Lyrica Withdrawal

[Kimmerann]

I was on 400/mg for 2 years. I just went cold turkey 10 days ago and what you said couldn't be more true! My body felt like it was in constant shock, but he worst part for me was the depression. I'm not a suicidal person, but today is the first day I have gotten off the couch and haven't thought of 100 different ways to kill myself. I have never in my life been in such a dark place.
Everybody is different, however you and I must have had same withdrawal experiences. I would NEVER recommend anyone to even try this drug.

 

[Thereisalwayshope]

Hey! I am no expert at all but maybe i have some ideas that can help you.
First of all, you are NOT crazy! It may seem so and it can feel so real, but it is not.


Lyrica is said to stop new synapses from forming. Maybe that is why it takes so long to recover from.
Both ashwagandha and bacopa stimulates dendrites and axons to grow in the brain. So this could be of some help.


Ashwagandha
Bacopa monnieri


Check out examine.com and pubmed


There are many reliabel sources. And remember that there is always HOPE!


If it doesn't work we must ask Elon Musk for help


Take care and hang in there.


And sorry for my english, it is not my first language.

 

[Forgottonshadow]

Lyrica w/d

I take Lyrica 150mg tid and the withdrawals are very intense. I have withdraweled from everything you can manage such as H, 'Done, (it took me 9 years, to successfully get off of that, benzodiazepines etc. I was a good 6 hours away from home, I realized I had forgotton to bring my lyrica. First thing I noticed was a ringing in my ears that wouldn't subside. I then became extremely paranoid thinking that the police were after me. This will not go away and it would be 4 days until I could get home. I started to hear things that weren't there. My friends thought that I was having l schizophrenia breakdown (no judgment of those who have this) but is something that I do not suffer from it was just the withdrawal. Later I found out that it can cause swelling in the brain and cause you to have seizures whether or not you're prone to them. So even if I am already on several anticonvulsants I was at still highly at risk during this time, mess of forgetfulness. This medicine has helped me incredibly for the joint and nerve pain that is with me every day. All pharmaceuticals have their side effects problems and sometimes they help sometimes they don't but I can say that Lyrica withdrawal is something that is real and is very terrifying and I don't want to experience it ever again so when I'm ready to get off this medication it will be a slow taper, whenever that will be. As soon as I made it home, and took the med All of those problems subsided.Now I'm very cautious to make sure that I don't go into this withdrawal again. . whenever that will be. -shadow

 

[BlueHair?]

I would NEVER stop a gabapentinoid cold-turkey... these include gabapentin, baclofen, phenibut, pregabalin, and mirogabalin. They can all induce delirium and psychosis, AS well as risking absent-and-tonic-clonic seizures. That's a greatly reduced inhibition of L, N, and P-type calcium channel currents and reduction in GAD activity, as well as KiR channel or GABA B potentiation, which is GIRK by nature.

The incidence of severe myoclonus is also very present.

 

[Supeudol]

I am so sick of these threads about Lyrica withdrawal. I don't think my doctor would be scripting my Lyrica if it was that addictive since he is pretty much Anti-abuse medications period. Then again, my doctor doesn't know shit about anything.

But Lyrica withdrawal being worse than opiate withdrawal? Yeah right.

^ I Change my answer on that, Pregabalin withdrawal is by FAR the worst thing I have ever gone through, worse than GHB/GBL, Benzodiazepines, Opioids. I can't seem to get off this stuff, and now I've really fucked with my tolerance to where 1800mg/day does barely anything for me. Going to have trouble to keep Pregabalin scripted. Ugh..

Does anyone have any suggestions on what would help me lower my pregabalin tolerance and get through so withdrawal is tolerable? Baclofen maybe? Or another substance that hits the alpha-2-delta calcium channels and substance P?

 

[Ne0]

It seems suicide is only way out. I'm not going through extreme anehdonia and depression.

 

[zephyr]

Its not.

Effexor is great for suicidal tendencies.

I havent felt that bad since been on it.

Life is not easy.

Youre in a rough patch.

Thats all it is.

 

[Ne0]

Its not.

Effexor is great for suicidal tendencies.

I havent felt that bad since been on it.

Life is not easy.

Youre in a rough patch.

Thats all it is.

Yes it is if I lack anykind of enjoyment, I don't feel good from sport, meditation, reading or any other thting that i have enjoyed, I just wait to get back to sleep. But it seems pregabalin WD did not cause this, because I jsut took 600mg after 7 days break and it didnt take away the anhedonia and depression. I have been using quetiapine 150mg every night to get sleep, so I dtop using it and see how it goes. I can stand physical pain but not any kind of anhedonia and extreme depression, I rather die.

 

[Runningfox]

It seems suicide is only way out. I'm not going through extreme anehdonia and depression.

Things can improve, trust me.
Aside from withdrawals from lyrica , do you feel like sharing some more of what's going on?

Were you a depressed person before quitting lyrica ? My heart TRULY goes out to you. I hope and pray for you, to have wellness, strength, peace and Joy.

