New on this drug. Experiences?

[Ssmith]

I'm just over a week on this medication now, 75mg twice a day. Probably the easiest drug I've started on. No side effects at all. It's definitely improved the anxiety. However, it hasn't touched the depression at all and the severe exhaustion is still there. I've got a GP appointment next Wed as i had blood tests done recently which also showed I'm borderline deficient on my vitamin D levels. Dont know whether I'll have to go on an antidepressant as well as this

[hanshan]

Hi Ssmith,

150 mg per day is still a low dose of pregabalin, so you can try a higher dose - I think I saw one study where they found it was also beneficial for depression, although that might be harder to shift. Again, you can try taking some vitamin D tablets on a "nothing ventured, nothing gained" basis.

[Lan69]

Hanshan I know you take all your dose at night
Can I ask how it affected you at first ?
I currently take 150mg in the morning, 150mg at abt 6pm and 300mg before bed. I'm thinking of taking 450mg before bed and 150mg in the morning. I guess I'm just scared of taking such a big dose all at once

[Ssmith]

Hi guys,

Been a little while I've been on here. Feeling a lot worse unfortunately but don't think it's down to the pregabalin. I'm now on 20,000iu of vitamin d 3 times a week because of my low levels which I've taken 1 dose of so far. I've had my pregabalin upped to 300mg per day as well which I'll start tomorrow.

My depression is absolutely horrendous at the moment along with my fatigue which is leaving me incapacitated. I'm feeling very hopeless and despairing that i will ever recover from this. I had to book an emergency appointment with a GP today because i just feel like i can't cope. I've been told to come back in 2 weeks as they're going to come up with some kind of action plan.

I'm still obsessed that i have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome due to the unrelenting tiredness. My GP says he doesn't think i have it and the tiredness is down to the depression but i can't shake the idea. I feel so desperate to get better. I feel like screaming out loud for help. I'm very very low at the moment and not too sure how to improve it :s

[hanshan]

Hi Ssmith,

Good luck with the vitamin D and the increased dose of pregabalin. Tiredness is often linked to depression, so give the new dose a while to have an effect. Pregabalin works faster than traditional antidepressants, but can still take a couple of weeks. Best of luck.

[Ssmith]

Hi guys,

So just to let you know that I'm going to be coming off pregabalin. It has worked slightly on my anxiety, but at the moment, I'm suffering from relentless severe debilitating fatigue. My eyes are stinging all day due to the tiredness, despite me getting a full nights sleep. I've struggled with tiredness for the last few years, but nothing this bad and it's scaring me. I've got the biggest bags under my eyes. Sleep is not refreshing at all and the fatigue seems to be getting worse and worse and I'm not sure what to do. I've had all the blood tests, a home oxygen measuring sleep apnea test. It's horrible.

I've researched a medication called modafinil that apparently helps with fatigue. But I'm at a loss as to why the tiredness is this bad. The doctors say it's the depression and anxiety but I've had depression and anxiety for years without this debilitating tiredness

[hanshan]

Hi Ssmith,

Just on probabilities, I would go with the doctors and say depression/anxiety is more likely to be causing your fatigue than pregabalin. However, if you try stopping it, it will clear quickly from your body, so you you should notice a change within a day or two.

[Ssmith]

I completely agree that the pregabalin isn't at fault here. I don't want to put people off of it as it definitely had some impact on my anxiety. Unfortunately, I've got both GAD and depression and it's done nothing for the depression which has made the anxiety worse. I did see a GP recently who said she was surprised i had been prescribed it and i should come off of it as it's 'addictive'. Funny how GP's can have such different views