my psychiatrist put me on Lyrica for sleep. I was on it for over a year and in September I got extreme vertigo. I found out after many visis with doctors of all specialties (from a pharmacist) that it was the Lyrica. I stopped taking the Lyrical the 1st of April and am still experiencing hot/cold, anxiety the vertigo, nausea and extreme depression. I won't touch another Lyrica tablet and just wonder how long it will take to get this poison out of my system????? I already suffered from depression and the w/d has made me suicidal.

I took Lyrica for a year. I had to stop taking it becuase I found it made me less sharp mentally . I withdrew slowly 3-4 weeks , no problem stopping it.

was taking 450mg for two months for sciatica. after two months dropped down to 300mn, felt withdrawal but also quit 350mg daily Tramadol at the same time.

Kept up 300mg Lyrica dose while suffering severe withdrawals form Tramadol. After one month, began to break down Lyrica dosage, like: 150mg at night, 75mg in the morning for a few days then cut that in half for a few days, withdrawal was very difficult and I felt I was just dragging it on longer by weaning, I was impatient with the process and had a week where I had little to no responsibilities, so I quit cold turkey.

I am now on day 11 no Lyrica. It has been very difficult but is getting better. I take 100-125mg Trazadone at night to sleep, this is not good sleep but will do for now, I go down for about 7hrs. Trazadone is fairly safe and non-addictive, I recommend it over Xanax, benzos or whatever, useless you want another struggle down the road.

The depression and anxiety were manageable after 7 days, not acceptable, manageable. I've dealt with insomnia for a month and a half now. Having come this far I can tell it is getting better, it is slow, but I know I will return to my normal self. In terms of sciatica pain I am better than ever, that might just be a coincidence, and my body is naturally healing itself, after a year of acute pain.

I do not condone the use of Lyrica or Tramadol for any reason. Find another way. It subtly creeps into your being and destroys your ability to get anything from life. These drugs to dirty things, and you do not realize until you quit. And quitting will be a nightmare. Your body converts Lyrica into Valium, Tramadol into Morphine--this is information from my pharmacist. I have also withdrawn from Methadone an Vicodin after using for two months and the withdrawal period was 3 days and then done, much easier for me.

So, long story short, Lyrica withdrawal: severe 7days, but varying degrees of insomnia, anxiety, loss of appetite, depression, can last 2-10weeks based on my research. I did loose weight right away and my stomach was no longer bloated.

Of course some people say they had no problem quitting Lyrica, I find this hard to believe, perhaps they were taking other meds anyway, so withdrawal never really took effect I'm a healthy 30 year old male, besides my sciatica injury, I've never been depressed, suffered from anxiety or depression. These drugs had a profound effect on my psyche and wasted a chunk of my life. Pain Management folks had no words for me in terms of the potential withdrawal severity.

I hope this helps someone get through the early stages of Lyrica withdrawal, If you are starting today just remember that I was where you're at a little over a week ago and I am doing better now. The days will inevitably rack up and with each one you are getting closer to freedom. Give yourself a break and take it easy. Eat as well as you can and exercise--even walking or swimming, be as proactive as possible. Your life is not a wreck, Lyrica is just very powerful and holds a mean grudge when you reject it, making you feel things that are not accurate.

Take care. I'll let you know when I sleep again.

So it'll be six weeks in a couple days since I stopped Lyrica and over two months since I stopped Tramadol. Still do not really sleep, have mild anxiety, depression and trouble making plans for the future, socially awkward, etc. Issues that were never part of my existence until I meddled with Lyrica and Tramadol. My overall sense of well being seems to fluctuate somewhat. I am feeling much better than I did at 11 days however. I do not take any other medication, not even Ibuprofen. And if you have quit Lyrica and have not experienced withdrawal, I am almost certain you are on other drugs, SSRIs etc.

I exercise everyday, walk 3-5 miles and run at least 3/4mile, get the kidneys running etc. I do not drink, I eat extremely healthy, lots of veggies and fruit. I also quit smoking after 17years; it's been 3.5 weeks. I decided that I was going to get all that I could out of this struggle (lyrica withdrawal) that could last 4-7months, and make becoming a health individual my full-time job.

