I have been prescribed Alzain for nerve pain. I am now suffering with anxiety. I have been on this medication for 7 days now, can anyone tell me how long thes symptoms will last.
Hi Jennyann. I take Pregabalin for GAD. My symptoms started to improve after about 14 days. I continued through some dose increases and now my anxiety is managable, which I'm made up about. I did find that when I started Pregabalin, and each time I had a dose increase, I did have some slight side effects but nothing too terrible. Once I stayed on the same dose I noticed the side effects completely dissapeard. Except I have slightly blured vision which sets in about an hour after I take my last dose. But that goes after about 45 mins. Hope this Med helps you as much as its helped me
Thanks for your advice
Hi Inmate88, I wouldn't be too highly praising of Pregabalin when the time comes to be weaned off the drug. The side effects are horrendous and can go on for months and months.
Hi Chris04199. I had a period of the drug last year, cold turkey, as I was too ill to go out and get my prescription. It felt quite unwell for about 10 days but then was perfectly fine except my anxiety was back. Over the next 3-4 months I tried more SSRIs again but as usual they did nothing for me. So I went back on Pregabalin.
Hi Inmate88 , then you are a rare case having stopped c/t with Pregabalin for 10 days?
Even the information leaflet warns against stopping the drug abruptly because of serious and adverse side effects. There are over 4000 members of a group I belong to who have had serious adverse side effects from Lyrica or Pregabalin whilst taking it, or trying to taper off the drug.
They are horrendous stories.
Hello Chris. I am also in a similar group on Facebook. I was off Pregabalin for somewhere between 3-4 months. I had withdrawal effects for about 10 days which basically just felt like a bad flu and stomach issues. But then I was soon back to 'normal' a few days afterwards. At that point I'd been on pregabalin 18 months.
I did go cold turkey but it wasn’t deliberate. I was very ill with a psychotic episode and thought I had two more strips off pills left. I won’t bore you with the details, but I had no way of getting my prescription into my GP in a way that was possible for me because of my other mental health conditions - I have paranoid schizophrenia and everything that goes with it. So yeah, that’s how it come to happen.
Hope you have some good support and that things are going ok for you.
You are absolutely right. A lot of people really struggle to even just tapper from this and then stop altogether. I guess I was lucky there. Which did actually suprize me based on what I know of others struggles, and based on how sensitive I am to start up/tapering side effects of antipsychotics and SSRIs, SNRIs and benzos.
Hi Inmate88, I think you were one of the lucky ones getting off Lyrica. Thousands are not so lucky, and have a really tough time. The withdrawals are horrendous for the majority even if you taper slowly over a few months.
I was one of the lucky ones: I was only on Lyrica for two and a half weeks, and then advised to double up the last 2 of 3 daily doses. Next day was appaliing; a virtual zombie. Blurred vision; couldn't walk straight; spaced out; and others too numerus to mention.
Btw 2 of the chief side effects (official) from Lyrica/Pregabalin are suicide and suicide behaviour.
Lovely drug.