Pain Concern

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Pregabalin help!

I'm taking 75mg in the day and 150mg at night for nerve pain. Not a high dose but I'm putting on pounds of weight and am having periods of slight confusion and immediate forgetfulness. However, my pain is from lumbar spinal stenosis and pressure on a spinal nerve root.

The NICE information covers many sources of nerve pain (peripheral neuropathy etc) but not this and is mute on alternative pain relief to replace the Pregabalin. Can't get to my GP at present to discuss it with her (telephone discussion is hopeless!). Any ideas from you experts by experience out there?

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Pregabalin

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Good morning.I was prescribed that drug too but refused to take it because I read about the possible weight gain .

no advice but thought i was reading about myself.i started pregabalin month ago now 150mg twice daily for the same problem. also feeling pretty weird & constantly eating although feeling nauseas. i seem to have another type of pain in my legs now to the point of cryinh out in pain.hope someone here may have some insight.

sorry your also suffering

Can you try something else like Amytriptyline or Nortriptyline?

thanks for replying.i was on 75mg amitriptyline was on it for years but it wasnt helping over the last few months.

I wonder why? Thanks for your answer.

Have you tried amitriptyline? Also good for nerve pain. I had to come off pregabalin because my memory and social skills were greatly affected and decided it wasn't worth it any more

Hi , I take pregabilin 300 mg twice a day for nerve pain which stems from my neck , there is a alternative gabberpentine which works for people differently .

Littleboy, I take the exact same dosage as yourself together with Tramadol. Yes the weight gain is awful. Do you think I could wean myself off Pregablin even though I've been on them for 10 years?

Hi, I think if you can come of Pregabilin as long as you do it slowly you shouldn't have any issues but if in any doubt I would ring your GP first.

Does pregabalin help with your nerve pain

Yes but the balance between good and bad is lousy.

Hi , I take pregabilin because I have Cervical Myelopathy which as affected parts of body and I had operation c3c4c5fused in my neck , I also take Tegretol for Neuralgia in my face . Pregabilin just takes the edge of .

It’s like that for me my neuropathy is in my neck also I can’t up my dosage as pregabalin has given me balance problems but when they put me on gabapentin it helped the pain but I lost my balance totally that’s why I’m on pregabalin now so like you I have to put up with taking the edge off the pain keep safe

Hi Kingsley , have you ever had a scan on your neck as what you describe is similar to my issues.

Yes they say the peripheral neuropathy is caused by my cervical spondylosis in my neck then the consultant wrote to my dr saying he could see I was getting worse and then said he was discharging me my dr said she felt I was out there on my own prescribed gabapentin first but I couldn’t stand up when I was on that and then changed me to pregabalin which has helped but does give me vision and balance problems

Sorry for the delay I haven't been in tip shop shape recently. If they have said your neck is getting worse why have they discharged you back to your GP , I know they go of your symptoms and they can offer physio or a operation . Pregabilin is good for nerve pain I take it as well .. You need to know what you're problems are.

I’ve seen 4 neurologists over the years and have been give amitriptyline which worked well but 4 yrs ago it started to effect my heart so was taken off it was given gabapentin but that was no good and then struggled on for some months with just co codamol had another mri which was when the consultant said he new I was getting worse and the. In the letter to me and my dr said he was discharging me and that’s when my dr offered me pregabalin the consultant who said he was discharging me wasn’t English I’m not sure where he came from but maybe that’s the way they deal with it ( which isn’t of course dealing with it really) I’ve had physio several times over the years but it didn’t help so I just do what my husband use to say kbo which means keep buggering on keep safe

I will send you a p,m

Thank you all for your comments.😅

Have you tried goodpath.com? They have a complete MSK program

Thank you but no thank you. "Purchase your program with confidence," - NHS stealthy privatisation!!!!

I take Gabapentin, 1200mg. for severe spinal stenosis, the collar of the vertebra on L4 has fallen on to L3. I was due an op I 2018 and it almost happened in April last year, but of course was cancelled. I couldn’t cope with the extreme pain before taking the above, however I have put on weight, constantly hungry, and similar problems with memory loss, I feel controlled by this drug. I would love to come off it. I can’t tolerate opiate drugs, or Amitripyline. I take many other drugs fo RA. I do have an appointment at the RNOH next Monday to see a spinal surgeon. I will see if he has any advices re medication, while I wait for an operation there.

How did your appointment go?

