Hi has anyone had luck with Pregabalin to treat anxiety?
Is it like Lorazepam?
I worry about side effects, and tapering off as its not a tablet but a casual you can't break it in half?
I have read mixed reports on this medication some say it's awesome,
I have been taking pregabalin for some five years now and have found it to be the most useful medication I have ever been prescribed. It has three principle uses, treatment for diabetic neuropathic pain, epilepsy and GAD (generalised anxiety disorder). I was given it initially by my psychiatrist for the treatment of GAD yet as luck has it, I am also diabetic so therefore, it helps with the nerve pain as well. Pregabalin is in a capsule and not in tablet form.
Lorazepam (Ativan) is a completely different drug. Lorazepam is a benzodiazepine principle used to treat both anxiety and depression. Coming from the class it does it is highly addictive and your doctor will have to wean you off it if you have been taking it for any longer than eight weeks, depending on the dose you are on.
Hope this was useful.
John
Hi John
Thanks for your reply
I'm really scared to try the Pregabalin, your comments are positive.
Are there side effects, did you gain a tonne of weight?
No, quite the opposite; I have lost almost two stones which may lead people to assume that I was overweight before beginning treatment with pregabalin. I am 5' 10'' in height and, at the moment, weigh 9 stones 1 and before pregabalin treatment weighed 11 stones 2. According to my GP, this weight loss is 'unexpected' which rings alarm bells in her head. Over the past two or three months she has sent me to the hospital for investigation after investigation since this weight loss, in her mind, could not be anything other than symptomatic of cancer. All of these investigations have come back negative for anything. What she has failed to do is consult the side effects of pregabalin, one of which is weight loss through decreased appetite. I pointed this out to her several times before she read the list of side effects and now accepts that that has been the cause of my shift in weight. I have to see her on a regular basis so that should I lose more weight she will have to adjust the amount of pregabalin (and other drugs) that I take. One other thing to inform you of is that when you begin treatment with pregabalin after around a week into it you will experience a very high level of euphoria although, some might say, unfortunately, that does not last. Hope this was useful.
John
Thank for your response! I had NO idea that this med could be used to treat anxiety and depression. I have both as a result of chronic poorly treated sciatic pain and L4/5 back pain. My clueless GP is even more clueless than I initially thought 
I've personally upped my dosage to 150mg at night from 75mg. It makes me tired and dizzy (am very petite) , but it helps with the burning in both legs, hands and arms. I also wanted to take a low dose in the morning but was concerned about dizziness and fatigue, (but if these side effects are transient, then all the better for me and my elderly parents since I am their primary carer). I have low blood sugar and suffer from Panic Disorder and GAD so sometimes it is difficult to work out where the dizziness is coming from. My Psychiatrist wants me to now try Nortryptline but I've been to hell and back via Avunza, Cymbalta and Lexapro so I am stalling 
Have you found the side effects of Pregablin transient and should it be taken after food?
Thank you so very much for posting. You've made my day so much brighter!!
Many thanks for your lovely words. As with many drugs, pregabalin is prescribed for three reasons: as an anti-epileptic, as a treatment for diabetic neuropathic nerve pain and as a treatment for GAD. I was suffering from the burning sensations you mentioned and those went away completely around three to four weeks of beginning treatment with pregabalin. The side effects of the drug do at first reading seem insurmountable but in real terms are, as you asked, transient. As I mentioned before, the euphoria after around a fortnight very slowly begins to disappear, yet do not let that deter you from trying this drug. Out of all the medications I have been prescribed over the years, pregabalin has changed my life completely. I think you are right to increase or decrease your drug treatment yourself without recourse to your GP or psychiatrist. It is your body and you know your body better than any doctor because they do not actually use the medications they prescribe. Once you have found a level at which any drug works for you then leave it at that informing your GP or psychiatrist about the dosage you have found most useful. Nortriptyline is a very old anti depressant and as such I would stay away from it, but then that is a personal choice. Pregabalin can be taken with or without food. I would have your blood sugars tested if I were you. I am diabetic, insulin dependent, and before I was diagnosed (years back now) I thought I was dying! You needn't go to your GPs to have a blood glucose check. Any high street chemist will do it for you. Should you choose to have this done then do not eat anything for two hours before you go. The only fluid to use in these two hours is water. Should your reading exceed 4.1 to 5.2 then the chemist will ask you to visit your GP. Matters can be taken from there. Many thanks again for your lovely words. I will be thinking of you.
John
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prega.... also, its not in the benzodiazepine class so probably not like lorazepam.
I found pregabalin has given me great relief from anxiety, side effects at first sedating and I needed an antidepressant
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