Diandra,
I miss the days when I could burn Incense Sticks in the house, for Meditation, Health and pleasure. Hopefully, they will return soon.

Dave.

i am so happy you gave it a try
awesome
if by any chance you eat fresh oranges and or lemon lime
use the skin that has the oils squeeze in a lite simmering
pot with your cinnamon
even drier sheets between your what i have quilted fitted barrier
and it be a soft smell while sleeping
wishing you better than your best day lately
love
me

The Lyrica taper
 

I thought I'd update on my taper from Lyrica, in case anyone else is interested in doing the same.

I was initially planning on dropping 12.5% of my dose every 10 days. When I wrote last (and first) time, I was 12 days in, and down to a 37.5mg AM and 75PM. I was too ambitious with this.

By 20/3 I was taking 37.5mg AM and 56.25PM. I started getting involuntary finger tremors (actually it looked more like playing air piano :winky:), and bad vertigo. I can't say if the vertigo was linked or not, but I've never had it before.

At this stage I slowed things right down. I spent 6 weeks on that dose, then dropped to 37.5mg AM and PM.

On 25/6, without thinking I dropped down to 25mg for both AM and PM at the same time. No tremors, but a little vertigo. On 30/07/15 I dropped to 18.75mg AM and 25mg PM

I have found that dropping slow is definitely the way to go. Even though I'm getting close and tempted to just stop, I'll hang in there and keep going slow.

Rather than sticking to a calendar, I have found that the best way to go is to stick to one level, and then when my head starts feeling fuzzy again, I drop down again. Each time I drop a level, my head feels clearer.

The all over muscle pain hasn't gone, but I'm hoping that it something that will clear up after this poison is out of my system. At this stage, that won't be a while, but at least I feel like I'm in control of my brain again.

Good luck,

Danjia

Well done
 

Hang in there, you have a good titration technique going and it is obviously working for you. Thanks for the update.

Thanks Pamela
 

Hi Pamela,

Yes, slow and steady seems to be the way to go!

Getting sick of mixing up the doses, but after reading about people suddenly stopping, it seems like a small price to pay.

Thanks for the encouragement x

Danjia

Down The Rabbit Hole
 

Hi there

I am a new member, though I have visited this site and this thread several times for advice, thank you to all who have posted. I have been on Lyrica for some time (maybe two years now? Before that I was on Neurontin) for radicular neuropathy down my leg and into my foot following a back and hip injury (repetitive stress from teaching preschool). I am on 450mg/day. I have tried to get off the Lyrica many times in the past year and it has been quite the roller coaster. Most of the time I have tried going off it has been due to not getting prescriptions refilled for various insurance BS reasons as I know many of you can relate to. The side effects and withdrawal symptoms are almost too numerous to list, essentially I literally feel as though I am dying when I try to go off, and I am depressed, disconnected and confused on it. I have a plan to try and taper off 75mg/month until I am free of it. My doctor, the only one I am able to see after months of no doctor, refuses to assist with the side effects, such as prescribing an SSRI, and as it is workers comp my primary care doc will also not help, so I am on my own. It is a scary drug; I have been on and off many meds throughout my life but none compare to the roller coaster that is Lyrica. I mostly take over the counter meds to help, such as Benadryl for the withdrawal (a huge help!), but it is scary how much this drug messes with my mind, my balance, my life. Reality and dreams seem intermingled, my pain becomes overwhelming, and I feel that I am slowly losing touch with who I am. I do not work or even drive, and though initially I blamed my injury for that, I now think a lot of it has to do with the Lyrica. I appreciate any advice and/or support while going through this. I am scared, though my life has been anything but easy, this is the hardest thing I have ever gone through. My docs' main suggestion is to switch to Topomax, but that just seems like more of the same problem. My goal is to be med free, though last time I was I was bedridden with pain. I just want my brain and my life back. I have lots of gaps in my memory, I lose time frequently, like a black out with no recognition of what happened. It is intensified with alcohol (and much easier to binge drink on it) so I will be avoiding that completely until I am off the meds, and maybe even after. I wish I had figured out the connection sooner, but many of the problems with Lyrica took some time for me to be aware of. My vision comes and goes, has anyone found anything that helps with the vision probs associated with Lyrica? I know many of you are suffering through similar issues, and I am grateful for this website. Here's hoping we all make it though this.

_________________
"I'm afraid I can't explain myself, sir. Because I am not myself, you see?" -Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

I had neck and shoulder pain and doctor gave me pregabalin for two weeks but on 10 th day i feel a difference in my vision and i suddenly stopped it.on 1 st week i was little ok,but now on 2 nd week after withdrawal i feel like my head is shaking and having headaches,still my vision is not ok really stressed
i just wonder i'm having another illness or is this all because of pregabalin,im really worried and just want to know how long i will feel like this ?? i don't feel good at all, i feel like i'm sick and really worried.can someone help me ??

call the dr. sounds like a reaction

Hi Everyone

After six years on Lyrica I decided the blurry vision and other side effects were not worth the benefits of less nerve pain.

I was taking 300mg twice a day and so I started the process of weaning off the drug with the help of my GP.

