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Lyrica Withdrawal Help Please

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michelle99524
michelle99524

I have managed to get my pregalin down from 600MG a day to 300MG (150 morning & night) and i should that hard enough has anyone come down further an and what would their advice me as i really want off of this - been on 6 years and lowering the past week. Any advice would be soooo much appreciated. Thank you to anyone with some advice. Michelle

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  • michelle99524
    michelle99524

    Posted

    Sorry Michelle again i should have seem been on for 6 years and lowering down the past year sorry about the post i'm feeling a bit emotional today i halved  these lyryca in a year but i am terrified of what the next year is going to hold and i want off them completely. Any own anything usefuly they could share for getting off permanently. Michelle
  • mancguy
    mancguy michelle99524

    Posted

    Hi there, I am currently reducing my dose from 300mg twice a day by 75mg every 2 weeks but as I'm reducing the dose I am taking Amitriptyline and increasing that by 10mg. Have you spoken to your doctor about it? I'm not sure if I am having withdrawal symptoms or if the original pain is coming back and the Amitriptyline hasn't started kicking in. I want to get off them completely to try these out. I hate the side effects on them but they're better then being on nothing
    • michelle99524
      michelle99524 mancguy

      Posted

      Hiya, i am not good on amitriptyline unfortunately it seems to send me well over the edge a bit. i am trying to do it without the help of other drugs but it is so hard to get totally off these things. I just wondered if anyone had managed it without taking other quite dangerous drugs. Or if i will have to go onto soemthing else eventualy.

      Thanks for getting back to me! 

    • mancguy
      mancguy michelle99524

      Posted

      I'm not sure, that will all depend on you and your symptoms. Make sure you keep your dr involved. There is no way I could cope without anything and it's trial and error but for the the Pregabalin has been the best of a bad bunch so far. I'm hoping the Amitriptyline works and have to give them a proper chance
  • suzshi
    suzshi michelle99524

    Posted

    I have just finally got down to 0mg after being on 600mg for quite some time. It has taken a very long time with some glitches but it is possible. I started off cutting down on my own, but I had to go to the doctor for help as I was not doing well with that. You need to be careful to keep your doses spread out. For example at first I was just cutting down my evening dose and leaving my morning dose alone - this led to me feeling really rotten in the morning until that first dose of the day kicked in. So I had to change that so morning and evening doses went down by 25mg one at a time every 2 weeks to a month depending on how I felt. Don't add any new pills if you can as you never know what side-effects you'll get from them which could then interact with the withdrawal. My doctor put me on different contraception as I was having peri-menopause symptoms as well as my back/leg problems and that was a huge mistake. With that plus the withdrawal from Lyrica I was off work for 2 weeks with vomiting and diarrhea. Anyway, my point is that it can be done - it's hard work and has to be done slowly and gradually, but eventually you will get there. Good luck!
    • michelle99524
      michelle99524 suzshi

      Posted

      Well Done Suzshi - it is brilliant to hear that you are totally free it really gives me such a buzz to know that someone had done it. I know about the vomiting and the runs i had the misfortune to run out once when i was on the maximum does and i was so bad the doctor mistakenly treated me for food poisoning. Wasnt till it happened again that i realised OMG its the pills. I really do not want to take anything else as i am having enough of a tough time with these and adding anything else into the mix would not be good. I think if i do it slow enough i sould be okay although someone posted a while ago that getting off the last 25mg was awful because the dont come any smaller - how did you find that Suzshi??

       

      And a big thanks for all your replies its soooo helpful!!

      Michelle

    • suzshi
      suzshi michelle99524

      Posted

      Hi Michelle,

      The last step from 25 to 0 left me off work for a couple of days, and feeling rough for about 4 days with persistent headached, stomach upset and difficulty sleeping. I'm now 7 days past that last step down and feeling more normal. Sadly I'm in a fair bit of pain, but I've come to the conclusion I prefer to deal with the pain than the Lyrica side effects!

      Suzy

    • michelle99524
      michelle99524 suzshi

      Posted

      I know its no pain no gain but perhaps I should book some time off when it comes round to that part. With all pills there is a price to pay with side effects etc. I just wasnt prepared to pay it anymore it made me emotionless i couldnt cry which meant i couldnt laugh either i feel like i am getting my sense of humour back and i can feel thinks again. I am so angry tho that a tablet that i took only as precribed by my GP has left me dependent on and completetly addicted to - any pill that takes this long to safely come off should be treated as a very short tern treatment but the worrying this is Docs are handing them out for everything you just have to see the stats for the precriptions for Pregablin/Lyrica it is absolutely terrifying. They have no idead how it interferes with brain chemistry or how hard it is to come off of - i think something should be done!!

      Michelle

    • jo97038
      jo97038 suzshi

      Posted

      Hi Suzy

      I hope it's ok to contact you but I am withdrawing from Lyrica currently. Did it affect your sleep whilst withdrawing from it? Also what other withdrawal effects did you have whilst withdrawing please? I seem to have some anxiety too? I was on 225mg at the highest point & have just dropped my night time dose down to 50mg I don't take a morning dose anymore. It's been fine up til this point!

