Gabapentinoids The Lyrica (Pregabalin) Mega Thread v 2.0

[yubacity]

The only reason I used lyrica was for anxiety of opiate wd was a wonder drug for wd.But now I enjoy the high and calmness I get from it.Did not use it today after 4 day binge and felt ok not great but not that bad either.The other thing is when I use lyrica I won't get any cravings or thoughts about using a opiate.Im 42 and I have all these ideas about having a drug free life but the reality is I crumble and that goes out the window as soon as I get home.Ilike to smoke a joint but the stupid road side drug test they brought in here in the uk means I could smoke a joint today and still be done for drug driving tomorrow.That would mean loss of my job.This all started when I had my first line of crank on my 15th birthday when living in yuba city California and has been me using some drug or other for 27 years.

 

[yubacity]

Im sorry if it seems like im moaning and feeling sorry for my self when there are people on here that has led a drug problem to cause so much devastation to there lives.I was just able to keep myself functioning during my use.But I just can't stop feeling so miserable and shame at how I have not got the willpower to not use.Why can't I be like most people who go home maybe have a scotch before dinner and be happy at that.

 

[The Hypnotist]

I think you are being far too hard on yourself. That idea of a drug free life sounds like a utopia you don't want. Pregabalin is a nice drug. You have a life in order it seems to me. So you just need to enjoy it and be careful. People like us who like to change their conciousness are better off if they change with what they do it. If you specialize in one drug I think it is much worse.
In any case, if you have the money, visiting a good psychologist, a expensive one can probably help you solve your problems. It is just an idea, it is what I would do if I was you.
I am the one 5 years younger than you without job, wife or career and being the optimist. And I am not known for my optimism.

P.D I just read your last message. Remember you have the right to moan. Your suffering is as truthful as any other. The psychologist idea is starting to seem to me like a great idea. You need a push and some people know how to give it.

 

[yubacity]

I think you are being far too hard on yourself. That idea of a drug free life sounds like a utopia you don't want. Pregabalin is a nice drug. You have a life in order it seems to me. So you just need to enjoy it and be careful. People like us who like to change their conciousness are better off if they change with what they do it. If you specialize in one drug I think it is much worse.
In any case, if you have the money, visiting a good psychologist, a expensive one can probably help you solve your problems. It is just an idea, it is what I would do if I was you.
I am the one 5 years younger than you without job, wife or career and being the optimist. And I am not known for my optimism.

P.D I just read your last message. Remember you have the right to moan. Your suffering is as truthful as any other. The psychologist idea is starting to seem to me like a great idea. You need a push and some people know how to give it.

Thanks mate to tell you the truth I have been thinking of going to a psychologist for a little while now.Will look for a good one but I think my main problem is that after a hard day of work I always had opium to go home to and chill me out and truthfully I just like being high.Since I been using opium I no longer like stimulant drugs and lyrica is the closest I get to the calming effect I got from it.Thanks for your words of support and advice friend and I hope you keep being the optimist.I will seek professional help and a psychologist has to keep things confidential so won't go on my medical record because I have to have a medical for work.

 

[yubacity]

Well, then maybe you are not so bad. Maybe you just need your little holidays on the weekend, I have seen worst habits than that one. Don't you like other families of drugs like dissociatives or psychedelics? You could do a benzo weekend, a pregabalin weekend, a disociative weekend and a psychedelic weekend and probably have a hell of a life.

You can as well find other hobbie for the weekends,...everything is allowed.

Thats my plan alternate my weekend use between Benzes one weekend and lyrica the next it will give me something to look forward to all week.That way I can cope the work week.When I was trying total abstinence I always had opiates on my mind.This way I find it easier because I know I will have my release come the weekend I just have to make sure weekend use dont spill into Monday and Tuesday like it did this weekend.So looks like a valium or tamazepam this weekend.

 

[The Hypnotist]

Sounds like a plan if you could get someone to keep the drugs for you that can be helpful to avoid continuing the party on week days. That's what I do and it really helps not to have them in my drawer.

 

[yubacity]

Sounds like a plan if you could get someone to keep the drugs for you that can be helpful to avoid continuing the party on week days. That's what I do and it really helps not to have them in my drawer.

Will get my wife to only give me some on weekends.As long as it not opiates she should be ok with it I hope thanks for the plan

 

[Squeaky]

I have always believed that everyone is addicted to something. It can be alcohol, weed, sex. Or it can be exercise, veganism, religion, etc. Some addictions are acceptable, some are a death sentence.
To me it seems you have to find an addiction that solves the main problem (boredom, back pain, screaming children) but also fits into your life. My grandma can smoke pot because she doesn?t drive and is retired, but I need something that is out of my blood by morning because I have to drive at work. The day I retire Im going to become a pothead!
So we either take up long distance running, or become a craft-beer connoisseur. All along trying not to go bankrupt buying expensive running shoes or avoiding a drunk driving arrest. And if you can find something that is somewhere between societys cracks of stigma and legality, then you are golden.
Nobody is considering yet that Lyrica can be used for fun. Prescriptions are easy to get, there are a dozen reasons to take it, and it?s not a problem if you test positive for it.
If you have a good way to keep yourself on track and not overuse it, then I say it cannot be worse than scotch or religeon. Just take it easy. Dont be irresponsible with your kids or job. Dont spend your whole paycheck on it. Dont crash your car when high on it. Plan your usage a couple of days in advance to keep your tolerance under control. And have a solid plan for withdrawl.
You need SOMETHING. Life is hard. If you cant use Lyrica smartly, then pick something you can. Good thing about Lyrica is that od-ing is hard, and withdrawls are short.

