Gabapentinoids Is Lyrica (pregabalin) actually recreational?

[JohnBoy2000]

What effect exactly makes it recreational?

I responded terribly to zopiclone and other GABA/benzo's like Valium do absolutely nothing for me.

Lyrica being a GABA drug, does it have properties consistent with the latter?

I'm using solpadeine (paracetamol/caffeine/codeine) combo, two twice a day (so total 2 grams of paracetamol, 120 mg caffeine, 32 mg codeine) daily to "take the edge off".

Kind of cautious about that much paracetamol every day, though a recent liver function test was fine.

I also don't drink alcohol or am not taking anything else currently.

So I'm considering replacing that with Lyrica as a health precaution but again, given I don't respond to zopiclone or benzo's, would Lyrica be any better?

 

[negrogesic]

Yes it is, in a way. But the effect goes away on daily use.

The recreational effect is hard to describe, very different than its relatives gabapentin and phenibut (neither of which are nearly as enjoyable). At very high doses it has this empathogenic quality that has parallels to the empathogenic states than can sometimes occur with GHB, but there is also this sort of sedated hypomania that occurs. Definitely more inebriating than other gabapentinoids.

Pregabalin is probably more recreational than benzos due to this more alcohol-like inebriation. But pregabalin is not primarily a GABAergic drug. I definitely don't recommend taking it on a daily basis, it is physically addictive to a degree and sort of puts you in this floaty ambitiousless existential state where nothing matters much.

 

[MsDiz]

It is recreational but it’s a fucking bitch to get off. Not a withdrawal I will ever forget. If you do use it, use it sparingly.

Start with 75/150mg and wait. It takes a while to feel the effects, like 2 hours maybe, people think it’s not working and redose and end up slobbering messes.

 

[plumbus-nine]

Pregab is very recreational but it will only work once in a while, a similar dose next day won't have nearly the same strength in effects. It actually feels a bit like a dissociative mixed with something else, don't exactly know where this comes from because it doesn't have affinity to the NMDA receptor.

It isn't a direct GABAergic either but induces an enzyme which converts glutamate to GABA and at higher doses it inhibits glutamate reuptake, that's why higher doses are stimulating and lower ones sedating.

150-300mg will feel a bit like being drunk. 450-900mg are stimulating and dissociative, without tolerance. I would definitely advise to start low and redose if wanted. Idk if it's possible to pass out from too much pregabalin, it doesn't feel like but better be safe than sorry. Too much of a dose also is potentially seizurogenic.

 

[Nas47]

No man.It's not recreational at all for me.......even benzos aren't recreational.....just med for tranquility....that's doesn't mean recreational for me

 

[plumbus-nine]

No man.It's not recreational at all for me.......even benzos aren't recreational.....just med for tranquility....that's doesn't mean recreational for me

Did you ever take a slightly higher dosage? Pregabalin is only recreational when either taken without tolerance or in a higher dosage than prescribed. Tapering kills this effect. For me it was substantially more recreational than boring benzos but also absolutely not sustainable, only one trip every now and then. The first 900mg I took blew my mind.

 

[Nas47]

Ye...get to four-fivev75 mg capsules daily.I get some lifting mood effect only first time.....aside from that is just weak anxiolytic for me with neglible pain-killing properties.....it's good when quitt something(benzo or some light opioid) to goin' through withdrawl more easy....that's all

 

[Mjäll]

So you're looking to replace a pain/anxiety management regimen with something "recreational"? Confusion.

Anyway yes pregabalin is an awesome drug that most people dig (which you already know).

 

[Nas47]

Me?Sorry the post is for or not?don't understand.Lyrica has it's use for somebody,recreational for somebody else.For me-it's only tool for quittin' benzos after tapperin' the last&only for short time....'cause it's create no less big addiction than benzos....but yes-nor lyrica,nor benzos are recreational for me

 

[JohnBoy2000]

So you're looking to replace a pain/anxiety management regimen with something "recreational"? Confusion.