Pain is present and I will probably have my second back surgery in August--removing two ruptures, both on L5 S1 causing sciatica pain on both left and right sides. How do I run? well, it took a long time to get to that point, lots of walking, etc. I do not run on concrete. My surgeon said running was ok, I swim three times a week too, and do all I can to strengthen my core. Running just seems to shift things around in my back in a good way, it gets my heart and lungs working and releases endorphins that make me feel really great. I think all the work I do now will help prepare me for surgery in and make it easier to pick back up the routine post op, instead of trying to begin one.

Healing is a very slow process and meditation has helped me as well. I'm only 30 years old, too young for strong the meds I was prescribed and still optimistic enough that I can have another 30 years without pain and full of positive experiences and happiness, as long as I find the strength to take care now and make the necessary life adjustments. Looking forward to the possibility that I will sleep well again in a few more months, but also currently into the present moment and living mindfully right now, something that is impossible to do using these drugs.

Stay clean, keep your feet on the ground and head in this reality, bear it and find another way, to resolve your pain issues. These drugs are bad and will make you unhappy in the long run. All my love to all of you considering cessation, or going through the withdrawal process right now. I do not believe in drugs, even prescribed by doc pharmys. Stay sober folks, drugs are drugs no matter the context.

Let me first say that this has been the most invaluable information that I have been able to obtain. As soon as I am free from this beast, I intend to do a little more research into why the FDA would allow this on the market... That's here nor there, it is my hope that my story can help someone the way the others here have helped me.

I arrived here after my 3rd attempt to get the Lyrica out of my system. I had been prescribed it for my fibromyalgia pain and although there were times that it was very effective for that purpose, hindsight says that it was not worth this ordeal. I'm a bit peeved over not even being warned that any of this could occur. I took Lyrica because I did not want to take narcotics and run the risk of becomming addicted. I am fully aware that any type of withdrawal can be a very nasty thing, and this is worse than any street drug I've ever read about (as an educator or a psych major, so clearly not as a doc, but still!)

Here is what I am enduring if it helps anyone else (or their physician):

It all started back in January when my MD did not refill my prescription after multiple requests from the pharmacy and several calls into the office myself. I ended up without any meds. I ASSuMEd that he knew what he was doing as he was in the office and is generally a pretty good guy! The long and the short of it was that I ran out of meds and went with through withdrawals. My BP dropped dramatically. I was having the shakes (though I do not suffer from any type of seizure disorder). I was sweaty and freezing cold. I could not remember how to breathe. My thoughts were jumbled. I was severly depressed and quite tearful even though I do not tend to cry a lot. It was a bad scene.

At that point, I went back on them (at the behest of my MD) and we decided that I would go off the meds more slowly over the summer when I had time to deal with it, (I am an educator so it seemed like a logical time to attempt it).

When school got out, I began the 3 week journey that brought me here today. If you read the Lyrica page or if you read WebMd or any of those pages, they tell people to go off slowly, like over the course of a week. You'll note that a week was not enough time... So I came down off the meds as slowly as possible. I would not reduce the dosage until the symptoms at the current level had become tollerable.

I had gotten down to 75 mgs every other day and was really struggling with nausea but at the time did not realize that some of the other things that had started happening were withdrawal related as well and I did not recognize them initially at all. It was only by arriving here that I got the straight scoop and that I figured out what was happening.

On my 3rd day drug free - it all went south way too fast! Keep in mind New Member's point about drugs are drugs even if they are prescribed by a doctor, Whilest in the E.R. two days ago, the ER doc restarted the Lyrica to calm the withdrawal and then told me to take it until I could be seen by my family doc... who refused to fit me in for 5 days even though I had been to the E.R. and really needed to be seen to figure out what to do. At this point, I am on my own and trusting that the information on this site is what will help me get through until Monday. (Note that at this point, the ER doc tells me to restart the lowest dose.)

Then two days after restarting the smallest dose I had been on prior to the hospitalization, I had a second fit in which the insurance compay nurse on call indicated that I needed to call 911 immediately and that I should not drive myself to the hospital. So, I ended up in the ER again. (This ER doc tells me not to take any of it all if I want to get off of it because it will just restart the cycle all over again.) I still don't know which one is right but am opting for never allowing that beast to cross my lips again. It appears that I am going to have a tough couple of weeks and maybe even months.

