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  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards

Need Advice: Lyrica Withdrawl + Psychiatrist Resisting Reduction

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Jun 7, 2012
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Hi all, first post here as I've finally reached the point of desperation and need help if it can be provided. I'll try and keep this short and will be very thankful for all replys. I have Mild Aspergers Syndrome (Diagnosed several times for verification)

I was put on Pregabalin (Lyrica) at 225mg BD (2x a day) 6-7 months ago for AS-related Anxiety. Since then I've changed but not in a good way! I've been having problems concentrating, literally someone telling me something and then 2 minutes later when I needed to remeber the instructions I was unable to! This happened repatadly and I eventually gave up. I can have a general conversation with people but that seems to be about it now. I no longer enjoy playing computer games and feel similare to when I was maxed out on a anti-psychotic. Its made me more impulsive and I've lost my ability to control my reactions to negative situations (Be it saying something out of line without thinking about it, or in one case physical violance which ended up giving me my first caution from the police! This literally happened 2 weeks after going on Pregabalin - The person involved understood the situation I was in at the time and how stressful it was for me and has forgiven me and less than a hour ago was talking to me in a friendly mannor ) :( I've had no improvements at all from this medication unlike Benzodiazepines/Zopiclone. I also seem to be stuttering when I speak some times, and lossing my train of thought completly at times. I'm sick of it, its like a evil venom eating my brain cells. I do not enjoy computer games, or laugh at cartoons I used to fine funny like American Dad/Family Guy. This is the same thing that happened to me on Qutiapine.

I can't think properly at all anymore, its like my mind is cloudy and everythings fractured. I've been begging to come of Pregabalin from my Psychiatrist for 2 months and he's finally started reducing the dose but at a snails paice. So far in 4 weeks I've been reduced by 50mg for the first two weeks and then 100mg last week. So I'm on a total of 300mg a day now. No improvements of any kind so far, only sporodic Insomia and weird moods. (I've been going really silly at times and feeling much more aggressive on some of these occasions. Before Pregabalin I was not aggressive unless I was in a bad situation/really upset and that was a different type of agression. (Just general venting to whoever would listen)

I feel I need this Pregabalin out of me ASAP. I see my Psychiatrist tomorrow (Friday) and I'm hoping I can figure out a way of getting him to do the last 300mg reduction over 7 days and to give me something to help with the withdrawl symptoms. I had a reduction about 4 months ago for 48 hours to 150mg a day and this resulted in me getting no sleep, feeling like I had the flu but much worse, pain all over my body, and a weird almost psychotic mental state that was similare to when I once tried ampehtamines. The psychiatrist is like a dictator although does listen to some of what I say. He assured me I wouldn't get insomia with the current reduction and yet I have twice now despite taking Nytol. I'm currently in a UK Care Home and another psychiatrist isn't a option I can get arranged quickly. I also have 5mg BD Diazepam which I've been taking at this dose every day for almost 2 years and it has now become completly unaffective. They've been reporting a significant decline (Due to aggression manefesting) and are considering hospitilization, all thanks to this Psychiatrist and Pregabalin! My previous Psychiatrist would alternate me between Diazepam and Lorazepam to keep tolerance in check but this one wants me off Diazepam completly in the near future. He thinks I need Qutiapine again and thats all I need despite documentation saying I improved after coming off this medication and having a switch to Lorazepam. He may use my non-compliance for going onto Qutiapine to try and Section me, thus sending me to hospital. I feel completly trapped and like no options are left. I'm informal yet I can not leave with my medication not that I have any friends or a place to go to

I really have no idea what to do now, I know I can't just refuse the Pregabalin as I'd be a trainwreck during the withdrawl and at the current rate I'll still be on Pregabalin in several months time which is when they will hospitilize me if they don't see any improvement. I'm sure that Pregablin being gone and the Diazepam being switched to Lorazepam for awhile (Or its dose increased to 10mg!) would make them see I'm ok again and then maybe I can move on to the community where I will probably isolate myself from the world while trying to find a effective medication with a new psychiatrist. But I really think they are going to try and hospitilize me. My whole lifes fallen apart since I went on Pregabalin. I can't even remember half of the past 6 months!
I'm very grateful for any advice that can be provided. Sorry for this post being so long :(

I'm sorry if I've posted this to the wrong forum area. I'm not sure if it fits in to ADD
 
Just know that your not alone when it comes to being stupified on lyrica. I too experience stuttering, inability to effectively communicate with others, slurred speach, forgetfulness... the list goes on. Also the w/d's are hell. I would recommend you try gabapentin to taper off and avoid w/d's. I've found that I get way less of these nasty sides you are describing and feel much more sober on gabapentin, even at daily, high doses (3,600 mg+). But thats just my experience it may not be the same for everyone.
 
