Diary of a new Pregabalin taker!

[Belfry1973]

I've started this diary as after being prescribed it I looked for posts which talked about people experiences on it, but couldnt find anything in-depth so decided to start one that covers the first few weeks of taking it, so I hope some people find it useful, so any criticism will be useful!

A little background about me ! I've had depression and anxiety for years, most of the time it will be fine, but occasionally it becomes very severe. I also have epilepsy and will occasionally have a seizure, this year I've had three causing my anxiety to become very severe.
I've had diazepam in the past but spent 18 months getting off the vile stuff. I also cant take anti-depressants because they can lower your seizure threshold.
I take propanolol but that doesnt quite do it, so after a bit of research Pregabalin seemed to be the perfect thing, an anti-convulsant and used for GAD, so I decided to give it a go!

I'll continue the start of my journey on another post!

[Belfry1973]

Please read the first post if you havent already! Thankies

Day 1 -No effect today at all, but then I wasnt really expecting it to!

Day 2 - I'm very surprised, they seem to be making a difference already, my mood does seem to keep lifting. I'm still having low points, but then I'll feel very cheerful for no reason whatsoever and that hasnt happened in a very long time.
I cant be too bad, I went to a Green Day concert with thousands of other people I did get visual disturbances which can be part of my epilepsy, but instead of freaking out and demanding to go. I tried to wait it out, even if I did have to hold tightly onto my partners hand and do breathing exercises and try to ignore my jelly legs.
I do think the propanolol, breathing exercises, my essential oils roll-on, my partner being there and the band playing did help though!
But hey, I was the person who couldnt go in Tescos by herself on Day 1!

Day 3 - That sums up my mood, I feel like a whole weight is off my shoulders, I dont think these tablets are supposed to be a stimulant but they feel like it.
I have had the first downside though, I slept right through till 12, and got up feeling awful, like I'd had no sleep at all. I staggered downstairs feeling very drowsy and it took a good hour before I felt normal. I can see why they recommend you dont drive, I'd have been lethal.
I also had my first falling into the wall Apparently this can also be very common, bumping into things and misjudging where things are. On the upside I havent suffered the dizziness which is one of the most common side effects.
Oh forgot the second downside, it warns you about weight gain, the weight gain is due to the fact that you just dont feel full! I went to Pizza Hut, ate 12 slices and coleslaw and potato salad and didnt feel stuffed at all whereas I would normally stop at about 5! I'm going to have to get some fruit in. I also feel very dehydrated, I have a very dry mouth.

But so far the positives are far outweighing the downsides! I'll keep you up to date as to whether this is a temporary thing or if it continues to help.
And if you've managed to read it all good on you, I'll try to make it shorter next time!

[JT69]

Hi Belfry,

So glad you have decided to post your experience on here...I too have just started taking pregabalin for general anxiety. Could I ask what dose you are taking?? I started on 2x50mg and then after a week increased to 100mg at night and 50mg in the morning, this will of been a week tommorow at that dose. I must say I have had a bit of an up down week and more downs then ups....so have made an appointment with my Gp to discuss tommorow. I also take 30mg of mirtazipine as I had previously taken citalopram successfully in the past but it didnt work this time for me. Am not convinced the mirtazipine is helping so am thinking of starting to reduce the dose an perhaps coming off but will be interested to know how you get on with the pregabalin and keep your posts as long as you like....I for one will be following your journey.

Take care and glad you improving.

Jo.xx

[Belfry1973]

Well I'm updating on day 6 , but I've been busy!

JT69 I'm on 75mg twice a day.

Day 4 - Today I woke feeling quite flat, certainly not the euphoria of the day before, I've realise now that that was probably more due to succeeding going to concert than the pregabaline by itself.
I've already put on weight, but thats not surprising given my capacity to eat, I never feel full so I suggest anyone going on this stocks up on healthy food and I'm going to have to learn to like fruit and veg
I do keep having highs which is quite pleasant, but the downside is then dealing with the come-downs, they arent bad enough to make you depressed, but to the outskirts of anxiety where its always just twitching at the edges!
No other major side effects though, no sleepiness, no drowsiness, just some light-headedness that passed quickly.

Day 5 - Woke up with the flatness again, well I think its flatness, I've been anxious for so long, even waking up anxious, that this might actually be 'normality' I've discovered a new feeling though! Feeling anxious about being anxious, or rather the lack of anxiety, I'm a little bit perturbed as to why I'm not tense and I rather suspect I'm actively looking for reasons to be anxious, which is of course, self-fulfilling! I've even take more propanolol to deal with an anxiety which isnt there.
Pseudo-anxiety perhaps!

