hello ive only been on lyrica for 6 days now .Im finding the 75mg dose to strong 1 a day is what i am takeing.I was wondering if the capsule can be split in half so i take half of that per day .then was wondering how long does it take to ween off compleatly if i decide to come off compleatly off the lyrica.And is it safe to take half of the 75mg has ive noticed that dose is not listed on the patient sheet ect.thankyou
I'm on 75mg twice daily, it is apparently a very potent drug but gets great results sometimes. I've only been taking it since Sunday and immediately feel dizzy as hell then Monday was awful, could hardly walk or lift my head and I thought I can't take these if this continues and luckily yesterday wasn't anywhere near as bad. It's too early to say if they will help my anxiety but I can handle them now so will stick it out. Are these same symptoms you have, I have read it can take a few weeks for the dizzy feeling to leave some people. Maybe speak to your doctor and see what they suggest.
Best wishes
Debbie:
Do not stop Lyrica suddenly. Lyrica is an CNS altering drug, and after a week has already started to alter your neuro-chemistry. A sudden an abrupt stoppage of this drug can create severe imbalances in your neuro-transmitters, (i.e. serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine) These neuro-transmitters are a very delicate juggling act in your brain, and a sudden stop can cause severe symptoms from seizures to serotonin induced paranoia or worse.
The effects of Lyrica loading dosages are at times, dramatic. The symptoms will ease with time, first time users often experience "zombie" like effects, as well as dream like effects during waking periods and a feeling of unreality.
Give it time to work, I use 75mg/twice daily for diabetic neuropathy, and the first two months were very scary, but it does subside.
keep faith....
grey....
Debbie:
BTW, Pregabalin should be started slowly, 75mg/daily for the first week, and then two 75/mg doses for the next week, until you achieve your maintenance dose, starting the full regimen of medication at once is not advised.
Give it time, it is an excellent drug.
Grey....
I started on 75mg twice daily, first 2 days weren't nice at all, when should I see results. I'm on it for anxiety.
Thanks
Celt34:
I've heard of the use of Pregabalin for anxiety, but it's on the far side of off label use. If your Doctor prescribes Lyrica for anxiety I would question this decision. Anxiety generally results from an imbalance of neurotransmitters, (i.e. sertonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, etc.) These issues are best dealt with very proven drugs such as Sertraline, or Cymbalta, with a supportive drug such as a benzodiazapine. Weird, I guess they do things different on your side of pond.
Good luck, and have a talk with your Doc....Grey....
He started me on 50mg sertraline as well, I don't know if pregabalin will work but if you research it has excellent results with GAD!
GAD, a nasty and pernicious condition that has many wonderful drugs available. I would personally discount the Lyrica as an anti-anxieity medication, as it is also contraindciated for use with other SSRI's, creating too many issues. Dealing with GAD/Panic Attacks as wel,l I have had to run the gamut for the last 20 years for a viable solution. I don't know if you are new to GAD or have been battling it for some time, and if you also suffer from Panic Attacks, I have great advice in this area.
I hope and pray that the Lyrica/Sertraline combo will work for you, if symptoms become unmanageable I would ask your Doctor for supportive/plaliative medications such as Abilify.
Celt34, Sending you supportive thoughts and concern, Grey0417.....
hi thanks again for your message. may i ask what your medication is ? yes ive suffered severe anziety and deppression for many years now .i was put on lyrica for the pain ,didnt know much about it at all then i started looking on the internet then became more aware of the lyrica . im just hopeing that its safe for me ,im takeing at the same time daily ect. many thanks
Debbie666:
I use Zoloft, 50mg/daily for anxiety, no side effects at all. I use Lyrica 75mg/twice daily for diabetic neuropathy, some side effects, if you want to know more I'll answer. I also use lorazepam, 1mg/daily to cut the insomnia issues I have. I will say this, without Lyrica for the pain, and Zoloft for the anxiety, I would be a severe mental health patient. Don't worry too much about the Lyrica affecting or contraindicating with other drugs you may be taking, it's actually one of the least invasive brain/cns drugs on the market, that's why it's so damn expensive.
Hey good luck Debbie666, sending positive thoughts for you... Grey...
hi grrey0417 thats very helpful thankyou.Yes me to severe case worry to much and just cant stop.Would you say that the lyrica is good for Anxiety?Have you been on lyrica very long ?Ive just ,been takeing the lyrica just over a week now does it get better with time ?
Thankyou
I've almost hit my first week taking both lyrica and sertraline/Zoloft so I'd like to know answer as well :-)
hi im wondering about the lyrica ,does anyone know if it has any affect on the face like drooping or ageing ?
