Rewisca or pregabalin For Depression

Many thanks for your informative reply Elizabeth.

My Doctor or GP here in the UK did originally prescribe Rewisca (Pregabalin) for treating GAD, which he thought was my response to quitting smoking cold turkey, along with another prescription for my Insomnia (Zipoldem) that occurred after quitting.

I was taking Pregabalin for 2 weeks (50mg x 3 perday) whilst at the same time taking the the other Med'. The Doc wouldn't renew my Zopildem prescription so he said take two of the three 50mg hardtablets last thing at night and they would help me sleep.

Next morning I was a zombie and couldn't even get out of bed. It affected my brain as well - memory loss, couldn't express myself in words; I also had balance problems, mood swings.

I mentioned to the Doctor that I was also very depressed to the point of doing something stupid, so he said the Pregabalin would double up as an "antidepressant" which would begin to work in a week or two. 

Stopped it cold turkey yesterday and have only had minor side effects so far......slight nausea.

This morning I look well and feel better, and the other adverse symptoms have almost gone.

This was off-label prescribing because nowhere does it say or mention that Pregabalin is for treating depression.I am doing a yoga headstand to treat my depression which is actually working, and just hope my insomnia improves in time which it does apparently with all people who quit smoking.

I was a pack a day for almost 40 years and am now 5 weeks quit, never to go back, and I mean NEVER.!!! 

Bless you Chris, I am a 46yr smoker at 30 a day and will quit after I successfully come of Pregab! Beware though, you have gone c/t and the withdrawals tend to kick in 3-5 days after....so don't be surprised it you get hit by a caveman's club out of the blue. Prepare yourself if you can by sourcing good Magnesium ( of which there are several types); this will help if you start to get muscle twitches/spasms or feel zapped by mini eectric shocks etc. Good to be taken 2 hours before bed as it helps relaxation and also take in the morning. I take 600mg a day and it has eliminated all the things I have just mentioned. Vitamin B12 is also good as Pregab strips that out of your system and it is very necessary to your future well being and to help withdrawals IF they hit. Here's hoping that as you only took it for about 2 weeks, you will not suffer as others have. Just bear in mind though that from day 1 it has affected you and your marvelous brain and your Central Nervous System may kick up a bit of a fuss cos it needs its daily Fix. Please let me know how you go and when you are completely free of this toxic drug I can do a Happy Dance for you!! Your body is trying to rid you of two toxins at the same time, tobacco and Pregabalin - stay strong and NEVER give up Giving UP.

I forgot to mention that Rewisca (Pregabalin) also caused my eyesight to be blurred much of the time. Couldn't drive or even see what I was doing at the Computer very well either. 

Thanks Elizabeth, I had some muscle twitches/spasms in my legs and felt zapped by mini electric shocks across my scalp the first night (overnight) of the day I stopped taking Rewisca. None since.

I'll keep an eye out for that 3-5 day mark as you say. I have some epsom salts so could bathe in that for the next few nights just in case.!!

B12 depletion because of Pregab......I didn't know that, so many thanks for letting me know.

I'll definitely let you know how I am getting on over the coming days and week/s ahead. So glad you are on my side of the fence.

 

Never doubt it my friend. Always here Epsom salts just as good and very soothing.

 

Shoot, forgot to mention blurred vision and especially nighttime - better in daylight tho. I thought it was my Glaucoma but it isn't. Eye Clinic said my sight hadn't deteriorated in last 6 months do ergo it must be Pregab.

 

Hi Elizabeth, so you are a 46 year smoker at 30 a day!! 

I quit smoking cold turkey on the 13th Feb' this year (almost 6 weeks) after being a 20 a day man for almost 40 years.!!!

I have had the side effects again from Pregab that you mentioned. Last night as well (muscle twitches/spasms, esp' in my legs, and feeling zapped by mini eectric shocks around my scalp).

I also had these intermittently after and even just before qutting smoking, so difficult to know for sure whether they are just smoking-related, or withdrawing cold turkey from Pregab. Don't forget I was on the latter for only 2weeks at the minimum dose (50mg three times a day), so I thought going cold turkey would be the quickest method (less suffering time-frame wise) of getting this out of my system.

Have taken a chance in not tapering off the drug as I did with smoking, but time will tell. I know you recommended tapering off Pregab, but time will tell.

