Weaning process for pregabalin 600mg per day.

[gavin15]

Hi I've been on pregabalin since July 2015, my gp is looking to wean me off them and onto different drug. As I've had a bad experience coming off these before due to me deciding not to take the drug, I was looking to know if someone has had the experience of coming off these?

[Bananas5]

Hello gavin15

Yes there is a simplee answer...you have to wean off them very slowly. And I mean slowly.

When you start on prehabalin or its sister gabapentin you start very slowly and the same for stopping.

Your GP should know this and have told you. However

I presume you are taking them twice aa day in 100 capsules?

Stop one capsule at night and leave it a week.

Then reduce mornning by one capsule and stay on that dose for a week.

Then another at night until you have stopped completely.

It may be longer than a week between reductions but it must be done slowly.

Does this make sense? In days gone by you would be issued with a little calendar chart to tick when starting or coming off. Simple but helped enormously to check dose.

One final piece of advice which I hoped you have learned from your previous experience....NEVER just stop taking any presribed meds. Always do it slowly

Good Luck

Pat x

[Hidden in reply to Bananas5]

Hi pat my gp told me just to stop so I did it was like hell I have never felt like that before, I think the GP did not like me well I'm off them now still waiting to see what the pain specialist is going to put me on also I will know in 3 months if they are going to amputate my foot it's all ready starting to move up my leg.

And how are u hope u are well and hope David is alright too give him my best wishes, love to u both xx

[Bananas5 in reply to Hidden]

That is a dreadful thing for any GP to do and if they don't know better then report him. Glad you are over that now but as you say it is the worst.

Not good here but was going to post something later today. David in a crisis = could be the Oxycontin and Oxynorm but not certain.

But it is all very lovely as we have loads of snow!

x

[Hidden in reply to Bananas5]

Sorry to here that I'm still on OxyContin that's one thing that helps me a little, I know one thing that David has an angel by his side just wish I could find someone like that. Xx

[Bananas5 in reply to Hidden]

Lovely words thank you Peter but wings a bit bent and crumpled today! I need ironing!

Seems to be side effects even some of the rarer ones.

[paulapips64]

Hi my doc weaned me off 600mg a day of pregabaline it took 6 weeks I didn't have any side effects x

[Bananas5 in reply to paulapips64]

That's good means you did it the safe way!

x

[Ru55ell]

Hi Gavin, Like everyone else has said, come off them slowly. I have to admit I have tried to come off Pregabalin.... and have gone back on them again. When I was coming off them I was reducing my dose by 50mg per day, and I was getting a lot of pain flare ups, as well as feeling like I'd been kicked all over the place. I got to a point where I couldn't take it anymore and with the advice of the GP and Pain Clinic I went back on them, but at a lower dose (which in a way is good.)

Everyone has a different tolerance to coming off medication, and the best way to deal with coming off Pregabalin I have found is to do it slowly, and expect to feel some weird side effects. If you know what to expect then when it happens it's not as frightening thinking you're body has decided to fight against you.

I would say form what my GP told me initially not to try and step down more than 100mg per day, and once you have stepped down keep that dose for at least a week before stepping down again. Sometimes you might need to step it down in lower doses, but keep the end goal in sight and you will get there!

Hope things are going well for you, and you get to come off Pregabalin!

[Iona467]

Yes, I did in November as I had put on weight and was losing hair. I just completely stopped taking them and did not feel good for a month or so. I became ill but not sure if it was just through this. I don't have a sympathetic GP so did not speak to her. The nerve pains are as still there though.

[Ej57 in reply to Iona467]

Hi lona467, I have been noticing some hair loss as well,it's not that bad but it is there. I also started gaining weight. l want to lose alittle weight, but not to much. I still suffering with pain, but it's become part of my life, but not alot l can do. Hope you are okay.

[Iona467 in reply to Ej57]

Life is just terrible, I can't remember a pain free day and I dread the constant nerve pains. I look so knackered all the time. Almost tempted to go back to the steroids but the side affects were not good.

[stenosis49]

Hi Gavin15, I assume you take 300mg in the morning and 300mg at night. This is what I am on for nerve pain. I would presume your doctor would have given you a prescription of 100mgs of pregabalin to enable you to reduce from 600mg a day to 500mgs etc in a specific time. Drop them down to quickly and as know this can make you feel terrible as so to get back up again. don't mean to pry but can I ask why you take pregabalin please.

[earthwitch]

Slow. Take about twice as long to wean down as your doctor suggests (as most doctors know very little about withdrawal). If, while you are tapering down, you find that you need to stick on a particular dose for a bit longer to get used to it, do so. If it takes six months to get off them, thats fine. Anything less than 6 weeks is probably far too fast.

[coolpolitealex]

I think Pregabalin can be dangerous, what I mean by that is that if you have been suffering for a long time and you decide to take them you are so happy to be able to move again without all that pain and it's good in the beginning, but like any powerful drug, there are dangers.

Myself I've been on them for years but only took one a day or an extra one if I went out and had to do thing's (don't tell my GP) but just recently Ive used them differently , only taking them as prescribed, which has led to problems, (which I had before but forgot why I stopped taking them the last time) So back to bringing them under control and to not be so arrogant, that I know what's best.

I told all who would listen about my legs turning into rubber, but was not believed, by the established professionals, and once I stopped the high doses and reduced to a minimum, the side affect's diminished, IE' my feet and hands became more predictable, (they stopped flapping as I moved, or at least were not as bad) I was then accused of making up my symptoms by my GP and at least one consultant bloody assaulted me, offered to help me get up, (which I normally refuse, but he had already got up and walked over, and I accepted his hand), but dragged my arm out to side which sent bloody strange pain and signals right up my face) which I had just told him about, and since then my arm has got considerably worse, what do you do when your own bloody doctors refuse to accept they bloody got it wrong, and how can you trust them after this.

So I became embittered (understandably so I think) So I have been trying to manage it myself with this Pregabalin , but it is not the thing to do, as it leads to possibly making my problems worse, due to my not hearing the pain signals as a warning, so please anyone with nerve problems be careful with this drug and only take it with your Doctor's advice, that's assuming your doctor is decent and actually listens to you, sorry about overly long wandering off point diatribe about Doctors and their just being human and prone to gossip other than ;listening to their patients best Alex

[ShelleyWelley]

Hi

I have been on these now for approx 3 months and my GP increased my dose by 25mg each day until I am now on 150mg twice daily. I am seeing him tomorrow to see about increasing the dose again. This will be done as before with a slow increase each day until eventually I amon 300mg twice daily which is the maximum dose. If I come off them he has advised that this willbe done the same way that my dose was increased. I have been on this before and did this the same way then with very little side affects either way and no withdrawal affects.

[Ej57]

Hi gavin15, l am on pregablin. Have been on them since 2012, am slowly weaning myself of them. As I am a petite woman who has gained weight from these tablets. Hence trying to get of them. I have had no problems so far. The secret is to reduce the dosage gradually and slowly. I am now down to just 50mg a night, as opposed to 150mg per day.

My reason for weaning myself of them is that they are addictive, and I don't want to take anything that is addictive. Let me know how you get on with weaning of the pregablin. I am lucky to have a good GP who listens, as well as give me some advice.

[MMCKINNON01]

Yes, I ran out early due to my son in law stealing them from me. I was out for alost 2 weeks. After the first day I started getting diarrhea and stomach pain. I take them for neuropathy and my feet and back hurt so bad. It felt like I had a bad hangover. Just achy all over. Not a good experience at all.