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pregabalin withdrawal

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rosemary62797
rosemary62797

has anyone successfully withdrawn from pregabalin using valium as a substute. I have asked my doc to substitue but she is not willing to do this, as I am already addicted to valium it would only be one addiction to deal with,  pregab acts in a diff way to valium and I think it might be easier to withdraw . I am using .67 of  ml which I think equals about 17 mgs v. the thing is I need the pregab but it makes me feel  worse I get more pain and become very agitated, restless, am becoming withdrawn  from life in general, I am like drunk andy pandy,  also have very little appetite, could a substute  be spread throughout the day instead of one dose? does anyone have any reasonable answers that might persuade  my doc with. tks rosie.x

1 like, 16 replies

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  • shaun13480
    shaun13480 rosemary62797

    Posted

    Hi Rosemary,I am also trying to withdraw from pregabalin I have dropped from 600mg to 300mg in just over a week.

    I am expirenceing quite a few side effects like chills and feeling restless also terriable nightmares where I am wakeing myself up shouting through the night.

    I am talking the odd tramadol for pain and they also seem to calm me a bit

    all the best,Shaun   

    • rosemary62797
      rosemary62797 shaun13480

      Posted

      tks for repling shaun, I know others are suffering ,  feel sorry for everyone in this situation,  just hope not as bad as me right now, abdo pain, shaking,  I have very low tolerance to meds, not sleeping, constant pain, restless,agitated  which didnt have before pregab, just talked to doctor, not prepared to change med. I only took 28 x 25mg  caps over 21 days. to me it's a killer.   hope you do better than me,  xx  rosie
    • michael1304
      michael1304 shaun13480

      Posted

      How long after you dropped down to 300mg did it take for you to start withdrawing?
  • as112
    as112 rosemary62797

    Posted

    Hi Rosemary 

    I've just gone through Pregabalin withdrawal which wasn't that much fun but I feel so much better for being off it.  It was helping me with the pain but it was affecting my breathing whilst I was sleeping so I was waking up really panicked.  It was also essentially giving me anxiety.  

    I'm seeing a new pain consultant who didn't object to me coming off the pregabalin.  I've reduced from 100mg once a day to nothing over a month.  I found the first couple of nights after stopping  taking it, I was quite restless, really nauseous, grumpy, couldn't sleep at night and my pain would get worse.  I would also then struggle to stay awake during the day and just zone out on the sofa.  

    I have pain due to nerve damage, so I've been given Lidocaine patches in the meantime until my next appointement with the consultant.  I think they are doing the job as my pain is a bit worse since stopping the pregabalin but I can cope with it.  I also took domperidone to help with the nausea.  

    Your brain has to learn to compensate how to work without the pregabalin, which unfortunately takes time. Hopefully you can find something to ease your symptoms whilst you withdraw.  

    Not sure if that's any help but best of luck with it! 

    • rosemary62797
      rosemary62797 as112

      Posted

      tks for replying to me, only took 28 x 25mg caps over 21 days and it had me , made me ill straight away, freaked me out, have low tolerance  to most meds,just spoken to doctor ,not prepared to offer  any help other than pain killers and sweat it out,, reducing on lowest dose possible,  thought it might be easy but still have severe withdrawal,  never felt so ill before, scared of how long will take and will I survive ,  .xx rosie
    • sally44307
      sally44307 rosemary62797

      Posted

      Hi Rosemary, stick with it, I know you can do it. I felt close to giving up, I almost thought the pain was because of not being on the pills, but it wasn't. It took me a little over a month to feel better, it could take longer, but please know all the symptoms will pass. Doctors are really useless sometimes, they are clueless to the effects of some of these drugs, but dish them out like sweets anyway. I have heard doctors say they like naproxen and pregabalin or gabapentin, I sure would like them to take them first before liking them so much. Grrr clueless they are, mine didn't even know what withrawal symptoms I could get, so why are they allowed to prescribe them at all?

      I hope you feel much better soon.

  • susan07920
    susan07920 rosemary62797

    Posted

    Hi Rosemary, you poor love, I am a cancer patient struggling with being bounced around consultants, gps,  pain managers, community nurses etc. I was put on pregabalin for nerve pain which I apparently do not have, so it is not surprising it did nothing to help me. It was supposed to have less side effects than Gabapentin which was historically dished out in hospital. I became fuzzy all over as if wrapped in warm fur, or a hot bath feeling. It was a bit like the fuzz as you just are going under an anaesthetic, or poss gas and air if you have had births. It lasted over a week, as I was advised by a 111 doctor to get off it by reducing from 4 to 3 to 2 to 1 over several days. If they want to give me Pregabalin again they will have to restrain me first. I don't think they have a full handle on what it does, and what they use it for. Mine was not for anxiety. It did not appear to give me any pain relief either. One doctor told me I was lucky to be given it because it was more expensive than Gabapentin. I am now off it, and happy to be.Susan Jones( cancer in liver area)
    • rosemary62797
      rosemary62797 susan07920

      Posted

      hello susan, I suppose my problems are nothing compared to yours, have actually found myself wishing something positive   could be found that could be treated, only took 28x 25mg caps over 21 days. am reducing on lowest dose possible but it still has a mega kick, spoke to doctor she says use painkillers and sweat it out, I am legless, like drunk andy pandy, have awful thoughts that really scare me, pain/cramp in belly is worse than giving birth. take care my love ,hope things work out for you.xx rosie
  • e63238
    e63238 rosemary62797

