Headaches with pregabalin

[Rangers52]

Hi I've been on pregabalin for 4 weeks now but I've started getting extremely bad headache about an hour after taking it, has anyone else had this and does it go away

[SueJohnson]

Unfortunately that can be a side effect. It may go away or it may not, You might want to try switching to gabapentin. Although they are basically the same drug except you need to divide the doses, and the side effects are basically the same, some people find that the side effects that bother them on one don't bother them on the other. Multiply the pregabalin amount by 6 to get the correct dose. If you need more than 600 mg take the extra 4 hours before bedtime as it is not as well absorbed above 600 mg. If you need more than 1200 mg, take the extra 6 hours before bedtime. If you take magnesium, even in a multivitamin, don't take it within 3 hours of the gabapentin as it reduces the absorption of the gabapentin. If you take calcium don't take it within 2 hours for the same reason.

If you decide to come off the pregabalin you need to do so very slowly to avoid withdrawal effects. Reduce by 25 mg every 2 weeks. If you switch to gabapentin you can do so directly without weaning off pregabalin.

[Rangers52 in reply to SueJohnson]

Thanks sue

[Hidden]

I've never had that side effect with pregabalin.

[Hidden]

Are you off the Paroxetine and on any iron? I was hoping by doing this you would need practically no medication?

[Rangers52]

Doctor doesn't want me off the paroxetine yet he said its probably not having too much of an effect on the rls and I'm taking iron every other day as every day was too much

[Hidden in reply to Rangers52]

You should probably listen to your doctor, but he is so very wrong about the SSRI not having an affect on the RLS. Also, iron is to RLS as aspirin is to a headache. You need to take 50mg of ferrous bisglycinate on an empty stomach about an hour before bed, every night, to realize any kind of relief. It should help, but the iron may be like whistling in the wind, in relation to the SSRI. When I was taking .5mg of melatonin (which is very similar to an SSRI in terms of what it does to RLS) 25mg of iron was enough. When I went to 1.0mg of Melatonin, I needed 50mg of iron. When I stopped the melatonin my RLS went silent. Anyone on an SSRI will have intractable RLS until they switch to an RLS friendly antidepressant

[Rangers52 in reply to Hidden]

Can I take iron at the same time of night as the pregabalin

[SueJohnson in reply to Rangers52]

Yes

[Hidden in reply to Rangers52]

From Sue it sounds like you can take them at same time, but I would still try the experiment with the iron one night. I couldn’t find much regarding Pregabalin and iron but I found several articles regarding Gabapentin and iron which say to put two hours in between:

peacehealth.org/medical-top....

account.allinahealth.org/li....

[Rangers52 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you

[Hidden]

The recommendation is two hours in between. My recommendation is to test the iron one night. Say it’s 8pm and you have RLS, take 3 ferrous bisglycinate and wait 60 to 90 minutes. If the RLS isn’t greatly diminished or some improvement then we know the iron is no match for the SSRI, and you can take the iron on whatever schedule suits your needs but always two hours away from Lyrica.

[Moonwalker1967]

I have had headaches when I started on Pergabalin and they went away after a while. Be careful, I have had balance problems and 2 falls. Also had blurred vision. All of the above went away with time if taking the medication. I am now on Pergabalin 200 mg. I hope you find the above helpful.

[shazzafloyd in reply to Moonwalker1967]

Thankyou for your post can I ask how long have you been taking pregablin. As I Been on this 150 mg for 6 months now. Bit I still get blury double vision now I get dizzy and wobbly legs now x

[SueJohnson in reply to shazzafloyd]

If you have been on it that long, the side effects aren't going away. You might want to try switching to gabapentin. Although they are basically the same drug except you need to divide the doses, and the side effects are basically the same, some people find that the side effects that bother them on one don't bother them on the other. Multiply the pregabalin amount by 6 to get the correct dose which in your case would be 900 mg. You can switch directly. Since you need more than 600 mg take the extra 4 hours before bedtime as it is not as well absorbed above 600 mg. If you need more than 1200 mg, take the extra 6 hours before bedtime. According to the Mayo Clinic Updated Algorithm on RLS: "Most RLS patients require 1200 to 1800 mg of gabapentin."If you take magnesium, even in a multivitamin, don't take it within 3 hours of the gabapentin as it reduces the absorption of the gabapentin. If you take calcium don't take it within 2 hours for the same reason.

If you are not familiar with it check out the Mayo Clinic Updated Algorithm on RLS which will tell you everything you want to know including about its treatment and refer your doctor to it if needed as many doctors do not know much about RLS or are not uptodate on it at Https://mayoclinicproceedings.org/a...

Have you had your ferritin checked? If so, what was it? Improving your ferritin to 100 or more helps 60% of people with RLS and in some cases completely eliminates their symptoms. If not when you see your doctor ask for a full iron panel. Stop taking any iron supplements including multivitamins that have iron in them 48 hours before the test, don't eat a heavy meat meal the night before, fast after midnight and have your test in the morning before 9 am if possible. When you get the results, ask for your ferritin and transferrin saturation (TSAT) numbers. You want your transferrin saturation to be over 20% but less than 45% and your ferritin to be at least 100. If they are not, post them here and we can give you some advice.

Some things that can make RLS symptoms worse for some people are alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, sugar, carbs, foods high in sodium, foods that cause inflammation, ice cream, eating late at night, estrogen including HRT, dehydration, MSG, collagen supplements, electrolyte imbalance, melatonin, eating late at night, stress and vigorous exercise.

Some things that help some people include caffeine, moderate exercise, weighted blankets, compression socks, elastic bandages, masturbation, magnesium glycinate, fennel, low oxalate diet, selenium, 5 minute shower alternating 20 seconds cold water with 10 seconds hot water finishing with hot water for another couple of minutes, hot baths, distractions, CBD, applying a topical magnesium lotion or spray, doing a magnesium salts soak, vitamins B1, B3, B6, B12, D3, K2, if deficient, and potassium and copper if deficient, massage including using a massage gun, vibration devices like therapulse, using a standing desk, listening to music, meditation and yoga. Keep a food diary to see if any food make your RLS worse

Many medicines and OTC supplements can make RLS worse. If you are taking any and you list them here, I can tell you if any make RLS symptoms worse and if so may be able to give you a safe substitute.

[shazzafloyd in reply to SueJohnson]

Thankyou for your help. It all sound a bit confusing I have just got tested for my iron lvls. I get the results in 2 days I will post u tgen soon thank you

[SueJohnson in reply to shazzafloyd]

I notice you said you had anxiety and depression plus high blood pressure in previous posts. Many of the medicines for these can make RLS worse and if you tell me what you are taking I may be able to provide you with a safe substitute.

[Wiggler]

Hi,

I had similar. Fades away eventually but from my experience it’s worth sticking with it.

Drink loads of fluids and paracetamol helps.

Failing that, as Sue says, Gabapentin is an easy switch.

[Rangers52]

Ok thank you