I recently posted on this forum asking for suggestion on handling lyrica withdrawal. I finally figured out a solution that worked, mostly.

For the nausea:
1) take very, very small sips of a heavily sweetened liquid (check with your doctor first!) if you can't eat, or use a rehydration solution. If you can tolerate liquids, those breakfast shakes are a godsend.
If you cannot handle much in the way of food, crackers work great. Tuna salad is a plus, but isn't required.

Benadryl helps with the nerve zaps, pain, etc. If you cannot eat for more than a day or so, personally, I would go see a doctor, or call the prescribing physician and ask what you should do. My last, and final resort, was to take 1200mg gabapentin which after a few hours got me to where I could eat and didn't yarf at the smell of food. However, this is only to be tried if you have gabpentin and know you are not allergic to it.

I am not a doctor, nurse, etc. Please take my advice with a grain of salt and the good intensions it was written with. I am not giving medical advice, just what worked for me.

Hi starsong,

I'm happy to hear that you found a way to get off the lyrica and you are able to eat better now. I wish you the best of luck with the gabapetrin. I tried this AED yrs. ago and it caused a lot of problems for me so I had to go off the drug. If you notice an increase in your seizures while on this drug get off of the drug immediately. I don't mean to scare you but it has been proven that this drug can cause status sz. for some people and this is what happened to me. I also gained a lot of weight while on the drug so be careful that you don't gain to much weight like I did. I wish you only the best and May God Bless You!

Sue

I will try the benadryl, those 'zaps' are annoying. Gatorade seems to be something I resort to when nothing else worse, easy to go down, has electrolytes, sugar for quick energy, and is some form of nutrients (calories, carbs, etc.) Any other advice? What about the anxiety? I can't control myself anymore....

May I ask a question? Were you taking the lyrica for pain or onset partial seizures? If for seizures, were you taking another anti-antileptic drug? The reason I ask, is because. I was taking lyrica for partial onset (whatever the want to call it) seizures (no other epileptic meds just lyrica). It's not my first time discontinueig this med. The first time I stopped taking it, I weened off by taking on everyother day, and then one every 3 days and so on. This time I didnt do that, because I had no choice, when I learned that my neuro dr would not allow express scripts to fill prescription for 90 days to save me money (I already cant afford the med) I only had 4 capsules left. I was waiting for my refill to come in the mail and it didnt, so when I called express scripts to inquire about it, that's when I learned that the dr denied the 90 day prescription (because its a narcotic). He did allow it to be filled monthly but I couldnt afford it, thats why I went thru express scripts, If I could, I might as well had gotten in thru local pharmacy because it cost the same. I believe Im going thru withdrawal now. My episodes are magnified and very intense. They're happening more than once a day. They're worse first thing in the morning and if I stay up too late they're horrible in the evenings, especially when I doze off to sleep. I had no choice but to stop taking it cold turkey. Any advice? Im eating everything thats not moving (gaining weight) It's just a week since I've stopped taking it. I gotta find another neuro dr.

Hi Sah-PCA,

Years ago I took Lyrica and it didn't work for me. You mentioned that you were having seizures in the morning and later at night this could be what they call "Myoclonic Seizures" and they happen when a person wakes up in the morning and when they go to sleep at night. I had this type of seizure for a short time and I found taking vitamin B12 1000 mcg. once a day a big help to reduce them. I then was put on vimpat and I haven't had a single myoclonic seizure since then, but I still do have absence (petit mal) and simple partial (aura) seizures. I also take diamox and mysoline.
If you need help getting you seizures meds (AED's) you can call your local Epilepsy Foundation or call the Epilepsy Foundation of America at 1-800-332-1000 and they have programs that will help people pay for AED's as well as other medical costs.
You might want to consider seeing a Epileptologist (Dr. specializing in epilepsy) instead of a neuro. I've gotten much more help and I take a lot less meds since I began seeing an Epileptologist. You can find and Epileptologist at a University hospital or a big hospital. Check with your family Dr. and he/she can refer you to an Epileptologist to get the necessary help you need and hopefully stop your seizures. I wish you the best of luck and May God Bless You!