The tests run while at the hospital on both occasions bore out that I am as healthy as an ox. No heart trouble. No issues with my lungs, even though I could not breathe well. They even checked my electrolytes and said that everything was fine. However, everything is not fine.

Withdrawal Symptoms from this first week:
Tightness in chest
Awakened gasping for breath
Difficulty catching my breath once awake
Severe headache but not a migraine
Very severe nausea - no vomitting though
Convulsions of different muscle groups - I remember telling the paramedic that my stomach was contracting like when I had my kids. It was not painful per se, but the aftermath was very sore muscles.
My first ever panic attack and then multiple ones thereafter Are we having fun yet?
Tearfulness
Anxiety
Depression

Although I am anti medications, below is how I am attempting to get through this. My best is not getting me through at the moment and as I am a single mom, I have to do something:

-Anti Nausea meds (for the short term until I can handle it on my own)
-I am attempting to avoid pain meds but did take Motrin when the head was pounding pretty badly
-Magnesium for the muscle contractions
-Walk for 15 minutes twice a day
-Mega Fluids
-Gingerale and Sprite for my stomach even though I do not typically drink soda
-Darkened glasses and avoiding sunlight until the head calms a little.
-Reminding myself that the panic will subside and that I am going to be ok eventually.

If you have any further suggestions for the first two weeks of this, I'd love to hear them.

I wish any one well who is trying to get this monster off his back and if somehow you are lucky enough to have found this before you ever slip it between your lips, then I beg of you, don't do it. Whatever you are going through is better than what you will go through if you do. I know the desperation that pain can bring on, but this is not one of those things that you need to learn for yourself. Just read through these pages and know that this is a heinous beast.

Good luck to all and Thanks to those who took the time to put it all here.

I have been going through an "official" Lyrica withdrawal since June 22, 2012. I made the choice to stop taking Lyrica, with the guidance of my chiropractor, a little over a month ago. I had been taking Lyrica for at least five years, and had increased the dosage to 150mg daily for the past year or so. I experienced some of the same issues with Lyrica that so many of you had posted too! The withdrawal from missing a dose for an hour, a day, and now waiting for it to leave my system...

There is relief in now knowing what is behind these terrible symptoms, I was on the verge of tears last night when I read through everyone's posts and thought to myself, this is it! I know now that I'm not alone, going crazy, or suffering from some unknown disease.

Thank you to everyone for sharing your symptoms, your advice on easing the withdrawal symptoms, what your doctors have told you, etc. I cannot express enough gratitude for how this site has helped me in the past six hours where my doctors have not been able to help me in YEARS!

My withdrawal symptoms have included:
Nausea, general feeling of an upset stomach with no outcome
Extreme sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures
Excessive sweating, made worse by stress
Headaches ranging from mild to servere
Flu like symptoms; sore throat, body aches, cough, runny nose, fatigue, etc.
Irritability
Mood swings
Acne
Muscle twitching
And a generalized increase in all of the other symptoms that accompany fibromyalgia

Thank you all!

Hang in there Eyes Wide Open: (and the rest of ya on this journey through hell:

Having done a lot of research on all of this already, here are some things that MAY be helpful when it comes to getting through this. Some I picked up from others here and sites like this, and some are remedies that have been helpful to me personally:

Nausea
Through your PCP, discuss anti nausea medicine. (Be aware that it can cause drowsiness though... This may be a plus depending on your symptoms, but go into it with your Eyes Wide Open )

BRAT diet - Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, Toast (I added crackers too)

Any fluids that you can tolerate, but stick to something as close to water as you can. Real sugars are better for your tummy than the artificial stuff and High Fructose Corn Syrup as they can intensify the problem and they mess with pain receptors in the brain. Drink as much as you can. If you begin to retain fluids, talk to your PCP about meds/natural diuretics. I am doing a diuretic and it is helping immeasurably. The fluid retention in my legs was becomming painful.

Personally, when I'm starting feel particularly nauseous again, a piece of toast or a couple of crackers really help. After 4 weeks of total withdrawal (and 3 weeks of tapering prior to that,) I still cannot eat a whole meal in one sitting and find that when I wake up, I've got to get food in my stomach IMMEDIATELY or it gets even worse.

