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Gabapentinoids The Lyrica (Pregabalin) Mega Thread v 2.0

It's cool that you're enjoying the stuff you're taking. Though your original plan was to taper and get off benzos completely. Now you're going to the opposite direction. Especially IV use will undeniably deepen your addiction.

Nothing wrong with that If you know what you're doing and willing to accept the consequences. You shouldn't be planning to stop your drug use unless you're truely ready to do so. You are setting yourself up for failure and disappontments for no reason.

If you are addicted to benzos but otherwise stable it's not the end of the world. Stopping benzos will always cause stress and anxiety no matter how smoothly the taper goes. You have your job to do which you cannot afford to lose. It's important that you don't risk that with doing half assed taper plans.

You will know when you have had enough and are ready to stop benzos and face everything that comes with. Then you should plan your taper and wait for the right moment (no extra responsibilities etc.) to begin it.

I sincerely believe this would be best thing to do in your situation. All the best and good luck man.
 
I have some questions about Lyrica.
1. I am prescribed lyrica for pain caused by nerve damage in my knee--it is effective for this purpose--but I find myself taking it more often as an anxiolytic. It seems to have myriad psychoactive effects, but one of the strangest things about it is that it seems, somehow, to be capable of acting as an upper and a downer at the same time.
2. Lyrica and a beer or two mix very well. Lyrica and a 'paranormal' amount of beer... you'll probably fall down the stairs. One of the side effects of Lyrica (in recreational doses anyway) is vertigo. I can attest that alcohol does intensify this effect.
3. Lyrica is not necessarily 'less harmful' or 'less addictive' than your average benzo. I think both are great in moderation and potentially disastrous in severe excess. The addictive potential for pregabalin, like benzos, obviously varies from one individual to the next so keep that in mind. I think I've noticed more of a mental dependency on pregabalin than a physical one (though I've never gone for more than 6 or 7 weeks without taking a break). Whenever I do take a break from it I do crave it, but I've never gotten physically ill like I used to with opiates. I take benzos (xanax) occasionally, but I simply don't think I've ever liked it enough for it to get its hooks in. As far as insomnia goes, benzos are definitely more effective... though I do tend to get pretty regular sleep while I'm taking pregabalin (much better sleep than I get if I take nothing at all, anyway). Strangely, it seems like I have a tendency to wake up like clockwork after around 6 hours when I take Lyrica, whereas I might be able to sleep 9 or 10 if I go to bed with a xanax. Some might even find that preferable, but I find it a bit irritating sometimes.
Who here has used both Lyrica and Gabapentin separately? If so, which do you like better and why?
The effects are similar, but I definitely like Lyrica better. They are similar enough that a dabbler might even get them confused in a 'blind taste test' (or at least similar enough that it's difficult to describe the difference), but for me, gabapentin seems to have more side effects in recreational doses. I'm not generally bothered by the brain static and vertigo (it's part of the experience) but somehow gabapentin just feels a little bit 'dirtier'.
 
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Lyrica gives me anxiety and that's it. It does the opposite of a benzo .
I'm surprised/jealous so many get high from them.
 
it does kinda suck when someone describes a sought after experience and we try it and are dissapointed. kinda like seeing the look on someones face riding a roller coaster and thinking 'i need that'. we get on and instantly realize that its a kids ride and we dont fit.
we need standardized global effects from our substances.
vote yes on prop #g00ddroogz
 
Who here has used both Lyrica and Gabapentin separately? If so, which do you like better and why?
I was told gaba is stronger than lyrica, but the first one only calms my nerve pains and sort of stops anxiety while the other kinda fucks me up, i knock things off the table and run into walls and stuff, until im super dizzy and even fall asleep. So when im feeling worse than usual i take lyrica, otherwise i just take gaba. Idk really...
 
daily? maybe less labido but size isn't affected much iirc. ;)
Yeah I take them daily for sleep but they lose there effect after about a week so then I take zopiclone 7.5mg and that doesn't put me to sleep. Maybe if I take another 7.5mg I'll get some sleep.

Yeah maybe I was just imagining things about it getting smaller I did notice less libido.
 
Hey boys,

Yeah I know another thread about Pregabalin and stuff but here Gabapentin is not that cheap so I want to really know which one is better?

I have read somewhat mixed opinions: some prefer Gabapentin and others do not change its Pregabalin? Which is better in your experience? The issue of tolerance with Pregabalin (so fast) is so severe with Gabapentin? Is withdrawal that severe?Euphoria wise which one is better?

Blessings My Friends!!
 
Hey man!

As you know, I'm on gabapentin here. I've never tried pregablin before unfortunately.

I will say tho, that gabapentin tolerance raises pretty damn fast. And I had withdrawals after only 4 weeks of taking them daily. The withdrawals consisted of severe body pain (or maybe this was the body pain I had before I started taking gabapentin and just didn't realize how much pain I was actually in until I stopped taking them again). The pain is very similar to the achey body feel of opioid withdrawal. The mental aspect sucked. Everything felt very boring. Although it was not the same excruciating "cry your eyes out" type of pain/bored that opioid or heroin withdrawals can bring, but it was bad enough to immediately make every day feel shitty.

I also had hallucinations, like seeing trails, colorful blobs, dark spiders running around, etc.. I've never had this issue before until I went through gabapentin withdrawals. I'm guessing that gaba B withdrawals could produce delirium or hallucinations.

