new to pregabalin

[grapefruitmoon]

Hi, newbie here.
Im starting pregabalin today, having severe anxiety and waking up at 4am every morning with night terrors. Currently tapering off diazepam as well, at 3mgs but struggling. Im also on an AD called agomelatine for the last 7 weeks but hasnt helped so im about to give up on that.

Any advice gratefully received. Hope you're well

[teej]

Hiya,

I've found pregabalin really easy to get on with. I can honestly say I've had no problems with it and went up to the full 600mg. I suffer from very bad GAD - waking up early with horrific anxiety.

It's helped me to withdraw from Mirtazapine too.

The only thing worth noting is that it has quite a short half life so the time you take it may affect you. I know Hanshan takes 600mg at night. I'm pondering moving my dose to the night too.

Good luck friend.

[SarahH]

Agomelatine will help with your sleep so I would give that a chance, a couple of months at least. Pregabalin will help you withdraw from Diazepam. Just take it slowly. Things will not change overnight.

What dose of pregabalin are you on at the moment?

Sarah

[grapefruitmoon]

Thanks for your replies :-)

They have started me on the lowest dose, 50mg 3times per day. I'll be increasing it based on how I get on. Im desperate for 1. An improvement in my terrible anxiety 2. Help tapering my diazepam down and 3. A better nights sleep.

Agomelatine has helped zonked me out at bedtime, but I still wake in the night 4am like clockwork exhausted and terrified. My psych says 'if the Agomelatine was going to work for you I would have expected to see some signs by now' but im open minded about staying on for a few more weeks. I just worry about multi meds at the same time.

Crazy news today. I've been offered a dream job I would normally be over the moon happy about, ive accepted it, but I really dont feel well enough to work right now. And of course this is making me worry more. Cant believe the awful timing. Maybe a three week miraculous recovery will take place :-) Please work, drugs.

[SarahH]

I think once you are on the correct dose of pregabalin (and that could be anything up to 600mgs a day) the sleep will come and the anxiety will go. But pregabalin is NOT an AD do the Aglomelatine (or another AD) may be needed for a while.

Keep going. You may have to let go of the job offer for now, your mental health is more important at the moment.

sarah

[grapefruitmoon]

First 24 hours has been good. I can feel a reduction in general anxiety already, zonked out and tired but that's better than being anxious! And last night after taking the 50ml agomelatine and 50mg pregabalin I woke up at 5am, not 4am, with no terrors, which to me is like a lie in!

Despite feeling a bit stoned this morning I managed a 45 min swim as well.

I have good positive thoughts about this med. good luck everyone

[SarahH]

[hanshan]

Hi Grapefruitmoon,

So good to hear that the first day went well. Just take it slowly - there are often some ups and downs at first as you adjust.

Good luck with the new job! I found pregabalin was helpful here - stressors would come and go without having the effect they previously had. For me, pregabalin doesn't stop all worry and anxiety, but keeps it at a level that's probably normal for most people.

Please keep us posted on your progress.

[grapefruitmoon]

OK, five days in and after initial euphoria and my anxiety totally disappearing, I am now feeling like ive taken a step back, feeling anxious and 'disconnected' again. Is this the point where I should be thinking about increasing my dose from my current 50mg 3x a day? My psych is on holiday but she did say I could increase it when I thought it was 'sensible'. Dealing with small kids at halfterm is increasing the anxiety too!

Thanks everyone.

[SarahH]

This is perfectly normal and yes you could increase your dose. Others may disagree but I would say 50x50x100 for 3/4 days then 50x100x100 for another 4/3 days then 100 three times a day. I went from 3x50mgs a day to 2x200mgs a day in 2 weeks, but remember you will get SE's again but they wont be so severe and will lessen in a shorter period of time. Don't worry about going up the dose some people take 600mgs a day as a therapeutic dose. I take 300mgs a day at the moment. You may find increasing the last dose of the day is enough for you. Everyone is different on this med and you find the right dose "for you"

Sarah