Pregabalin

[foxglove]

Has anyone stopped pregabalin cold turkey? If so how did you get on? Thanks

[mapadale]

I did, I just stopped taking them. I don't want to say I didn't feel any side effects, but I didn't or not what I can remember anyway. But I am also a cannabis user.

[foxglove in reply to mapadale]

If you don't mind, would you tell me what dose you were taking and for how long? Thanks

[mapadale in reply to foxglove]

Off the top of my head no, not without finding a spare pack somewhere. I do remember being on two tablets

[etheral]

Stopping pregabalin is similar to stopping opiods. Severity of symptoms would be worse if higher doses or length of treatment. Withdrawal symptoms would include nasea abd cramps diarrhea assorted neurological symptoms etc. Certainly gradually weaning off would help. Best of luck etheral

[foxglove in reply to etheral]

Gradual sounds best!

[BertoBishop]

yes I did, and no issues

[foxglove in reply to BertoBishop]

Thanks for reply

[LancashireLad1]

Took me about 3 weeks wasn't nice but glad I did

[foxglove in reply to LancashireLad1]

I'm into my 2nd week now and fingers crossed I can make it. Don't know that the pregab. was really helping

[Kjun54321]

I stopped taking Pregabalin after having a spinal cord stimulator put in. I figured that since my nerves were stimulated, I wouldn’t need Pregabalin. After 2 weeks, my pain came back and hurting worse. I now take one a day instead of two.

[foxglove in reply to Kjun54321]

I think a reduced dose is the answer in a lot of cases

[6bl_brando]

I am on pregabalin @ 600 mg per diem, suffering from a severe spinal injury and phantom limb pain. I ran out of pregabalin last summer and I can assure you it was most unpleasant. Within half a day I was experiencing neurogenic shock and shaking like a leaf in a gale. Not recommended.

[foxglove in reply to 6bl_brando]

Sympathies for your pain, I am on 200mg for peripheral neuropathy so different scenario. Not pleasant but the med. really doesnt help and I don't like the side effects

[Stoneferry8]

I stopped , but not cold turkey, I reversed back to how I started and told the doctor.

[foxglove in reply to Stoneferry8]

Thanks, this is the plan I'm working on now.....wish me luck

[Rabann]

thanks for asking that question, I’ve wanted to stop my dose of Pregab but after reading your replies I’ll sit tight, my dose 200mg twice a day for relief of Scoliosis.

[skylark15]

Hi, Foxglove.

Thanks for raising this issue.

I've been taking 150mg in the morning and 300mg Pregabalin at night, for many years (maybe 8?) , ostensibly for the pain of Erythromelalgia and possibly of peripheral neuropathy, although that was never spelled out to me. Neither pain is controlled in any noticeable way, and I've been thinking of stopping them. I wasn't going to go cold turkey, though, just reduce dose gradually and see what happens.

[foxglove in reply to skylark15]

\Good advice, thanks

[Coralpink]

unable to sleep at night for a week or so. I’m glad I’ve stopped them. I now just take 600g Ibuprofen and two paracetamol, twice a day.

[smg60]

I had severe vaginal pain and I found Lyrica to be a very good pain reliever. I think I was only taking 150 mg/day. But when I was on the phone with our county about our garbage that wasn't picked up, she asked me our address - and I blanked. I stopped taking it immediately and I don't recall any issues.

[foxglove in reply to smg60]

Know the feeling about blanking! I think pregabalin is more "dangerous" than I realised I am on 200 mg daily for neuropathy and trying hard to stop...was not as easy as I had thought...

[vivikin in reply to foxglove]

i take 300mg twice a day and my GP and the consultant have told me i must not stop taking it and must reduce very gradually over a period of months and judging by the withdrawal symptoms i get if i forget a dose i agree with them although i have no intention of coming of it anyway.

[foxglove in reply to vivikin]

Even on 200mg daily I find the withdrawal not nice. I've got some other probs to sort (who hasn't ?) first then I'll seewhat doc thinks and go with her advice.

[BeachsideVia]

I take 50 mg at night for peripheral neuropathy from chemo 9 years ago. Im working my way up, but 50 helps! No stabbing knives in my legs, but still have pain. I have to be careful that I don’t get dementia like side effects. I had that problem with gabapentin.

I ran out a while back for a day and on this low dose I got the usual brain zaps. I have been on and off so many meds, lots of antidepressants, tramadol, celebrex…. Follow the doctor’s recommendation. I have a fab neurologist but he is big on cold turkey stops. You WILL feel like crap for a few days. And then, you WILL feel better!

[foxglove in reply to BeachsideVia]

Thanks, I don't feel strong enough to face inevitable withdrawals at the moment! (cowardly custard me !)

[meicox]

Hi. I was on the maximum daily dose from 2010 and found it excellent for pain. I stopped on a gradual reduction in early 2022 because I'd read it shouldn't be prescribed for older people (I'm 85 now). With pain again my new GP in around Dec 2022 agreed for me to resume and I titrated to 100mg BD. in about May this year I asked my GP for a reduction programme. She prescribed the first reduction then, sod's law, she went on booked leave. Staff shortage at the practice led to no chance of further prescriptions. Like an idiot I decided to go cold turkey. That wasn't pleasant but I did it.

All the time since then I'd been complaining of feeling ill, frozen cold in hot weather and unable to do even the simplest task. Yesterday my GP visited me (I have mobility problems and can't get to the surgery). She and I were really puzzled after a long discussion we wondered if it could possibly be the effects of Pregabalin cold turkey. We agreed to try titration of the drug again and she prescribed 50mg BD to start with.

