Originally Posted by pdk2026

Hi there. Just reading through some of your posts and I think what you are doing for people going through this is wonderful. I am about a month and a half off Lyrica after tapering off 600mg at my highest dose. Your post on GABA and how it helped you to feel better really helped to connect the dots. You see, I was put on benzodiazepines back in 2008 for mild generalized anxiety.
I was feeling ill about 6-8 months later and didn't know it was that little pill making me sick. Long story short it took about another year to realize I wasn't dying from some odd disease (all work ups were 100 percent normal) and no doctor caught it was the clonazepam and Lorazipam causing such ill effects. Little did I know that the real horror would be when I went cold turkey and the nearly 15 months of relentless withdrawal that makes my Lyrica withdrawal feel like a walk in the park!!

What I'm getting at and what we need to spread to these folks out here is that Lyrica is thought to act on the same receptors that Benzodiazepines do. This is why many of the symptoms are similar when withdrawal hits! These receptors take months (and for some years) to "reset" and regain affinity to attract GABA and cause the nervous system to calm down and the odd symptoms people feel to dissipate.

I did a LOT of research while in benzodiazepine withdrawal and have educated myself FAR beyond what your run of the mill physician will tell people. I was told I was crazy, that NO DRUG can cause withdrawal months after cessation. What they don't know is that it's the ADAPTION AND CHANGE in the brain that is causing the problem, not the actual drug which had left the body months ago. Same holds true with Lyrica.

If you have any questions or would like me to help anyone on here (I am new on here) please let me know. Like I said, I am only a month and a half off Lyrica and am experiencing about half of the symptoms you have listed but compared to what I have been through, this is something that can be tolerated and put up with because it does get better it's just that people are quite surprised to find that these class of drugs can create such a long and painful withdrawal syndrome. No other class of drugs, even opiates, cause such a long drawn out withdrawal.

If anyone needs help or questions answered let me know. I'm not a doctor, just someone that has been severely injured by big pharm and a medical community that is completely unaware of what the drugs they so freely dispense can do to people.

Originally Posted by triviafriend

Oh, the horror...the horror! (My nod to Dr. Smith and Lost in Space)

Thanks Dr. Smith! Of course you are right in that there are plenty of people who have gone off Lyrica with no trace of withdrawal. My husband spent many months in the hospital getting IV Dilaudid every two hours, and was weaned off within a week and seemed to have zero withdrawal symptoms. Lucky him, and lucky you, whoever you are, that stops so easily. This post is not for you. If you read my first post, I was dead sick for two weeks before I even knew I was in withdrawal, so precipitous fear wasn't a problem.

I thought rather than scare everyone to death, I'd tell you a few things that helped me a lot, or a little. I did crazy research online to find some solutions. I am not in any way recommending anything. Do your own research, and try what you will at your own risk. This is information widely available online, that I found with Google searches. I didn't have blurred vision, so I don't know about that.

OVERALL: GABA. GABA is an amino acid available over the counter. I came upon it by accident at GNC, and thought hmmm...gabapentin/GABA. I bought a bottle, brought it home and did some reading before trying it (***-backward, I realize). Web M.D. states that GABA works by inhibiting brain wave signals. Lyrica is believed to work by inhibiting brain signals. GABA is analogous to Lyrica (chemically very similar, also from Web M.D.) While there are many who believe that GABA doesn't cross the blood brain barrier, the consensus is that some of a dosage does cross. I took mine with grapefruit juice, hopefully to potentiate crossing the bbb. GABA is believed to relax you, help you sleep, aid in fat burning, help with PMS, relieve pain and aid in balancing blood pressure. I was concerned about taking another version of Lyrica, even natural, obviously because I was trying to get off it, but could find no evidence that GABA caused any of the problems of Lyrica, especially withdrawal. I took GABA every night (makes you sleepy) and darned if it didn't make everything easier. I wish I had found it at the beginning of withdrawal, because it did help me very much. GABA was the first (and only) thing I tried that made me forget that I didn't feel well, often for hours at a time (and when I'm ill, I have this OCD habit of constantly reevaluating my current state). Everything else helps, but this was the most helpful. It cost around fifteen dollars for 60 at GNC.