Thanks for the reply lyricabuddy, I really feel that this type of medications are awful for me personally. Gabepetin would just prolong how long it takes for me to withdraw? I guess at least it has guildlines for reduction unlike Lyrica in the UK! (A psychiatrist claimed it didn't have withdrawl to me until I experienced it!)
 
Yeah it would prolong the w/d, I'm just saying that since you are having such a tough time with lyrica, it would be better for you to taper off using gabapentin since could turkey would probably be too painful
 
You can take a bit of pregabalin out of the capsules to reduce your dose at a quicker pace, but I wouldn't take too much out, you really don't want to go through those withdrawals.

Also, remember that you are free to choose your own doctor, find another psychiatrist, if mine tried to force me onto seroquel despite my own feelings on the matter, I would kick him to the curb.
 
A update, after 3 months I was able to get out of the Care Home and get a UK NHS Psychiatrist, within 24 hours I felt better due to 1mg Lorazepam fixing a issue with Diazepam. (After the same dose for years, its appears Diazepam can cause some of the withdrawl profile while your still taking it, this is verified on the Actavis Diazepam Leaflet - More Info Below)
Now I'm still on the Pregabalin but the doses have been split apart and it no longer has such a destructive effect on my day. (75mg each dose)

Isn't it amazing how I became "stable" within 24 hours of seeing a different Psychiatrist? My advice to anyone that reads this and finds them self in a similar situation, just change Psychiatrist. They're not all evil dictators, some will actually listen to you even if they don't do everything you request from them.

More Information On Withdrawl Symptoms from Diazepam despite taking it
diazepam.png

Link: http://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/medicine/18061
If anyone can find some case studies of this issue with Benzodiazepines please let me know.
 
Dude lyrica doesn't have any withdrawal. If u feel anything it will be nothing compared to opiate wd, and you arent even on a high dose. I think you might have trouble sleeping and eating but nothing serious. You are overreacting. And I LOVE pregabalin, I think it is a wonder drug, I love the way it makes me feel ( stoned feeling Iwith talkativeness ). It's amaZIng for sleep IMO too because it does not disrupt sleep architecture or REM sleep. I'm on some right now and I feel amazing. You should be honored to have tried it because it is soooooo rare on the black market, but it has great recreation potential
 
^dude no offense but that was kinda a dick statement. The OP obviously felt withdrawals so how can you tell him there aren't any. And he needs his medication, there's no reason for him to feel "honored" because you think it gives a good buzz. Try and be considerate man.
 
Its good that you havn't experienced withdrawals with lyrica Lacster. I was on it for about a year and the withdrawals are vile tapered or not imo.Its also taking me a good while to recover cognitively.

( I was going to add something but its gone :\ )
 
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Pregabalin sure as hell DOES have Withdrawals. I was on Lyrica for 6-7 years, started out at 75mg BID, then worked my way up really fast to 300mg BID, so the max dose to be prescribed. 600mg/day. Without tapering from that dose, it is PURE HELL, its like a combination of Opiate/Benzo Withdrawal with really weird neuropathy shit.
 
Everyone is so different and we all have different sensitivities to drug withdrawal. And of course it also depends on a bunch of other factors (time, frequency, dose, metabolism, etc). So just because one person did not experience very noticeable withdrawals does not mean that they don't exist or that another person couldn't experience severe withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal syndrome from Lyrica is a known problem. I've heard of people using opioids for a year and stopping with no withdrawals, and we would never ever say that means it's impossible to get withdrawals from stopping opioids. Too often on BL people think that their personal experience is universally applicable and this can be dangerous.
 
Supeudol said:
Pregabalin sure as hell DOES have Withdrawals. I was on Lyrica for 6-7 years, started out at 75mg BID, then worked my way up really fast to 300mg BID, so the max dose to be prescribed. 600mg/day. Without tapering from that dose, it is PURE HELL, its like a combination of Opiate/Benzo Withdrawal with really weird neuropathy shit.
Click to expand...