 

[Ne0]

Things can improve, trust me.
Aside from withdrawals from lyrica , do you feel like sharing some more of what's going on?

Were you a depressed person before quitting lyrica ? My heart TRULY goes out to you. I hope and pray for you, to have wellness, strength, peace and Joy.

Thanks alot! Yes I have been depressed for a long time. I lowered my dose to 150mgx2, one morning and another at night, it worked few days and then somehow my nightly dose didn't work at all yesterday, I started to sweat a lot already, so had to take another 150mg and it helped little bit. I think I have old meds or fake ones which doesn't work well, now I got more straight from pharmacy. I try to tapper from 450mg/day down to 75mg twice a day, every week I lower my dose with 75mg a day. I can get near future gabapentin, phenibut and baclofen, should I change to one of them and the tapper? The WD's are really shitty I can't sleep and I sweet a lot, so I can't go cold turkey, not working for me. I haven't used benzos and never have been addicted to them too, so I was thinking maybe getting some clonazepam and alprazolam and use them 1 week like 2mg clonazepam and 2mg alprazolam /day and in the end lowering them a little, one week benzo use shouldn't cause any addiction to them, and as they work different mechanics it should be possible to use them on pregabalin WD's. Opioids I can't use anymore because I get WD's from just one time now, because I have been addicted to them for many years.

I'm just sure that I can't quit cold turkey because it's nasty, maybe only if I'm under sleep all the time but that's not possible (it's very expensive to get that kind of treatment, like 10 000 $). Maybe I just have to be on them rest of my life if there isn't any painless way to quit.

My mood is now better thanks to quitting quetiapine, I can't use any sleep aids anymore, all the anti-psychotic ones and mirtazapine causes massive depression next day, benzos are not that good getting sleep, so don't know what should I get for sleep.

Well after 1 month I try that going CT and then 10 days benzos.

 

[Runningfox]

Thanks alot! Yes I have been depressed for a long time. I lowered my dose to 150mgx2, one morning and another at night, it worked few days and then somehow my nightly dose didn't work at all yesterday, I started to sweat a lot already, so had to take another 150mg and it helped little bit. I think I have old meds or fake ones which doesn't work well, now I got more straight from pharmacy. I try to tapper from 450mg/day down to 75mg twice a day, every week I lower my dose with 75mg a day. I can get near future gabapentin, phenibut and baclofen, should I change to one of them and the tapper? The WD's are really shitty I can't sleep and I sweet a lot, so I can't go cold turkey, not working for me. I haven't used benzos and never have been addicted to them too, so I was thinking maybe getting some clonazepam and alprazolam and use them 1 week like 2mg clonazepam and 2mg alprazolam /day and in the end lowering them a little, one week benzo use shouldn't cause any addiction to them, and as they work different mechanics it should be possible to use them on pregabalin WD's. Opioids I can't use anymore because I get WD's from just one time now, because I have been addicted to them for many years.

I'm just sure that I can't quit cold turkey because it's nasty, maybe only if I'm under sleep all the time but that's not possible (it's very expensive to get that kind of treatment, like 10 000 $). Maybe I just have to be on them rest of my life if there isn't any painless way to quit.

My mood is now better thanks to quitting quetiapine, I can't use any sleep aids anymore, all the anti-psychotic ones and mirtazapine causes massive depression next day, benzos are not that good getting sleep, so don't know what should I get for sleep.

Well after 1 month I try that going CT and then 10 days benzos.

***** I'm a little confused .
Pls say again , what exactly are you taking now? Meds n doses?

I understand opiates no longer working. I understand you are trying to taper use of lyrica (yes I believe gabapentin may help. It's LESS depressing and easier to taper as it's available in so many dose increments ime ) ..... and are you saying you desperately NEED something for sleep but don't know what to try next?
Do you only need assistance with sleep during this taper, or long term?

Thanks. With more info maybe i can help more. Perhaps others can advise as far as benzo use (I have an adverse reaction to all benzo drugs so I'm no help on that , sorry ).

Let me know.

 

[Ne0]

***** I'm a little confused .
Pls say again , what exactly are you taking now? Meds n doses?

I understand opiates no longer working. I understand you are trying to taper use of lyrica (yes I believe gabapentin may help. It's LESS depressing and easier to taper as it's available in so many dose increments ime ) ..... and are you saying you desperately NEED something for sleep but don't know what to try next?
Do you only need assistance with sleep during this taper, or long term?

Thanks. With more info maybe i can help more. Perhaps others can advise as far as benzo use (I have an adverse reaction to all benzo drugs so I'm no help on that , sorry ).

Let me know.

I take pregabalin 300mg up to 1500mg depents on the day. 150 at morning and at night is enough not to get WD's, also I don't need anything for sleep if I take pregabalin before sleep. I quit quetiapine and my depression is gone now, its terrible drug, I never take it again even that its bet sleep aid for me.

It seems I can't stop now I got to work and I need to pay debts. Maybe in the future.

ps. damn pregabalin with xanax works great!

 

[Flowerpotman]

Hi all. Just wanted to chime in with my current experience.