Again no major side-effects apart from the food things, some light-headed but nothing anyone couldnt deal with, I'm not dizzy or doing the walking into walls thing. I have a dry mouth which I've had almost from the start, I am constipated, and my brain seems to be working quite slowly. But the last two could be down to something else entirely, or my seizure medication being increased.

All in all, the benefits ae far out-weighing the niggly bits!

C'yall on Day 6 and 7!

[JT69]

Hi Belfry,

Sounds like you are doing well...may it continue.

Great you are posting.

Jo.xx

[Belfry1973]

Day 6 - Well, what a day! I feel normal..................yes normal, not flat at all. And I had a huge rather unexpected test!. Me and my partner went down to watch the Manchester Day Parade which I was looking forward to. Fast forward I ended up on my own! I watched the parade with no problems surrounded by people, no wobble legs, no twitchy hands, yes I did have thoughts, mainly around shouldnt I be nervous, but I wasnt.
When it finished I had a wander round the shops in the Arndale Centre, bought a few things and went to find partner.
Now usually if I do manage to do things I get to a safe place, i.e the car and fall apart where I've been holding it in, no such thing occurred.

Now 2 weeks ago I couldnt go into Tescos on my own, now I'm wandering around a huge shopping centre with no problems. a huge step forward
Side effects: Not noticing any, capacity to eat huge amounts is still there, but no sleepiness or drowsiness, dizzyness and light headedness are non-exist, so nothing really.

Day 7 - Nothing to report! Have spent the whole day relaxing round the house, my mood is good!
Side effects: None at all, even the hunger thing has receded a bit!

Lets hope this continues and I'll be back in a couple of days!

[JT69]

Hi Belfry,

So you are not on any anti-depressants?? Do you just take pregabalin and propananol?? Are you staying on 150mg daily of pregabalin?

So glad that you are feeling so well, it is an inspiration to the rest of us taking pregabalin....I have suffered for 11 years with depression/anxiety and tried some different types of AD's but the anxiety has always managed to come back.

Currently am on mirtazipine 30mg and 150mg of pregabalin but hope to come off the mirtazipine if the pregabalin continues to help me.

Worried a bit about the weight gain though, gained half a stone with mirtazipine which I am over-weight to begin with...I find I never feel full since taking pregabalin???

Take care and hope you continue to feel well.

JO.xx

[Belfry1973]

Hi Jo

I dont take any anti-depressants, they can lower seizure thresholds and I'm not prepared to risk it, nor am I actually depressed!
I am just on 150mg of pregabalin and 80mg of propanolol, which I can up to 100mg if necessary. I did try mirtazapine, but I was one of the very few unlucky ones for whom mirtazapine did more harm then good, I was back off it again within 3 days.

Oh and the food thing, nope I am never full and I can eat for England, not healthy when you are already 5 stone overweight! All I can try to do is not indulge in it. I eat my 3 meals a day and try to stop it at that, I've cut out take-aways at the moment and resisted going to my favourite Indian buffet, I'm also going away this weekend and decided to go self-catering so we arent eating out every day. I cant suddenly go on a diet because that just wouldnt work, I hoping that the little things I'm doing will help!

[BubbleBonce]

Have a great break Belfry. I'm reading your diary with interest and cheering you along from the sidelines.

Bubble

[Belfry1973]

Day 8 - All in all a pretty quiet day. I have discovered one of the bad side effects that I didnt realise had gotten that bad till I went shopping. My sister is getting married soon and she insisted I got to a shop to try these dresses on (thankfully she wasnt there!) so I got usual size and the only way I was going to get it on was to tear it, so next size which also wouldnt even do up At that point I was informed that I was not going to fit into that style of dress, and the only one I could get into was another size up!
I've gone up 2 dress sizes in just over a week! When you are my size already, putting on that much weight isnt good!
BUT I dont find that a reason to consider giving or give them up, I'd happily become 40 stone if these things work!

Side effects - Apart from the above, none, nil, zilch

Day 9 - Having what I call a 'twitchy' day, one where I can feel the anxiety underneath the surface without it really coming through, I have had my max of propanolol as well.
Whether I would have actually had a pa or been really anxious if I had gone out earlier I have no idea. I have just spent a couple of hours out this evening with no problems.

Side effects - little bit of light-headedness, but my memory and concentration have been shocking, I'll be looking at tv, then out the window, then my book, then back to the tv! Hopefully this will calm down!

So, into the 2nd week and its looking good so far!