Headaches
Although it is tempting to take more drugs to aleviate all this pain and distress, try to avoid taking anything until/unless it is really bad. The typical over the counter aids, Motrin, Tylenol, etc. will help, but they can mess with your tummy and the ultimate goal is to detox... Just a thought. Again though, why suffer? Its a toss up... Perhaps there are some homeopathic remedies available as well.

Tremors/Convulsions/Seizures
This is definately a PCP issue, but, one of the ER doctors started me on magnesium. It helped to calm the muscles. I did not have full blown Gran Mal seizures though. If someone hits that point, they need urgent attention. I experienced convulsions where different muscle groups would tighten up really bad and was unable to control that muscle group while in the midst of it. Those areas were especially fatigued and sore afterwards. Kind of like a charliehorse. When I was in the midst of one of these attacks, I would think calming thoughts and would muster every ounce of my energy to relax. I did find that having a family member calmly talk me through them was very helpful... I suppose that depends on the person though... right?

Insomnia
Melatonin is a homeopathic/natural remedy for sleep issues ranging from inability to fall asleep to inability to maintain sleep. My personal experience was that I was only able to sleep for an hour or two at a time in the first two weeks. Knowing how important restorative sleep is to the body, especially for those of us with Fibromyalgia AND going through withdrawal, I took it. In that first 2 weeks, (even with the Melatonin,) I was only able to sleep for 3-4 hours. I am not sure whether my sleep issue was a rhythm problem or that I would awaken in a sweat or in pain or with convulsions... I only took it that first 2 weeks and am now sleeping 5-6 hours per night without it and feel rested when I awake. They make a melt in your mouth tablet that was easier for me personally. I am having a hard time swallowing pills without gagging.

Pain
Arnica is natural pain reliever. Check with your homeopathic store or online for more information. I personally am in a lot of pain from the Fibromyalgia and Degenerative Disc Disease, and was told by someone locally who refuses western medicine that he has found particular success with it. I am going to start it myself next week and will update here on my success with it in a week or two.

Irritability/Anxiety/Panic/Mood Swings, Etc.
Be wary of starting any new drugs for these issues. Remember, it is not a reality. These are symptoms of withdrawal and what you are experiencing is a chemical reaction, not an actual psychological disorder (unless you already had an issue with that before the Lyrica.) The DSM IV states that to give a diagnosis, these symptoms must be present for 3-6 months. Even if you have suffered with it that long, unless you had a problem with it prior to ingesting Lyrica, it is the Lyrica, not a new problem for you to concern yourself over.

Talk with people you trust. Avoid those you don't.

Invest in yourself. Meditate or pray or do visualizations... Basically, find a way that works for you personally, to get your mind empty. You've got to take all this moment by moment. You can't make plans. You have to trust that the anxiety or panic or whatever word you use to describe the emotional distress and even moments of fear that may enter your psyche, are not real. They feel real, but there is no immenent threat. There is not going to be a new, permanent, mental health problem for you to deal with. This will go away. It may be upwards of 6 months (as some have posted - I am only a month into this so I can't speak to that,) but it will go away.

Find positive words/mantras that you can tell yourself in those moments. Find relaxing music or guided meditations/visualizations. (Check out your local library or itunes for free options here...) Take a warm bath if that helps. Watch a movie to distract yourself. Have a friend or family member on speed dial if you find it helpful to talk to someone when your are in the midst of one of these attacks, but be sure that they understand that this is not a new mental health problem and that you only need help in getting through these until your body has been able to completely detox. This is a special kind of relationship and you want to be sure that if you chose to talk to someone, that they won't make things worse; that they'll listen, console, and not try to fix anything. Nothing is broken. It just feels like it. You also want to protect your relationships. Be sure if you chose to talk to someone that they can handle it. You don't want to lose or damage delicate relationships because of this. It will all be over soon and you'll want those relationships to help you get back on your feet when it is.

Do whatever it takes to get through the moment. Then, take solace and find strength in knowing that you did it. After a few of these, you'll come to recognize them and you'll find what works for you. You'll be emotionally strengthened by knowing that you got through the last one and the one before that.

Sweats/Chills/Fevers
Unfortunately, I have no suggestions other than doing what it takes to get through the moment when they come on. Nothing has been beneficial for me in this area aside from warm baths, standing in front of the freezer with the door wide open and sweaters with the AC blasting. However, it is getting better. The bouts are fewer in between, less intense and don't last as long as when it first started.


