# Pregabalin



## TheoBobTing (Jul 8, 2010)

I've been prescribed pregabalin. When I suggested it to the psychiatrist he was like 'wots pregabalin lol?'. I said it's proven to treat anxiety. He said something like 'lulz, I'm not gunna prescribe it. I'll only prescribe what's licensed for anxiety'. I said it is licensed for GAD, and he looked in his book and was like 'oh, I'll prescribe it'. Anyway, I believe it can be used PRN/as needed. The leaflet says nothing about PRN usage, and instead says take 2 or 3 doses everyday. Does it work well PRN, or do you need to take it regularly to get decent effects. I'm about 80% sure that PRN use gives you the 'full effect', but I just want to be a bit more certain.

150mg taken twice a day hasn't really worked yet. I'm thinking of taking 225mg or 300mg at once, on a PRN basis (perhaps about five doses a week).


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## JohnG (Sep 3, 2010)

Find a new Doc!


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## TheoBobTing (Jul 8, 2010)

JohnG said:


> Find a new Doc!


I wont be seeing him again as he was basically clueless. Even if I wanted to I couldn't because AFAIK in my area the NHS will only give you regular psychiatrist appointments if you believe that you're a giraffe and think that the Spanish government wants you dead. But then again at least with the NHS I only have to pay £7.20 for a months supply of Lyrica.


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## JohnG (Sep 3, 2010)

By the way, PRN with Pregabalin is the way. This medications has an horrible tolerance so you are 'forced' to use it not every day. 150 mg worked well for my anxiety.

It's very helpful to avoid benzos tolerance too.


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## feelalone (May 1, 2010)

JohnG said:


> By the way, PRN with Pregabalin is the way. This medications has an horrible tolerance so you are 'forced' to use it not every day. 150 mg worked well for my anxiety.
> 
> It's very helpful to avoid benzos tolerance too.


Hi, johng don't you note any cross tolerance between pregabalin and benzos?

did you try also gabapentin? I read an article that says there isn't any cross tolernace between gabapentin and pregabalin.


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## Medline (Sep 23, 2008)

There is no cross-tolerance between pregabalin and benzos, so alternating them on a PRN schedule is a good strategy.

As pregabalin and gabapentin share the same method of action these are cross-tolerant.


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## feelalone (May 1, 2010)

Medline said:


> There is no cross-tolerance between pregabalin and benzos, so alternating them on a PRN schedule is a good strategy.
> 
> As pregabalin and gabapentin share the same method of action these are cross-tolerant.


this article says there isn't cross tolerance between gabapentin and pregabalin: http://www.freepatentsonline.com/EP1196160.html


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## feelalone (May 1, 2010)

..


> Gabapentin is the generic name for the marketed product Neurontin. The chemical name is 1-(aminomethyl)-cyclohexaneacetic acid. The chemical structure of the compound is:
> Pregabalin is the generic name for (S)-3-(aminomethyl)-5-methylhexanoic acid. The chemical structure of the compound is: It is also known as CI-1008 and as S-(+)-3-IBG.
> Formerly, it was thought that gabapentin and pregabalin were the same in all pain models as one antagonist blocked both; therefore, a similar result was expected.
> However, surprising differences have now been observed in an inflammatory model of pain.
> ...


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## Medline (Sep 23, 2008)

Seems a little bit strange, because they act the same way, but if it works in reality then that's cool.


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## feelalone (May 1, 2010)

Medline said:


> Seems a little bit strange, because they act the same way, but if it works in reality then that's cool.


I have also some carisoprodol and it's very effectice but I'm afraid to take it because I think there is cross tolerance with benzo. 
What do you think about cross tolerance between carisoprodol and benzo?


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## Medline (Sep 23, 2008)

Carisoprodol is a prodrug to meprobamate which is not cross-tolerant to benzodiazepines, just like e.g. phenobarbital isn't. This means one can alternate those drugs without getting physically dependent or use carisoprodol or better phenobarbital to withdraw from benzos.


