weight gain on pregabalin !

[nick-the-turk]

As you are aware I take pregabalin and codeine phosphate and have read pregabalin makes you gain weight my weight has balloned by nearly 2 stone i knew id put weight on but not that amount is there a medication on parr with the medication I'm taking that would halt the weight gain . Pregabalin is not working that great but I'm not climbing walls anymore so a better drug would be magic but don't thing one exist in the UK

[SueJohnson]

Pregabalin is know to cause weight gain in some.

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.

[nick-the-turk in reply to SueJohnson]

thank you pregabalin not and never worked that great but its brought me up from a dark place and I've been reluctant to change but now I believe is the right time

[Joolsg]

If pregabalin isn't working that well- a low dose opioid like Buprenorphine would cover the RLS AND doesn't cause weight gain.

[nick-the-turk in reply to Joolsg]

thanks joolsg I've asked doctor about these meds but reluctant to prescribe them but will try again for sure just trying to get my life in order but GPS are ignorant when it comes to RLS and meds in the UK thats my opinion only

[Joolsg in reply to nick-the-turk]

Not just your opinion Nick.They know NOTHING.

Buprenorphine is red listed in many areas. That means the GP is not allowed to prescribe it unless a neurologist/sleep doctor recommends it first. Even then, some GPs refuse.

So ask for a referral to a neurologist.

If you're near Bath- Dr Robin Fackre is good.

[nick-the-turk]

Seen a neurologist supposed to have a follow up but they've not sent an appointment but when I seen him I went armed with all the info from here and he said buprenorphine is on a list of no no medications maybe the cost I don't know but I'd be willing to fund medication myself even though I come under the free prescription age limits

[SueJohnson in reply to nick-the-turk]

Who did you see?

[nick-the-turk in reply to SueJohnson]

Dr Nazir Khan at Musgrove Park hospital Taunton Somerset UK

[Joolsg in reply to nick-the-turk]

He probably meant it was red listed in Somerset. But he CAN do a few things to get round that.He can write to the local formulary and ask them to take Buprenorphine OFF the red list. Or write a private prescription on a pink form. Or write to your GP recommending Buprenorphine and asking them to agree to a 'shared care agreement' with him. He recommends and they prescribe.

Buprenorphine is dirt cheap in the UK. Much cheaper than pregabalin or dopamine agonists.

Write to him again- complete the IRLSS score sheet on RLS-UK website which will give a score out of 40. Tell him pregabalin has caused weight gain and isn't covering your symptoms.

There are ways around the 'red listing' if your neurologist pushes.

[Joolsg in reply to nick-the-turk]

formulary.nhssomerset.nhs.u....

The Somerset formulary doesn't have Buprenorphine pills listed. Only the patch.

If you live close enough to drive to another formulary area- you could switch GP practice and try to get Buprenorphine pills.

Try googling Devon and Dorset formulary lists of opioids and have a chat with your local pharmacist. They're usually more helpful than GP surgeries in explaining whether Buprenorphine pills can be prescribed.

[SueJohnson in reply to nick-the-turk]

If you see him again let us know how it goes.

[intermk]

I'm with Joolsg on this issue. I was on pregabalin for a while and had the same weight gain issue. I blew up like a beach ball and I was very active at the time with hiking, long cycling events, swimming, etc. But on Buprenorphine (Bupr) I lost most of what I'd gained and have been stable the last 7 years. And it was a huge challenge getting the prescription (Rx). It's worth the effort to get a Rx for Bupr. I don't know anyone on a correct dose that hasn't been completely relieved of RLS with this medicine.

[nick-the-turk]

Thank you I will try pushing for Buprenorphine

[restlegs1]

I can happily say that although I put on two kilos while taking Pregabalin, since being prescribed a mixture of buprenorphine and methodone I have lost 7 kilos over the last 5 months. My consultant, a pain specialist, has me on 2.5 mcg patch of buprenorphine (half a 5 mcg patch of Norspan) and 5 mg of methodone (half a tablet) in the evening. My RLS symptoms are completely controlled and I sleep like a baby. I am also feeling much fitter and have more energy than I have had for a long time. There is no guarantee you would get the same results, but I would say it is worth a try if you can get your consultant on board with an opioid. I should add that my appetite is reduced, and I need to be very careful I stick to healthy and nourishing diet.

[SueJohnson in reply to restlegs1]

The problem with also taking methadone is the buprenorphine blocks other opioids from taking affect. That's why it is used to get people off heroin.

[restlegs1 in reply to SueJohnson]

What is your basis for claiming this? Are you perhaps thinking not of buprenorhine transdermal patches , but Suboxone which contains buprenorphine and Naloxone . Naloxone is a drug that can temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose or adverse reaction. If you take buprenorphine and methadone together without your doctor's supervision, sure there is a danger you can increase your risk of side effects, including overdose, and Naloxone can counteract this. But the patches don't contain Naloxone.

Several of us who are under the treatment of Dr Stephen Gibson in Sydney have found the combination of very low dose transdermal patches and very low dose methadone to work very well.

[amrob123 in reply to restlegs1]

Buprenorphine alone (without naloxone) can still block the effects of other opioids.

Buprenorphine is a partial agonist at the mu-opioid receptor, meaning it activates the receptor but to a lesser degree compared to full agonists like heroin or morphine.

When taken, buprenorphine can bind to these receptors and reduce the ability of other opioids to activate them fully, effectively blocking or attenuating their effects, such as euphoria.

This blocking effect is why buprenorphine is used in opioid dependence treatment, as it helps prevent relapse by minimizing withdrawal symptoms and blocking the effects of illicit opioids.

While naloxone is added in combination formulations to reduce misuse (by causing withdrawal symptoms if injected), buprenorphine alone still has the capacity to block other opioids to some extent.

[restlegs1 in reply to amrob123]

Ok, fair enough, but what bearing does that have on the context in point? From what I understand, the dose given to opioid addicts to help reduce their opioid dependence is considerably lower than the dose given to most people with RLS. At what dose would Bunprenorphine start to block other opioids?

[amrob123 in reply to restlegs1]

Individual responses vary but even at low doses, eg 0.5.g to 2mg sublingual, buprenorphine has a partial blocking effect. The blocking effects increase with an increasing dose. Perhaps discuss it with your specialist if you're concerned about it.

[SueJohnson in reply to restlegs1]

psychiatry.uams.edu/clinica...

"will displace morphine, methadone, and other opioid full agonists from the receptor."

[nick-the-turk]

thank you are you in the UK ?

[Theonlypetied]

I absolutely know what you mean Nick. I have put on 2 stone since being on Pregab. I’ve also moved from a physical job away from food temptation to mainly a desk job, working from home where the fridge and food cupboards are. That’s not to mention midnight munchies as a ‘reward’ for not sleeping.