Anyway yes pregabalin is an awesome drug that most people dig (which you already know).

Solpadeine is slightly recreational.

I take it and I feel good.

It takes the edge off and alleviates headaches.

Taking the edge off is more important.

I tried every other drug and nothing was tolerable - amphetamine, meth, LSD, shrooms, ketamine, cannabis/weed, MDMA, all the anti-depressants, all the anti-psychotics (excluding aripiprazole), anti-histamines, zopiclone, valium, herbals like camomile, supplements like active vitamin B, vitamin D, curcumin - have I missed anything?

All the other conventional painkillers, aspirin, ibuprofin, paracetamol regular, codeine phosphate (horrible), etc.

Even regular coffee as a "pick me up".

They either worsened my complaints or did nothing.

For whatever reason, solpadeine just hits the spot, makes me mellow, chills me out, I can get through the day - two in the morning, two late afternoon and I'm good to go.

Only thing I haven't tried is Lyrica, but given how many people say "do not take it every day", perhaps it's not a good choice?
Plus other GABA drugs GAVE me anxiety, didn't take it away.

 

[plumbus-nine]

Weird that you didn't tolerate codeine phosphate but do the solpadeine. Do you know what codeine salt it contains? You might want to do a CWE to get the codeine separated from paracetamol.

Lyrica shouldn't give you anxiety but it's imo also nothing to take daily because it's effects subside very fast. Some people get long lasting effects against pain or anxiety though. While it has an indirect GABA promoting effect it doesn't attach to the GABA receptor complex itself. I guess you can only try for yourself and see what it gives you and what not. From a short term experiment you won't be in danger of withdrawal and not everybody gets it anyways, I for example was on 900mg and had next to no withdrawal.

 

[Mjäll]

Solpadeine is slightly recreational.

I take it and I feel good.

It takes the edge off and alleviates headaches.

Taking the edge off is more important.

I tried every other drug and nothing was tolerable - amphetamine, meth, LSD, shrooms, ketamine, cannabis/weed, MDMA, all the anti-depressants, all the anti-psychotics (excluding aripiprazole), anti-histamines, zopiclone, valium, herbals like camomile, supplements like active vitamin B, vitamin D, curcumin - have I missed anything?

All the other conventional painkillers, aspirin, ibuprofin, paracetamol regular, codeine phosphate (horrible), etc.

Even regular coffee as a "pick me up".

They either worsened my complaints or did nothing.

For whatever reason, solpadeine just hits the spot, makes me mellow, chills me out, I can get through the day - two in the morning, two late afternoon and I'm good to go.

Only thing I haven't tried is Lyrica, but given how many people say "do not take it every day", perhaps it's not a good choice?
Plus other GABA drugs GAVE me anxiety, didn't take it away.

Lyrica is dumb to take every day yes, it's a strong recreational drug. The psychiatric community/establishment is a bunch of crap.

You seemed to have tried many good drugs already. Maybe it's something else you crave.

 

[plumbus-nine]

Some people seem to benefit from daily usage, specially folks with fibromyalgia I guess and some with generalized anxiety. I don't know why Lyrica is so fucking prone to tolerance like no other drug I've encountered so far. But yeah agree, the medical community could do better when it comes to psychoactives.

 

[PtahTek]

Can be at higher doses (200-400mg) but there is a back swing which could be deadly in certain circumstances.
Would not jump out there at 600mg+ to start for sure.

 

[JohnBoy2000]

Lyrica may not attach to the GABA complex directly however, GABA activation downregulates nerves pulses, right?

Thus making it an anti-seizure drug.

Which is similar to benzos and Z drugs have a vaguely similar mechanism (measured via brain "wave" activity, electromagnetic waves generated from neve pulse activity).

If I looked at things from that point of view, downregulation of nerve pulses isn't something I respond well to.