Today, I woke up feeling fine and human and feeling the everyday heat! There's a parable there but the dates may be slightly wrong.

[foxglove in reply to meicox]

Well done - glad you're human again. Understand about doctors, my favourite has just left boo- hoo, and I'm still too cowardly to give up pregabalin

[Daiboi]

Hi I was taking 600 pregablin for 6 years an I was thinking for a long time to stop taking them anyway we went on holiday for a week and when we arrived it was time to take my dose an yep we left the zip bag with all the medication at home, I wanted to cry coz I new what was coming..wow it was bad so bad after 2 days of hell I managed to get my hands on some Valium to take the edge off..I remember taking 4 of them 10mg each blue and woke up 4 days later in the hospital with all the doctors avin a go at me.. telling me how serious this was and how lucky I was only going into a 4 day coma could of been so much worse..then I found out that they been given me 200mg of pregablin a day while I was in hospital to bring me back.. anyway I went down to 100mg for 2 weeks then 50mg for 2 weeks and I have been off them now for 4 years ( did you know when you come off heroin they give you Methadone well after that they give them pregablin) it's banned in lots of countries around the world. Anyway best of luck my friend

[foxglove in reply to Daiboi]

Congrats on getting there, keep going

[Starseed56]

Hi Foxglove. I went cold turkey on pregabilin I. March this year after taking 75mg at night for 15 years. After becoming increasingly worried about what this drug might do to my brain as it’s actually an anti epileptic i decided when I got very sick with flu or similar in March and forgetting the pregabilin for a few nights, I might as well continue cold turkey. I’ve had absolute awful sleep since then generally waking every 1-1.5 hours. I do sometimes now 7 months on have some longer periods of sleep but hardly ever more than 3-4 hours. It’s done now so I’m accepting the consequences and praying with time this will improve. I’m afraid I’ve lost massive confidence in doctors these days (am also in The thyroid forum on Health unlocked which confirms many don’t know what they’re doing) the hospital that originally prescribed to me wanted me on 300mg a day but that was intolerable so I settled for 75mg at night which did help me sleep, or 150mg if I’d had a heavy physical day gardening for example. It was prescribed for fibromyalgia some of which I’ve improved with healing as one train of thought is that it’s trauma based. But who knows anything for sure eh? Good luck in Your venture. 💜

[foxglove in reply to Starseed56]

HiStarseed56 thanks for this detailed reply. I share your concerns about pregabalin's affect on the brain. I am in the process of weaning off (yet again!). I take it for peripheral neuropathy pain in legs and feet but it simply does not work, I have continued it because it sort of relaxes me but that's not the effect I need! I have still to discuss this with doc. along with another useless med. (For something else) and also not helpful. Oh dear , yes meds help with sleep but that's not the answer (ha-ha). Who knows what the answer is. Good luck to you, I've stopped prega. cold turkey when I was on a lower dose but doc. seemed upset (again ha-ha) Do keep in touch and we can continue to exchange notes

[Starseed56]

not sure I’d ever go back on it now Foxglove specially as coming off wasn’t good! Beginning to think the sleep may slowly be improving but that may also be the change in thyroid meds. No doctors join the dots do they to understand the inter relatedness of conditions and drugs. I was put on pregabilin for fibromyalgia. Not sure it helped much with the pain but it definitely helped me sleep. I have no regrets about coming off pregabilin and just hope I’ll find other more natural options! Good luck with your latest “escape” 💜

[foxglove in reply to Starseed56]

I too would also love to find a natural sleep answer, the best I can do is one of the "sleepy " anti histamines, phenergan or Kirkland sleep aid very good....however don't think really can be called natural - it just makes such a difference to get a sleep!. I am not very far on with the pregabalin withdrawal but I've stopped completely the meds I was taking for OAB and I'm actually better off . Rang surgery today to ask advice but was told I was 16th in the queue so will try another time or will(as I usually do)-continue in my own way and report to dr. after. I don't think they bother anyway Good luck, let me know if you find the answer . There was an item on the computer about how to make banana tea which is supposed to work. I have a lot of bananas just now so was going to try but was too lazy

[Starseed56 in reply to foxglove]

Friend of mine takes sleep aid too. I now take two magnesium threonate which I pray is helping with the positive changes. Someone has also mentioned gaba tea to me which I’ve not yet looked into. Banana tea?! if you make it and it helps let me know!

[Blackknight1989]

Gabapentin works on the same areas of the brain as Benzodiazepines (Valium, Xanax and Klonopin to name only a few..lol!) so understandable that problems happen especially at those tremendous dosage levels! Most studies done in the last 4/5 years show that one to four gabapentin work better for actual nerve pain…and that’s what I’m on…though I only get 2/3 hours of uninterrupted sleep a night period. I’ve been down the addiction road twice, quite alcohol cold turkey in 2003 the day before my 36th birthday (I know…what was I thinking!) but after my 22nd osteoarthritis surgery I got hooked on OxyContin AND Percocet (surgery in 2014 I quit in September 2017 but by then 6/7 80 mg Oxys and 8/10 Percocet a day…and after a week of those withdrawals I finally had to go to a Suboxone clinic to get relief. Unlike alcohol I didn’t crave the pain meds but the physical withdrawal was almost as bad as the 6 months after AKI in MICU on a ventilator! (Almoost). Sometimes we need help and it’s okay to get it. Have no idea about banana tea but for me the Suboxone did the trick. Unfortunately I think we no longer have access here in US but you may in the UK…I’ll check and post a link if there is any interest. Oh, I was off the Suboxone by February 2018 and felt much better!

As always I wish you my best as you seek your optimal health!