Posted , 5 users are following.
I was prescribed Pregabalin starting on 25mg twice a day. After seven days I went up to 50mg twice a day. After three days I decided it not agree with me. My consultant put me back on 25mg. I am now on my second day. As my dose has been relatively low how risky would it be to stop completely?
1 like, 13 replies
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elizabeth85938 Bradholl56
Posted
Although you have not been on this drug very long it has still had time to change your brain chemistry. Thankfully your dosage has been on the low side and you now say you are on 25mg (is that x 2 daily or just one dose?). However, it may be best that you stick at the dose you are on for say another 2 weeks just to see if any withdrawal symptoms creep in. If they don't I think you may get away with stopping completely. You may suffer some headaches, nausea, itching, sleep problems or other problems but within say 6 - 8 weeks you should be getting over these. However, if you are on a total of 50mg a day now, you will need to take things more slowly as 50mg is too much to go cold turkey off. If you read the leaflet accompanying this drug it warns that stopping cold turkey can cause seizures. Patients who are on higher doses for longer periods of time have to come off slowly and carefully using a method called 'Water Titration'. This enables you to come down by smaller amounts than 25mg at a time, the lowest dose capsule available. I have yet to find a GP or Consultant who is aware of this method so it is pretty much up to you the patient to look on YouTube and find a video called Water Titration showing exactly how to do this.
In my opinion only if you are on 50mg total daily it is too much to suddenly stop taking all at once. I hope this is helpful to you.
Bradholl56 elizabeth85938
Posted
Extremely useful. I’ve only been taking the drug for 12 days and am back on 25mg twice daily. I will follow my consultant’s advice but want to stop before I get any further in,
Bradholl56 elizabeth85938
Posted
Just one other question. I intend to taper down under advice and eventually stop. How long would you expect withdrawal symptoms to last? The more I read about this drug, the more I dislike it.
elizabeth85938 Bradholl56
Posted
This is so hard to answer my friend because everyone reacts differently. There is no 'average' answer I'm afraid. You may be very fortunate as you have not been on the drug very long and at relatively low dosage. I would say that if you do get withdrawals they could possibly last 6-8 weeks, but they can come back at the most inconvenient times - this is called Windows and Waves - Windows are the good days and you start to feel yourself again, Waves are the sudden bad days and can take a while to leave you. One thing I do know is that you get no warning of either....you just wake up and have to take each day as it comes. I know you would love to have a definitive answer and I am sorry I cannot oblige. Look at it this way, you are most fortunate to have found out that this drug has a nasty side before you got too deeply into it. Getting off it may take a couple of months, less or more, but at least you are aware now of its side effects and withdrawals which I am sure will enable you to cope with your own body's reaction to it. There is a risk of seizures if you go cold turkey on 50mg a day. Please try to get down to at least 25mg total before you consider stopping. Any drug that can alter your brain chemistry is bad news and your brain and body become dependent so very quickly. You can't expect your brain to suddenly start working at full capacity again overnight. Please look at the YouTube video of Water Titration which will enable you to cut your doses carefully before coming off entirely. All the Best
Bradholl56 elizabeth85938
Posted
A quick update. I have been advised to come down to 25mg once a day and stop taking it after a week.
Bradholl56 elizabeth85938
Posted
Just one more thing. I was put on Pregabalin because of nerve pain emanating from the neck. I feel I can ease that with appropriate exercise. However, is there a milder painkiller which you could recommend? I would of course seek medical advice.
All the best
elizabeth85938 Bradholl56
Posted
Hi again
I'm afraid there isn't any pain killer that I have come across that I could say works. I am on Dihydracodeine and even that does not help with my nerve pain, just helps my arthritis. Opiates are a no go area for doctors now because of the abuse by the few so I will eventually have to taper off these at some point. There are some natural nerve remedies that you could try alongside appropriate exercise and you can just google 'natural nerve supplements' and see what comes up. I believe there is something called 'Nervefix' but this may be under a different name here in the UK. I will see if I can find any for you to look into if you like?
Bradholl56 elizabeth85938
Posted
Apologies for no coming back to you sooner. In answer to the question at the end of your previous email - yes I would like to accept your very kind offer.
kind regards
elizabeth85938 Bradholl56
Posted
Best Regards
elizabeth85938 Bradholl56
Posted
Hi again
I am having difficulty in identifying certain supplements that could help with nerve pain. I have asked several people known to me what they have tried and what if any success they may have but their replies are split almost 50/50 on 3 I have asked about. I really think it is a case of trying things, one at a time, to see how you react. I can tell you that I find L-Theanine and Passionflower helpful with relaxing tense muscles and as an aid to sleep. I tried 5HTP as well, but I didn't feel any benefit yet 2 friends use it and say it helps them. It is a case of thorough research, trial and error - which can be expensive I know. I haven't been able to find Nervefix here in the UK but it can be purchased I think from the USA. Patients like us who suffer chronic nerve pain here in the UK have little support unfortunately, GP's are running scared of any and all Opiates because they are addictive and have been abused by the few in the past. I am sort of waiting to see what they can or will come up with to replace these but their favourites seem to be Gabapenten and Pregabalin which are toxic chemical coshes and in the making of a crisis of their own. I can only say that I understand and share your frustrations at the lack of support and help we receive.
I do hope that you find something that helps you and if I find anything in the future that I can pass on to you to try I most certainly will.
With kindest regards
Liz
elizabeth85938 Bradholl56
Posted
I just had a reply from an American friend of mine and will list here what she tells me after much research and try outs she finds the best for her:
High dose fish oils (high quality), R-alpha lipoic acid, acetyl carnitine, nervefix and Inosine and also is trying Niacin now.
Some of these may help you but I guess it is an expensive list. The fish oils are very good for us all and worth taking to supplement your diet.
CBD Oil (with no thc) seems to be helping and there are groups with lots of info on this available for you to find. It is illegal in the UK to buy CBD Oil with thc in. Also Kratom (which is derived from the coffee plant) which is legal here if buying purely for yourself. Again there are groups out there to find and sites giving information on it. It does not give a high, just different leaves from the plant help different things, such as pain, anxiety and sleep etc. It is little known in the public arena but I hear that the right mix helps many.
Obviously these are just suggestions for you to research and decide for yourself what may be worth trying, or not if you feel it is not a course you wish to take.
If you do try any and find them helpful, would you mind letting me know please? I get asked 'the' question so often and now at least have been able to compile something of a list of tried and tested, by others, supplements. I cannot vouch for any of them bar the ones I told you I take myself for tension and sleep, and of course do not know if any of them have contraindications with any prescribed medication you may take.
Kind regards
Liz
EJ1345 Bradholl56
Posted
Bradholl56 EJ1345
Posted
It wasn’t one particular thing. I just didn’t feel too clever when the dosage went up to 50mg twice a day. But I have a number of problems and it’s difficult sometimes to distinguish what is causing what. Sorry to be so vague.