Coming off pregabalin 300mg daily for 5 weeks

[liveonce]

I have been using 300mg pregabalin almost everyday for 5 weeks.

I can miss a day here and there, but love the effects I use it most days because it lasts for so long

I am dedicated to coming off it now for financial reasons, I don't get it via a script. Is the only way to come off it 10% taper? I feel like my taper would be longer than I have been on this for.

Any ideas are welcome.

 

[Eryximachus]

You don't have to taper after such a short duration. Tapers are for long term use of psych meds. You might be uncomfortable, but nothing too crazy.

 

[AlphaMethylPhenyl]

You feel like it helps you with its intended effect? I think it's still on patent. Maybe gabapentin would be more accessible.

 

[elgoucho9]

I have been using 300mg pregabalin almost everyday for 5 weeks.

I can miss a day here and there, but love the effects I use it most days because it lasts for so long

I am dedicated to coming off it now for financial reasons, I don't get it via a script. Is the only way to come off it 10% taper? I feel like my taper would be longer than I have been on this for.

Any ideas are welcome.

So i did the same myself last year. At points my doses were 6-900mg.

Turns out for me, even a week of use like that is enough to suffer brutal withdrawals where i have 3 nights of insomnia and my mood dips from happy go lucky to downright depressed and sick of life.

I would say 5 weeks of 300mg, is well and truly enough to have some nasty withdrawals. I found Pregablin to be up there with Xanax in terms of how bad the withdrawals felt, worse than Heroin for me personally.

As such with the above I would STRONGLY suggest you run a sensible taper. My advice would be go from 300mg and presuming they are 300mg capsules empty them and either drop the dose gradually.

Eg
Week 1
Drop to 225mg per day.
Week 2
Drop to 150mg per day.
Week 3
Drop to 75mg per day.
Week 4
No more Pregablin
(This will likely be the least painful way and smoothest transition to sobriety)

Alternative option
Week 1
Drop to 150mg per day
Week 2
Drop to 75mg per day.
Week 3
No more Pregablin
(This will feel a bit more drastic but is still doable, it's what I did)

Alternative option 2
Week 1
Drop to 150mg
Week 2
No more Pregablin
(Again it is doable. But i think you will feel quite terrible by week 2)

If you have enough Pregablin there I would go for the first opinion and have the least painful transition back to sobriety possible.

Hope this helps

 

[Lil'LinaptkSix]

5 weeks

Not very long, IMO.
I would cut out the first dose of the day for a week and jump off.
How is this taken? 150mg twice daily?
What you have going for you in my thoughts are that it is not a long term usage and ya can skip doses. Think about this.
If you want off now's the time, IMO. I still have it around and take for recreational purposes maybe once a month or two.
Took 100mg this am before work and it was a breeze and yeah I'll feel it when it's bedtime. Love that about it, too; that it lasts for a long time.
Aight peace

 

[Eryximachus]

Turns out for me, even a week of use like that is enough to suffer brutal withdrawals

You would be an extreme outlier. Let's be real.

You would be an outlier if you were referring to morphine or heroin or any benzo.

 

[elgoucho9]

You would be an extreme outlier. Let's be real.

You would be an outlier if you were referring to morphine or heroin or any benzo.

What you think I'm making this up? OK lol. All the posts are literally on here in the Pregablin threads. But whatever I don't really care.

I never experienced this with heroin or benzos. Not to the same extent from such a short period of use. I think like 10 days on Pregablin gave me worse withdrawals than a month IV'ing heroin. Everyone's genetic make up is different...

 

[Eryximachus]

What you think I'm making this up? OK lol. All the posts are literally on here in the Pregablin threads. But whatever I don't really care.

You should know that your reaction is rare. Commonly available highly addictive drugs do not cause significant problems after 1 week of use. You shouldn't be detached enough to put into context how your personal experiences are very different than most other people.

At different times, prescribed and not prescribed, I've taken morphine, heroin, diazepam, lorazepam and amphetamine for 1 week straight and survived just fine.

I tried using pregablin for a week or two to get off of benzos, but it caused some weird manic/drug seeking behaviors for me, which is also rare but documented.

Chill man, let's not freak the OP out. That's my only point.

 

[elgoucho9]

You should know that your reaction is rare. Commonly available highly addictive drugs do not cause significant problems after 1 week of use. You shouldn't be detached enough to put into context how your personal experiences are very different than most other people.

At different times, prescribed and not prescribed, I've taken morphine, heroin, diazepam, lorazepam and amphetamine for 1 week straight and survived just fine.

I tried using pregablin for a week or two to get off of benzos, but it caused some weird manic/drug seeking behaviors for me, which is also rare but documented.

Chill man, let's not freak the OP out. That's my only point.

He hasn't been using for a week. He's been using for 5 weeks which is certainly enough for withdrawals in many people with Pregabln.

Secondly, I was just giving my experience with it. This is a forum, that is what people tend to do.