 

[yubacity]

I have always believed that everyone is addicted to something. It can be alcohol, weed, sex. Or it can be exercise, veganism, religion, etc. Some addictions are acceptable, some are a death sentence.
To me it seems you have to find an addiction that solves the main problem (boredom, back pain, screaming children) but also fits into your life. My grandma can smoke pot because she doesn?t drive and is retired, but I need something that is out of my blood by morning because I have to drive at work. The day I retire Im going to become a pothead!
So we either take up long distance running, or become a craft-beer connoisseur. All along trying not to go bankrupt buying expensive running shoes or avoiding a drunk driving arrest. And if you can find something that is somewhere between societys cracks of stigma and legality, then you are golden.
Nobody is considering yet that Lyrica can be used for fun. Prescriptions are easy to get, there are a dozen reasons to take it, and it?s not a problem if you test positive for it.
If you have a good way to keep yourself on track and not overuse it, then I say it cannot be worse than scotch or religeon. Just take it easy. Dont be irresponsible with your kids or job. Dont spend your whole paycheck on it. Dont crash your car when high on it. Plan your usage a couple of days in advance to keep your tolerance under control. And have a solid plan for withdrawl.
You need SOMETHING. Life is hard. If you cant use Lyrica smartly, then pick something you can. Good thing about Lyrica is that od-ing is hard, and withdrawls are short.

Love a weed buzz but like you can not lose my license.And after 13 years of opiate use dont like stimulants unless I can use opiates to bring me down so that a no go.I enjoy a lyrica buzz so will use that but like you said use it for no more then a few days in a row.Also will do lyrical one weekend and Benzes the net and not use during work week if it was not for the dumb fuck drug driving laws concerning weed where I could be done for a few joints I had the day before my problem would be solved.

 

[_Sci3ntifiC_]

Hi sorry this is a reply to your post from many years ago. I have never come across anyone who got the effect you're describing from pregabalin. I get exactly the same effect you describe from 1000mg. It feels (when I shut my eyes) like I push through into a 4th spatial dimension. Then the imagery is so lucid and vibrant, it can be anything, and I can look around at will and examine everything up close. I love it. Best part, no comedown whatsoever and I get the best sleep ever. However one problem, because I've been on it for years I know first hand the withdrawal is HORRENDOUS. Worse than opiate withdrawal in a sense. But I doubt I'll ever have to fully come off it now as I've major nerve issues and so many spine problems I won't bore you with. Protip .... amazing drug if you like being relaxed rather than stimulated .... just be aware long term use causes serious dependency and associated withdrawal.

 

[Speed King]

Soon to be archived, but will stay open for a while.

 

[Spurs_1882]

Quick(ish) question.

I used pregabalin to self-medicate anxiety for a while, a few years ago. Doses around 300-400mg a day. Not every day. 2 or 3 times a week. Eventually after a few months I got a withdrawal from this, which was pretty nasty, a week of feeling really depressed.

Later on, I went on pregabalin legitimately on the NHS, for anxiety. The tolerance came quickly with using the same dose everyday so it stopped working quickly. I started to come off it. Withdrawal was not too bad because I tapered. But then I had some unrelated health problems, which stopped me in my taper, so I stayed on a small dose (75mg per day, 25mg in the morning and 50mg at night). I have been stable at this dose for about two years.

I am now suffering again- intermittently- from anxiety and exhaustion. I'm trying not to gain a tolerance and withdrawal to any particular medication I use. If I feel a bad period coming on, which is maybe once a month or once every two months, I will alternatively use diazepam or amitriptyline for 1-2 days. This works well for improved mood, sleep and relaxation; it gets me out of the hole I'm in. I want to add pregabalin to this as a third option, in order to stop tolerance building to the other two i.e. I will alternatively use diaz, ammy or preg- not combining them. (Bear in mind, I am still taking pregabalin at a very low daily dose which does nothing except keeps me out of withdrawal).

My question is, if I was to up my pregabalin dose for one day or maximum two, then do a quick taper back down to my current daily dose which I am stable on, would I risk withdrawal again? Because I know from past experience of drugs, once you've had one withdrawal, it's much easier to get that second. What about if I literally just did it once every four months, say? I've not had a problem with psychological addiction to preg or diazepam, I wouldn't say. It's just something to help with anxiety and exhaustion when my schedule becomes too much, really.

Hope that makes sense.