The withdrawals lasted for about 5 days. By day 5 I was okay but I ended up taking them again anyway. So I'd say tramadol withdrawal was still worse than gabapentin withdrawal, but it was close. The pain & bored & mental depression felt... different, than those same things you get from other withdrawals. Not sure how to explain it because it's a subjective experience. I'd imagine gabapentin or lyrica withdrawals could be pretty brutal if you're on them long enough.
 
Just about everyone here prefers pregabalin over gabapentin due to the strength and that you don't need to stagger it. It is stronger for sure. Someone like me gets side effects from pregabalin, head shocks and a form of dizziness that scares me over 300 mgs. Pregabalin seems to effect my head stronger. But I do take gabapentin and have utilized that one better. That one takes longer to hit but I feel it deep down in my body as opposed to a strong head high. The head aspect of gabepentin is much genter and has a subtle euphoria that pregabalin does not have for me. So I stuck with that instead of switching. I also have some generic pregabalin from Canada that I just save and test once in a while.

I get a very light dose for nerve pain. But not daily. I do not want to get addicted and I do not think I even come close. I mean 2400-2700 mgs once a week (sometimes twice) has not produced any dependence and I have never been addicted to any gaba drug so I would not know. I have not had sciatica since doing that routine so whatever it does it is working at that level.

I do see people recommend gabapenitn for pregabalin withdrawal. But I thougt since they are similar it would keep the dependence going but it seems easer to stop for some people. I have seen a lot of credible people on here say they took 600 mgs of pregabalin or 2400 mgs of gabapentin daily for 2 years and quit with no withdrawal. Then I have seen others say after only a month daily they had withdrawal And I will swear without proof that people also taking benzos have a different dependency that arises than just the pregabalin and benzo alone. After all I read the people that had the hardest time coming off also were on benzos.
 
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I dose gabapentin with a beginning bolus of 1200 mg and one 220 mg otc naproxen (Aleve). Naproxen and gabapentin work synergistically with each other (same with pregabalin and Aleve). Then I dose 150 mg of gabapentin every 45 minutes until I reach my desired blood plasma level.

I have to say I have read every staggering post here too. lol I do think metabolism factors in. I have tried 150 mgs every 40 minutes but it was not as strong as taking 600 mgs every 40 minutes. I tried 300 mgs but that did not end up as strong either. So I settled in 600 mgs ever 40-45 minutes. I have a fast metabolism have been the same weight for 25 years. But I want to try 150 mgs every 45 minutes again and see. I don't want to waste any.
 
Yes, you are righf. Bengal fuled nonsense.

I have 0.5 diclazepam on my way, hoping it'll get job done due.to long half life. Pulse I never liked it anyways.

I precisely went into the opposite direction there
 
Take 1500 mg of pregabalin at evening, 2 mg of alprazolam, 20 mg of diazepam and 800 mg of tramadol at night yesterday. Fuck. It was too much, I couldn't even speak and I was conscious I think for an hour and then I blackout. But while it lasted I enjoyed it very much. But it is definitely not recommended and I would not do it again.
 
I feel infinitely lonely, though. Waiting for my diclazepam which takes a while bc of the planet ban in uk, but stuff gets through it I are smart about it. Hope I'll be able to migrate and my lyricsa might help, too. I'm not really ready as you pointed out currectly, but which me luck. It won't be a farewell to benzos, this I can assure nevertheless.


Edit: LivingonValium: you have no idea.what your.support means.to me. Thank you so much for alll your lines!
 
I tried pregabalin recreationaly, first at 200mg, then 300mg, and then 450mg (with at least 2-3 weeks in between doses).

Finally my assessment is that, for me at least, this drug is only mildly recreational. Notes:
  • All trials were taken in the evening and mixed with weed.
  • Good: I had a good/fun/lazy night for each of these trials.
  • Annoying: I was less articulate on this drug. At 450mg I kept losing my train of thought when trying to explain something.
  • Good: When it was time to sleep, I slept easily and slept well.
  • Bad: The next morning I was still having trouble with coordination and was sedated.
  • Good: The next day had noticeable anti-anxiety effects.
All in all a very tame drug. If I did it again I'd stick with ~300mg or less, since 450 was too much for me (i.e. more sedating with no benefit), however I probably won't bother.
 
Just found out that Pregabalin won’t be available on prescription in NI (UK) soon but don’t know exactly when. Apparently GP’s are contacting patients soon who are on to get them onto an alternative med.

I take it for GAD and sleep issues - are there any alternatives that provide the same relief?
 
gabapentin is very similar, but less potent and more difficult to dose (you can't take your dose all at once, it's even often prescribed in a way that makes it not absorb well, it needs to be taken at 300mg every 30-45 minutes, with food in the stomach, as it is an unusual drug that is absorbed via an amino acid transporter in the small intestine). But it has the same mechanism of action, the effects are less powerful but quite similar. it is less intoxicating and less addictive, though still produces withdrawals. It fully substitutes for pregabalin and vice versa, so you won't have to withdraw from pregabalin. I am nearly certain that is what they will switch you to as it is the closest drug and the only one that will fully substitute without issues, and it is considered safer and less prone to abuse.
 
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