Subtle? Not as recreational as (midrange) opiates? I beg to differ. Heroic doses of Lyrica, which can best be described as the doses past what feels like "sedative ecstasty" or a controllable, relaxed, and mild to moderately euphoric ++ peaking at roughly T+3:30-6:00, maintaining the plateau for at least 3 hours, and noticeably waning past the 10 to 12 hour mark.
This, for me, is the sweet spot. It's anxiolytic, kills the stream of intelligent but irrelevant ramble in the mind, after all you've just lost at least 30 IQ points for the day. Good luck trying to work out multi step problems under the influence, any worthwhile pregabalin dose will temporarily eliminate one's ability to compute algebraicly - directly proportionate to amount consumed. Doses in this range (450-600mg for me) are what I believe ErgicMagic may be referencing.
The smarter you are...fuck, this drug puts everyone at the same level after enough use. Pregabalin and gabapentin use is much worse for a developing mind than benzos or booze. Pregabalin/gabaP use has been confirmed in to halt the brain's development or regeneration, it's not exactly going to make you smarter over the years. here one enters the next phase of the pregabalin experience.
Past 800mg (tolerance) for me is what has been coined the psychedelic level of Lyrica, the spell from a tolerance-adjusted equivalent will feel like no other. I would rather do large amounts of pregabalin every 4th Saturday as an example, over any other GABAergic, including GHB. That's my personal preference, and perhaps this article may sway yours.
This dosage range is intensely inebrieating yet introspective and visual, blissful, and may seem like too much at some points. I believe at this point, but have only a few Erowid reports to base my claims upon, along with some personal experience. I am worried that overdoing doses in this range may proportionately increase one's risk for a seizure as we depart from safe territory.
Anyways, when the effects at this level truly take hold, it will be impossible to appear sober yet you can 'think away' the trip for a few moments. Or at least everything but the characteristic GABAergic slurring and failure to sound coherent. I've found that Lyrica has never rendered me unable to walk across a hallway, or be unable to speak simple sentences that enough sense to just play the drunk card.
Sort of reminds me how one could just near instantaneously clear up whilst tripping on anything but extreme amounts of 2Cs in a time of need. Lyrica doesn't quite disappear like 2C-I. High doses will make academic work impossible to do, and even older family members will be able to spot that something's up (or down).
Mild OEVs and CEVs present themself as the come-up builds up ever increasing ferocity around 3 hours in; anxiolysis, cognitive impairment, dizziness, edema (I experience this side effect rather strongly past 550mg), and subjective euphoria and that unique 'stoning' effect pregabalin and gabapentin share all rise linearly with the time. The 4-7 hour mark spans the peak, but high doses of pregs won't let up for 12-16 hours in my experience.
At the peak, one may feel intensely empathogenic and at peace with oneself, physically numbed while cognitively fried yet somehow still capable of feeling elated. It's hard to describe, and is qualitatively different and more intense than the 'sedative MDMA' euphoria of doses in the range below. It's immense, but I would say each wave of CNS activity hits you like a slow-moving jackhammer.
Comes on strong, knocks you into indescribable tired euphoria, dissipates a bit, and repeat. Each surge spans 2-15 minutes IME, and depending on how much time has elapsed may grow subsequently more intense or vice versa. Get in the right mindset and the head trip will throw those thoughts into a loop.
This time Lyrica throws itself at you; everything once considered subtle and pleasant is now amplified and hard to ignore. Close your eyes now, and those CEVs are intricate, slightly blurry and dim, but moving works of inanimate objects combined with spalshes of RGB patterns and blotches. You may also feel like your body is on a waterbed, or on a boat. Z-drugs exhibit this effect just at hefty doses as well IMO. Headaches may be noted. Don't be worried if your muscles twitch a bit, that's just myoclonus - and not proper convulsions.
Now, we are past the best part of the trip. The plateau doesn't add anything positive, but it seems any unwanted side effects are the most pronounced during hours 7-11 (no pun intended). A second, less profound but seemingly 'sloppier' spike pops up in this time frame. It's usually most intoxicating segment of a high-dose Lyrica experience for me. I am dizzy, unable to type properly (let alone add 9 and 6), and entranced. Any and all sedation kicks in full force around now.