Previously I had a 7-month run of taking 600mg/day, and sometimes over, lyrica. I decided to get off it and the doc helped by giving me half doses for a 2 week long taper. I cut 600 to 500 on day 1 and deciding to expedite it on day 2 I stopped cold turkey. I had hardly any negative effects - I could still enjoy life, but I found staying asleep difficult.

Using the left overs, some months later I began taking it again. Burning through a lot in a week. I stopped CT then too and it was more or less the same.

I started again 3 months ago running quickly back to 600mg/day because I was depressed and used it to make me happy again. Silly really. I decided to stop it but because I had untreated depression I got hit real hard with anxiety and depression. I’m talking suicidal level stuff. It’s horrible. I stopped 7 days ago but today I found some 3x50mg lyrica in a drawer so I’m taking one of them a day now in the hopes that it alleviates it just a bit until the antidepressant kicks in.

Previously I’ve CTed from lyrica, codeine, tramadol. Nothing is like this. This 3rd time coming off it is a killer. I’m very scared.

 

[ElleAZ]

It was my first withdrawal. I went without any help for two weeks. It was devastating. I consider it hell. I wanted to die because life had become a burden. I loved no one. Awful.

 

[Flowerpotman]

It was my first withdrawal. I went without any help for two weeks. It was devastating. I consider it hell. I wanted to die because life had become a burden. I loved no one. Awful.

How long were you on it for? How long did withdrawals last? What dose were you on?

 

[MKLodato]

Everyone is different

Nothing is WD proof, but this is certainly the most exaggerated thing I have ever heard.

Unless you stuff down grams at a time of this, you will has little to no side effects.
I too took lyrica, and it had no such symptoms...

The only thing that is happening to you is the slowdown of noradrenaline is gone and your GABA production is leveling back to normal.

You should only get a little anxiety and a bit of an stable cognition, maybe a general sense of malaise.

It is only natural for you to get a little panicky, it is absolutely no big deal... and not worth exaggerating.

I, my mom, and my step-dad have been on lyrica since it came out and it causes little to no discomfort.

I think you are being unfair when you say this person is exaggerating. I was taking Lyrics 75mg 3x a day for years and I did a very short taper off never having been told about withdrawals or what kind of med this was and suffered terrible sweating, claminess and cold spells for 2 months till I went to Dr. And he told me it was Lyrics withdrawals. I got rashes on the back of my thighs from the sweat and lots 12 lbs without changing my scrappy eating habits. I was taking it for the pain and discomfort of Maralgia Parathetica. I don't know had I been told if I still would have taken it. Now I'm back on it at a lower dose and hope to taper off over a longer period cause I am no longer bother by the MP but I'm not looking forward to those withdrawals again although I could use the weight loss. Lol or not.

 

[Flowerpotman]

Update to my story:

The doc put me on low dose gabapentin and it did take the edge off withdrawals. I still felt fucked but that eased off. It’s been 2 weeks now and I currently take 100mg gabapentin twice a day. I could probably stop now.

I notice the high is difference between pregablin and gabapentin. I thought they would be the same but with different absorption rates, onset time, half life. Just some difference in numbers. But bloody hell no! I treated myself to a large gabapentin dose one day and it really messed me up badly… I had a powerful headache under my scalp, felt nauseous, really lethargic. Compared to lyrica where I feel confident, motivated, full of positive energy, very sexual.

I just wrote out “I might return to lyrica” but furiously hammered the backspace key. It’s too much. I wish I understood it more though. Why was one, longer run of 600mg daily easy to jump off but a taper to 75mg and then jump off caused me to almost lose my mind? There was no difference in additional chemical intake on both occasions. Hmmmm!

 

[Squeaky]

There is a disturbing consistency between drug users and drug prescribers. Just because they haven?t seen it happen, that means it hasn?t happened and anyone who says otherwise is stupid.
People have life altering withdrawls from all kinds of crazy crap, even diet Coke. I have to taper from even three days use of Lyrica at 300-450mgs/day. Otherwise I get severe insomnia and mild nausea. It has happened every time I have used it (at least 10 times). Doses like 400 mgs give me a great appetite and let me sleep really well, so wd?s make sense that I can?t sleep or eat.
It shows ignorance to believe that absolutely everyone will react exactly the same to everything.
But then the good folks who make Diet Coke claim it will help you get skinny, yet it?s the fattest ones washing down a double cheeseburger with a gallon of the stuff and we are all to believe that it?s healthy.

 

[Keif' Richards]

Psychedelic Jay, I really think that this is a very irresponsible comment man. Pregabalin (Lyrica) doesn't cause withdrawal because it didn't cause you withdrawal? Was it because the manufacturer says that it doesn't happen? Withdrawal from Gabapentinoids is fairly serious if it's severe. It's similar to Benzodiazepine withdrawal for a lot of folks. The people complaining about withdrawal from Gabapentinoids are people that I trust completely.

 

[Squeaky]

I feel very lucky that I don?t enjoy Pregabalin much, so I only use when I?m low on oxy. I have a huge stash now, so I can taper safely. I don?t know what I would do If I had to quit ct. That might kill me.