Hey Lyrica users. I'm currently prescribed 900mg Gabapentin per day. How does Lyrica compare? Both effect wise, withdrawal wise, etc.
Are you asking for medicinal or recreational use? Given that it's scripted, I'll guess the first option.
I was prescribed Gabapentin for years prior to pregabalin coming on the market. A while back now, when I took all my meds as ordered. Looking back, I wonder why I bothered with it. Because my PM Dr said it would help I guess :/
All I felt from it was absolute & utter exhaustion. My days seemed to fly by while I sat mindlessly on the couch, wouldn't even have been able to tell you what was on the tv. No pain relief though. Zip, zero, zilch, nada.
Then I went on holiday & didn't bother to fill that months prescription, it's pretty pricey here,(& I wasn't feeling any benefits), & I honestly didn't notice any withdrawl symptoms. I'd been taking 2400mgs in split daily doses.
Then I began lurking around BL & several other sites, & decided to hit my GP up to see if Lyrica would help with my leg pain. Mainly at night, well, when laying down,- I'd have these god damn, freakin, shooting, lightening bolts through the length of my legs. It was a miracle if I ever slept!
Hmm, this is getting lengthy.. So I told my Dr that my specialist suggested I switch from Gabapentin (which I didn't inform her of that I'd been completely off of for several mths), to Lyrica. She immediately printed the script.
I know opinions differ regarding onset, but for my leg pains & sleep, (bonus side effect), it worked almost immediate wonders!!
I've never taken it for lengthy periods, it's not a daily medication for me. I take it more like a prn, or when I'm going through a flare up of neuropathic pain. Weeks at a time at most, so no wds experienced.
I hear reports of tolerance rapidly building, so I keep it specifically for a specific type of pain. Unfortunately I do suffer from more than one. (Also handy for opiate wds, but that's another thread).
Also, it's still a relatively young drug, there's only now a few reports emerging that it's not for long term use, & I'm not particularly inclined to be big pharmas guinea pig!
In saying this though, I wouldn't be without Lyrica. Compared to Gabapentin it's a completely different drug. Metaphorically, not literally, I know the "big brother" label. To me it's a handy med to have on hand.
I've never felt high or any euphoria from it, but a kind of "alls ok" with the world feeling. Like many others, depending on doseage, a bit of a calm, drunk feeling, liable to nod off if I'm comfortable & not being entertained. Or I use it as a sleep aid in higher doses.
Anyway, that's all I've got to say for now. Bring on pregabalin 3.0!
Rtp