Is it time to look at withdrawing from pregabalin?

[shedrain]

Hi all, I hope you're all well!

News from me - I've been on 112.5mg of venlafaxine for nearly 3 months now and pregabalin for about 2.5 months. Currently taking 175mg of pregabalin (100mg in the morning and 75mg in the evening).

I've been back to work for 2 months now and have been fine (there has maybe been literally one or two occassions where I have had to take a 1.25mg dose of diazepam to take the edge off - but apart from that I have been absolutely fine again. Life has been back to normal. I've also got a new job which I am due to start in December.

The downsides of pregabalin, is that like everyone else who takes it (it seems) I've been putting on some weight and I'm not hugely happy with it. Weight around the mid riff, thighs and bum. Euff. Goodbye six pack! Yes, I also realise that a lot of it is due to increased appetite and desire for sugary/carby foods - but it's a lot harder to control that than some might realise.

Now I have 5 weeks more to work in my current role, and because I seem OK again, I'm considering reducing my dose by just 25mg a day [edit: I mean reduce to 150mg per day rather than continuing to reduce by another 25mg each day!] to slowly start the withdrawal process and get a good understanding of what that process is going to be like so there are no shocks when I do fully withdraw and am in the new role (wouldn't want to jeopardise that now!).

Would love some input on this from those that may have been in this situation -

-Do you think I am ready to start the process of reducing my dosage?
-If you have reduced your dose, did your anxiety come back?
-How long should I take to reduce my dose from 175mg to 0mg?

Feedback and advice would be amazing!

Thanks x

[SarahH]

That's a tough one!!!

Do you think it's a good idea when you are about to start a new job which will be stressful?
Perhaps you could wait until the New Year. Then you will have settled in the job and got through Christmas................just a thought

[shedrain]

That's a tough one!!!

Do you think it's a good idea when you are about to start a new job which will be stressful?
Perhaps you could wait until the New Year. Then you will have settled in the job and got through Christmas................just a thought

Hi Sarah - how are you these days?

I really don't know. I suppose I'm thinking that if I have a little less stress on me because I'm just working my notice period.. The idea being that if I just test the water by taking 25mg of it out of the mix then I'll have some idea about what to expect from the withdrawals. - In doing so then have a good idea ahead of time how the withdrawals may effect my new job. I really, really don't know.

Getting through Christmas with the pregabalin might mean having to buy new trousers

It's great that I've had no real anxiety for ages now - I just don't know if i lower it a little whether I'm doing it too soon or not (I think I can start to feel my new moobs shake around a little as I type this..!)

Cheers x

[kittikat]

Can't advise you about the pregabalin I'm afraid, but if you do decide to start to withdraw, perhaps have a chat with your GP first and make sure do you it really slowly

I just wanted to say I am really pleased that you are doing so well on the Venlafaxine and to wish you all the best in your on going recovery. Congratulations and best of luck with the new job too

Kitti x

[SarahH]

Hi Shedrain,

I'm doing Ok thanks.

If it were me in your position I would wait a couple of months.......Hey it's winter you can wear baggy clothes................I do

[shedrain]

Can't advise you about the pregabalin I'm afraid, but if you do decide to start to withdraw, perhaps have a chat with your GP first and make sure do you it really slowly

I just wanted to say I am really pleased that you are doing so well on the Venlafaxine and to wish you all the best in your on going recovery. Congratulations and best of luck with the new job too

Kitti x

Thanks Kitti!

How are you? It's been ages since we last spoke! Send me a PM and catch me up on what's been going on with you - I really hope you're doing well

[BobbyDog]

I tend to agree with Sarah on this one, when things are going so great, why jeopardize them.

I tried to cease taking Pregabalin for the same reasons as yourself, I have had to get rid of all my clothes, I went from a size 10 which I had been all my life, to a curvy 14, I know I am not huge, it has been a big transition but one I think I have finally come to terms with. I did have eating disorders in my younger days which is why I struggle with the weight gain so much, I understand that my thinking on this subject is not rational.

I take 300mg in a split dose, I tried going down by 50mg per week but I was very agitated, and the worst was the itching, my whole body itched night and day, even antihistamine did not help, I am not for one minute saying that this will happen to you, everyone is different and some people have no withdrawal symptoms at all from medication reductions or cessation.

Just weigh up the pro's and con's before you make a decision and definitely don't do anything without discussing it with your GP first.

[shedrain]

Hi Shedrain,

I'm doing Ok thanks.

If it were me in your position I would wait a couple of months.......Hey it's winter you can wear baggy clothes................I do

You could be right. I really don't know. I'm going to phone the GP in the morning and see what they think.

It might be a good idea to make sure that all my ducks really are in a row before starting to lower the dosage: Make sure my eating is in the right place (I know nutrition can have a role to play in all of this, and maybe I should absolutely force myself to be super good for a month or so - I've found that documenting my food intake on a platform like 'MyFitnessPal' or 'Fitday' can keep my commitment to this in a better place. - Also I've been skipping daily meditation here and there and perhaps I need to be a little more strict with that.

All I can say Sarah.. is my bum ain't looking too good in my suit trousers these days... well, apart from those who are into really juicy doubles on their men!

In all seriousness though, when I stand up from my desk and I have to pull my trousers down as they have been pulled up when I sat down and got stuck around my thighs... that ain't good!

---------- Post added at 17:44 ---------- Previous post was at 17:39 ----------

I tend to agree with Sarah on this one, when things are going so great, why jeopardize them.

I tried to cease taking Pregabalin for the same reasons as yourself, I have had to get rid of all my clothes, I went from a size 10 which I had been all my life, to a curvy 14, I know I am not huge, it has been a big transition but one I think I have finally come to terms with. I did have eating disorders in my younger days which is why I struggle with the weight gain so much, I understand that my thinking on this subject is not rational.

I take 300mg in a split dose, I tried going down by 50mg per week but I was very agitated, and the worst was the itching, my whole body itched night and day, even antihistamine did not help, I am not for one minute saying that this will happen to you, everyone is different and some people have no withdrawal symptoms at all from medication reductions or cessation.

Just weigh up the pro's and con's before you make a decision and definitely don't do anything without discussing it with your GP first.

I suppose the question is - has the pregabalin made me better/given me the clarity to get myself better - or is it just masking the anxiety?

With regards to how I was looking at withdrawing - I was considering lowering super super slowly by 25mg every fortnight - but it's quite scary hearing your reaction to lowering by 50mg a week which I would have thought was still quite a slow reduction.

Are you back on the pregabalin now?

[SarahH]

See what the Dr says in the morning. But to reassure you ...................I had the confidence to give up a 20 a day smoking habit a month ago (after 35 years) because of prgabalin. I have put on 10lbs....that's on top of the "Pregabalin Tummy" i have developed but I am determined to stay off fags and be anxiety free..................I will deal with the weight later

[shedrain]

See what the Dr says in the morning. But to reassure you ...................I had the confidence to give up a 20 a day smoking habit a month ago (after 35 years) because of prgabalin. I have put on 10lbs....that's on top of the "Pregabalin Tummy" i have developed but I am determined to stay off fags and be anxiety free..................I will deal with the weight later

Congratulations on quitting smoking! (I quit from a 10 a day habit about 3 months before all of this anxiety started for me.. hmm...!)

Are you saying that most of the weight you have gained is in the belly? - have you gained it more in certain parts of your body? - All thighs, bum and belly for me!