withdrawal ....but on a low dose
Posted , 3 users are following.
Hi All,
I was given pregabalin by my doctor to help with my gad that ive had for as long as i can remember. I tolerated it well with no side effects at all but unfortunately i only had a reprieve from my anxiety for 2 days. I was only on...what i see now...a very low dose...50mg twice a day but my doctor said that it wasnt working for me.
Anyway i decided to come off of them, i did it slowly and I felt ok until i stopped taking the last tablet 4 days ago ( i spent the last 2 weeks on 25mg in the morning).
I feel dizzy spaced out and depressed.
I was just wondering if anyone else has had withdrawal like this when being on such a low dose and for only about 4 months.
2 likes, 13 replies
elizabeth85938 jacky02866
Posted
Even though you were on a lowish dose for only 4 months, your last drop of 25mg was too big. Pregabalin changes the Brain Chemistry and Central Nervous system after only one week and the body quickly becomes dependent on it. The 25mg drop has left your brain and CNS confused and needing this drug. I would recommend that you go back on to the 25mg morning dose and taper down very slowly with time in between allowing your body to stabilise. The last 25/50mg are notoriously the most difficult drops causing withdrawals in a lot of patients. There is an excellent support group on Fb, Lyrica Survivors (Closed), where you will find a wealth of information and understanding of Pregabalin, and excellent supportive members who will help you through the last 25mg drop. There are videos showing you how to achieve this. In my experience sufferers of GAD do not find this drug helpful, or find that they get relief perhaps for 6 weeks and then the Anxiety comes back with a vengeance which usually means having to up the dosage to the maximum of 600mg. Many members suffer this condition and swap helpful info and knowledge of some Natural Remedies that may help. I was put on Pregabalin for Chronic Nerve Pain and it did work for me....until I realised that I was living in a depressed brain fog, loss of memory and language, feeling completely spaced out and loss of balance etc. I am tapering down and now on 50mg x 2 daily and I am doing it very slowly indeed as the withdrawals are very unpleasant and long lasting.
So the answer to your question is Yes, others have withdrawals even on a low dose etc. I hope you find a way to safely come down and off this drug and wish you well.
jacky02866 elizabeth85938
Posted
Thanks for replying Elizabeth,
Im going to do as you suggest. Im going to go back and take 25mg in the morning.... i hope these symptoms will improve....then maybe try having one every other day to see how i get on.
Im glad i didn't take a higher dose, I was worried, the more i read, that the relief you get from your anxiety doesn't last long unless you keep upping the dose which i didn't really want to do.
I will have a look at that facebook page too.
Thanks again.
.
gabrielle34731 jacky02866
Posted
Ive only just started taking pregabalin, 6 days in and I'm a teary wreck today. Between crying and have panic attacks I've had a really terrible day. Will this get better?
elizabeth85938 gabrielle34731
Posted
Hi Gabrielle
?At 6 days in you are suffering side effects which may mean Pregabalin is not the best drug for you to be on. You have a real chance of stopping this drug before it changes your brain chemistry and central nervous system any more than it appears to already have done. One full week is all it takes for this drug to make your brain and CNS dependent on it. Please read my full reply to Jacky which goes some way to explaining what happens with Pregabalin. This is only my opinion but if I had the knowledge I have now when only 6 days on it I certainly would never have started it!! You have already suffered nasty side effects and you may even feel poorly after stopping it for a while, but your body will thank you for it in the long run. As always, you are the only one that can make a decision as to how to proceed and I do hope it is the right one for yourself. Your GP may argue that you didn't give it long enough and perhaps you needed a higher dose but you know your own body and it is better to listen to that than a GP who has never had to take this drug and only knows what the drug companies tell him/her...which often is just hype to sell more to GP Practices (again, only in my opinion). Hope you can resolve this and be able to look forward to a kind and enjoyable festive season.
gabrielle34731 elizabeth85938
Posted
I'm on 25mg twice a day...should I not take the bedtime dose and then taper off gradually that way? I just know this drug isn't going to be good for me. I felt better before I started it. Still high levels of anxiety but I knew my own mind. Now I'm crying on and off, angry and just all over the place. No drug has ever made me feel like this.
elizabeth85938 gabrielle34731
Posted
The longer you take this drug Gabrielle, the more it will dig in and cause problems. I may be wrong and you must make your own mind up on this, but you are at the lowest dose possible twice a day for only 6 days. If you can bear feeling out of sorts for a week or two (or maybe more) it will not have any more chances to make you dependent if you stop completely now. You have reacted badly already to it and as you say it has made you poorly almost immediately. I know that with the information you now have it would be best to take no more, but I have to stress that is only my opinion - I am not a Doctor. I have gathered a lot of information and heard over 5,000 stories of how this drug has wrecked their lives since I started to take it and I rue the day I did. The drug only has what is called a 'half life', which basically means that after approx. 7 hours after missing a dose it is out of your system - that is when the body cries out for its next dose. The brain becomes confused because the drug has made it rely on the chemical compounds and it no longer seems able to act as it once did. This is what causes withdrawals. Think about it this way - you have the chance to stop taking it before it can cause any more damage and if by cutting it out tonight it may make you feel a little nauseous, dizzy, tearful etc. you can put this down to allowing yourself to have a bout of Flu that you should be over by Christmas. If you like, I will take advice on this tomorrow from a member of the Admin team in my support Group to be sure I am giving you the best advice but I am so aware of time ticking away into over a week of taking it and having such a nasty couple of side effects that you will then have a harder time stopping.
?The tears and anger are classic side effects and also withdrawals so don't expect everything to just disappear immediately, but it is far better to take control of your life back now than struggle later.
Sleep on it and see how you feel tomorrow. I may not be online until 11am (ish) but post if you need to and I will reply as soon as I am able to. Hope you sleep well x
gabrielle34731 elizabeth85938
Posted
I have some 2mg diazepam which I could take to soften the effects. I'm so scared not to take it but also scared to take it..:caught between a rock and a hard place. As long as I know nothing life threatening will happen me by not taking this drug tonight then I'm just gonna quit. My pharmacist told me to persevere fo another couple of days but my body is screaming at me to stop.
elizabeth85938 gabrielle34731
Posted
gabrielle34731 elizabeth85938
Posted
Hi Elizabeth. I didn't take my lyrica either last night or today. Feel lethargic, tingling tongue, hot flashes and still teary, along with some breathlessness and bouts of nausea. I'm took 2mg diazepam to help. I've stayed in bed most of the day and eaten very little. I looked up the fb lyrica survivors page and my application has been accepted. Thank you so much for the valuable insights and encouragement. X
elizabeth85938 gabrielle34731
Posted
jacky02866 elizabeth85938
Posted
Hi Elizabeth,
Thought i would let you know that i took your advice and slowly weened myself off of pregabalin ....with the information from the F/B site you recommended. It took me a while but i'm glad to be free of it now. Thank you for pointing me in the right direction.X
elizabeth85938 jacky02866
Posted
Hi Jacky, I couldn't be more pleased to hear your latest news - well done, be proud of yourself! I hope your withdrawals were minimal. I started to taper off the last 100mg a day 2 weeks ago and now am down to 40mg mornings and 45mg nights. Taking it slowly as I have other issues to deal with at the same time as undergoing cancer treatment as well. I will let you know when I reach your happy state.
?Bless you and have a happy life
jacky02866 elizabeth85938
Posted