Pregabalin doses

[Bookworm79]

Hi! My mum is on 25mg of pregabalin twice daily (has decreased gradually from much higher as side effects). Anyone know if you can you take doses every other day (thinking of ways to wean off /lessen side effects) or as and when needed for pain?

[Chloe_x]

Hi! I'm on pregabalin as well and I'm finding the side effects awful. My doctor told me it has to be taken twice daily (but I'm not certain I trust her). Anyway, if it's just powder inside perhaps there might be a way to just take half of the content? I know people who take it recreationally sometimes open the capsules and snort the powder. Obviously that's definitely not a good idea, but if it's a special case there might be some way to lessen the dose by physically opening and halving the amount, if capsules smaller than 25mg don't exist. I certainly wouldn't advise atttempting to do that without consulting her doctor, but it could be a solution to propose to them perhaps. Alternatively there might be more of a dosage control possible with the liquid form of the drug. I hope that gives you some ideas, best of luck x

[Bookworm79 in reply to Chloe_x]

Thank you so much that’s really helpful and good suggestions. Will get her to ask.

[desquinn Partner Volunteer FMAUK Trustee in reply to Bookworm79]

this is really dangerous advice. Mis dosing, contaminants and confusion with clinicians. Its like one of the stories in casualty that you have the reluctant patient that discloses the "silly idea" from their bag 34 mins into the show and it all becomes clear.

Scored tablets can be split as long as they are used within 28 days of being broken. But opening capsules and adjusting does is not going to be received well by the doctor. Taking the full capsule in a glass of water for those that have difficulty swallowing is ok.

[Bookworm79]

Thank you that’s really helpful to know. Yes she is

[Fra22-57]

She could gradually reduce by missing evening one alternate days then following week if ok do same with morning dose then she will only have odd ones to reduce.gradually is best.her gp could advise better thou and knows medical history.I was on 450mg day and have reduced to 350mg but was extremely ill doing so .

[Bookworm79 in reply to Fra22-57]

Thank you 😊. I’m getting the impression GPs don’t advise about any of the side effects in advance. Hers certainly didn’t!

[phlebo123]

Just a thought... Maybe your mum could ask her pharmacist for advice. She could even phone up if she doesn't want to visit the pharmacy in person. They will know if lower dose tablets are available and the best way to ween herself off them. good luck x

[Bookworm79 in reply to phlebo123]

Thank you. Will definitely try the pharmacist

[Bakery40]

Hi Bookworm 79 ,sorry to hear about your Mum . I personally had medication reduction plan for Pregabalin from pain clinic. I would not advise what was prescribed for me would work for your mum. She has to speak to a doctor / specialist. What works for one person might not work for someone else and it might be dangerous is well.

I wish you and your mum all the best. She can do it !!!

👍🙂🤗

[WestWalesPaul]

If you’re not sure, I’d suggest you ask your gp and be 100% honest with your concerns. From my experience, I would most definitely say that the body/mind gets completely used to any side effects within a few days. If the pain is relieved by the dose, then surely that’s worth a few days of feeling strange. I wouldn’t listen to anyone who told me I was getting addicted... because I’m not abusing the drugs.

But anyway, speak to the gp if unsure in any way.

[releasethemagic]

You will find some NHS discontinuation guidance for Pregabalin here ipswichandeastsuffolkccg.nh...

It is pretty much what your Mum has been doing. The next step is to move from 25mg twice a day to once a day - at night as it helps sleep, and then after a while stop it completely.

[Bookworm79]

Thank you everyone. You’ve all been so kind and helpful 😊

[FionaF]

Hi there, I was on 600mg of Pregablin 18 months ago and after running out over a holiday weekend and suffering the horrific withdrawal effects I decided to come off of it.

I’m now on 25mg caps and have been gradually spacing the time between doses. I’ve gone from taking 4-5 a day to 2-3 now. I’m hoping I will be totally off them by the end of summer. My own GP said I should just listen to my body and only take one when I feel the withdrawal effects are becoming more noticeable. I was told that 25mg is the lowest cap available so if your mum is only taking it twice daily you could try reducing her to one a day but maybe taken in the middle of the day rather than morning or evening.

I also floated the idea of opening the capsule and discarding some of the powder but my GP said he couldn’t sanction that. However I do intend to do that once I’m only requiring to take it a couple of times a day. I don’t see the issue with that as it’s just a way of taking a smaller dose but being able to do so more frequently if needed. I’m not advocating that other people do this necessarily but as I said, I don’t see an issue.

I hope your mum is off them soon. I’d never have started taking them of I’d known what the withdrawal effects were like and there’s no info on the leaflet to warn you of that.

[Bookworm79]

Likewise. Lack of info about that and also even though side effects are listed on the info didn’t realise how bad they’d be. Good idea re spacing out, thank you. Hope you can get off them successfully 🤞

[Lowenove]

I gave up pregabalin last year. My GP actually stated that it “was not dangerous to go cold turkey” although he recommended cutting down slowly. I was taking 200mg at night and 100mg in the morning. I started by taking 100 at night for a week which didn’t really affect how I felt that much. GP said to reduce night dose first as you will be asleep during the side effects. After a week I stopped night dose altogether. Started to feel nauseous but after a few days decided to just stop altogether. I had three weeks of feeling rough, nauseous and totally fed up. But my brain came back. Altogether I took about 4 weeks to stop and I had to have will power as several times I felt so ill that I thought about restarting. My GP checked in on me after 5 weeks and was surprised that I was totally off the drug. I feel so much better, not wiped out and my brain feels like it’s actually working properly for the first time in years.I would not suggest doing this as rapidly as I did but getting through to the docs during the pandemic was difficult (I also hate talking to doctors) so I didn’t get smaller doses prescribed which the doc said he would do. The every other day dose was also an approach that the GP suggested.

I really would advise your mum to keep in contact with her GP throughout and I hope that you are able get the support you need. I hope my experience is helpful to you. Good luck.