Pregalabin

[dexter92]

I’ve had many issues with diazepam addiction . Finally got off them but was getting viscous stomach cramps. Went to the doctor and she prescribed Pregalabin. It worked after a while but I started to feel weird.

I did a web search on the drug and was horrified to see a note “ avoid administering to patients with previous opiod issues “ . Spoke to her and was quite abrupt and I told her I was just going stop taking them she freaked and told me I was on them long enough to be addicted to them 🤬Now I’m going through a painfully protracted home detox.

Has anyone else had to detox off Pregalabin/ Lyrica and have any advice ?

Thanks

[Bananas5]

Any Doctor with that attitude should be struck off.

Pregabalin is the nicer little sister of gabapentin . They should be started at a very low dose...increased very slowly and the same when you want to stop.

The word is slowly.

What strength are you taking?

x

[happytulip]

Sorry to hear you've had such a fright. May I ask when you say she "freaked" what exactly did she say? It might be that your body has become dependent on them and you need to wean off, if stopped abruptly it might make you very unwell. I was wondering if she freaked at the idea of you going cold turkey?

As you probably know diazepam is in the Benzodiazapine family of drugs and not an opioid, maybe they hadn't considered that it would be a problem?Still, it must be very frightening to learn that you have been put on a drug that is addictive to some and you have had addiction with diazepam.

I'm on pregablin and never had any addiction issues fortunately so I can't comment on that but I am a bit surprised that you went to the GP with abdo pain and they put you on pregablin without investigating the cause of the pain. Did they not do any bloods, ultra sound scans or other investigations before putting you on pills?

I hope you get a supportive GP who can help you wean off the meds but the cause of the pain needs to be established otherwise it will just come back surely?

Take care

HT

[dexter92 in reply to happytulip]

Thanks I have had every test under the sun for my stomach issues. Twice. Couldn’t find anything. In hindsight I reckon it was a reaction to the diazepam. Down to 25mg of Preg a day tapering down from 200mg

[happytulip in reply to dexter92]

Sounds like you are almost there, keep going.👍

[Bananas5 in reply to dexter92]

The increase, and therefore decrease, used to be 100 mg a day every 3 to 4 weeks. Pain clinic would even give you a leaflet with a menu to show the dosage. I found it extremely useful for David

Well done on getting down to 25 mg. If you feel OK you could stop completely.

x

[dexter92 in reply to Bananas5]

Hell with it I’ve stopped completely. My doctor suggested one 25mg every two days. I just as well go for it as you suggested.

[Bananas5 in reply to dexter92]

Good for you. Hope it works out

x

[EOLHPC]

Glad you posted. Very helpful discussion cause my situation may be quite similar. I totally agree with these previous replies

Am avoiding pregabelin & gabapentin for cause low dose diazepam (2mg twice daily) is helping me long term. This is prescribed by my spine surgeon & pain consultant for muscle spasm pain due to Failed Back Surgery Syndrome. These consultants + my neurologist & rheumatologist are all suggesting I add pregabelin, but am on so much oral systemic medication that I’m putting trying yet another systemic analgesic off

Am also on long term daily 50mg amitriptyline for the nerve pain + highest dose paracetamol for general spine -related pain + daily 10% NSAID gel for the inflammation ( the 10mg daily prednisolone long term rheumatology has me on for my autoimmune conditions also helps damp down the spine-related inflammation - am also on several other powerful systemic meds for the immune dysfunction side of my health probs…so my kidneys & liver are processing quite a heavy load of pharmaceuticals)

What dose of daily diazepam were you on long term?

[dexter92 in reply to EOLHPC]

Oh I was on a lot of diazepam beginning of last year. I was getting them online from India. I can’t even calculate. Had to go into rehab . I was a mess

[EOLHPC in reply to dexter92]

Gosh, can only have been really hard! NHS has me on such a low dose…will be cautious about increasing!

[Ritchie1268]

Well done for getting off the Diazepam Dexter. Gabapentinoids are widely abused in the UK now and Pregabalin became a controlled drug in 2019.

I'm not at all shocked at your GP stating that you'll be "addicted", as most GP's don't know the difference between being dependent and being addicted!

I am sure from your previous experience you'll know the difference.

I am shocked at you being prescribed Pregabs for stomach cramps though!

As Bananas5 said, depending on the amount you've been taking and the length of time taking them, you can't suddenly stop taking them, and they should be tapered very slowly.

I run a private FB group called Painkiller Addiction Support UK which you're welcome to join for extra support.

[dexter92 in reply to Ritchie1268]

Thanks for the reply . I’ve got down from 200mg to my current 25mg . Went down from 50mg last Thursday. She’s saying wait another week. I would suggest she’s arse covering. She knows she made a mistake.

I must be the only NHS patient where the doctor makes appointments to speak to me 😳.

Appreciate your contact . I’m divorced and my long suffering daughter is working away so I’m feeling pretty pissed off.

Really tempted to stop the final 25mg this weekend.

See you on Facebook.

[micox]

Pregabalin and Gabapentin are anti epileptic drugs - NOT opiods. Yes Pregabalin does have withdrawal symptoms but it just needs a tapering programme to come off - if you've been using it long enough. I take it for nerve pain but I tapered the dose upwards (titration) until I got the effective dose with minimal side effects. Tell your GP to do that.

[elaine2447 in reply to micox]

Apart from anything else, taken long term, those two drugs cause osteoporosis but they don't tell you that.

[Stoneferry8]

I was on pregabalin for my spinal stenosis for a while but found it constipated me badly so I told the doctor that I wanted off them and started taking them in a reverse dosage , coming down to 25mg. Safely off them now .