Bit premature for you to do a happy dance for me just yet, but I will report in daily, if you don't mind me bothering you.!

Looks like they are slow to mderate here Elizabeth as I posted to you on the use of Pregab and about smoking cessation in the same post.

That was an hour ago!!!!

Hi Elizabeth,

well here's my report so far of what is happening to me with Rewisca.

Firstly we know that Rewisca is a poor and cheap version of Pregab, because it does seem to be very inferior in terms of treatment success!!!!

My last dose of Rewisca of 2 x 50mg (daily dose of 50mg x 3 evenly spaced for morning afternoon and evening) was on Wed' last the 22nd late evening, which was designed to act as a sleeping aid according to the GP, but then went cold turkey because of the chronic fatigue and debilitating effects it had on me on the Thursday morning. I didn't sleep much either.

Thursday night through to this Sunday morning the withdrawals have been very difficult to endure, but I have perservered. These withdrawals were exactly as you described: some zapping electrical-type spasms in my head/scalp/Brain, but also muscle twitches and spasms, esp' noticeable in my legs and arms.

I have been a little scared because it is said, as you did, that anyone should taper off the drug gradually over one week, because Rewisca is an anti-anxiety med' and can be serious if not withdrawing correctly and as you recommended,.

But so far so good, and all I feel is tiredness/fatigue and there are far less episodes of the spasms/zaps.

Perhaps I've been rather foolhardy in going cold turkey, but I just couldn't stand the symptoms any longer.

The Rewisca actually made my loss of some tactile sensation worse than it was already. 

Appreciate your thoughts on this Elizabeth if you don't mind.

Many thanks.

 

Second report Elizabeth after quitting Rewisca.

If you recall I had my last dose doubled up to 100mg, on the advice of the GP, late last Wednesday just before going to bed, on the pretext that this would help me sleep.

Thursday, was zombie day and totally out of it. It didn't help the insomnia either.

That was my last dose and have gone cold turkey with no regrets as today (Tuesday 28th) I almost back to normal with few zaps and few twitches in mt legs and arms.

Finally reached my GP today (Tuesday) for the first time and after explaining events he said to just quit cold turkey as well, not realising I had quit CT the Thursday last.

I have no faith in my GP, and am going the self-healing route.

How are things with you.?

 

Hi Chris

?Sorry I have not been online for a week so just picked your mssg up. My laptop got hacked by ransomware and they demanded £300 to unlock my harddrive - I refused to pay and had to go and buy a new laptop and set up so it took time. I do hope that by going c/t you are not sufferent too much - I am still doing well 10% taper weekly and now down to 65mg x 2 daily. As from Sunday it will be 55mg hopefully. Your GP is so out of order to tell you to go c/t - I'd like to see all GPs being forced to take Pregab for 6 months and see how they manage to come of it!!! On my support group (Lyrica Survivors) they have a wonderful file on natural remedies with info being added to it all the time, just in case you feel you need help to understand what natural remedy does what and how much you need to take. Glad though to hear you are going well, and hope this continues with no problems. Look after yourself well dietwise and give your body time to rest. Keep in touch - I will post when I reach 50mg, my half-way point, and we can high five in the Cloud...whoop whoop!

 

Hi Elizabeth, I did think it a bit odd that you hadn't responded when you have been out of your way to be so helpful, so a ransomed Laptop would explain that very well!!

Yes the GP had said just stop that C/T, when if you recall I had already done so because of the adverse reaction on the Thurs' morning when I spoke to him by phone (yes a diagnosis by phone from the beginning of all of this) on the Monday morning after (on the phone yet again).

Be glad to acesss/join your support group (Lyrica Survivors) but wouldn't know where to look!!! I assume it is on "patient.info" ??

The Rewisca did set me back a week or two for sure. I never knew such a thing as this existed (Hypnotics) and what kind of adverse effect it would have!!! I had loads of side-effects even within just 2 weeks of taking it. The straw that broke the camels back was doubling up the last dose.

This stuff really does infiltrate your Brain and Central Nervous System.

I can give more details in your support group if you let me know how to join.

I'm doing reasonably well, but the main issue is insomnia which I still suffer from. Any suggestions on that score.

A big thank you for all you have done.

