Hello everyone. I sincerely pray that you are all doing well and congratulate those who have made it to the other side.

As I write this, I am so desperate for help. If you can offer a couple of words of support and advice I will be eternally grateful.

Let me introduce myself. I am a 37 year old female, professional, wife, and mother to a 3 year old boy. I have been on Lyrica for over 3 years on and off. This had been prescribed to me for neurogenic pain. I was diagnosed to have fibromyalgia plus had a traumatic back injury due to a faulty epidural during my c-section three years back. And several doctors believed that Lyrica would be the solution for both problems. They started me on 75 mg, increased to 150, then 300....etc.

I must admit that that even though it didn't do too much for the pain, it made me "care less" about the pain. It also helped with my anxiety which wasn't at a morbid level, only part of my slightly anxious personality. By this I mean that I would feel anxious if giving a presentation , going to crowded places, meeting new people for the first time, etc. Otherwise was completely normal. I found that Lyrica would help me feel more at ease and talk easier to others...kinda give me some courage I guess. I also must admit that it gave me a bit of a head-buzz that I enjoyed. I have never smoked, drank alcohol, or ever experimented with any recreational drugs whatsoever. My whole life I have been on the straight and narrow, even during high school and college. So I never knew what it meant to have a head buzz or feel "high". But I enjoyed the feeling that Lyrica made me feel.

I started to up my dose by myself as I grew tolerant to it. Towards the end I would be taking around 10 capsules of 300mg per day!!!!
I know this is a ridiculous amount and I don't know what got into me?! I feel like the Lyrica in my system made my judgment go bad and I would accept things I usually would never accept.....like taking dangerously high doses of Lyrica!!

I did get off Lyrica once in January and the withdrawl lasted for maybe 10 days and wasn't that severe. So I guess I didn't learn enough of a lesson and went back on it when. My back pain became worse.

Now I have made a firm decision to stop Lyrica once and for all. I didn't really taper off properly. My last capsule of 75 mg was on June 29 (58 days ago). And I still feel like I am not myself. You will not believe the roller coaster of a nightmare I was on! I was admitted to the hospital initiall for 2 week with a diagnosis of "Acute Confusional State". I was disoriented to person, place, and time. I had amnesia, dyskinesia, total insomnia, and hallucinations. I couldn't even use the bathroom by myself or bath myself. I was completely dependent on others. Incidentally they discovered that I was extremely low in Vitamin B1 which I believe was depleted by the Lyrica. Apparently I had Beri Beri and Wernicke's Encephalopathy (sever B1 deficiency leading to both physical and mental consequences). This occurs in alcoholics but I have NEVER even had a sip of alcohol. So I my best bet is that this was caused be the Lyrica!

A month after I was a bit better but as of today I still have the following symptoms: insomnia, anxiety, PANIC ATTACKS, a sense of depersonalizations and derealization, depression, and a general sense of uneasiness and tension, and memory problems. I always feel Iike I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop, absence of impending doom. I'm too frightened to go out of the house where there are crowds for fear that it will be obvious that I am "abnormal". My close family who knows about what happened to me say I appear completely normal on the outside, but God knows that's NOT how I feel on the inside. On the inside I'm SCREAMING and my heart is racing and find it difficult two breath. But on the outside you wouldn't have a clue.

In desperation I started Cipralex (an antidepressant of the SSRI group) and am on day 8. Unfortunately things get worse on it before they get better ( it takes anywhere from 2-8 wks for a positive effect). My panic attacks are worse at night when I try to sleep and they keep me up FRIGHTENED TO DEATH with palpitations. I also would wake up repeatedly drenched in sweat and having panic attacks throughout the night. Again in desperation I added on Seroquel (an atypical antipsychotic/antidepressant which helps with anxiety and insomnia and actually augments the effect of Cipralex). This helps only at night when I'm unable to sleep from the panic attacks. It gives me only 4 hours of sleep (both when I tried 100mg and 200mg). And I know I NEED TO SLEEP because I noticed my panic attacks get worse when I'm sleep deprived.

I apologize for the lengthy message but I feel an obligation to let others know what Lyrica has done for me. I'm not a psychiatric patient, but had so many mental symptoms due to severe B1 (Thiamin) Deficiency brought upon by the Lyrica. So if ur having mental symptoms PLEASE INSIST THAT YOUR DOCTOR CHECKS YOUR VITAMIN LEVELS, ESP B COMPLEX!