 

[Jekyl Anhydride]

You might find that skipping days of 75mg Lyrica again is not as difficult as you think. With diazepam and amitriptyline skipping days or maybe morning doses then reducing the nightly doses isn't nearly as big a chore as 400mg a day. If you start feeling off then amend the taper of course. You're not going to increase the kindling effect from just feeling off or anxious for a couple hours until you add a little more lyrica or diazepam.

Special occasion dosing at the interval you mentioned shouldn't mess with your abstinence at all either, at the worst maybe add some light diazepam the following day or day after if you notice that butterfly feeling in your chest. If you can end the daily 75mg maintenance doses the lyrica will work better and at much lower doses.

 

[D.pharm]

There is so much egregious misinformation in this thread that it would be impossible for anyone who is thinking of playing around with pregabalin to know what they are signing up for.
I have taken pregabalin 1200mg/day for 11 years at bedtime to eliminate the flashbacks associated with PTSD and daytime GAD.
I understand everyone responds different physiologically to medications and there are some insightful anecdotal posts in this thread.
Let's simplify things.
Pregabalin
neuropathic pain (Peripheral neuropathy eg.) excellent
anxiety disorders - excellent
complex PTSD - excellent
alcohol, opiate, benzo, kratom withdrawal -excellent
seizure control as part of of cocktail of meds -excellent
fibromylagia - excellent
RLS - excellent
Migraines - excellent
beneficial sleep architecture compared to benzos
Potentiates most depressants, empathogens, and some stimulants.
The pharmocokinetics are way too complicated to explain in lay terms but consider it as a gaba analogue.
Rapid tolerance to initial euphoric experience at high doses.
Oral bio-availability reported to be over 90%.
Well insufflation definitely increases the effects for me.
I think they just lied about that to reduce abuse potential in the same way big pharma lied that nalaxone when combined with buprenorphine has any effect on reducing misuse of other opiates.
Safe to prescribe up to 7 grams a day under medical supervision.
The effects are not linear.
4 grams is not twice as strong as two grams.
It's such an interesting profile and can effect people differently at different doses.
After tolerance develops chemical dependency has occurred which IS NOT the same as addiction.
300mg might blow someone's skirt up and others may need a gram or more for recreational use.
Adding 1g to an earlier dose of 3 grams is a waste. Taking 500mg on its own after tolerance has subsided might rock your world.
After 11 years of 1.2 grams a day (this drug literally saved my life as it was the only thing that could address my PTSD symptoms and allow me to function without always trying to kill myself.)
I was in and out of voluntary psychiatric institutions for 25 years plagued by an inability to sleep and constant suicidal ideation
I am not concerned that I am chemically dependent on this stuff as it has worked beautifully for 11 years and I have never needed to increase my initial dose/prescription. It is my insulin with no disrespect to individuals with diabetes.
It also allowed me to jump off a three year buprenorphine (suboxone) habit at 2mg without tapering and experienced ABSOLUTELY NO WITHDRAWAL OR PAWS.
I have often forgotten to take my meds on holiday and my flashbacks explode in my head about two nights later, but I have never felt any physical symptoms of withdrawal going cold turkey from 1.2G per day. YMMV.
I can actually get by on 900 mg/night so I often make a little cache over a few months and have a little bender now and then.
To do so, I need to abstain for at least ten days and then I am high as a kite at the 2g mark. Trying to recapture the feeling the next day with another 2 grams is a complete waste of time for me.
Sometimes my arms twitch so much that I will involuntarily launch a coffee cup I am holding across the room. Irritating but not unpleasant.
So save up for a rainy day if you can, make sure your tolerance has bottomed out and then go to town!
Abrupt discontinuation may result in debilitating withdrawal and risk of serious seizures.
High doses will cause muscle twitching
I feel so sorry for those individuals who report that pregabalin has either stopped working for them or has started to exacerbate psychological issues. I wonder if some of them have played around with the stuff recreationally too often. I don't know.
YMMV my 2 cents

 

[crazedloom175]

Balladry is one of the most strongest and calming agents I've taken so far. City water seems in the way tho... So I am sq rewed, it could the the water why half this stuff isn't working. It only worked 1 time and after drinking 16 ounces of city water it completely diminished, and statistically it seems possible.

 

[CfZrx]

Has anyone experienced profound weight gain from this drug? Did Gabapentin do the same thing? I have never tried Lyrica, but the name is nice imho.

 

[crazedloom175]

Ones that knock you completely unconscious and cause complete memory loss along with the standard effects and also strong for allergies?

 

[Squeaky]

D.pharm posted the most complete list of information I have seen about Lyrica (thank you).

After that, this thread went south and totally stopped making any sense.

 

[Squeaky]

I found a list of DEA schedules for all drugs with dates when they became controlled (USA only). It goes back a few decades. Kind of interesting for anybody who cares:

https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/schedules/orangebook/orangebook.pdf

 

[Transcendence]

Yeah, I gained a significant amount of weight for the first time in my life when I took Lyrica for a few years - about 20lbs or so. It also causes water retention so it can make you look heavier that way as well. Only other medication that made me gain weight like that was mirtazepine. It fell off pretty quickly without any effort once I quit.

I was taking the maximum dose of 600mg per day though, so the more typical lower doses may not be so bad.