I got down to 100mg twice a day and started feeling so unwell, I would break out in sweat for no reason and I couldn't think properly. I tried to push on but after two months I had to go back up to 150mg twice a day and i feel human again.

I plan on waiting six months and then trying again

Hang in there..
Lyrica had me messed up too

Sent from my LGLS996 using Tapatalk

Crying for hope!
 

Hi, As a result of 3 major back and neck surgery, I have been on lyrica (3x75mg/day) since April 2016. I have stop taking lyrica on April 20, 2018 following a 3 weeks period (75mg/week). Since then my life is terrible, I cry everyday, I sleep 12 hours/day, I have no energy, no appetite (lost 15 pounds) my hands are shaking, I have suicidal thought, I have stiff neck etc.. I had 5 good days a week ago then back to hell again. Yesterday I had a good day. Today is again terrible day and crying again. Can someone had similar withdrawal symptoms and if so how long did it last? Thank you for your comments!!!!!

Hope you are ok. I have been on Lyrica since it came out for several conditions. I am only on 75 mg twice daily. I have gone off of it twice, only to have to go back on as I could not tolerate the prolonged severe withdrawl. I will be on it until the day I die. The withdrawal was worse than any opiate change my pain doc made. Somebody paid a lot of money to get that approved for human consumption. I am appalled at the number of reported side effects and the body awful withdrawal when attempting to discontinue. Best wishes.

I have been on Lyrica for 5 years. Four months ago my dosage was increased to 300mg twice a day. Until the increase in dosage I did not make the connection of side effects to Lyrica (painful bloating,memory problems, high weight gain etc.... I cut it back to 300mg once a day for 2 months without issue. Started to cut back last week to 150mg once a day. I am now feeling effects of withdraw as mentioned: nausea,diarrhea etc....... I will talk to doctor to slow down slower. Preferably I would gut it out over a few days, however after hearing about how long withdraw symptoms may last(years?)a slower approach mat be needed. Reading the stories of others with same issues is quiet helpful.

Cut back with GP guidance, definitely don’t go 300 to 150. The side effect withdrawals are hideous but also a well know little talked of event with doctors. I don’t know why. Titrate up to 275 for 3 weeks, then 250 for 3 weeks and follow a diarised plan of cutting back. It’s a good drug for what it’s prescribed for if tolerated but getting off is not without difficulty. Always seek GP advice for titrating down on medications. Sorry you’re going through this

anyone had si joint issues?
 

I am not sure how to start a new thread, but I am giving it my best shot. I suffer from Lupus, Si Joint pain, and chronic lower back pain. My pain is so intense sometimes that I just don't know how I am going to make it. My back has been fused at l3 l4 l5. Ever since then my life has went down hill. Currently I have one neurosurgeon saying I need si joint fusion and another saying they don't think that is it. If anyone has suffered from si joint pain could you please tell me if your pain is always one sided or do you also get pain on the middle of your spine at the lower end of your back?

Lyrica withdrawal too
 

Just posting this to document that I too had severe withdrawal problems from Lyrica, even with tapering over about three weeks. The symptoms started gradually while tapering off, worsened when I was completely off the medication, and kept worsening for the 2-3 weeks I was off it. But I didn’t realize the connection until the symptoms got really bad. I felt so bad that I thought I would die, and at first my doctors and I didn’t know what was wrong. I restarted the Lyrica and sure enough, the problems immediately disappeared. A few years later I tried once again to stop it, this time with even a much slower taper. I started gradually feeling the same bad symptoms long before stopping and with just a fairly small dose reduction, so reluctantly will stay on Lyrica forever.

It’s true that the vast majority of people apparently do not have this type of reaction. But I’ve read many other reports of the same types of reactions from a small percentage of people. BTW I have many of the same symptoms, just much milder, if I am a few hours late with a dose. I felt considerably worse with this withdrawal than on chemo for breast cancer.

It’s hard to put into words all of the symptoms I got, but here are at least some. This is how they get when really bad, when off the med for several days. They start milder and come on gradually:

No appetite, Upset stomach and/or nausea. Forced myself to eat as much as I could during the last couple weeks when it was severe. Without trying, I lost about 15 pounds in the two weeks off the med plus 10 more pounds in the previous 3 weeks while tapering. Got to my lowest weight since my early 20s.

Bad Headache; Much more than my usual pain in my neck and shoulders (This is where my pain is usually worst and where I have the most problems with my spine)
Couldn’t think/plan; fuzzy thinking; Mind basically blank; Certainly couldn’t work at my job that required concentration, high executive functioning and problem-solving
No energy, Mental or physical
Irritable
No desire or ability to engage in any social interaction, Even just conversation with my family
No desire to engage in any physical activity or to do anything, even low energy activities like read, watch TV, Check my phone for contact from my children or spouse, shower
Felt disconnected from reality
Couldn’t drive
Difficult to even go to the doctor with the help of a family member
Fatigue
Couldn’t do any type of chores, Even line up people to drive my kids

———
F/50
Laminectomy c3-c7; fusion c3-t1 2007 Due to congenital narrow spinal column, syrinx & DDD. Symptoms since 1988.
Cervical syringohydromyelia; cervical, lumbar, and thoracic spondylosis with myelopathy and neuropathy; cervical and lumbar stenosis
Breast cancer survivor (triple negative) 2018; BARD1 genetic mutation
Basal cell skin cancer twice 2008
Central pain syndrome
ME/CFS
Excessive daytime sleepiness
Recurrent iritis
Joint hypermobility syndrome
Tachycardia, Occasional arrhythmia
Vulvodynia
FMS?
IBS
Intercystial cystitis
Possible Sjogren’s disease
Flicker vertigo
Rosacea

Headaces are real problem??
 