I also provided him a taper plan incase he does experience nasty withdrawals. Yes some people get off lightly (not many people I know can do heroin for a week with no withdrawls for instance - you are in the minority there), others don't. I don't really see the point of your post...

 

[JackARoe]

I swear when it comes to gabapentinoids the reactions seem all over the place. it is odd, I know people that are on gabapentin or pregabalin but are not really drug users. They are normies for all practical purposes. Each one I asked feels nothing from either drug after the first few days and each said when they forget the meds on a vacation or something it did not matter. (I mean which one of us would FORGET that on vacation??) One person was on 150 mgs of pregabalin. The other 2100 mgs of gabapentin. I ask people in my family that take it and they shrug too. But people that feel it could be a different thing. Not sure. But come to BL or Reddit and we get a different view of the same drugs. I feel a more sharper few of what could happen. But we have had people here claim these drugs have horrible withdrawal and others that say they did not have an issue.

It is because of these posts that I never took my gabapentin script daily. These days I pop a few about 3 times a month. A few years ago I tried twice a week for a while and no issues. But I do feel gabapentin and pregabalin are safer than benzos in terms of addiction. At least my opinion is they are gentler to use for anxiety.

Elgoucho9 wrote up an excellent taper schedule. I am willing to bet if it is followed you will have minimal issues if any.

 

[endlessnameless]

They certainly work wonders for opioid withdrawals. I've been taking 400mgs for the last 6 days and by this stage the drowsiness has worn off and I feel quite merry. I do know people who take massive amounts recreationally however personally I've no interest in that. They're having the added benefit of increasing my appetite and decreasing my anxiety too. Having said that, I do feel a little manic as someone mentioned above. Maybe manic is too strong a word, but its 2:30am and I cant stop talking so I might have to take a benzo to help me sleep. As soon as the opioid withdrawals are over I'll be stopping for sure.

 

[Lil'LinaptkSix]

Pregablin gave me worse withdrawals than a month IV'ing heroin

This is another reason why I rarely mess with it.
Will put me in a very "down" and tbh depressive state. Spooky, IME.
How are things?
Hopes are high but can't always be on a high.
Pregab is also one scarry substance on my list. For a reason.
My best to you and yours.
Peace

 

[elgoucho9]

This is another reason why I rarely mess with it.
Will put me in a very "down" and tbh depressive state. Spooky, IME.
How are things?
Hopes are high but can't always be on a high.
Pregab is also one scarry substance on my list. For a reason.
My best to you and yours.
Peace

Yeah the mood dip wasn't kind towards me either. Full on empty, depressed feeling, angry at life. Lasted longer than the insomia too. Say 3 nights insomnia. 5-7 of low mood/hopeless feeling. Wouldn't mess with it again personally.

I am good mate. Hope you are well too.
All the best

 

[Lil'LinaptkSix]

Hope you are well too

Thanks.
Not sure what I am ATM but thinking about dosing some pregab now.
I won't maybe early am idk.

 

[liveonce]

hey just wanted to update. I ran out completely. I ended up going cold. I barely had any withdrawals. I now haven't used it in 12 days. actually really happy about this. Everyone is so different. Addiction sucks but I'm so grateful for everyone's input. big love

 

[liveonce]

hey just wanted to update. I ran out completely. I ended up going cold. I barely had any withdrawals. I now haven't used it in 12 days. actually really happy about this. Everyone is so different. Addiction sucks but I'm so grateful for everyone's input.

So i did the same myself last year. At points my doses were 6-900mg.

Turns out for me, even a week of use like that is enough to suffer brutal withdrawals where i have 3 nights of insomnia and my mood dips from happy go lucky to downright depressed and sick of life.

I would say 5 weeks of 300mg, is well and truly enough to have some nasty withdrawals. I found Pregablin to be up there with Xanax in terms of how bad the withdrawals felt, worse than Heroin for me personally.

As such with the above I would STRONGLY suggest you run a sensible taper. My advice would be go from 300mg and presuming they are 300mg capsules empty them and either drop the dose gradually.

Eg
Week 1
Drop to 225mg per day.
Week 2
Drop to 150mg per day.
Week 3
Drop to 75mg per day.
Week 4
No more Pregablin
(This will likely be the least painful way and smoothest transition to sobriety)

Alternative option
Week 1
Drop to 150mg per day
Week 2
Drop to 75mg per day.
Week 3
No more Pregablin
(This will feel a bit more drastic but is still doable, it's what I did)

Alternative option 2
Week 1
Drop to 150mg
Week 2
No more Pregablin
(Again it is doable. But i think you will feel quite terrible by week 2)

If you have enough Pregablin there I would go for the first opinion and have the least painful transition back to sobriety possible.

Hope this helps

thanks bro I was originally going to follow your option 2 but my connect ran out of it. I ended up jumping off 300mg relatively easy. lots of warm water to flush and magnesium, b12 and cbd oil helped heaps. big love