Also with the sertraline would that age the face also ?
thankyou
Wow, so many questions, so little answers. For all new users, Pregabalin takes 3-4 weeks before benefits kick in, for me it took 8 weeks, and has been very effective so far. The loading dose period is the hardest, all kinds of side effects from zombie fog, to weird twitching and feelings of paranoia, suicidal ideation, (rare) and sleeping all the time. It seems from clinical information that and from personal experience that all these effects subside after 4 weeks.
As far as face drooping and ageing, I've had no experience and may be the result of your medical condition as opposed to Pregabalin or Zoloft, without other information it's difficult to respond to your post.
I work in an American E.R. please don't ask for more information, I can't expose myself any more than that.
As for Zoloft, as with all SSRI's it's about a 3-4 week process to reach effective saturation of this medication for the balance of Serotonin in the brain, but, Zoloft is both the most effective drug for depression and anxiety and the best for minimal side effects, it's time proven and the least contraindicated drug for multiple medications.
In trying to help with information about Lyrica in regards to anxiety control, it's a mixed bag, Lyrica is an CNS depressant, decreasing both errant nerve signals, and reducing the norepinephrine neurotransmitter, (the fight or flight neurotransmitter that causes GAD and panic attacks.)
I hope this is helpful to all.
Best regards...Grey
Thanks grey, what dosage are you on?
Celt34:
I was slated to use 75mg/three times daily for Diabetic Neuropathy, I actually use 75mg/twice daily.
Pregabalin seems to have a "set point" which precludes any additional benefit after 300/mg a day, I get along just fine with 75/mg twice daily, I get all the benefits without the "Lyrica Fog"
I'am actually feeling pretty damn good, wish I could say the same for all other users. As I said before sometimes less is more, that's true for me, but, maybe not the same for you or others, it's all in a case by case basis.
God Bless all and a prayer to all for better health...Grey...
Grey
Yeah I had the severe dizziness and foggy head
but I've read the dose needs to be higher for anxiety, you seen clued in so any thoughts on that?
Wow, this is big can of worms. O.K. then. From my medical/pharmacology training I'll answer your question as best I can. Lyrica is a drug designed by Pfizer primarily for eplilepsy treatment, period end of subject. Off label uses for GAD or neuropathic pain, (although now recognized and approved) was not the intention In my opinion of the use of Pragabalin. It's one of those wonder drugs that has many uses, although in my opinion was not the original intention of Pfizer, (in my opinion.) Many drugs start out with a single specific purpose, and wind up being shoved into off-label use until approved, (like Viagra, a blood pressure med that caused unexpected erections in the elderly patients in clinical trials, and now is used solely for erectile disfunction.)
Many Doctors are using Lyrica for GAD, as a primary or starting drug for anxiety, and many Doctors are starting with much more effective and less side effect producing drugs such as Sertraline or Cymbalta.
Max dose for Lyrica for any condition seems to be no more than 300mg/daily after that the benefits seem to diminish, or actually get worse.
Sertralin/Cymbalta/ and Abilify seem to be the best trio to treat Anxiety related disorders, with very minimal side effects, in my opinion Lyrica is still unproven for GAD conditions, even if it is a CNS depressent, I think there are much better options with less side effects.
Warm thoughts to you, and a prayer for your Anxiety...Grey...
Hi Grey0417, ( or anyone else who wishes to respond)
I am fairly new to joining in on these forums and have trigeminal neuralgia and have been given Lyrica, is this the type of prescribed medication I should be taking for this? I was on cabapentin for years, but it lost its magic and the pain started coming back through. If you cannot respond I understand, thanks in advance.
WOW! I am so sorry for affliction, TN is a very pernicious nuerological disease and very painful, you have my sympathy. Gabapentin is a first line choice of nueropathic pain remedies, in my opinon you should not stop Lyrica, give it time. Lyrica is offered is dosage from an average of 150/mg a day for certain nueropathic pain relief, (i.e. fibro/diabetic neuropathy) but in your case would most likely be best at 300/mg a day,
(Lyrica is prescribed at lower doses than 300/mg daily but can be upped to 900/mg daily, although trials say that there is not much benefit after 300/daily.) Please don't stop. but if you must. weening off Lyrica requires cutting the dose to 50 percent for a period of a week and then a slow reduction from there for a period of two weeks, (i.e. a quater dose for a week.)
I gave up on these forums a while back, I work in the medical field and have had many negative comments come back to me when I was just trying to help, some people don't listen.
BTW check for MS/shingles as a possible cause for your TN.
Best of luck and prayers... Grey....