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Has anyone tried pregabalin for anxiety?

Posted , 4 users are following.

BellaLuna
BellaLuna

My anxiety/agoraphobia battle is still awful and becoming intolerable.

I take 20mg diazepam per day at present, i have taken it for years so it's obviously not working the way it used to but i don't want to reduce it at this point in time.

Anyway things reached crisis point yesterday and a CPN came to see me at home, as a nurse they cannot prescribe anything but can suggest things and she suggested pregabalin.

My regular GP was not there but another one issued me a prescription, 75mg twice daily and see how I get on for a week.

However upon reading the patient information leaflet and asking the pharmacist it appears that this medicine is addictive and can have some rather intense side effects especially when taken with benzos, some people say it's like being drunk or high and I would hate that.

Anyway just wondering if anyone here had any experience of it? I will contact my regular GP on Monday but currently I am just too scared to take it.

0 likes, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • anxietysite123
    anxietysite123 BellaLuna

    Posted

    I don't have much to say on the medicine, but personally if it was me and I saw that it's addictive, increased side effects I would hold off also until speaking to my actual doctor.. Everyone's different though, it all depends on if the benefits would outweigh a few side effects. (i never allow myself to read the leaflets anymore.. With anxiety, it's almost like if we see that there's more side effects, we will suddenly have them). Hope you start to feel better!

    • BellaLuna
      BellaLuna anxietysite123

      Posted

      Thank you, I was really concerned when I read that it was addictive, I agree that us anxious people only have to read a list of side effects and we will have them all so I did try to limit myself to noting the list of 'common' ones but even they speak about feeling high,drunk,falling over and having poor balance which sounds horrid as anxiety itself makes me feel off balance.

      Anyway I will wait until Monday and see what my usual doctor has to say about it, it was all a bit fast yesterday, organised over the phone and no real advice so I need to have a longer chat with a doctor who knows me.

  • kimberly59704
    kimberly59704 BellaLuna

    Posted

    What??? Isn't that for nerve pain. Not sure I agree with this. Sounds crazy. You have anxiety, and panic. This is not right.

    • pamela2016
      pamela2016 kimberly59704

      Posted

      I agree with you I was prescribed gabapentin nerve pain anti seizure medication for anxiety I've not taken it yet I'm scared too

    • kimberly59704
      kimberly59704 pamela2016

      Posted

      I think you need to tell your doc that you are not comfortable taking that, and you would like a antipressant. 
    • pamela2016
      pamela2016 kimberly59704

      Posted

      My app is in the morning I'm hoping for something else Im just scared to take seizure med for anxiety don't seem normal to me

    • lisalisa67
      lisalisa67 pamela2016

      Posted

      The benzos started as anti seizure meds now used for anxiety mostly and pain. They pulled in blood pressure meds and use them to lower heart anxiety symptoms and newest studies are muscle relaxants which are working well. The flexaril and gabapentin which is used for nerve pains a lot. Anxiety effects many different areas in your body and i think they are off label trying out all different meds. There are five new ones in trials. One in the last phase that i think is actually a nasal spray. I cant remember. It would make sense for a muscle relaxant, anti seizure med to work if you think about it. Anti depressants only work on half the people to date. 
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