750mg could have a user fighting to stay awake, while 850mg has the same user thrown into a thought loop feeling uncomfortable and anxious, with increased cardiac output (so you think), and a worrying shift towards increased tensions. A few times I was afraid the dose was too high, and 9 +/-1.5 hours post dose a seizure felt emminent. But, this could have just been my qausi-tripping mind psyching itself into feeling deja vu.
Every passing hour past the second 'mini peak' a chip off of overall intensity is noted, by hours 14-18 one has for the most part come down. Despite the comfortable afterglow only mildly inhibiting higher thought process, I still wouldn't dare drive until 24 hours or more have elasped. The afterglow can be explained easily. As the levels of Lyrica gradually fall as the kidneys begin to excrete the unchanged drug. In turn, an equal reduction in intensity reminiscent of slightly more intoxicating variants of the lower plateaus make up the majority, if not all of, the next day. Be warned, too much sleep will turn this gentle downward slope into a nasty hangover just like any night other night of drinking.
I must insist that pregabalin not be dosed recreationally if one wants to use the drug as prescribed. Recreational doses, at the bare minimum, should be one week apart. Three weeks' time or more is preffered. Adequate spacing keeps tolerance and dependence at bay, while preserving the sedate, stoned, and loved up 'magic' that Ergic and I, amongst others, must truly cherish. But, even carefully planned rec doses will ruin any chance to use the drug properly in a blink of an eye.
By the way, I am prescribed 150mg pregabalin BID and 100mg gabapentin TID for fibromyalgia and complex-partial epilepsy. Been abusing these two for two years and counting, with at least five days break in any circumstances. My other scheduled meds don't matter right now. I do not seek medicinal benefit from my scripts, and actually have ~22g surplus build up. Honestly, I've never had a seizure strong enough to prevent me from shrugging it off and continuing with my daily activities.
Call me a contributor to the growing trend of ridiculously stringent prescribing practices, but no doctor has ever figured me out. Take advice from this hypocrit, don't fucking con a medical professional. I don't care how much practice you say you've had, the road will lead to a cliff eventually. I'm just glad to have swapped excessive amounts of C-II opoids for daily Kratom use.
I would say Lyrica can be more physically and mentally engulfing when compared to midrange opioids like oxycodone or hydrocodone, but is nowhere near as enticing. Thinking about opiates brings a flutter to my stomach and a yearning to shoot up, while I find GABAergics (excluding temazepam and pentobarbital ampoules..call me lucky, whatever) only pull me in about as much as a cheeseburger or an NBOMe. Stimulants are a totally different ballpark, and grab my balls in a totally different fashion.
Don't snort, or shoot Lyrica. It may be freely soluble in water, but there is far too much inactive binder per capsules to render these routes viable. Injecting this drug serves minimal benefit as well; with an oral bioavailability >90%, no rush, and the large amount of even desired material - I wouldn't even want to meet the type of person who swears by shooting these things. Blech. Plugging is a maybe, but probably no better than dosing on an empty stomach. Stick to popping this drug.
Research has led me to believe pregabalin is 6-7x as potent as gabapentin by weight, and is a very effective tool in calming opiate withdrawals, benzo withdrawals, stimulant comedowns/cushioning a binge crash, anxiety/panic, neuropathic pain, or for just having a good time. Mixing Lyrica with benzos or booze is a bit more risky over say, a Xanax bar on top of a night of drinking. I won't get into details, but pregs slow the breakdown of GABA in the brain - when you potentiate it's action by dosing a benzo, 2+2=6 instead of 5. Be very careful please, especially with doses above 450mg.
I hope this (obviously) d-amphetamine induced rant which may appear delusional at every line break has at least taught one patient reader one new thing about a semi-obscure drug now slightly underrated, but once considered to be the next best thing since MDMA and blunts back when BL first realized pregabalin was "like" MDMA or GHB. Megathread I, been lurking for too long it seems.
I do not advocate dosing in the manner previously described as an essay, I am not influencing your decision but merely allowing those who wish to educate themselves to make informed decisions when the time comes to choose.