    Posted

    Hi Rosemary. I am so sorry you feel so bad.  Unfortunately, there is a documented interaction between Pregabalin and Valium which makes side effects much worse.  Also, if you have Valium dependency it is possible to assume that Valium does not help much either because you are tolerant to it.  I unwittingly developed Valium depedency years ago and I know how hard it is to deal with it effectively.  It is the dog that chases its tail.   Dependency gives rise to all those symptoms you took Valium for in the first place.  On a positive note I can reassure you that you can beat it.  My advice to you is to talk to your doctor openly to assess what causes what in your symptoms and then plan a treatement route that can help you come off Pregabalin first (and yes, it is vile) and Valium later.  I do hope you feel better soon.  Best wishes
    • rosemary62797
      rosemary62797 e63238

      Posted

      hi tks for taking time to reply to me, it was given to me help me sleep, knew from first capsule did not want to take it, freaked me out,bad dreams, hallucinations, all side effects in leaflet , plus a lot more not listed, didnt take, but hosp consultant did home visit, felt I was bullied into it.only took 28x25mg caps over 21 days, but addicted to it, am reducing lowest dose poss. '1 of ml . have withdrawn from valium twice before, after being in hospital gave me it for pain, told them I would be addicted but they said take it or else.  thought if it was changed to v alium have done it before  it  might be easier  while I was searching for answers I found something about this drug, in scotland prison, its the new recreational, selling at £1. a pop. what pleasure anyone can get from this horrible med is beyond me,  not got back to you yesterday, had very bad day and night,  today not much better. take care. rosie xx
    • e63238
      e63238 rosemary62797

      Posted

      Hello Rosie,  I hope you are having a better day today.  Sometimes doctors can be quite pushy.  However, if you are not happy with the medications you should say so and have them changed to something more appropriate.  I was thinking that if you have troube sleeping, want to stop Pregabalin and get help for your Valium dependency, there may be scope in talking to your doctor about using an antidepressant.  When I came off Valium I was given Amytriptiline which is also used to help sleep and for pain management.  Given its sedative effects it helps a lot with anxiety.  It made me sleep like a baby and was really quite good at counterbalacing coming off Valium.  Do speak to your doctor at lengh about your options and I hope you can find a solution that is going to make you feel better very soon.  Take care x
  • grey0417
    grey0417 rosemary62797

    Posted

    Rosemary:

    Remember this.  The human brain has its own regulatory mechanisms.  Introducing drugs of any type will cause the brain to respond to the chemical imbalance with its own regulatory control.  You have to find a way to slow the massive changes in the brain until it can again maintain its neuro-chemical balance.  Sudden stops or starts of medication cause the brain to make adjustments that cause a butt load of confusing signals.  Remember slow and easy, give your brain time to adjust and don't try the quick fix with Benzo's or Painkillers, been there done that, the results were not good.

    Praying for a better day for you, take each one at a time, and know a solution is at hand....smile

     

  • Lillychiff
    Lillychiff rosemary62797

    Posted

    Hi Rosemary. I know this is a old discussion but I wondered if you might let me know how you've been getting on? I was put on pregabalin about 2 yrs ago ,by a consultant for fibromyalgia. I was to start at 25mg and work up to 150. I am very sensitive to medication and I never managed to get higher than 25mg.Valuam dependency and withdrawal can make you very sensitive to meds( I was put on them as a child and taken off them frequently before they knew about addiction!). So I'm on 25mg of pregabalin and dreading coming off.

    Last week I started taking one every other night..not good ,but bearable. Last night though I emptied about half the capsule out and this morning I had to take another small amount. I think I should have carried on at the every other night for a while? But not sure where to go from there? Anyone's help would be appreciated. So glad I couldn't tolerate more of it! x

    • asher47015
      asher47015 Lillychiff

      Posted

      Hi Lillychiff

      I am so pleased that you are seeing the light.

      I was put on seroquel for anxiety and depression many years ago - it turned me in to a zombie. I came off it extremely slowly about a year ago the withdrawals were beyond description even at an incredibly slow rate.

      I changed my doctor and had my anitdepressants changed - I am now just begining to feel a bit better. Yet, and this is beyond belief, my doctor prescrbed 25mg Pregnabalin for me - so I took it twice a day for 4 weeks and it did stabilise my mood. I went for my check up and my doctor was really pleased about this - and he said he is going to increase it to 50mg/day - he was like a little boy and was excited that it worked.Not only that but he said I should take it 4 times a day!! Unbelievable to say the least. I feel like I have experimented on.

      I decided to come off it about a week ago - yes I have had bad withdrawals including hearing what I was going to say before I actually said anything resulting in my having to speak really quickly to counteract this. Also last night I woke up suddenly and "remembered" being spoken to by God!!!!! Crazy!!!! I panicked of course. When it happens you dont know its not real - its awful. I am very sensitive and very creative and this poison uses my creativity to create things in my brain that feel real.

      Stick with it - you will get there.

      I am doing a nutrition course now and am going to use natural supplements for my anxiety in future.

      Doctors take an oath to never cause harm or at least they used to.

    • Lillychiff
      Lillychiff asher47015

      Posted

      Hi Asher, thanks for replying. You know I really don't think Drs mean any harm, I suppose they really don't know that much about the drugs they prescribe. I certainly know more about fibromyslgia than my Dr. He told me they have a small pamphlet about it. I was told by a consultant that pragabalin was well tolerated, with minimum side effects and non addictive. So who told her that?

      Good luck with your withdrawal. I've had a big flare up and I just can't contemplate it yet. Its a scary thought when your not well in the fist place. Take care and thanks for the reply.

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