      I've been on it a year last Feb.

      I'm coming off it as I couldn't handle the weight gain!

      Thanks in advance Jo

    • jo97038
      jo97038 suzshi

      Posted

      Hi Suzy

      I wondered if you would be good enough to reply.

      I messaged about a month ago and since then my GP switched me back to taking 25AM & 25PM dose instead of just the evening one, like you initially did.

      Once you got down to 25mg AM and 25mg PM how did you drop from there was it dropping the morning dose first then the evening dose? Did you get any problems when you dropped the second to last dose?

      Yesterday I dropped the morning dose but have kept the evening dose, as per GP's instructions. Last night it couldn't get off to sleep and ended up taking 2mgs of Diazepam to calm the building anxiety. I did sleep on and off, very vivid dreams, almost like I wasn't asleep, but kept waking with a start and heart racing it was awful. I've coped today but have had some anxiety again today. My GP said that this was the worst bit getting off the last bit and that anxiety and insomnia were to be expected. Did you get this too? How are you feeling now please as I read that 7 days past the last withdrawal you were nearly back to normal.

      I'd appreciate a reply please? Thanks Jo x

  • deryneliza25685
    deryneliza25685 michelle99524

    Posted

    I have now come off prebabalin completely but have had and am still having a very bad time. From the research i have done this drug effects the regulatory mechanisms of the body, like blood sugar and temperature and can also provoke an inflammatory process.  I know people do not want horror stories but i do think it is important that this is known because i am my no means and isolated case and i think it is very important that doctors take this on board. There may be cases where the side effects and withdrawal symptoms are less than the original problem but it seems that often it is the other way about. i wish people had warned me.

    It does gradually get better. I was told to drink plenty of water , eat a sensible diet and moderate exercise.

    • michelle99524
      michelle99524 deryneliza25685

      Posted

      I couldnt agree more - if i had known how bad this would be i would NEVER have taken it in he first place. How long did it take you to come off and how did you reduce? I know what you mean about people not wanting to hear horror stories but it is so important that they at least know what could happen. I am distraught that taking a pill in the prescribed way has resulted in this dependancy and thats what it is - my body is now completely dependant on this drug and is fighting me every step of the way when i'm cutting back. I have tried to research this as much as possible but the sad fact is that no one seems to know exactly how this drug changes brain chemistry. The really frightening thing is if you look at how many prescriptions for this drug have been written in the UK in the last few years it is staggering and no doubt with that amount of money at stake the drug companies are not interested in the horrible side effects or withdrawal - and i'm pretty sure they must know all about it. Sorry for the rant but i am so disturbed that at 43 years of age i have what can only be properly described as an addiction to prescription medication and yet never once have i taken any more than prescribed. I feel so stupid sometimes and really quite ashamed of the situation i have found myself in. If i could i would never take another one of these pills again - but i know i cant do that and its gutting. 
    • bradley72837
      bradley72837 michelle99524

      Posted

      I had such a bad reaction to Lyrica after being on it for 4 weeks I was forced to quit cold turkey. I wish they would have just left me alone on the gabapentin as I was not having any issues with it. Now I am not on any pain meds and it's been 2 weeks since I stopped taking the Lyrica and I can't stop having anxiety and panic attacks. ER gave me Lorazepam for the anxiety as my family Dr refuses to prescribe anything that is considered a narcotic. I still have no appetite and still can't sleep without some sort of sleep aid. Getting off this medicine has been the worse experience of my life.

  • deryneliza25685
    deryneliza25685 michelle99524

    Posted

    I absolutely agree with everything you have said. It is very hard to fight a multitrillion pound drug industry and get heard.

    I was lucky in that i was only on it 8 months and knew it was having side effects. i tried many times to come off it. but everytime i even reduced I got a severe reaction. In the end I had to take the bit between my teeth and very gradually 25mgs a week came down. it did not stop the severe withdrawal when i came off it compltely. I probably did the last 75mgs too quickly. The severe physical symptoms came on within a day of the last capsule. Nausea, pain dizziness and brain fog. I gather these are the usual symptoms. It is three weeks now since i took the last one and the symptoms are subsiding but i feel whacked asthough i have chronic fatigue. This may not be much help you as i say i was only on it 8 months when i realised i had to stop taking it. I am convinced it is possible but i cannot say how long it will take. My local chemist told me to drink plenty of water and eat fresh fruit and vedge and avoid junk. I think a good qualiified herbalist might help.

    I do wish you all the best. I think it is important that Doctors listen to us. I did evetually see a more experienced Doctor who did not like the fact i was taken more than 150mg a day and took it for more than 6 months. he had obviously seen what happens. The chemist as well.

    I think it is great you are sharing your experince.

  • dobbles
    dobbles michelle99524

    Posted

    Hi Michelle, I really empathise, but managed to come off it after just over 4 years. 