In addition I was hoping, really praying, that someone...anyone...could chime in and say that they felt the way that I did and came out the other side. I'm desperate to feel "normal" again. Can anyone tell me how much longer it will take? I never expected to feel this way 8 weeks out!!

PLEASE PLEASE HELP ME IF YOU CAN. IM DESPERATE!

God Bless You All,
Laura

PS: forgive me for posting this in different threads cuz I'm not sure exactly where I should post it. And I'm desperate for any answer. =(

First of all of I knew what I know now I would have never started regardless of my situation.
I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia because they didn't know what was wrong with me. They started me on a parade of pills nothing seemed to be working. The pain was horrible and I just wanted to feel normal again. I started taking Cymbolta three times a day I would feel fine for awhile then the pain came back again. So I did what the commercial said and I asked my Doc about Lyrica. She was very hesitant about putting me on Lyrica bit I insisted and she wrote the prescription. Well insurance only covers so much Lyrica and Cymbolta are very expensive and I came to a point where I couldn't afford the monthly cost of my prescriptions. It has been a week and a half and I seriously can't handle this anymore. I can handle most of the withdrawal symptoms it's the constant dizziness that makes me want to lose my mind oh and that I cry over everything. I have had the vertigo for a constant week and a half. On top of everything else I am a walking time bomb. I have taken so much time off of work for the Fibro that if I miss anymore I am going to be fired. Any suggestions please? I don't know what to do...

...Welcome.

Your symptoms & experiences sound very much like what my DW has been going/gone through (it's ongoing, but we believe the worst is now behind us).

She tapered off of an SSRI this past spring after being on it for several years for fibro, neck pain, & job stress. For months after being off of it completely, she was still suffering with vertigo, the emotional rollercoaster, pain...

At first, we thought it was SSRI discontinuation syndrome.

SSRI Discontinuation or Withdrawal Syndrome

Antidepressant discontinuation syndrome

She tried treating it with supplemental L-tryptophan (You can find info on this on the web or in the archives here), which did (and does) help, but only to a point.

The vertigo was adversely affecting her ability to function in day to day activities, so she saw an otolaryngologist (Ear, Nose, & Throat specialist) who suggested it may be silent migraine, which she may have had right along since meno, but the symptoms were being alleviated/masked by the SSRI.

She then embarked upon an elimination diet to rebalance her system and begin identifying "triggers" that can cause this type of migraine and the symptoms that accompany them.

Since then her improvement has been dramatic. Instead of having one good day in ten, she now has (approximately) one bad day in ten.

Of course I can't say this is what you're going through, but if any of it sounds reasonable to you, it might be worth bringing up with your doctor and pursuing.

If it can't hurt to try it, then it can't hurt to try it.

Best wishes,

Doc

PS: FWIW...

Lyrica (pregabalin) and Cymbalta (duloxetine) are both now generic. Their prices may not have come down appreciably yet, but should within the next year or so; insurance companies should be less averse to covering them. I mention this only in the event that they were of some benefit and you felt taking one/both was/were in your best interest.

Wow. I could have written this exactly. I am so shocked this drug is being prescribed without doctors knowing about this terrible withdrawal symptom profile. I had taken Lyrica for over 10 years and before that Gabapentin for 6 years. The nerve pain from brain tumour surgery is still with me but I am going to try to live with it as I never want anything like Lyrica again. The thing that helped me most was steaming hot baths. The aches and pains all over was/is unbearable. A heat wheat bag has been my best friend. Finally off Lyrica 28 days now.

Lyrica Withdrawal Syndrome is similar to Protracted Withdrawal Syndrome from Benzodiazepines. Severe-nerve pain in legs, balance & gait disturbances, nausea, depression. Moderate-anxiety & also a lack of care for myself, heavy limbs like walking with concrete, felt like I was drunk, loss of mental clarity, lethargy. Mild-difficulty swallowing & breathing, rapid heart & breathing rate, headache, blurred vision, confusion, lack of bladder & bowel control, urinary frequency, personality changes, suicidal thoughts, trouble hearing, tinnitus & more

I too am trying to reduce or eliminate Lyrica from my regime of medications. My side effects (on the med) include edema in my leg and hand (left side), which did not exist to the degree it does now prior to this medication. I suffer from neuropathy that appears to have been caused by a bruise in my spinal cord (myelomalacia).
The symptoms began as some numbness and tingling, but the real pain started after I had a Myelogram (lumbar) procedure, which was to seek out the impingement that was believed to be causing pain in my left leg. The nerve pain after this procedure was unbearable. After a neurologist suggested I have an MRI of my neck (which never bothered me before this procedure), it was discovered that I had several disks migrating into my cervical spine area.

