Anxiety and Lyrica doses

[hanshan]

Hi eldomini,

I've been taking pregabalin for close to three years now. I think it took about one to two months to get up to 600 mg per day, but I noticed positive effects almost immediately from when I first started taking it.

[Mark13]

Mark, how do you find you feel on the 200mg x2? Is your anxiety much better and do you feel any side effects? I have heard some people talk about how it makes them forgetful and mentally slower.

I felt fine on 400-600, I just came off them in the end because the benefits didn't last for me - I had more high anxiety days than low after 4 months on them, but I know hanshan has been on them for much longer and they still work for him.

I had the odd forgetful or confused moment on pregabalin, but they were fleeting. I find you get those on most ADs (I know preg isn't an AD though) so it's hard to know what caused by anxiety / panic / depression and what's down to the drug.

That said, I can state that it was one of the best drugs I've been on for having mild side effects (I had a drunken feeling, and double vision if I took the 2 dosages too close together) but those SEs weren't distressing just annoying.

Mirtazapine and pregabalin are the drugs that I've had the least problems getting onto and coming off of.

Now duloxetine, which I'm on now had loads more side effects to start, but I persevered. Daren't come off them now, as the withdrawal is said to be bad.

I came off pregabalin in just 4 days.

If it wasn't for the fluid retention and the fact the benefits were wearing off I'd have loved to stay on them. They certainly gave me much lighter moods than any drug I've taken.

[eldimoni]

Thanks for your replies guys!

I'm pretty sure im going to give Pregabalin a proper try. I had been pondering it the last few days and today i had a large increase in my neck/back pain which came out of the blue after a relatively good period. It also affected my anxiety quite badly so I ended up taking a small amount of Xanax.

I'm convinced there's a strong link between pain and anxiety as every time one starts the other is always there. I think the pregabalin has strong promise for dealing with these simultaneously. Honestly my quality of life is really suffering because of these two things and Id like to get back to a relatively normal life. I think if the pain wasn't an issue i am sure i would have been past this lengthy (10 months) bout of anxiety already. It just keeps pulling me back every time i think im getting better.

I must admit i am quite nervous about starting to take Pregabalin during the day. I'm fairly sure, remembering when I previously started it, that I will have some side effects like being really sleepy and dizzy, kind of like im not really awake/dreaming for a few days, but I guess I will never know how much help it could be if i don't do it.

Guess I'm looking for some moral support too. I'm just so tired of being worried about anxiety as well as medicinal side effects.

Hope to hear from you guys!

[hanshan]

Don't be nervous about taking pregabalin during the day - you can up the dose slowly.

Something I also use for muscle relaxation, but can also be used for pain, is one of those electronic stimulators with pads you stick on your body around the affected part. I don't think I'm allowed to name brands on NMP, but the one I use is made by a Japanese company that also makes blood pressure monitors and the like. It's not so expensive in Japan (where I'm working now), but it's more expensive in the UK (and incredibly expensive in Australia - I don't know why). Again, not everyone finds them beneficial, but I find mine relaxing and helpful with anxiety when I'm feeling stressed.

[eldimoni]

Thanks for the support Hanshan,
Im taking my first day-time dose now, but im only starting on a tiny amount (12.5mg) like i first did with the night time dose. I found the side effects at this level quite strong initially and it takes me about 3-4 days for the tiredness to wear off. Maybe a week later i will up to 25mg daytime too.

Im hoping it works well for me, but i cant help feeling quite anxious about it.

A pain specialist i saw has referred me for a TENS machine, although it takes ages on the NHS to get anything, so Im still waiting on that.

Its bad enough having to deal with anxiety, but the pain on top is just too much and often triggers the anxiety. Saw my GP this morning and told him about what im doing. He was also questioning why i don't increase my dosage of Effexor up to 75mg (im on 55mg now). Its hard for others to appreciate just how bad (for me - traumatizing) some side effects can be, even if they are temporary.

Update: I took my first 12.5mg dose about 2 hours ago. I do feel a little odd, like drowsy and my brain is not particularly alert, but its not terrible. If it stays like this for a few days until i adjust, i think its manageable. My wife phoned me from her work and I did feel a little emotional like i was going to become teary, but i think that's the overall feeling down and anxiety from starting a medicine.

[SarahH]

Hi Eldimoni,

You can buy a TENS machine in chemists which are pretty cheap. The side effects you are describing are exactly the ones I get. A feeling of drunkeness and somnolence, its perfectly normal. I take a nap early afternoons when they kick in.

Good luck and welcome to pregagablin

[eldimoni]

Hi SarahH and thanks for your reply.

As the day has gone on it has definitely gotten a bit better... though still feel a bit odd and a bit dizzy as well as tired.

In your experience (and anyone else who it taking Pregabalin), has the daytime sleepiness and other side effects subsided with time?