[dexter92 in reply to Stoneferry8]

Well done I tapered ( reverse dosage ) the damn things . Dropped from 25mg to zero two days ago.

[dexter92 in reply to Stoneferry8]

Yeah the constipation was dreadful.

[dexter92 in reply to Stoneferry8]

good stuff. Although you aren’t taking them did you still feel rubbish for a while afterwards ?

[Stoneferry8 in reply to dexter92]

yes, I did, poor tummy was upset a lot between regular and irregularity. It’s just about ok now, but it’s taken a few weeks.

[dexter92 in reply to Stoneferry8]

I’ve had the same regular/ irregular. This is a weird one though ( sorry to lower the tone ) just before I need an erratic poop I get a dreadful tingling in my stomach which spreads through the body. It really is an unpleasant feeling.

[lgd333]

Hi, I started pregabalin for epilepsy in March. Am experiencing many side effects and waiting for review from Neuro. If I had my way I'd stop them too!

[skylark15]

Hi, Dexter.

I'm glad you've managed to come off Pregabalin. I was prescribed it years and years ago for the pain of Erythromelalgia but the pain continues to this day. I used to find that after being awoken by the pain in my feet and walking around for a while on cold floors, I felt that I could get back to sleep more easily because of the Pregab, so I've been very reluctant to decrease and then stop taking them. However, your post and particularly the reply mentioning constipation has finally made me decide to do it. I am currently struggling with chronic constipation 🙁. Thank you for posting.

The.

[dexter92 in reply to skylark15]

good to hear skylark. The stomach issues are the worst part. Although I know people that didn’t have that. How long have you been on them ?

[skylark15 in reply to dexter92]

Golly, probably since 2013, when the EM was diagnosed. Definitely time to come off them. Xx

[lgd333 in reply to skylark15]

My doctor prescribes Lactulose which helps with constipation.

[dexter92 in reply to lgd333]

the problem I and a few people I know find is that Pregalabin just messes your stomach up. Sometimes you’re feeling constipated other times the sh*ts.

If you take laxatives at the wrong time you’re in trouble.

[lgd333 in reply to dexter92]

My doctor advised I take 10ml. twice daily... I must admit it has helped a lot, and it appears to be a permanent prescription now with both Pregabalin and Sodium Chloride medication.

[Konagirl60]

Yes, pregabalin basically poisoned me. I was not monitored properly while taking it and I took way too much. I had a severe nerve compression injury and it didn’t help at all.

I did have terrible side effects to it including increased irritability, brain zaps, bloating and feeling like a zombie.

All of these issues were reported to Health Canada.

I weaned off of them slowly drinking coconut water all day long and eating lean and green. Good luck.

[Stoneferry8 in reply to Konagirl60]

when I was taking Pregabalin I got brain fog, bad constipation etc, I told the doctor I wanted off them. I weaned off Pregabalin the same way that I took them and stopped. Brain function has been steadily improving ( I have a husband in early dementia so I need my faculties) I am not drinking dairy milk , only lactose free or oat milk , both are good substitutes . To help my tummy recover I’m eating dried dates. bananas and arrowroot biscuits if I get peckish when I’m watching tv. I’m taking a painkiller for my spinal stenosis called Zapain , a brand name I think rather than a particular medicine. ,though just about the same as co-codamol. Although my tummy still hasn’t recovered yet but I’m hoping.

[dexter92 in reply to Konagirl60]

yep the same . How does coconut water help and once you had stopped how long did it take to start feeling normal ?

[Konagirl60 in reply to dexter92]

It replenishes the body and organs with minerals that medicines cause to become depleted. I still use it if I get dry mouth which is one of my medication side effects

[dexter92 in reply to Konagirl60]

Now that is really interesting. That could well explain a few of my problems.

[Konagirl60 in reply to dexter92]

Try the coconut water AND get a good mineral supplement at a good health food store. Keep me posted. I swear by it.

[dexter92 in reply to Konagirl60]

I think you may have cracked it. When I was in rehab a few years ago for opiod addiction a friend there kept on about magnesium and electrolytes webmd.com/diet/health-benef...

[Konagirl60 in reply to dexter92]

There are several forms of magnesium. I’ve read magnesium bisglycinate is the most easily digested.

Electrolytes play a role in most biochemical reactions in our body. They are essential. I hope you feel better soon.

[dexter92]

I’ve been off them 3 weeks tomorrow. Still have the brain fog although not as bad. It’s difficult to see it but I’m getting better

[EOLHPC in reply to dexter92]

Have my fingers crossed for you…thanks for the update 💞🍀

[Stoneferry8]

how’re you doing now, Dex? Brain any less foggy? Hope it’s doing ok, Konagirl60 was a help for me too, with the coconut water .

[dexter92]

doing ok just impatient. The coconut water is effective getting through a carton a day. Tinge expensive.

[Stoneferry8 in reply to dexter92]

😘

[Stoneferry8]

Xxx

[mapadale]

No, I just stopped taking them and was fine after a couple of days.

My Mental Health Nurse, knows I now self medicate because of bad experience with many pain killers and she's all for it.

[MSKitten]

Hi dexter92, I haven't but, i have tried them and just about everything else. I am unofficially diagnosed with MS. Pain is debilitating to the point i can't go back to work. I had edema hands legs feet from the lyrica and some other bad side effects. I find that Palexa helps 50mg x2 bd but i dont want to take it, due to being on Morphine for 13years and then methadone to Sublocade. So i feel your pain. I hope you find something that can help.