotte).

Right stabbing pains and sore chest Anxiety, Throat feels tight and aches Anxiety.

Meds are as you know not a cure just an aid. You well still have attacks or waves of anxiety, But the meds are their to help you on your way to controling the anxiey and hopefully finding out what is causing the anxiety ie what is the root of the problam.

Stick with the pregabalin I am now on the 150 (was on 75mg for 2 weeks) dose have been for 3 days now and I still get the odd period of anxiety (but not as bad as before).

Take care Chris

[chl_hobbs]

Hi all, thankyou for your support reregabalin. Ive been doing really well, and although i knew of the main side effects ive just come across one that scares the hell out of me, as i have a huge fear of it anyway... Internal bleeding. Ive just found on a few medical webpages that it can cause 'low blood platelets' which can stop your blood clotting and/or start bleeding!!!!!!!!!!!!It says to watch out for bruising....well my legs have had a lot of bruises recently (small black ones) and now im freaking out.

Sorry to go on, i just want to be better :(

Charlotte x

[xtremx]

Charlotte Charlotte Charlotte, Stop looking up pregabalin i did that at first and it scared the hell out of me.

Than a funny thing happened to me I told myself to stop googling it, But that is not the funny thing it was i lost the little notes that came with pregabalin which ment i could not read that and worry about all the 1 in 10 , 1 in 100 , 1 in 1000 get this and get that.

i think most medication i have had somewhere on the net it has said could cause internal bleeding and a few have said could cause death now that scares me but thier are so many factors that could lead to the bad side effects happening ie being old aged and having major health problams.

Hope some of this had made sense.

Goodluck