Anxiety: Many people suggest a benzo like Valium or Clonopin (sp?). I didn't go that route, because I was afraid of going through withdrawal, which I've heard is brutal. I occasionally used Valerian (tastes terrible) in an oil form. I'm not sure that it really helped. As much as you don't feel like doing it, getting some exercise is good medicine. I tried very hard to walk for 45 minutes every day, and I always felt better after.

Flu-like symptoms: This was pretty obvious with ibuprofen, acetaminophen and aspirin available everywhere. Helped the body aches.

Stabbing stomach pain: I used loperamide occasionally, which is the active ingredient in Immodium, and can be purchased in any drugstore. Opiate users all have this in their cupboards for withdrawal. It's actually an opioid which has a molecular composition too large to pass through the blood brain barrier. That means it doesn't affect your central nervous system (there are many arguments about this, but I'll go with the science). However your body has many opiate receptors, especially in the gut. 4 mg took care of this every time for me. Once again, I took with grapefruit juice. Pepto Bismol also helped.

Sweating: Oh, my most hated symptom! I would break into massive, drenching sweats where water would roll down my face and my clothes would be soaked. I once again found help from those handy opiate users (some of them could be biochemists...and maybe they are!). The biggest help was benedryl, hands down. But it made me so sleepy, I could only take it before bed which kept night sweats away and gave me the added benefit of extra sleep. Afrin nasal spray was helpful during the day. It contains a chemical similar to the blood pressure med Clonidine, commonly prescribed for alcoholic withdrawal. Lots of people get a prescription for Clonidine for withdrawal, but I didn't, so I don't have first hand knowledge. Beware though...Afrin can be highly addictive too. I tried to use it sparingly. There are a number of prescriptions for hyperhidrosis (sweating) which I also did not try. If you have used them, please post and let us know. Finally Sage oil, in tea or capsules, which I got at GNC. I'm not a big natural remedy person, but this did help. I rubbed sage oil on my wrists throughout the day.

Insomnia: I used everything I could find that was available otc. As I mentioned earlier, I took benedryl every night for sweating, great for sleep (but druggy aftereffects in the morning were a price I paid). Variously I tried Unisom, Tylenol PM (especially when my body was aching) and some of the newer preparations like Tylenol PM with no pain reliever, just sleep meds). I can also highly recommend Sleepytime Herbal Tea, which can knock me out if I make it strong (I use 4 tea bags!). There are many other drugs available with a prescription, so go to your Doctor for these. I was scared off Ambien by stories of people driving off of cliffs in their sleep.

Exhaustion: I KNOW that what I used was not good for me. I drank Monster no calorie energy drinks. There is a ton of evidence that energy drinks are terrible for you. But I'm just being honest. However, my Dr helped me by switching me from Prozac (I took for depression) to Wellbutrin, which gave me energy and had the major added benefit for me of curbing my appetite, which helped me lose all that lyrica weight. This is absolutely a conversation to have with your Dr. after doing lots of your own research. Never again make the mistake I made, by not thoroughly investigating what you put in your body.

These things helped me. PLEASE add your own tips. Everyone who reads this, however, must understand that these are things that helped me. I'm NOT a Doctor, and these are related to you not as recommendations, but as my personal experiences. Be your own advocate and research what might help you. Let me know if it does.

Originally Posted by triviafriend

Gosh my ego is a bit bruised...lots of views of this page, but no one posting. I hope if you have a similar story, you tell it here, even briefly. Reading posts from others who were suffering was some of the best recovery medicine I found (which is why sharing is the cornerstone of the 12 Step Movement). But even if you are just reading, I hope this thread helps you!

Originally Posted by lyricaBR

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...

Originally Posted by buckeye71

Hi PDK -- I've been of lyrica over 4 months but my headaches continue. Like you, I wonder if I'm dying from some unknown affliction. Any words of wisdom you have on continuing side effects from lyrica and how to cope would be welcome.