Hi all!

I’m very new to Pregabalin, took my first dose tonight actually, and would like to reach out for a bit of support and to ask a couple of questions I’ve been started on 75mg a night which will go up to 2x75mg, in two weeks time.

I’ve felt wary about this drug a sentiment I’ve seen expressed by others in other threads. I have ongoing issues with anxiety (along with depression and ADHD) which I would very much like to find an effective treatment for, as the SNRIs didn’t really help me much this time around.

I have in the last 6 months really stepped up my fitness and I do feel this has had some positive impact on my mood and self-esteem. Looking forward, I have a dissertation for my master’s degree to complete in the coming months. I guess I’m kind of worried about side effects, because it would suck if I started piling on weight when my fitness has helped me to take some pride in myself. Additionally, the idea of cognitive side effects is not appealing to me. I need my cognitive faculties for my MA - and my various diagnoses have already done such a number on my memory and my ability to string sentences together in front of other people. I had to present on my research recently and the task of speaking coherently in front of a room full of people was incredibly daunting!!! I also work part-time, and interacting with colleagues can be, well, hard sometimes. So yeah, big on the social anxiety, problems with focusing on my work, and so desperately wanting to avoid being unable to think clearly about my topic and having a harder time communicating with others.

And of course, I have internet access, so naturally I have read horror stories. The more balanced accounts on here, and the positive ones, have honestly been so encouraging.

I was wondering if anyone knows much about the prevalence of cognitive side effects? Has anyone managed to avoid these completely? Any ADHD folk around who have tried this medication - experiences? (I can’t tolerate ADHD meds, unfortunately so I can't rely on stimulant medication to counteract any grogginess or loss of focus)

I was also wondering about stopping the medication if I need to. I can see that this drug has the potential to be a difficult one to taper off. If I did experience significant weight gain and cognitive issues, would these be resolved as soon as I’ve tapered off? Looking for a bit of reassurance, I suppose, that any side effects I experience are reversible whenever I choose to stop (which I know probably sounds like a silly worry to have…)

Thanks!!
B.