Drop from 600mg to zero advice needed pls?

Treatment and medication
1

Hi

I was hoping one of you knowledgeable people out there might help.

Roughly this time last year I was in a nasty car crash which exacerbated the symptoms of an undiagnosed epidural abscess at c2 . My health deteriorated quickly leaving me partially paralysed and fighting sepsis, I was very poorly for a while.

Fortunately I responded well to antibiotics and I survived although it has left me with quite awful nerve pain in my hands and feet, and mechanical muscular pain in my neck.

Since then I have tried all sorts of pain killers and up until about a month ago the pain meds I was taking were:

2 x 300mg (600mg in total) per day of Pregablin
1 x 20 mcg of buprenorphine in a transdermal patch

I attended a Doctors appointment where I explained that I felt a little desperate for stronger painkillers as what I had been prescribed was not working, and it really wasn’t. I had always found the doctor to be very difficult and occasionally obstinate. I had had enough of the pain and was quite obviously upset.

After I told him about the prescribed pain relief not working he said “Well stop them then”… Confused I asked him “just like that, with nothing to replace or help me come off them both”

He denied my request and offered me some Naproxen. I was very upset and felt as though I was being rejected. I was also very worried with good reason for stopping prevailing at 600mg and the highest dose superstitions patch which is a strong opioid.

So I stopped taking High doses of Pregablin and Buprenorphine at the same time. I felt ill for a month but did not report it to the Doctors because I felt they were responsible for painful detox.

I feel that both medications should have been titrated downward incrementally to prevent uncomfortable withdrawal and I feel that the Doctor responsible neglected his duty and subjected me to unnecessary discomfort and pain.

I recently plucked up enough courage to see another Doctor and I’m now taking 40mg of Morphine titrating upwards until I find a level that stems the pain.

I found the situation degrading, upsett021298F6012D745ing, and physically distressing. I was wondering if anyone thinks I should make a claim against that Doctor. I don’t need the money, it’s just I feel what he did (or more to the point didn’t do) was very bad practise and caused unnecessary pain and discomfort.

Thanks for listening

2

hi coldfire, your doctor should never have told you to just come of these painkillers without weanning you down the pregablin alone are not a medication you should just come of if i dont take any for a day i feel ill there a drug im finding really hard to come off of you for sure should make a claim and report that gp If thats the way hes treating people he needs to be struck off his behaviour is unacceptable im so sorry you had to endure this seeing your own doctor. any1 you ask will tell you the same you dont just come off any drug you have to come off slowely and have the dose decreased hope this helps

3

Hi,
I feel very sorry for you and what you have gone through. I reduced my high dosage of PG (375MG) to now 150MG, however, I did this over many months. I would never recommend such a sharp reduction in medication, especially painkillers (this is purely a personal opinion).

With respect to wanting to ‘redress this poor prescribing’ I would recommend forgetting this course of action. I have two reasons for this advice.

1_ it will be a long and protracted proceedure, which has very little chance of succeeding. I speak from experience some of my friends have gone down this route with zero success.

2_ this is a very labourous proceedure with many letters, to and fro. I feel you have been through enough in your life without all this added annoyance and frustration. Don’t put yourself through this, be the better man, stick with your new doctor and hopefully get a full recovery and happy life.

Good luck and stay safe .

4

So sorry for the very poor treatment you received from your doctor. I know how you were feeling as I am 4 months into weaning off Pregabalin. To be told simply to stop was disgraceful and negligent . I would be writing to the practice manager detailing just how you were treated. I know this falls short of making a claim against the doctor but it will at least ,maybe, make a difference to how he/she treats someone else. I hope you continue to receive good care from your new Doctor and that you are now receiving the care you deserve.
Pregabalin did not work for my nerve pain. I feel this is a drug that is dished out too widely , without informing the patient of how the nature of the drug. I wish I had run screaming from the surgery when my doctor suggested putting me on it. The withdrawal symptoms are very nasty and go on for such a long, long time.
Good luck.