Lyrica/Pregabalin Withdrawal?

[medsoph]

In 2013 my GP put me back on 75mg x2 a day of Lyrica after I started getting electric tingling over my nose area. I'd been on them before at 600mg daily and tapered off them very slowly in about 2009. It was the worst withdrawal I'd experienced.

Over the following years I've been diagnosed with several more illnesses including Dysautonomia, Athritis, Hemiplegic Migraine, POTS and EDS. My lupus doctor recommended I upped the dose to 150mg x2 a day in 2013.

Fast forward to now, I recently moved to Norway and my UK GP gave 2 months supply of my 2 page prescription inc steroids, heart medication, lyrica for pain and other things. Due to the time it took to be designated a social security number (you can't be designated GP without one) I used emergency GP's twice who would only prescribe one medicine, the pregabalin/lyrica.

Last week I was down to my last tablet. Finally assigned a Dr and got the first emergency appointment. It was a stand in for my designated GP and she refused to give me anything there, even with several medical letters and a copy of my UK prescription. I asked her if she knew what the drug was and I said it had harmful side effects (esp as I have heart problems). As it's a CNS drug you're always advised never to suddenly stop and seek medical help. She said she would not prescribe anything as I was new to the surgery. I left in tears, scared of the outcome and coping with dropping suddenly from 300 a day to nothing. She was blunt, rude and refused to help. Yet another Dr I have to painfully justify myself to.

The next day I'm provided with 14 tablets only of 150 to last me until the 18th.. So I instantly had to drop 150 instead of 300 but the withdrawal has been awful, dizzy, shaking, weakness, electric buzzing back in face, severe headaches, hot/cold, nausea and worse, abdominal stinging/pain emotionally unstable to the extreme with the addition of suicidal thoughts.

As to the question, is this normal to have these side effects so quickly? So far it's lasted 3-4 days. When will I get used to having only one tablet a day (she didn't even bother to split the dose or offer any sort of advice, no tapering dose)? How much are you meant to taper from 150mg x2 daily?

Thanks for any input!

[M0AL61 Moderator Volunteer]

Sorry I can't offer any advice, other than to say is it possible to go to a walk in centre, or do they have similar to the 111 service?

Hopefully others can help.

[medsoph in reply to M0AL61]

Sadly no, we don't have that here. It's too late now sadly as I've already dropped and I don't know what to do. We contemplated another emergency Dr but in Norway the prescriptions are all logged on central database against your social security number and they won't go above another doctors head that's your 'designated' place. It's absolutely awful.

[medsoph]

Thank you! I can take this with me to my next appointment. At least it has a guideline for reduction but I feel like it will just be ignored. Fingers crossed.

[Bananas5 in reply to medsoph]

Recommended tapering is to stop one tablet at 100 mgs and to stay on that dose for a week or more.

If you feel ok then drop another 100mg tablet.

If you feel unwell then stay on that dose for another week,

x

[Bakery40]

Hi medsoph, very sorry you going through this. I agree with Bananas5 with the dosages. I was on Pregabalin 75mg 2xa day. I'm not sure if it was even working anymore so with the help of pain management nurse I'm reducing but only by 25mg a week. I stay on a reduced dose for 2weeks , if I feel alright continue to reduce if not stay on it for a bit longer.

Can't you make a written complaint against that doctor ? Express how you feel ? It's not about you being a 'junkie' it's about the harmful side effects , which can make you more ill.

Good luck and keep positive ! 😊👍

[Hidden]

I’m sorry, that sounds horrible. I would just keep going back to the same Gp until she understands the difficult place she has put you in and takes some appropriate action. I’m on pregabalin too and get horrid withdrawal symptoms when I lower the dose.

Good luck and best wishes

[oldsouls]

Hello Medsoph

What a dreadful time you are having. There are several reasons you would be prescribed Lyrica. You said "pain and other things". The main use being Fibromyalgia, which I presume was one of the reasons since you are on this site. it was prescribed for me for anxiety and because it has a multi purpose and never specifically for FM. It has a lot of purposes. However, I went to a Rheumatologist recently to get a picture of what is happening to my body. My physio wanted to know as I have disk problems. He said what a dreadful drug it was.

I had a rapid weight gain when my dosage was increased. My doctor took me off them no tapering off. Now I hate going cold turkey so to speak and I am still taking 25gm 1 tablet until I could judge if my anxiety got worse. I will probably drop the 1 tablet.

I have had none of your symptoms. But the specialist words have come back to me. I didnt like him and he admitted to knowing nothing about fibromyalgia.

My friend with FM hated Lyrica and it didnt agree with her.

Given you numerous ailments you need to be careful. I can only say that the sudden withdraw of Lyrica did not cause any problems for me, and my doctor would have warned me if there would be. But everyone is different. I also have heart problems and othere ailments.

Sorry this is all I can offer.

Old Souls