There is so much informative info here but I can't spend hours reads as my headache is making it very difficult to read the amount of information. I have both legs develop very severe neuropathy 600mg daly
t has moved up to my hips and I have a neurostimulator in my buttock helps which helps wonderfully also 7 nerve blocks. I have bad scoliosis and all the great things that go with it
I use Soma and whatever things often might release the neck and back pressure

Hello everyone,

Thank you for starting this thread, it has been very informative. My husband and I are both taking Gabapentin which is generic for Lyrica and Neurontin. We both have gone a day or longer without taking the medication. My husband has only gone without it because of the pharmacy being unable to fill his prescription until the next day because of the delivery to the pharmacy had not arrived yet. Or, we didn't make it to the pharmacy to puck it up before it closed. I do fine without it and never experience any withdrawal symptoms.
However, my husband is the complete opposite and has bad withdrawals, such as, nausea, diarrhea, and body aches. I feel horrible for him each time it has happened. Although I take the same medication I don't experience any of the symptoms of going without taking it. I do my best to look after him during those times. I hate to see him suffer through it. I don't understand it since I don't have the sumptoms. I hate to hear anyone else suffer from it too. Thank you again for starting this thread.

Best wishes,


Diamond Tiger<3

I have been suffering from chronic pain for the last few years, received lots of different diagnoses for different things, payed stupid money in hopes to see some improvement. The other week I was given Lyrica to trial.

I have always known that I am sensitive to medication. Over the last 10 years I have tried and come off different medications countless times. Every time it was due to side effects that I could not cope with, mostly cognitive. So when I went to see my doctor about something to help me deal with my chronic pain, they offered this. I asked because of my history of side effects, whether this would have similar issues and I was told yes but we will put you on a low dose and up the amount gradually. Being told that they have patients at 300-600mg's a day and that this is a really low dose.

Days 1-3: I was on 25mg's. not a huge amount changed. Slightly fuzzy, pain slightly numbed. Trying to be hopeful
Day 4: dose upped to 50mg's. Taken before going to sleep. Night consists on nightmares and the day is rough, Can't think, brain fog really kicking in. Pain has reduced though
Day 5: 50mg's again before bed but I take a shower after the dose. End up falling down the stairs. Brain does not work, Can't remember what I am saying as I am saying. Pain is almost gone though. Really horrible nightmares though.
Day 6: much like Day 5, brain just does not work, had another fall. End up calling my doctor, get told to drop down to 25. On the pain front though
Day 7: 25mg's Still really foggy but now with brain zaps. It's like my brain gets stabbed randomly every few minutes. Said screw this and didn't take another dose. If I'm going to go through this dropping from 50 to 25 after only three days, I'm not taking this poison. Not to mention my brain is my key asset. If it's fried, then I lose this life I built up. I would rather live with pain than live as an empty person

Day 8: No dose, brain zaps like the day before, feeling rough, really rough. Nerve pain hasn't returned though.
Day 9: No Dose, Brain zaps have reduced, still happen once or twice an hour but have a pretty strong fever. still struggling to think a bit but getting better.
Day 10: No Dose, brain zaps have gone, no fever. But brain is still foggy, but memory is better. I feel more alert but stupefied. I hate feeling like I can't think. This is where I am now and I hate this living hell. I want my brain function to return. I want to be able to do what I enjoy. But now it just feels like the front of my brain is sleeping and I worry this is my life now.

This medication is the devil. Maybe in a week, I'll feel normal again but my mind is telling me that this causes serious permanent damage to the brains function and chemistry. I can only hope that I got off this monster soon enough.

I hope this just becomes a memory. If all goes well, I probably wont post here again, I hope

Question question question and think deeply on the drugs we are told to take for this and that. I learned from an ER trip with one yrs ago and that was a big wake up. IF side effects are not immediate, they most of the time do come I believe.

Learn to work with alternatives, they can work and I never had side effects taking them about 30 yrs. One with St Johns Wort for depression yrs ago and figured it out and got off pronto. Learn to work with alternatives and for pain issues we need to learn to manage and don't expect No Pain.

Welcome to NeuroTalk, red potato.
Sounds bad.
I don't understand how it's still prescribed so much.
I'm in Australia and there's some tv show about it this week somewhere talking about the dangers and terrible effects. I must find out and try to watch it if I can. I've not had a doctor suggest it for my pain yet, but I know the day will come. I've read about the problems for so long now here that I know I'll never take it.

Look after yourself. Hope it's all out of your system fast.