I got up to about 600mg ( sometimes more) as well. I was on it for a year. At first it was worth the weight gain and feeling a bit dim because I was feeling sublime absolutely beautiful. Then, however, towards the end of my time on it I developed twitches all over my body ( mostly at night) but sometimes I'd be sitting chatting to someone and my leg would twitch lol.. just out of the blue. Really embarrassing!
At night sometimes I could feel them sparking all over my nervous system..including in my brain stem. I was finding it hard to get my words out without stuttering ( a problem i've never suffered with ) .. when they did come out they would be all jumbled up.

In the end I thought 'enough of htis I've had'. And tapered off.. which was hard work... Sorry, OP, but it seems to be difficult for most people that i've spoken to. (But they are mostly forum people so maybe not a representative group).. The good news is the weight drops off really rapidly and skin seems to feel better post lyrica and you will eventually feel better. It'll feel horrendous most probably for a while but you'll get to the other side of it.

I'm still having a few cognitive problems. Are you Supeudol?

I'm confident i'tll get bet better. Gotta be havn't you. xxxx<3

Swimming Dancer is right too. Everyone is different. YMMV..So dont scare yourself into a self fulfilling prophesy.
 
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YellowPolkaDotHalo said:
I got up to about 600mg ( sometimes more) as well. I was on it for a year. At first it was worth the weight gain and feeling a bit dim because I was feeling sublime absolutely beautiful. Then, however, towards the end of my time on it I developed twitches all over my body ( mostly at night) but sometimes I'd be sitting chatting to someone and my leg would twitch lol.. just out of the blue. Really embarrassing!
At night sometimes I could feel them sparking all over my nervous system..including in my brain stem. I was finding it hard to get my words out without stuttering ( a problem i've never suffered with ) .. when they did come out they would be all jumbled up.

In the end I thought 'enough of htis I've had'. And tapered off.. which was hard work... Sorry, OP, but it seems to be difficult for most people that i've spoken to. (But they are mostly forum people so maybe not a representative group).. The good news is the weight drops off really rapidly and skin seems to feel better post lyrica and you will eventually feel better. It'll feel horrendous most probably for a while but you'll get to the other side of it.

I'm still having a few cognitive problems. Are you Supeudol?

I'm confident i'tll get bet better. Gotta be havn't you. xxxx<3

Swimming Dancer is right too. Everyone is different. YMMV..So dont scare yourself into a self fulfilling prophesy.
Click to expand...

^ You nailed it right on. I was also taking doses of up to 1200mg/day sometimes, but not very often. I tried to stick to my prescribed dose, but when I first when on Lyrica I thought it was the one of the best mood lifter, anxiety reducer shit in the world, put me in a good mood, no more Formication (Sensation of bugs crawling up and down your skin). But as I went on, a few months down the road, the good feelings I got from Lyrica quickly began to fade unless I was to take a higher dosage.

I came off Lyrica when I was in a Rehab Centre for 90 days before, and I can remember the pain/shivering/ and w/ds coming off it, even just tapering off from 600mg/day down by 50mg per day. I thought the taper was way too fast, but according to the specialists, and psychiatrists, all they said I needed was a 10 day Lyrica taper, and I was off. I remember isolating a lot, and rumours were going around that I was opiates again in Rehab, when I was taking nothing other than 10mg of Paroxetine, and 100mg of Trazodone at night to try and get some sleep. It took about a good month or so for me to restable. Even being completely clean off Opiates, Lyrica, and Benzo's, I was still getting some nasty withdrawal symptoms. One of the worst symptoms I got was rapid heart rate and the Formication feeling (Like when somebody takes their nails down a chalk board) ooooEEEUUUUHH... I would get that like every half hour, and to this day today I still get that Formication, and I don't know if it will ever leave me.

I am on a Lyrica taper right now, and down to 50mg TID, so 150mg/day right now and I have trouble getting words out of my mouth, stuttering, etc, just like you explained YellowPolkaDotHalo.
BUT, it DOES get better. I am also on a Diazepam taper, going down by 5mg/week. In Canada, I have no clue why, but they always do Benzo tapers so damn fast here, and I have been to numerous different doctors, and they always want to taper so fast, and for a person with a severe Benzo/Opiate habit like me, its just so damn hard when they taper fast. One doctor was dropping my Diazepam by 5mg per day!
The thing I love about Diazepam (Valium) is how fast the onset is, fastest hitting benzodiazepine for onset anyways. And I would say Sublingual Lorazepam to be second for fast onset. Obviously IV Diazepam/Lorazepam is the fastest but I am talking just strictly PO, or SL here. Anyways, back on topic.

Like Swimming Dancer said as well. Everyone is different and has a different neurochemistry to them, and unique in their own way. It depends on dose, how long, metabolism, everything. So, I commend the both of you, excellent posts.

