prescribed pregabalin.. shocked!!

[A Nervous Nigel]

Medication history
Like many other people with anxiety I have tried the SSRI lottery.. Where the doctor picks one of them out of a hat and asks you to give it a go for a couple of months! Most of them made me worse. I tried:
Citalopram
Fluoxtine
Sertraline

Then last week I said enough is enough no more SSRI's!! I was given Propranolol 40mg x 3 daily. I think they help slight.. With my shaky hands and I thought they helped my tricotillmania (hair pulling) until last night I destroyed my beard !

Anyways the other day I had read lots of things about pregabalin .. Most good, some bad.. I rang up and some different doctor spoke to me and basically said no no no no you can't try that, I will try you on another SSRI. I said thanks for your time but no I won't.

So today I booked a appointment with a different doctor.. Told him my history.. And said I want to try something different but wanted his advice.. He asked me if I had anything in mind? I handed him a peice of paper with all the medicines I had tried and the reasons i didnt like each of them.. Then i wrote down the name of pregabalin at the bottom with a question mark.


He replied well I wouldn't recommended any other SSRI since I'd already got the t shirt for most of them, but he had never prescribed pregabalin for anxiety. I mentioned it was on the NHS website so he got out a couple of his books and said yep your right, its in here! He agreed to try it and booked me in for another appointment with him in 2 weeks. Think he started me on a low dose for first few weeks as we both new to this.

I thought he was the best doctor I have seen, because of the way he spoke to me and did not just dismiss me because he hadn't heard of it before! Plus he ran me through what to expect like side effects, which my normal GP doesn't! Very easy to talk to, sometimes it can be nerve racking speaking to these random strangers about your problems! But I find it easier than talking to friends and family!

So I am on 50mg 3x daily (150mg)
Anybody else had this with propranolol?
Or had bad/good experiences with GP'S when asking to try new meds?

Only had first dose and not feeling dizzy which was my main concern! Going to a anniversary party tonight, so I will report back on how I handled it!

[hanshan]

Hello Nigel,

I haven't tried it with propranolol, but they have different modes of action, so may work well together. Propranolol is fairly short acting, so can be taken on an as-needed basis.

I never cease to be amazed by doctors who are seemingly unaware that pregabalin is licensed for anxiety, and have to look it up in a book - like, it's only been licensed for GAD for about eight years now. How long does it take for it to drift into their consciousness?

Anyway, you have found someone willing to prescribe it, so I hope all goes well. 150 mg per day is a low dose, but some people respond at that level. You can go up to 600 mg per day, but if nothing is happening around the 400 mg per day mark, it may not be for you. Any early dizziness / sleepiness usually wears off quickly, but it can continue to affect coordination for a while. Good luck!

[SarahH]

Hanshin has said it all... he's good mind
There are some very odd SE's w8th pregabalin...like feeling drunk... which I found quite amusing as I felt totally chilled out. After a couple of weeks the SE's wear off and then you can up the dose IF you need to some people find 200mgs a day is enough... others need the full wack.

Good luck

Sarah

PS my GP is brilliant. I often research drugs and go in with a plan and she knows that I know my mind and body and I am capable of investigating drugs. She has been practicing for 30 years but accepts that some people have more knowledge about drugs than she does.

[A Nervous Nigel]

Thanks for the replies Hanshan and Sarah,

Wouldn't it be good if GP's had like an amazon rating system online :P
I've only ever had 2 which I didn't like their attitude though, when I first went in for depression I was so scared! She wouldn't give me anything for it, just said I can go on some long waiting list for therapy.. but I was moving out the area in 5 weeks!! So I had to wait the 5 weeks plus go to a new doctor and get antidepressants which take ageess to work!

Anyways an up date on last night! It was GREAT maybe just a placebo effect.. but normally when I go out, I BINGE drink until I feel confident (normally end up making a fool of myself). Not tonight, before I even had a drink I spoke to 3 or 4 people I hadn't see in years.. like full conversations! Then I only drank 1 bottle of beer and 3 pints over the whole evening! Which is LOW for me! I just didn't feel the need for anymore!

Then this morning.. no hangover or grogginess.. see a letter through the door and it's for a job interview! I would normally be scared for something like this.. but I really feel like I may be a bit more equip to handle it! After all I am soooo SKINT and need the money bady.. but work has always been where I feel most anxious! I missed a lot of uni last year because of it and sometimes I would leave half way through the day because it got so bad!

Things looking up.. going to stay optimistic about my new meds.. even though it is early days.. plus I start therapy in two weeks.. all little steps closer to living a normal life!

[hanshan]

Hello Nigel,

Sounds good. There are several situations where I used to be able to count on anxiety rising up at some point or other that just don't do that any more. This often involved talking with people in some form or other.

People who start pregabalin sometimes get a "transient euphoria" effect, which doesn't last more than a day or two. I think it's more likely to be a wave of relief as anxiety levels go down.

Good luck with the job hunting and uni.

[A Nervous Nigel]

Day 4

I have had little side effects.. But today I was anxious, not about anything in particular, or important..

I went to the barbers and usually I sit there all quite.. But I was fairly chatty, and even started the conversation myself.. Yet when I got home, I did my usual thing of cringing about what I've said.. Which is silly because the barber probably didn't think that..

Overall still best anti anxiety meds I have tried so far.. Still early say though! That 'euphoria' and drunkness left after second day.. And I only take 1.5 of my propranolol tablets each day which comes to 60mg.. Tomorrow just going to do 20-40mg .. Rather not take too many of them.. Keep them for interviews.. Meeting new people.. Presentations.

One thing I would say about pregabalin is.. I sometimes find it hard to find the word I'm thinking of in the middle of a conversation, but it doesn't bother me too much ATM!

[SarahH]

That all sounds like the pregabalin is working... well done. And yes struggling to find words is a side effect.
#sarah

[hanshan]

Hello Nigel,

Still sounding good, and you can always increase the dose if necessary. I find pregabalin doesn't stop all anxiety, but then everyone feels anxiety from time to time. For me, it keeps the anxiety within normal levels.

Hopefully the difficulty with thinking of words will get better, but it is a commonly reported side effect (at least on NMP).

[A Nervous Nigel]

Interview Day

Just got back from my job interview.. I was so relaxed and calm about it!
I took my 50mg Pregabalin about 3 hours before interview and then 40mg propranolol an hour before.. Just in case I got the shakes and to keep breathing and heart normal!
I only had the SLIGHTEST of nervous! Probably less than your average Joe.. But I did prepare answers for possible questions, so that probably helped too! If you told me this time last week , I would rock an interview like I did, no way would I believe it!

I don't even care if I'm unsuccessful because the experience itself was worth it, such a confidence boast!

And the forgetting words, didn't come in to play surprisingly.. But thanks peeps, glad to hear its common!

Do any of you experience low mood around about the time your due your next dose?

Nigel

[SarahH]

The low mood could be because it has a short half life and so as it wear off your anxiety kicks in and gives you the low mood..IMHO.
You can separate the doses into 3 a day. They come in 50mgs capsules. At the moment I am taking 3x100mgs a day with 20mgs of Citalopram and the balance for me is good. But we are all different so you may need to get your own "balance"

Well done with the interview

sarah