Benzos Benzo/lyrica WD conundrum

[Tryptamite]

Background: I am 5 months clean from a 4 year heroin and methadone habit. The last 5 months have been spent escaping the long WDs from methadone through benzo use, and subsequently suffering mild benzo WD a few times after 4-5 weeks on xanax at a time.

I believe I am over the methadone WD finally. I last used Xanax three weeks ago, and have pretty much recovered (ie my. Digestive system is almost to normal). I used lyrica to combat the extreme anxiety I suffered after stopping the Xanax. I was determined to not go back to benzos and used the lyrica as a crutch to help me stop, but honestly I would have been happy enough to stay on it for a while as I get my life in order.

Here is the problem. My lyrica source has dried up. I was at the doctor today and he wouldn't write me a script. I have enough for tomorrow and then I'm out. I did try to do a rapid taper when I learned I would run out but reducing from 600mg/day to 300mg/day was too much for me. There are conflicting reports whether or not lyrica is addictive. I did feel quite unwell (no sleep, pounding heart, sweating, anxiety, stomach problems) but it wasn't as bad as benzo WD.
I think I could tough it out cold turkey. Hopefully it won't last more than a few days as I start a new job in less than a week.

Am I far enough out of my last Xanax binge to use Valium sporadically (ie with 2-3 days in between doses) for relief from anxiety and not re-trigger benzo WDs?
Lyrica and benzos work in different ways and are not cross-tolerant.

It is my birthday this weekend and I would like to be able to go out and celebrate. I could smoke heroin on this day for relief but obviously this is not an option any other time. I am afraid to use heroin more than once every couple of months from experience I get WDs very quickly and it can bring back the PAWS. Don't worry I will not pick up the habit again.

I am thinking of using the Valium next week when I start work. On the first day, and then again on Wednesday or Thursday if I need it. I had finally started getting my life back together with the lyrica and I don't want to blow it by being a nervous wreck.

I really don't want to be dependent on benzos again but if I have to take 10-20mg Valium every day in order to function then so be it. I am sick of WDs, PAWS, feeling sick and miserable. I just want to move on with my life.

Sorry for the long post. I would really appreciate advice and opinions from people who have been in similar situations. thanks

 

[tricomb]

Sorry that you didn't get much feedback man, I'm going to move your thread over to BDD to see if you get better help there, and then if I have time I'll take a quick look at it and give you some advice if I can, I don't know if I can help you but I've got plenty of experience with benzodiazepines and pregabalin.

 

[tricomb]

OD ----> BDD x

 

[bunge]

Could you get access to gabapentin OP? It would substitute for the pregabalin and although it might not be quite as good as the pregab, it would stop you withdrawing.
I think the diazepam would be counter-productive for you.
I think it would be just be swapping one addiction for another, which sounds like might have happened in getting clean from the opiates (although BIG congrats on kicking the opiates).
Diazepam is infamous (even amoungst benzos) for being quite euphoric and very habit forming so it might be best just to use them in dire WD emergencies.

 

[som3dankbudz]

yes im in a similar situation, I went to rehab, got detoxed off my benzo habit which was mostly perscribed klonopin and xanax from many sources. Bottom line is i got put on lyrica for benzo PAWs and it really helped the 6 months i was in different programs. When i asked if it was addictive i got the typical "no, i'm a doctor let me worry about that" so when i got out i was on 600mg of lyrica or 200mg Tid. I tried to quit cold turkey, and boy i had no idea what i was getting into.. I have to take 400mg before 12pm about or i'll wake up and start to go into some kindd of mixed benzo/opiod withdrawal, it's really terrifying the psychootic benzo w/d effect is there, and the runny nose, aches, and feeeling of the day just needs to end in opi withdrawal was present. What a pleasant suprise when i ran out ya know? but now taperin seeems ineffective and the w/d is hell and im in the same boat as you. Try to get a script to gabapentin which is very obtainable, and some clonidine for the sleep disturbance and youll be alright. I hope my doc doesn't pull any shit like that or i"ll be screwed. It's just annoying before i went to rehab, if you mentioned pregabalin addiction everyone looked at you funny esp doctors, and now i google it and see im not the only one.... So i'm with you if anyone has any ideas how else to coope with this i;m sure the op and me would appreciate it.

What i'm about to attempt is use a 10ml oral syringe and dislove the lyrica 25mg a ml and try to go down to 375 then 350 after each week. But if you can obtain a gabapentin script then you can attempt this taper aas well. You shouldn't have any trouble obtaining gabapentin. I hope this helps, no your not alone in this. I wish you the best of luck

PS:" Using benzo's more than the first 2 days of w/d is a bad idea, as the benzo rebound as well as lyrica w/d is unbearable in my experience, and benzos work porely during acute pregabalin w/d

 

[Spookydoll]

I've been taking Lyrica for a long long time like 5 years but I abuse it immensely. I hear people all the time saying I take 600mg and couldn't function well no joking I have 300mg pills and i take 10 of them at a time I get 90 of them at a time that's 3000mg's in one go. I'm only saying this because I run out of Lyrica quickly and i suffer no WD's at all after it's gone it's non addicting I can honestly say that after 5 years taking it. I also take 2 150 fentanyl patches every 2 days that's 15 every 2 weeks is how we have it set up and I take 28 oxycodone every week those are how my prescribtions are made out i don't go monthly i go 2 weeks on fent and 1 week on oxy. I Love love love love Lyrica it's my fav drug i would take it over fent oxycodone oxymorphone dilauded anything it's my fav drug I love the high from it all i can do on it is listen to music it makes everything better eurphoria is awesome.

 

[Tryptamite]

That's how I felt trying to cut down the pregabalin. Kind of like mixed opiate benzo WD. My pills aren't from a doctor, I have been obtaining them. I managed to get my hands on some more and have taken 200mg a day for the last 2 days. Hopefully I can taper off.

I made an appointment with a drugs counsellor. I would love to get a prescription for this or perhaps benzos, but I know that eventually ill have to come off them and the longer I stay on meds the harder it will be.

I have only been on lyrica for about a month. It is true that I have just substituted one addiction for another since I got off opiates. I would like to be relatively drug free, I hate being dependent on anything, but at the same time I think I need meds to deal with anxiety issues.

I would love not to be dependent and alternate benzos, lyrica and a GABA b agonist like phenibut or gbl, taking them only when necessary and hopefully avoiding addiction. I have a way to go still though to be in that position.

To the other poster I have not been on lyrica as long as you, but I have experience tapering opiates and dealing with WDs from them and benzos. I think the only way to get off this shit is a slow taper with liquid mesurement like you said and just dealing with the WDs.
It's very strange, some people like me and you suffer WDs from lyrica whereas others say they feel virtually nothing stopping long and large habits in some cases. Perhaps it's due to previous drug use/abuse and individual biology??