BTW - Does anyone else get that 'Gooseflesh Formication' feeling I'm talking about when detoxing from Benzo's/Lyrica ?

I am wondering if it will ever leave me, god I hope so! :\
 
Question for lyrica users. I am currently on 600mg Gabepetin 4x a day. this doseage helps a little with my anxiety by taking the edge off but does not completely get rid of it and i rarely feel "normal". I am thinking about asking my dr to switch me from the Gabepetin to lyrica since i began reading about lyrica being used to successfully treat anxiety. Do any of you think it will help me even after being on such a high dose of Gabepetin?
 
grady27 said:
Question for lyrica users. I am currently on 600mg Gabepetin 4x a day. this doseage helps a little with my anxiety by taking the edge off but does not completely get rid of it and i rarely feel "normal". I am thinking about asking my dr to switch me from the Gabepetin to lyrica since i began reading about lyrica being used to successfully treat anxiety. Do any of you think it will help me even after being on such a high dose of Gabepetin?
Click to expand...

Yes, Pregabalin (Lyrica) is basically the far superior version of GABAPentin. Lyrica is WAY more stronger mg for mg than GABAPentin. Only problem is Lyrica is a pricey drug, and a lot of insurance companies do not cover it. In Canada here, there is no generic for Lyrica yet as Pfizer still holds the patent. Not sure about the U.S. or UK though. IMO, GABAPentin is garbage and makes anxiety worse. Neither of the two are really meant for anxiety, doctors usually just prescribe Lyrica off label for Anxiety, but it can be abused quite easily, and quite addicting.

EDIT: Lyrica also has an oral bioavailability of 90% or >.
 
I just wanted to bump this thread up, and see if any others got some really weird type effects after discontinuing Pregabalin? Like the Formication (Sensation of bugs crawling up and down your arms) or "gooseflesh" would be another term. Thanks
 
i just made a post about the inaccuracy of psychiatrists. psychiatry is a tricky business and some doctors just won't know what's right for you. if he is wanting to section you off to a hospital for simply reporting what works, it may be time to look for someone else. it's going to fucking suck, but it might be best.

i noticed you mentioned zopiclone helping you and that's funny because it also helped me more with anxiety than ambien did. i would list benzos and zopiclone as well. however, the zopiclone DID make me feel more loopy. on the other hand, klonopin makes me feel like myself. it makes me comfortable living life. that's important. you seem to not want to switch meds because you are sick and tired of things that don't work. that's understandable.
 
also, i have had bad reactions from shitty anxiety meds that weren't benzos. one just wouldn't work, and the others just didn't work so i took more than prescribed and felt like shit. not overdosing, but way more than i'd take if i HAD been prescribed klonopin.

doctors have assumptions about certain types of people because of their own experience as humans. many could come from privileged backgrounds and believe everyone who has ever done drugs will OD on benzos, for example, or not be smart enough to handle them. while it may be a good rule of thumb on that account, it's important to listen to the individual's needs and really hear them.

i didn't read your post well enough, bad habit. if you have to fake the shitty dose of 10mg of your benzo being enough, definitely do this plan of getting a new doc.
 
Lyrica (pregabalin) is an anti-epileptic drug, also called an anticonvulsant. It works by slowing down impulses in the brain that cause seizures. Lyrica also affects chemicals in the brain that send pain signals across the nervous system. Lyrica is used to control seizures and to treat fibromyalgia.... drugs.com

I am strongly against the use of such potentially risky medications to treat anxiety spectrum disorders. One option is cold turkey; but check out http ://www. google.com.au/search?hl=en-AU&source=hp&q=lyrica%3B+abrupt+discontinuation%3B+effects&gbv=2&oq=lyrica%3B+abrupt+discontinuation%3B+effects&gs_l=heirloom-hp.3...3558.19391.0.19920.39.35.0.0.0.0.823.3540.5-3j2.5.0...0.0...1c.1.Voswasq0mFk about the risks, first.

View my previous answer about weaning off medications at http ://au. answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110728053225AAJ06sJ and see my post about effective natural anxiety treatments at http ://au. answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20120610220019AAtoyyH

Learn and employ the relaxation techniques (begin with Progressive Muscle Relaxation) and the EFT variant for use in public places, in case it is needed there. Asperger syndrome; view http://au.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20120827080408AA7ekQf and see http ://au. answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110816210825AAbCDt7 about anger management.
 
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