Gabapentinoids The Lyrica (Pregabalin) Mega Thread v 2.0

[Survival0200]

does anyone know if Pregabalin is metabolised by the liver?

No, it's not.

 

[BzCurio]

is mixing the two potentially dangerous? I know you're not supposed to mix benzos and opiates. I'll give it a try but start off small

Straight from my doctor: No.

At the time I took 1.5mg Klonopin with 300mg of Lyrica twice a day. Felt nothing from Lyrica alone and stopped it after a week.

Also drank with both in my system, 1-2 beers felt like 3-5.

 

[Forever Changes]

No, it's not.

I had a Pregabalin binge the other night and felt liver pains the next day so I got worried

 

[Voiceoffear]

Liver doesn't hurt or give you pain. Could be gallbladder, pancreas or most likely intestines. They dont like pregab in them.

 

[Forever Changes]

^ I believe you can experience pain from an enlarged liver in that it can push on the surrounding muscles.

The pain was in my upper right abdomen, so unlikely to be the intestine.

I guess it could be the pancreas or gall. Does Pregabalin actually go into those two organs though?

 

[Forever Changes]

Straight from my doctor: No.

At the time I took 1.5mg Klonopin with 300mg of Lyrica twice a day. Felt nothing from Lyrica alone and stopped it after a week.

Also drank with both in my system, 1-2 beers felt like 3-5.

did he say that the Benzos/Pregabalin combo is generally safe?

 

[Voiceoffear]

^ I believe you can experience pain from an enlarged liver in that it can push on the surrounding muscles.

The pain was in my upper right abdomen, so unlikely to be the intestine.

I guess it could be the pancreas or gall. Does Pregabalin actually go into those two organs though?

Yes, when you ve got fatty enlarged liver so intoxicated can swallow further. But not with pregab:

,,In humans, less than 2% of pregabalin is metabolized and it is excreted virtually unchanged in the urine"

So ot could irritate your pancreas, stomach or gall but yes, some people with intestines infection can feel the pain around rib cage, also on right hand side.

Do your blood work man.

 

[swilow]

That's odd, I'd think they'd have a strong cross-tolerance as they're working by the same mechanism.

For me, the effects of gabapentin are quite different to pregabalin which leads me to think the MOA isn't quite the same. I don't actually think the drug companies have been entirely honest about how these compounds work and they are the source of the main literature out there.

For me, gabapentin did not relieve full fledged Lyrica withdrawal. I also went through a several day binge on gabapentin and ended up with rebound weirdness that Lyrica didn't relieve very well either.

I'm thinking that physical biochemistry plays huge role in how these drugs effect so many people quite differently.

did he say that the Benzos/Pregabalin combo is generally safe?

It is safer than combining benzos and opiates, you are not likely to experience dangerous respiratory depression but the disinhibitjng effects of both will subergise and add to each other. I would say that lower doses of each drug are relatively safe but stay low. Probably increase tolerance more this way than using the drugs separately.

I've added benzos to Lyrica a number of times and it was nothing special, just messy stupid brain shit and no memory to speak of. I don't think it's something you want to do regularly but from.time to time, at low doses, you should be okay. Just take less of each and see how you feel and don't add any other CNS depressants.

 

[BzCurio]

did he say that the Benzos/Pregabalin combo is generally safe?

She did yes, the whole idea was to give me something I could use daily along with benzos to keep benzo usage spread out. Benzos (from my understanding) don't increase GABA levels, just sensitize the receptors, whereas Lyrica is an analog IIRC. So really there isn't a whole lot going on, definitely not the same as mixing two depressants of different classes.

Just Lyrica: Felt nothing even at 300mg 2x a day
Lyrica + Klonopin: Really only felt the Klonopin
Lyrica + Klonopin + Alcohol: Probably not a good idea (and not ok'd by doc), but it drastically reduced that feeling of needing "another one", as 2 beers already felt doubled.

 

[Forever Changes]

It is safer than combining benzos and opiates, you are not likely to experience dangerous respiratory depression but the disinhibitjng effects of both will subergise and add to each other. I would say that lower doses of each drug are relatively safe but stay low. Probably increase tolerance more this way than using the drugs separately.

I've added benzos to Lyrica a number of times and it was nothing special, just messy stupid brain shit and no memory to speak of. I don't think it's something you want to do regularly but from.time to time, at low doses, you should be okay. Just take less of each and see how you feel and don't add any other CNS depressants.

