Addiction Phobia

[SwimLyn]

As I have stated in my previous posts I have a real problem in taking too much medication but RL has been so bad over these last years that I have had to succumb just so can function. Had been put on Pregabalin late last year & started on 25mg & have since incrementally increased to 150mg nightly as gradually it stopped working @ the lower levels.

I am now finding am having more breakthroughs @ 150mg so know I need to increase to 175mg +& continue on an upward trajectory to offset the symptoms & to be able to sleep hopefully undisturbed for at least a few nights.

My problem is the fear that I will have to keep increasing & will soon reach the 600mg level which I believe is the considered maximum amount of Pregabalin & then what I will do if it still isn't enough.

My geriatric consultant has prescribed me 15mg of Codeine phosphate to take if I need them to help if Pregabalin not working but again it does state on the box that if taking regularly & for a long time can lead to addiction so not helping with my 'addiction' anxiety !!

Can anyone help allay my fears so I can relax into the night & let them do the job hopefully.

Many thanks

[Joolsg]

Here is Dr Winkelman's opioid study. Set up to prove that RLS patients taking opioids do not develop tolerance ( the need to take higher amounts to acheive previous cover) & consequently we do not develop 'addiction'.I've been on the same 0.4mg dose of Buprenorphine for 4 years. No addiction. No tolerance.

Obviously we are DEPENDENT on our meds in the same way MS and PD and diabetes patients are dependent on their meds.

The only RLS meds that actually cause 'addiction' type behaviour & symptoms are dopamine agonists.

massgeneral.org/rls-registry

[SueJohnson]

It is common to have to increase the pregabalin dose in the first year but you won't keep going up to 600 mg so I wouldn't worry about that especially taking the codeine.

[Munroist]

300mg pregabalin is not an uncommon dose, it's less than the maximum recommended of 450 and you have a fair way to go before you get there so I don't think you should worry. I think you are absolutely right to keep an eye on how much you are taking but it doesn't sound like you are out of control. I would suggest the best thing to do is to increase gradually as you have been doing and see how things look at 300mg. It might sort things out or it still might not be enough but you can't really predict that from where you are. Pregabalin is not normally considered addictive so you should be able to reduce (carefully) if you need to. I took 300mg for a year and had no issue with changing the dose up or down other than worrying about what might happen but in the end it was easy to come off it. I took it for neuropathic pain but it didn't seem to help my RLS at the time. Other drugs such as low dose opiods which include the codeine seem to be more reliable in their effect in RLS.

[SwimLyn in reply to Munroist]

That is so comforting to hear & will try to allow myself to relax & let the medication do it's job hopefully!!