General Thoughts
This is a time for you to take care of yourself. If you have others that you must care for, get help... I know this is difficult and you may have to be creative, but it is necessary. This is not one of those things where you just need pampering. This is a serious situation.

Massage can be quite beneficial as well. If you don't have a massage therapist on speed dial, search out someone who can use massage to detoxify your body. It is called lymphatic drainage massage. Reflexology based massage can also help with Fibromyalgia pains.

Physical Movement is really important here. Your body needs you to get up and get moving. From personal experience, I can't do it on a set schedule like when I'm trying to get into shape and I can't do it to extremes. So when I am in a good place, I put on my walking shoes and my earphones and hit the street for a slow, but paced, walk. The music keeps my mind off my body and my predicament, and the physical movement is good to get things moving through your body so that you can be done with all of this as quickly as possible. The water is also a very good option. If you have access to a pool or the beach or any body of water where you can submerge yourself and just gently kick or walk or glide, it will help. The water relieves your body of the weight of gravity and it also adds resistance so you can do less with more benefit. I have a pool and have propped myself up on the kick board or a floaty and just slowly moved around the pool; sometimes kicking, sometimes walking or just paddling slowly and gently. If you know how to float and trust that you won't drown, floating is a good way to relax and get your mind free and your body at peace.

Good Luck! I hope something here helps!

Thank you to everyone for sharing your experiences and remedies for the awful withdrawal symptoms! 8/7/12 I experienced my usual hot flashes, queasiness, panic attacks, muscle spasms, depression, exacerbated fibromyalgia pain, exhaustion, etc.. Well that night I decided to try a warm water enema (not for the squeamish)! My mom had been sharing my ordeal with a naturalist she's been seeing, and he asked if I had been 'regular' and if I hadn't that the Lyrica could still be affecting me through my bowels. And wouldn't you know the next day I felt completely drained of energy, but I didn't feel as queasy or the urge to shake all over from the muscle spasms. Today, was my first day to feel 'human' since 7/23! I felt weak most of the day, but the nausea, panic attacks, hot flashes, and depression seemed to be gone! I'm not one to use enemas on a regular basis, but after this breakthrough I would say that I'm really glad I put the idea of it out of my head and just went for it.

I hope everyone else is on the road to recovery and if you're still miserable try an enema! The websites I visited prior to going through with it, list the benefits and ailments that people use enemas to ease.

If you're not quite ready for that, I did find that consuming large quantities of water, having access to an ice pack, moving at a slower pace, and just letting my body move at the onset of spasms seemed to help. Having people to talk to and being around those who have a sincere desire to help make a big difference too! Lastly, Poise brand has come out with products for women going through menopause, I did purchase the cooling wipes to use on your neck, wrists, and chest and they did provide some relief from the hot flashes.

Thanks again for updating your statuses and sharing!

The enema makes some sense to me. Between water, herbal teas and fresh juiced vegies, I consume about a gallon of fluid each day and eat a very high fiber diet in order to keep things moving properly and avoid toxin build up in the colon. Best wishes.

Hi. I'm 25y male. I took lyrica for only 2 weeks, 75mg twice a day, and quit it "cold turkey", my dr. didn't say anything about tapering off. I never had pain, fibromyalgia... just a little anxiety. Tomorrow it will be exactly 2 months of hell. Some days are better than others, making it hard to say if i'm actually getting better. I'm not sure if what i'm feeling are withdrawal symptoms from pregabalin, but it must be it, since i always have been healthy and the symptoms appeared after 1 day off lyrica. Most drs. in my country don't really care about my condition, many aren't even aware of withdrawal syndrome from lyrica, so i came here seeking for some help. My symptoms include:

• pressure in the head
• dizziness
• sensitivity in the head (jaws, teeth, nose, face...)
• sensitivity to high sound and sudden noise
• tingling in the scalp (and less often in the right little finger)
• muscle weakness (feeling heavy)
• tightness in the chest
• weight in the upper back (neck, traps...)

It gets worse when i sit down or/and look down. It all looks similar to anxiety symptoms, is it possible that what i'm actually deeling is generalized anxiety? Or maybe sinus? Should i try to take lyrica back again so i could properly wean it off? Please, help me. And feel free to correct me if i wrote something wrong (english isn't my native language).