Sue

Im Not sure if you read the little info about me. I had a subrachnoid hemorrage a year ago. I ended up having a crainotomy to stop the bleed. Well, now experience some wierd stuff, mental, physical, psych, you name it its happening to me. Its been about a year now since I've been complaining to primary dr and every other dr she sends me to about the strang things happening to me. I had an EEG last fall and it showed no evidence of any abnormalties. Long short of it, I was put on lyrica a year go, off of it 3 months later, back on it in the fall, off of it in the winter and back on it in the spring of this year and now, again off of it. It seemed to be helping, it took the edge off in the mornings (allowing me to drive) and put me to sleep in the evenings and now this. I was thinking, since no diagnosis, perhaps I should just let sleeping dogs lie and just move on.
I will try the b12 and will post the outcome of both. Thanks for your help, its greatly appreciated.

God Bless you!

Hi Sah-PCA,

I'm sorry to hear that you had to go through a crainotomy. I've had brain surgery twice and I know that it's no fun. I did want to tell you that often a person can have an e.e.g. and it won't show any problems and that's because the possible brain damage is to deep in the brain for the e.e.g. to show. This is what happened with me. I had all the tests done before surgery and my Drs. found I only had brain damage on the right temporal lobe but when they cut into me they found damage on the frontal lobe as well as the left temporal lobe that never showed up on any tests I had done.

The surgery that you had as well as the Lyrica can cause problems for some people which can cause mental, and physical problems as a side effect. Chemicals in the brain have changed possibly leading to the metal problems. Give it a try and see a neurophsycologist, this is a Dr. that specializes in neurology and physchology they can do simple tests on you and find out what is causing the problems you are having. I wish you the best of luck and May God Bless You!

Sue

Jeepers! I'm glad I came back here and saw this thread! My NewNeuro doesn't think there's anything wrong with me other than mental, that all my previous doctors were wrong about the seizures (and keeps talking about "if I really had grand mal seizures" even though it was status epilepticus, seizing the entire way to the ER in an ambulance, witnessed by many), and that my reluctance to go off my AEDs is due to anxiety. The fact that my Famdoc wants me to proceed cautuiously doesn't matter; I was lectured, er I mean encouraged, to choose whom I was going to listen to, because too many different doctors are giving me different input and NewNeuro *really* wants to help me.

Anyway, I'm on keppra for the grand mal seizures; lyrica was added later for what doctors had called break through partials (that this doc said aren't seizures, and then challenged me on who I was going to believe). So IF I would be willing to go off a med, I think I'd chose to wean off the lyrica......so therefore I'm REALLY glad I read this! YIKES! I've been on 75mg 2x/day lyrica for about seven years (on keppra for 9 ys). The weaning off process sounds VERY unpleasant!!! I have sugar balance problems even when "stable" (on a very careful low-carb diet; sugar either causes tachycardia or causes me to crash/sleep; sometimes causing jerking like myoclonus in bed). I am going to have to look into this further. Thank you so much for sharing!

When you have problems withdrawing from Lyrica it's very important to do a very slow taper. Reducing your dose by 10% every month works for most people. And when there comes a month withdrawal symptoms still break through, just increase the dose by 10% back again and you should be fine.
When you feel you are still going too fast you can stay at a certain dose for a month longer, it will only take some more time till you are there.

Do the water titration method, and it goes like this:
Get yourself some 100 ml jars and some syringes to do the job.
For instance: empty your capsule into a 100 ml jar filled with water and shake it well. The first month you suck 10 ml of the solution out of it, the 2nd. mont 20 ml, and so on.
At he end it still can be rough, and when you feel so, just slow your taper to 5% (5 ml) a month.

This taper will last about a year, but it will prevent you from going through hell.
Lyrica withdrawal can be just as bad (or even worse) as benzo withdrawal, so take it slow and take your time.

Good luck!

Lyricafree,

It is great to have you come and be with us. You will fine a great number of dear friends to listen when you are in need of ears. Please let us know how we can help you out. You will find out we are supportive and relaxing place.

Please keep us up to date on her condition. Again welcome, looking forward to seeing you around. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Darlene