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 ), 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

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

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

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.

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