I would love to be able to take a nap when they kick in, but I get really anxious about daytime sleeping due to this strange symptom i have; i seem to have these strange "jolts" either when im sleeping or just waking up and trying to get back to sleep. Once i get up, they disappear or are at least not noticeable.
From what i can tell, it is anxiety related as there are times it isn't there which seem to coincide with when im having a "good" period. it sounds like nothing, but its a very disconcerting symptom. Kind of like someone making a sudden pull on various parts of your body, sometimes with a short sharp burst of stomach adrenaline. Usually once it starts to happen i have to get up. Its like my body is telling me to get up.

It would be great to hear back from you guys, you're a real help! Its great to hear the various experiences different people have and all the advice they give. Nice to have a different perspective from just the Doctors, and Ive learnt not to see Dr.Google too much. He really likes to bear bad news most of the time!

[Tufty]

Hi, I've been on Pregabalin for 5 months and the side effects definitely wear off. To begin with 50mg was making me sleepy, a drunk like feeling and gave me a poor memory however it wasn't unpleasant and these effects wore off within days. I increased from 150mg daily to 450mg daily over a period of about 4 weeks and the side effects didn't get worse with each increase I seem to remember them getting less although I did develop a dry mouth at doses over 400mg. I don't remember sleeping in the day much, maybe in the first week. The only negative effect I noticed was that I became very introspective, I started thinking about things that had happened 30+ years ago and dwelling on things more. It would be a great drug if I were having psychotherapy I'd have no problems talking about my past although I'm normally a reserved, keep it all in kind of girl.

It worked great on my anxiety but over time I needed to increase the dose to have the same antianxiety effects and after a few weeks at 450mg I continued to get panic attacks and started feeling low so I am now starting another antidepressant. It is the easiest anti anxiety medication I have taken, the side effects were minimal, it worked quickly - within hours and I hope to be able to continue to take it whilst starting up a SSRI. I thought it was going to knock me out when I first started taking it but it didn't it was very subtle and manageable, I was able to continue working whilst increasing the dose, unfortunately the same can not be said for antidepressants I have tried.

I've started reducing the dose as my anxiety is better although my depression is worse and I haven't had any problems decreasing - no horrible withdrawal symptoms. I was told by doctors to play around with the dose to suit me and found taking it 3 times a day was best for me, two small daytime doses and a larger night time dose.

Keep posting your progress on here, it's a great way to track your recovery and you'll receive encouragement and positive comments.

Sam

[eldimoni]

Thanks Tufty, for your reply. Very informative.

I guess one of my main concerns is that Pregabalin works for my pain and anxiety and then starts not to work. Is it the case that it stops working completely or that it just levels off (for lack of a better phrase). Again, I'm sure its different for everyone.

When its effects start to lower as your body adjusts to it, do you find it still has an anti anxiety effect, but to a lesser extent as your body is now used to it, or does your anxiety return to the level prior to taking Pregabalin? I would assume it should level whilst still having an effect, otherwise it seems a strange medicine to take. Any ideas on this?

I'm keen to keep the dose as small as possible, whilst it still being effective. I don't really have true panic attacks, more consistent ongoing anxiety which, over time, can build up to the point of an anxiety attack of sorts (adrenaline/trembling/hyperventilating/confusion) or becoming very emotional (teary and down).

I had about 10 years anxiety free (well maybe the odd flare up now and then) whilst on Effexor, cutting down over the last 3 years to an almost zero dose, then my back pain started and it was like i was transported back to that horrible lonely place again, but this time with Chronic Pain as well. Had to start on the Effexor again. Kind of crushing as I was much better and had spent so long coming off Effexor. I was physically fit, doing 5k runs most days. Now i just have a belly (luckily my wife thinks its cute ).
Exercise was really the best thing i did for anxiety, but now im kind of limited as well as overly cautious about exercise. Such a bummer.

[SarahH]

Hi Eldimoni,

What you are experiencing is probably a a Hypnogogic Jerk. I get them ALL the time when I am trying to get to sleep, particularly in the day. It can happen three or four times before I drop off. Be assured this is a perfectly natural body function. It is your bodies natural pacemaker putting your heart into rhythmn as it slows down for sleep. If you are anxious it is more noticable this is why you feel it just as you about to pass from wakefullness into sleep. It used to scare the crap out of me until I read about it and realised that it is normal so now I only get one as I drop off. Dont fight it just think to yourself "this is normal" and then you will find you sleep. And it also only happens to me when I take a daytime nap and not at night.

The Daytime sleepiness does lessen with time.........


keep posting and we will all do our best to support you

---------- Post added at 17:34 ---------- Previous post was at 17:28 ----------

Oh sorry forgot to mention pregabalin is also prescribed for pain (and epilepsy)as it works on the pain signals to the spine....but you already probably knew that

---------- Post added at 17:35 ---------- Previous post was at 17:34 ----------

AND...Hi Sam hope you are feeling better today