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  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards

Pregabalin for alcohol WD's

Jackal

Jackal

Bluelighter
Joined
Apr 28, 2006
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Chasing my tail.
Hello<3

Some of you may remember me, to the others I say Hi!

So,

I own a pub these days and for maybe four years have drank large amounts of alcohol each night. Over the last year my average daily consumption has been something like ten beers and around six whiskeys. On weekend nights that can get way, way higher.

Surprisingly, I am rather functional and work between 65 and 85 hours a week and make time for my other main pursuit in life these days - moto enduro.

Lately, I did some math and discovered that I drink over $1000 of potential profit in my bar every four weeks. Considering that I now have more responsibilities ( a young family) that money could be put to better use if I quit boozing.

However it's difficult to the extreme NOT to have a drink when, within one metre of my station, I have maybe 700 beers, 32 bottles of whisky, vodka, tequila, rum, gin, wine and other boozy concoctions.

This evening I picked up 14 150mg Pregabalin capsules and some 10mg Diaz. I've just taken a Valium and have been searching for some info on the wisdom of taking a once daily dose of Pregabalin 150mg for 14 days to get me over the initial shock to the system from lack of alcohol.

Does anyone have any (relevant) advice to offer?

I did have "issues with GBL" a few years back - so do want to be cautious, but need to remain fully functional in a day to day business sense.

Thanks,

J
 
Pregabalin is at least partially cross-tolerant with alcohol and is good for alcohol withdrawals - link to research paper. As long as you are confident you won't drink alongside the pregabalin (not ideal to mix your downers, they will potentiate each other) then it is probably a good idea - should make the transition easier. Good luck, your liver (and wallet) will love you for it :)
 
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I would recommend acquiring more diazepam or clonazepam even. These are used extensively in alcohol withdrawal (i've been to detox). It seems to work, but it can replace one issue with another.
 
Thanks for helping out here guys, I knew more answers would come here :)
 
Tripman said:
I would recommend acquiring more diazepam or clonazepam even. These are used extensively in alcohol withdrawal (i've been to detox). It seems to work, but it can replace one issue with another.
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Benzos are effective for alcohol withdrawal but you get addicted to them fast. The withdrawal from benzos is even worse than from alcohol. I've tried to quit benzos 3 times by following a carefully laid out tapering scheme but only ended up switching to more long-acting benzos. The tapering is so slow and painful I would not recommend benzos, you may replace one addiction with an even worse.

Pregabalin works for benzo withdrawal, and since they act on pretty much the same receptors as alcohol, pregabalin would probably help for alcohol withdrawal. There are two problems with pregabalin however. Firstly your tolerance builds up very quickly. I started with 75 mg for benzo withdrawal and in a short time I was up at 600 mg daily. Secondly pregabalin produces withdrawal symptoms too, but they are nowhere near as bad as from benzos (or alcohol I would presume). I tapered down from 600 mg pregabalin daily to being completely clean in 2 months, and it wasn't especially hard.

So IMO pregabalin would be a better choice than benzos.

Edit: The downside with pregabalin is it makes you quite slow, I felt like my intellectual capacity was a bit reduced by it. Benzos do it too though, so go figure.
 
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Haha dude, don't talk to me about benzo withdrawal. I withdrew from 12mg xanax, 120mg valium and 2mg flunitrazepam a day.

20mg CLonazepam and 300mg pregabalin was the beginning of my taper.
 
Heh. ^I think his response was for the OP more than for you, Trip. Let's not have a dick-sizing competition.

Cyanoide said:
Benzos are effective for alcohol withdrawal but you get addicted to them fast. The withdrawal from benzos is even worse than from alcohol. I've tried to quit benzos 3 times by following a carefully laid out tapering scheme but only ended up switching to more long-acting benzos. The tapering is so slow and painful I would not recommend benzos, you may replace one addiction with an even worse.

Pregabalin works for benzo withdrawal, and since they act on pretty much the same receptors as alcohol, pregabalin would probably help for alcohol withdrawal. There are two problems with pregabalin however. Firstly your tolerance builds up very quickly. I started with 75 mg for benzo withdrawal and in a short time I was up at 600 mg daily. Secondly pregabalin produces withdrawal symptoms too, but they are nowhere near as bad as from benzos (or alcohol I would presume). I tapered down from 600 mg pregabalin daily to being completely clean in 2 months, and it wasn't especially hard.

So IMO pregabalin would be a better choice than benzos.

Edit: The downside with pregabalin is it makes you quite slow, I felt like my intellectual capacity was a bit reduced by it. Benzos do it too though, so go figure.
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I couldn't agree more actually. Pregabalin is probably less risky to use for alcohol withdrawals. The "re-bound addiction" margin is much smaller than with something like diazepam.

Even with the long half-life they are still much too 'recreational.' The pregabalin will serve you best.
 
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Tripman said:
Haha dude, don't talk to me about benzo withdrawal. I withdrew from 12mg xanax, 120mg valium and 2mg flunitrazepam a day.

20mg CLonazepam and 300mg pregabalin was the beginning of my taper.
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It was meant to the OP, I just quoted you because you mentioned the benzos. I know diazepam is the standard treatment for alcohol withdrawal, but I still think pregabalin is a better choice if it works.
 
Thanks for all the useful replies.

For the record, it's day 4 and the Pregabalin is working wonderfully at 175mg daily doses. Good sleep and no desire for alcohol.
 
jude101 said:
Thanks for all the useful replies.

For the record, it's day 4 and the Pregabalin is working wonderfully at 175mg daily doses. Good sleep and no desire for alcohol.
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Do you get any euphoria, grogginess or problems with motoric skills/balance with it? I had those things in the beginning.

Great to hear it works, all the best with your withdrawal!
 
Tripman said:
Eh, I'm just saying that the standard treatment for alcoholism is a Diazepam taper.
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That's changed in my area recently and they no longer use Diaz its Librium round my way, not sure why as I didn't bother with since I was already taking Diaz !

I agree, I think its when you aren't having a hangover you are really in trouble, not user why it works that way but I was functional on quite a high level of evening only drinking, min 15 units up t0 20 at times, I'd get up at 7am and do a full days work till about 6:30.

I still feel much better for not drinking the only noticeable side effect was persistent bowel issues, which I won't detail but weren't pleasant.

I found the Diaz enough and even tapered off that at the same time, you don't need all that much to reduce the risk of a seizure, its the staying off that's the real problem. Currently I'm still taking Diaz and know when I've stopped I've craved one or the other quite badly but stayed with the Diaz as I find it much easier to live with and control dosage...most of the time:\
 
yes! pregabalin's potential to quell w/d symptoms for alcohol, benzo, and opiate's is exceptional
 
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