.......

Could that logic apply?

 

[JohnBoy2000]

Codeine phosphate is in the cough syrup which I didn't respond well to.

And solpadeine has codeine phosphate, which I respond well to.

Maybe there's some synergy in solpadeine between the paracetamol/caffeine + codeine, or maybe it's solpadeine doing what it's meant to do in alleviating an exertion headache, that's possibly the source of my anxiety causing "the edge"....... which it takes off.

I just know codeine cough syrup felt like shit.

Solpadeine makes all right with the world.

Just 2 grams of paracetamol daily over months, worries me.

 

[plumbus-nine]

Lyrica is an indirect GABAergic by inducing an enzyme which converts glutamate (primary excitatory transmitter) into GABA (primary inhibitory transmitter). At higher dosages it also inhibits the glutamate reuptake pump labeled GLT-1. This is why higher dosages of it can actually provoke seizures. Seems like the first, enzymatic activity is satisfied at maybe 450-600mg. Unfortunately I understand the CNS still too little to tell anything about downregulation of nerve pulses but it sounds likely.

Did you get any sedation or disinhibition form usual suspect GABAergic drugs like benzos or z-drugs? I can't find anything in benzos but loved zolpidem for example, and in opposition to most I didn't get the slightest sedation from it, felt more like a more stoning variant of pagoclone. Paradoxical reactions to specially benzos are rare but well known.

Weird but I know from own experience that different drugs with the same ingredient can feel differently even when I usually would dismiss this idea. In earlier times I loved dextromethorphan and the different products had all different effects at the same dosage. Might be due to differencies in absorption because inactive ingredients should be, well, inactive and just cause stuff like stomach irritation or diarrhea (likely with cough syrup). Different salt forms can have different pharmacologies as seen in tianeptine sulfate vs. tianeptine sodium for example but weird when both products contain codeine phosphate salt.

Can't you separate the codeine from paracetamol by a cold water extraction?

 

[JohnBoy2000]

Lyrica is an indirect GABAergic by inducing an enzyme which converts glutamate (primary excitatory transmitter) into GABA (primary inhibitory transmitter). At higher dosages it also inhibits the glutamate reuptake pump labeled GLT-1. This is why higher dosages of it can actually provoke seizures. Seems like the first, enzymatic activity is satisfied at maybe 450-600mg. Unfortunately I understand the CNS still too little to tell anything about downregulation of nerve pulses but it sounds likely.

Did you get any sedation or disinhibition form usual suspect GABAergic drugs like benzos or z-drugs? I can't find anything in benzos but loved zolpidem for example, and in opposition to most I didn't get the slightest sedation from it, felt more like a more stoning variant of pagoclone. Paradoxical reactions to specially benzos are rare but well known.

Weird but I know from own experience that different drugs with the same ingredient can feel differently even when I usually would dismiss this idea. In earlier times I loved dextromethorphan and the different products had all different effects at the same dosage. Might be due to differencies in absorption because inactive ingredients should be, well, inactive and just cause stuff like stomach irritation or diarrhea (likely with cough syrup). Different salt forms can have different pharmacologies as seen in tianeptine sulfate vs. tianeptine sodium for example but weird when both products contain codeine phosphate salt.

Can't you separate the codeine from paracetamol by a cold water extraction?

No z-drugs just made me slightly stoned and a lot anxious.

Benzo's I only tried a few times but they didn't sedate me at all, maybe slightly stoned.

I figured if I don't respond well to codeine phosphate pure in the cough syrup, what's the point is separating it in solpadeine.

But it might be worth a try.

Any links to that method?

 

[plumbus-nine]

Any links to that method?

Google has many, for example here!

 

[JohnBoy2000]

Is there any advantage to using the codeine extracted from solpadeine (with paracetamol)

versus

using the codeine in cough syrup like Codinex?

Anyone?

I'd only want to dose the same, 16 mg of it anyways.