Thanks I will always start with low doses. I don't find either drug does much on its own to be honest. Diazepam does nothing, and Pregabalin when I had no tolerance was a little intoxicating and disinhibiting. But it seems like no amount of time waiting gets zero-tolerance back again for Preg...

 

[Forever Changes]

Yes, when you ve got fatty enlarged liver so intoxicated can swallow further. But not with pregab:

,,In humans, less than 2% of pregabalin is metabolized and it is excreted virtually unchanged in the urine"

So ot could irritate your pancreas, stomach or gall but yes, some people with intestines infection can feel the pain around rib cage, also on right hand side.

Do your blood work man.

only 2% metabolised? Think of that 98% that goes to waste!

I don't have an intestinal infection as far as I know. All I know is I took some pregabalin (more than I usually do as I was chasing the tolerance - stupid of me) and the next day got some noticeable pain in the location of my liver, although it's died away now

 

[swilow]

A side effect of pregabalin can be bloating and gassiness. It's not uncommon to feel gas pains as a pretty intense sensation. And it doesn't need processing by the liver per se so it's unlikely to be causing any issues there. It does seem to effect kidneys to some extent though...

 

[Xorkoth]

only 2% metabolised? Think of that 98% that goes to waste!

Actually, that just means it doesn't get metabolized into something else, not that only 2% reaches your brain. Some drugs get excreted unchanged even though they affect you, for example, the active compound in Amanita muscaria mushrooms. In fact you can drink your urine and keep redosing yourself on the same mushrooms. Sounds like that's probably true with pregabalin too, at least if that line you quoted is true.

 

[Quickfixgrrl]

I haven't replied to this thread for a while.. I was weaning off pregabalin and let me tell you... what a headfuck.
The anxiety sent me out of control. The depression was a nightmare.
So 3 days ago I reached for alcohol. Ended up face planting into something, don't even recall what.. 15 stitches across my eyebrow and temple.
I changed my meds yesterday.. now back on the Lyrica, plus Mirtazapine and Ativan.
Happy days.

 

[Quickfixgrrl]

After this incident, I ate 50 5mg valium in 3 days. I've been pretty much comatose, which is exactly what I wanted.
I'm done. I hate alcohol with a passion. Hopefully the Mirtazapine and Ativan will fix my broken mind ?

 

[Voiceoffear]

OMG! I hope you back on low doses lyrica and you carry on weaning it off.

 

[swilow]

Woah @Quickfixgrrl that's crazy, I'm glad you're okay.

Dunno how quick your taper was or from high dose but it needs to take place over months ime. I find the anxiety utterly impossible if I reduce too quickly, I'm cutting about once a month or so. Still get withdrawal but on the milder end and it wears off after about a week.

I think pregabalin has really impacted my ability to control stress and anxiety though. I started a new job and it's something I've got the qualification for and experience in but the anxiety has been really intense and largely focused on whether I am.going to be anxious or have sudden withdrawal symptoms... anxiety about anxiety is really fucking stupid. ?

 

[Voiceoffear]

I agree. I was taking it short-term but found it really addictive. It is taking me a bit longer weaning it off than time i was on therapeutic dose. But i had no choice and remain functional - skills set + focus + analytical thinking. Dont know how i ve survived this taper so far. But im at the very end. Slow, patient taper feeling like crap every day. There is no need speeding it up, wd's are awful.

 

[Quickfixgrrl]

Anxiety and depression are often fobbed off... advice like "try breathing exercises..." "you'll be ok, just go for a walk".. "take a bath and light some candles"...
Anxiety feels like a demon sitting in your chest. Every day tasks are unbearable. Waking up mid panic attack but forcing yourself to go to work... the feeling of impending doom and catastrophe ever present..
It's a fucking misunderstood, horrible affliction ???

 

[Xorkoth]

Oh god quickfixgirl... I can barely look at that photo from before it was stitched. Glad you're okay, glad you didn't faceplant onto your eyeball or teeth.

I think pregabalin has really impacted my ability to control stress and anxiety though. I started a new job and it's something I've got the qualification for and experience in but the anxiety has been really intense and largely focused on whether I am.going to be anxious or have sudden withdrawal symptoms... anxiety about anxiety is really fucking stupid. ?

I haven't ever withdrawn from pregabalin, but phenibut withdrawal reminds me of what you're describing. I find myself entering anxiety mode about the dumbest shit, and I'll have to catch myself or it'll cascade into greater and greater anxiety. Stuff that would never make me anxious normally. It's weird.