Was a bit of a shock, the proposed op would be staged with a recovery time of 18 months. They would also need to go through the front as well a the back. There is a lot of slippage in the lumber spine, compressing the nerves. I also have scoliosis. It’s further complicated by the fact I have osteoporosis and RA. The muscles are not supporting my back so I am unable to walk upright. I should have pointed out this was my first appointment at the RNOH as I was under my local hospital prior to this. Regarding medication he suggested I ask my GP to try Pregabalin, not sure how this would go down as they are all for the cheapest meds. I believe you put weight on with them just the same, but it’s possible I wouldn’t have such brain fog. They aren’t operating at the moment as the new hospital there is full of Covid patients. I don’t have to make my mind up yet. He with arrange a CT scan and Dexa scan. My local hospital had sent in copies of my last MRI with them last March. I’m not sure if this very helpful re medication as even with the op I may still need it to a degree as will only help with the stenosis in my leg. Thank you for asking.

Hi there yes I take pregabalin and amitriptyline have done now for 7yrs. This does keep my pain at bay mostly. Yes weight gain isnt good but I would rather gain weight versus pain.

Hi Im in the same boat as you, the side affects light headedness ect go over time or you stop bothering Im not sure but weight gain can be controlled by eating healthy and little and often but severe pain can’t.

Hi I am sorry that you are in pain and haven’t found the Pregab helpful- everyone is different and what works for one doesn’t always work for someone else. I take 600mg Pregab daily for Restless leg syndrome, nerve pain from two slipped discs and GAD I have found it incredibly helpful and it has helped enormously. One thing I would say though is that, like you I had heard the scare stories about Pregab and was reluctant to increase the dose from 300mg a day to 600mg a day but the Dr told me that a lot of people weren’t getting the help the drug gives because they are reluctant to take the therapeutic dose. I know there are these scare stories about Pregab but for me it has been a lifesaver. I hope you find what you are looking for and I know it is so much harder with the COVID situation. Good luck.

David

I have similar problems to you and currently take 600mg of Pregabalin per day + 100 mg of Tramadol. This just about keeps the pain ( in left leg ) away for most of the time. With regard to weight gain; yes I noticed this early on but have contrived a quite easy solution. On two evenings per week ( Mon + Fri ) I simply replace a more usual evening meal with a bowl of porridge which contains approx 180 calories. This is considerably fewer than in a normal dinner but somehow produces the same feeling of satedness. This has worked well for me as I am the same weight as I was before taking Pregabalin about 5 years ago. Hope this is of help

Alex3 I also take the exact same dosage of medication as yourself. I have gained so much weight, so I might take your tip on board. Thanks

I will not recommend to use it as I had sane problems weight gain Forgetfulness seemed like brain would shut off I have had many years experience with it all I want to say is look at something natural gps and drs will only prescribe what they can through synthetic drugs

Majority of drugs have a placebo effect I would recommend for you some kind of slow yoga

youtu.be/bIXOo8D9Qsc

That link is inspiring he was on crutches and now is well through yoga

im starting from today to come off the pregabalin, i started it after many years on amytriptyline which stopped working for me.getting to a point where im still in pain but also have the side effects to contend with , had enough of all these drugs now

Bazzy1 thinking of you and good luck. Hope it all works out for you. X

thanks very much

I had to stop taking it. It just made me gain weight, I became confused and irritable and it didn’t help my pain at all. I do care about my body image and I wasn’t willing to stay on the therapeutic dose and become obese,

How are you getting on now? I am on 600mg daily pregablin. I have gained so much weight and I hate myself for it. X

I saw my Naturopath last week and got the shock of my life. I’m obese to. It’s because of meds and not being able to workout because exercise exacerbates my neuralgia. Yesterday I walked 2.5 kilometres with a friend. I fell asleep at 11:15 and woke up in pain at 3:10. I’m pooped.

Not being able to sleep well causes weight gain. I’m certain my adrenals are in bad shape to. I’m not beating myself up. Doctors did this to me.

Konagirl60, that's a long walk - good on you. I couldn't do that. How are you coping coming off the pregablin? I haven't slept tonight yet, didn't know that sleep deprivation causes weight gain. Can I ask you what your Naturapath does for you and is that private treatment? Look after yourself. X

She detox’s me. I have chronic non alcoholic fatty liver due to taking medications, my kidneys have been overworked filtering toxic meds for 13 years and my lymphatic system is a dirty polluted mess. It is private treatment and I pay out of pocket.

Same problem they didn’t tell me that I would have Weight gain I can’t take my tablets during the day they make me sleepy Oh dear such is life.

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