 

Elizabeth, sorry to be a nuisance, but it is on my mind about your Lyrica Survivors Support Group, and if you could provide the link/reference.??

Can't find one here but there are a few on Facebook; is it one of those? as I would like to join.

Your tapering off seems to be working fine for you, but my thinking was why prolong the agony? but then I had only been taking it for just over 2 weeks, and that was damaging enough. Goodness knows what you have been going through.

Going to look on Facebook for your group.

Take care.

 

Yes Chris, it is on Fb. I saw it to the right of my fb screen and it said it was a closed group and apply to Admin to join....which I did thankfully. Or, just put Lyrica Survivors into your browser and it is the one that Amy Finch Kaawa (Aus) formed purely as a support group. Let me know if you can't find it but if you join successfully we can pm each other on there. I will also stay on this forum to help others if I possibly can - there are a lot of people taking Pregabalin who have no idea of the problems it is capable of causing. Post me if you can't find the right link. I won't be back on for a few hours but will be back before bedtime

 

Found it eventually Elizabeth on Fb. Had to scroll back into your posts to get a better description.

Amy Finch is admin and a closed group. I applied for membership having to give my reasons first, and was accepted quite quickly.

Rewisca has really messed with my thinking and ability to think straight so if I ever digress bear with me.

Yes I would like to be able to pm you in that group, but would obviously need to know your username beforehand. I guess it isn't the same as on here.? I go by my full name on Fb: Christopher Beckett so you can pm me first.

There's so much info in that group and over three and a half thousand members I think. Wow and this is a drug that is designed to help people.

The one thing I am concerned about is that it does recommend tapering off Rewisca/Lyrica slowly, and not go cold turkey, and am just wondering if there could be any permanent problems or damage/harm with either taking it or withdrawing cold turkey or not.

The thought of permanent damage/harm is quite worrying. 

Glad you found the group, there is such a wealth of info on there that is helpful but takes time to read and digest. I suffer dreadful brain fog on Pregab/Rewisca and this is the main reason I am tapering off. The good news is Chris that I am slowly finding lost words coming back and am not forgetting as much as I was. So there is hope! You will read some harrowing stories on the posts - some people suffer more than others and I believe it is a very individual thing. Some get away quite lightly and maybe because I decided to taper off slowly I an not suffering too much with withdrawals. Just some nausea, bit of a headache and mood swings is all and I get over them after a few days until the next 10% taper. I started in January and am now down to 65 x 2, it will take another few months until I am clear. As you have read, it is not advisable to go c/t as the many who have tried that route will attest - they do seem to suffer more than tapering But, like you, they did not find the group in time to get the info needed. Some have gone back onto a dose to stabilise and then slowly tapered giving the Central Nervous System time to adjust to less and less of this toxic drug. If you were suffering terrible withdrawals this is what I would recommend you do, but you seem to be doing ok at the moment. However, withdrawals can suddenly hit at the wierdest of times just when you are high fiving gettting away with it, so it's a wait and see for you perhaps. The group will help you far more than any GP so rely on it to advise you well from people with experience of both taking Pregab and withdrawing from it. I will pm you tomorrow Chris (Liz Hirst) but also make a friend request which makes it easier. Chat with you then

Thank you for that Liz.

Eventually put 2 and 2 together to find that group but had forgotten that you had already mentioned it here. I also have brain fog and find it difficult to string my thoughts together and be coherent, so I have to think and think again and then re-read what I have written before posting. There are usually numerous mistakes so it takes me twice if not thice as long to post a post here or elsewhere.

I think I make some sense in the end.

I'll mention the other cause/causes when we pm each other on Fb.

Unless I forget to mention them because of brain fog!!!!!

Feel free to remind me.

Glad to know that you are finding lost words coming back and not forgetting as much as you were; that also holds true for me with the passage of time.

Very unpredictable how stopping Lyrica actually is, is the message I receive to date; tapering seems to be the best way as you have said, and working for you, as the group recommends: I do seem to be lucky so far with quitting cold turkey, but as I see it, I really had no option at all.

The late double dose of Rewisca as advised by my GP to get that sleep that zolpidem had successfully worked on, almost killed me, and I really mean that quite literally. The reaction early next morning was horrendous. Tell you more in my pm on Fb.

Chat soon.