Hello i have been taking pregabalin for about 4 months i was on 100mg twice daily but have been on 200mg twice daily recently.it really helps my anxiety but have started to think i depend on it,when im close to running low on my perscription i start to panick that im going to run out,i dont know if this is cause im addictive or just my anxiety playing a major part in my life,i do have OCD on making sure i have everything i just dont know what to think or do?
Hi Angela.
Tablets are always a very personal choice . They give with one hand but take with the other i find.
I was on 450ml per day of pregablin and a couple of other types of mood stabilizers for my bipolar / GAD.
I have since spent 50days coming off the pregablin its been very hard to say the least.Reasons for coming off was the servear dependence knowing if i missed a day i would feel terrible and be tempted to take something that was illegal or harmful.Weight gain was horrendous an a feeling melancholy was worse than my highs and lows . You will find many posts by people wishing they had never gone near them .And doctors are not accepting any of these side affects as been real or warning people of how bad the addiction/ withdrawal can be.
As i say its a personal choice givern the knowledge i have now i would stay well clear.
I really hope life is kind to you an good luck for the future
Regards Paul
Hi
I endorse Paul's reply absolutely. The side effects and withdrawals of this drug can be quite dreadful as I myself have found out. I was on 200mg a day for severe sciatic pain and the sheer bliss of being pain free for a while masked the side effects. I lived in a brain fog, suffered memory loss, loss of language, balance issues, eye disturbances and many more. I decided I could not trade my brain for less pain and slowly started to taper down. I am now on 50mg x 2 daily and I will take just 2mg off each dose giving my brain and central nervous system time to stabilise before coming down another 2mg. Pregabalin (Lyrica) changes the brain chemistry within just one week of taking them, then the body becomes dependent on them. If you decide you would like to taper off this drug look on Fb for a support group called Lyrica Survivors (Official) and apply to join. There you can learn how to taper off slowly and safely and get support from others in the same boat as yourself. This is your decision to make but I know I would never agree to take Pregabalin or Gabapenten ever again. Whatever you decide please do not go cold turkey by just stopping as you will put yourself at risk of seizures. It does warn of that on the leaflet I think.
Good luck whatever you decide
Hi angela, MY hubby takes 450 mg a day or pregablin for a back injury andhas for four yrs now, No weaning off in sight but its covered by our health system in new zealand and every six months paper work needs filling out by the health system and i get a bit panicy also it wont be covered as its 500 a month which we cant cover, I get a bit of a panicky feeling and its not even for me, so not necessarily an anxiety thing as i dont get it