Hello.
Am new to this site but thought, like other posters, that I'd also write a diary of my experience on pregabalin in the hope it may be of some use to others. The first thing to report with this medication is that I found the name difficult to pronounce and even harder to spell correctly
Anyway, I'll try and give you a bit about my background and where I'm at right now:
Well, I have been trying to live with the following conditions for almost 20 years (am now 35):
GAD - Generalised Anxiety Disorder
SA - Social Anxiety (to the extreme and my main issue)
HPPD - Hallucinogen Persisting Perceptive Disorder (visual disturbances caused by me being an idiot and taking too much LSD way back when)
Hyperhidrosis - extreme facial sweating (mmm, lovely condition)
I've been on so many anti-depressants over the years it's hard to keep track but none have really helped with anxiety that much. In fact, they've done relatively little.
Because I found the anti-depressants to be so ineffective, I literally pleaded with my doctor to put me on diazepam. And I've been on the stuff for about 10 years now. Although it helped me to lead a 'normal' life of sorts for a while, I can't continue with it as I want to sort my life out and deal with my issues properly. So have been on a reduction plan and hope to be off of it completely fairly soon (esp. if the pregabalin helps). Was on 20MG diazepam, now on 6MG a day. I sometimes use propranolol but find that it doesn't do to much for me.
I've also self-medicated a lot over the years and misused a number of substances as well to try and deal with my issues. I know, they're bad coping techniques and the wrong ones too. I found that a combination of diazepam and a hell of lot of cannabis was the only way I could get through and exist in life at times. But inevitably, the problems were only hidden and subdued, waiting to come to the surface and send my life into free fall. Again.
At the moment, my anxiety levels are extremely high due to where I am with life, nevermind having to deal with my SA, GAD and everything else. I've just come out of a 6 year relationship and am looking at having to sell my property. I've also started a new job but after 6 weeks have had to go on sick leave due to not being able to cope with life.
All in all, I'm not in a good place right now. I am trying to turn my life around with better coping strategies such as CBT + exercise + relaxation techniques + medication. If that doesn't work, well, I'm probably screwed.....
Asleep? No? Bored? Quite probably. Ok, here's the diary part in the next post then.........:
*Please note that I am initially taking the pregabalin with diazepam. And have read that the pregabalin can enhance the effects of a benzodiazepine when combined together*
---------- Post added at 19:31 ---------- Previous post was at 19:29 ----------
Day One
Dosage: 2 x 50MG daily
1st dose 50MG (taken on an empty stomach):
Effect: No changes at all. Disappointed but not unexpected. Patience.....
Side effects: None
Note: Had already taken 40MG propranolol and 4MG diazepam in the morning 5 hours before dose of pregabalin.
2nd dose 50MG (taken on a stomach full of...........tomato soup):
Effect: Hmmmmmmmmmm. My mood seems to be up slightly, for no apparent reason. Am even singing to myself. Feeling more focused and seem able to concentrate better. Slightly stimulated. Odd. Really odd.
Very, very subtle but it could be the medication kicking in. Unsure. Feeling quite relaxed though. And whereas before I'd think quite a lot about attempting to do something, even a simple task, I just find that I am doing it. If that makes sense....
Could be the medication. Could have been the tomato soup....
Side effects: Slight restlessness that comes and goes. Unsure if it's a bad side effect though as I seem to be doing more.
Note: 2MG diazepam taken 1 hour after dose of pregabalin.