It was also the first time they noticed a bruise on my spinal cord. I quickly had a multilevel fusion (ACDF) in c4.5, c5.6 and c6.7 to prevent my spinal cord from being severed, or further compromised. I was EXTREMELY active before my Myelogram procedure (rock climbing in Yosemite, surfing, biking, etc...) The Neurontine I was prescribed did not seem to quell the pain. I was subsequently given Lyrica, which seems to have cause edema in my left leg, causing further pain in my foot (which I never had before the drug) as well as burning in my hands and arms.

I am now taking 150MG of Lyrica, reducing 75MG every week. It may be too fast as the nerve pain is creeping up again. I am going to look into PeaPure, which was mentioned earlier in this post.

After starting this thread, and finally managing to put Lyrica behind me, I moved on, feeling oh so much healthier and happier. I checked back and saw the additional posts and wanted to tell all of you still suffering that there is hope. You will eventually be able to break free from the nightmare of Lyrica, but it will take time, if you want to get through it with the least discomfort.

My biggest issue with cold turkey or tapering too fast is that Lyrica can cause withdrawal issues that linger for months with no decrease in levels of symptoms. As terrible as an opiate withdrawal is, it lasts a week or two, with symptoms decreasing daily. You can actually TELL you are getting better. Not so with Lyrica. Even after my very long taper was over and i was off the drug, I continued to have drenching cold sweats for months, although eventually these left me too.

If your Doctor tells you that your withdrawal symptoms are all in your head, all I can tell you is FIND ANOTHER DOCTOR. This is very real, horribly uncomfortable and altogether unpleasant. Taper slowly, be committed to getting off the drug, and be good to yourself.

Triviafriend

Hi everyone! First of all, english isn't my native language and second i'm having problems on focusing due to lyrica withdrawal, but i'll try my best for your understanding.

I took lyrica for weakness on my left elbow (muscle injury), well, i didn't know lyrica was a medication for problems i never had, i just trusted in my doctor, he told me lyrica was a very "light" medication so i took it for ONLY 2 weeks, twice a day, 75mg each capsule. When all my capsules was gone i just stopped taking it, the doctor didn't say anything about tapering down and the nightmare was beginning.

In the first 3 days i had:

• extreme headache in one side of the head (can't remember wich one)
• dizziness
• head pressure
• tearing
• lack of breath
• trouble to take a deep breath
• weight in the legs
• insomnia
• suddenly wake up in panic

Ok, today i completed 2 months off lyrica, some symptoms gone, and some appeared, the ones that still remain are worse.

Current symptoms:

• extreme dizziness the whole time
• head pressure
• tingling in the head
• sensitivity to sound
• feeling heavy (as if gravity had increased)
• weight in the upper body
• some days i wake up sneezing

I've been a little anxious my entire life, so i think my anxiety is "normal". Symptoms seems to get worse the more active i am, also sitting or/and looking down makes it a LOT worse in seconds. Everyday i think i'm dying and my parents don't deserve that, i'm only 25y. I'm drinking camomile tea everyday, lots of water, eating healthy food, but can't walk everyday because i'm too scared to get off home. My parents aren't the most supportive and they keep pushing me to do things. What else can i do? Should i start lyrica over again? Does anyone know about a similar case? I found some, but not including all my symptoms. Please help me, i'm desperate! The dizziness and head pressure are driving me crazy to the point i'm thinking about suicide.

Did i mention that doctors in my country are all about the money? My doctor prescribed lyrica for nothing, my elbow was healed.. Help!

I forgot to mention that i'm also dealing with "brain zaps", it always comes with dizziness, head pressure and sound sensitivity (actually my entire head gets sensitive, my jaws, my teeth, and the moving of my eyes...

Still no answers

Correcting my first post, it will be 2 months off lyrica in 7 days. I'm thinking in restart lyrica and reduce it correctly. Please someone help me...