    I have been tthinking of come off it since 2014, and started lowering myself without saying anything to the Dr. I got down to one 75mg pill in the morning - from 375mg per day in 2 doses, and thats when I noticed withdrawl symptoms. 

    I would have to have the pill beside my bed as i'd wake at 5-6am shaking, sweating and shvering. Once I'd taken it,  I'd have to lie still for 30mins before I could get up.

    I red about a supplemnt you can get called L-Theanine. At this stage I'd gotten down to 25mg in the morning, and was dreading the rest of the detox. I began to take the L-theanine, and one morning got up and forgot to take the Lyrica pill. I was a bit weak for a while, and have stopped the L-theanine also, and ts great to be free from them, I have been on many meds and Lyrica is the only one my body found completly 'toxic'. 

    My plan was to try gapapentin as a 'detox', or dilute 100mg Lyrica in 100ml Distilled Water, and taper with that. I;m still in disbelief i'm offf them- it's not all horror stories,  the worst bit of it for me was the inability to control my body temp and my skin being super sensitive. It has not done my teeth any favours either.

    I'd reccomend buying a months supply of L-theanine when you are at 25mg, and after a week drop the Lyrica. Have a gogle anyway, they are somewhat alike chemically, but L-theanine is oerfectly safe (made from tea!)

    Best of luck to anyone on ths journey. If i could do it, you's can too. O thought it would be akin to opiate withdrawl from the symptoms i;d been getting, I believe I was in fact alergic to the medication, but thats a whole other story. Good luck.

    • jo97038
      jo97038 dobbles

      Posted

      Hi

      I've just read your reply to Michelle. Can I please ask what withdrawal symptoms you had and how long they lasted. Also I take L-theanine anyway but can I ask what dosage you took please and was it divided throughout the day it taken all in one go?

      Thanks in advance

      Jo

    • deryneliza25685
      deryneliza25685 jo97038

      Posted

      Hello there.

      I First started on  1  75mg eveing and morning but my doctor quickly put me up to 2  75 mgs evening and morning. For a while i felt good on this but soon began to feel dizzy, foggey mind and it effected my memory , gait and speach. These were not too dramatic but unpleasant. Over a period of severl months I cant remember how many, I cut it down to 1 75 mg a day. Each time i dropped down I had anxiety attacks and hot flushes.

      I then got on to taking the one in the morning and taking prothiadin in the evening. This seemed to suit me and because i felt I did not need it anymore i cut it out completely over a few day. THIS WAS FAR TOO QUICK. I had five terrible weeks with brain fog , dizziness and nausea..

      I gather you can get 25 mg capsules and although i am not qualified to say, I would suggest anyone coming off did it over a matter of months in a planned way perhaps say dropping down 25mg a month. I cant say for sure but i have spoken to other people in the same situation. All the best. I hope things go well

    • jo97038
      jo97038 deryneliza25685

      Posted

      Hi

      Thanks for your reply. I am using 25mg capsules and dropped the AM dose last Sunday, so today is day 6 of that reduction. I still take 25mgs at night. I have been reducing by 25mgs every three to four weeks. I've had some bumps along the way but not too bad so far. I didn't sleep well Sunday night but then I was nervous I wouldn't sleep, so that didn't help, otherwise I've had some nervousness, loose bowel movements and some aches yesterday & today in my neck. This last bit terrifies me to be honest, but my GP has said to take it slowly, no rush!

      It's the weight gain that got to me, I was already over weight anyway and have put on 19lbs since Feb'15, taking me to 4stone over weight. I feel disgusting being overweight.

      So when you got down to a dose AM & PM you stopped it after a few days? So stopped at 50mgs is that right? How are you now please?

      Thanks

    • deryneliza25685
      deryneliza25685 jo97038

      Posted

      Actually I just stopped taking the pregabalin and prothiadin together. two days after my doctor said I could stop tak,ing it. I did not drop it down at all so went from 75 of each to nothing. Very silly but my doctor had not warned me. The chemist told me it was much too quick. It took 5-6 weeks of feeling terrible and then i seemed OK but soon realised I do need something because of the anxiety and depression that makes life uncomfortable to say the least and i lacked motivation. I am now back taking 75 prothiadin in the evening and 75 Lyrica in the morning. It does seem to suit me like this. I have had to way up the balance and have decided that life is very much more worthwhile and i have more energy when i am taking these. So now i will stick with it and see how things go.

      All the best. I know its not easy.

    • jo97038
      jo97038 deryneliza25685

      Posted

      Wow 75-0 was a big jump no wonder you felt awful!

      I'm pleased you have found a combination that works for you. I've never heard of prothiadin before, what is that? I am in the UK.

      Thanks for taking the time to reply x

    • deryneliza25685
      deryneliza25685 jo97038

      Posted

      Prothiadin,( also called dusulpin Might be wrong spelling) Is a tricyclic antidepressant. Many doctors dont like it because it is not one of the modern ones. My doctor says it is a good one and it seems to combine well with pregabalin. I have taken it in the past and I think in moderate to low doses it does not seem to have too many side effects for me.

      All the best DerynElizabeth

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