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## feelalone (May 1, 2010)

Medline said:


> Carisoprodol is a prodrug to meprobamate which is not cross-tolerant to benzodiazepines, just like e.g. phenobarbital isn't. This means one can alternate those drugs without getting physically dependent or use carisoprodol or better phenobarbital to withdraw from benzos.


thanks for your answers, I hope you are right because if I could alternate benzos, pregabalin and carisoprodol without developing tolerance my life could be really better.
I not am an expert of meds but I still have some doubts because these meds are all gabaergic. Maybe some DXM could avoid developing tolerance to all these meds.


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## Medline (Sep 23, 2008)

Sure, DXM can help. Maybe "cross-tolerance" wasn't the right word, but just because drugs are GABAergic, doesn't mean you develop physical dependence when you alternate medications that interact with the GABA system via completely different mechanisms. Keep in mind that alcoholics can withdraw with benzos within ~10 days and after that time they are neither physically dependent on alc nor benzos. Same is true for benzo withdrawal with phenobarbital. I hope things are clear now.


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## Arisa1536 (Dec 8, 2009)

TheoBobTing, i have noticed that your signature would indicate you had a bad run on benzos or little to no success with some SSRI meds like fluoxetine and you did not respond to buspar (belowpar) if thats correct then do you think pregabalin is the answer? well not the answer specifically but if you have found lorazepam and diazepam crap then is using a drug that could give you edema, erectile dysfunction and weight gain really worth it? Those ARE common side effects of lyrica 
i am just curious because of the bad run you had with benzos and the other meds

have u ever been asked to try anything besides SSRI medication for your anxiety/SA?

There are better drugs for GAD that are not SSRI's and are available via GP, there is also the possibility of being able to get dextroamphetamine, oh wait no sorry the NHS is pretty strict, it appears to be stricter than new zealand when it comes to medication and psychiatrists 

Sorry to sound rude, because i dont mean to, i just wanted to know why you want lyrica of all the pills out there that you have not tried and the ones you have that did not work judging by the names you have given each pill on yuor signature and i have definitely said enough :blah:blah


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## JohnG (Sep 3, 2010)

feelalone said:


> Hi, johng don't you note any cross tolerance between pregabalin and benzos?
> 
> did you try also gabapentin? I read an article that says there isn't any cross tolernace between gabapentin and pregabalin.


No, I didn`t noticed any tolerance between benzos and Pregabalin, just don`t mix them.

Gabapentin as a more "smooth" effects, Pregabalin can be _quite_ euphoric in high dose, as I remember. Gabapentin needs to be used in bigger doses then pregabalin, I compared 300 mg of gabapentin near to 150 mg pregabalin, but that is just a personal experience.


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## feelalone (May 1, 2010)

Medline said:


> Sure, DXM can help. Maybe "cross-tolerance" wasn't the right word, but just because drugs are GABAergic, doesn't mean you develop physical dependence when you alternate medications that interact with the GABA system via completely different mechanisms. Keep in mind that alcoholics can withdraw with benzos within ~10 days and after that time they are neither physically dependent on alc nor benzos. Same is true for benzo withdrawal with phenobarbital. I hope things are clear now.


Hi medline, you are an expert, like crayzymed or euphoria, and I ask you a lot of questions because I'm not an expert like you, but you should know that the only improvements I had with my SA, come from reading forum like this, and messages written by experienced people like you :yes
I am 33 years old and I have seen doctors, but none has really helped me.

Ok, when I talk about "cross tolerance" I mean this: 
(for example) If I take carisoprodol for a week, and the next week I take benzos, is possible that benzos will be less effective because the week before I took carisoprodol?


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## bben (Oct 24, 2009)

Pregabalin will make anyone taking it stupider fyi, which is why i avoid it.


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## Medline (Sep 23, 2008)

feelalone said:


> Ok, when I talk about "cross tolerance" I mean this:
> (for example) If I take carisoprodol for a week, and the next week I take benzos, is possible that benzos will be less effective because the week before I took carisoprodol?


No, that won't happen to any significant degree. It's important to have some drug holidays from time to time though IMHO, which is easy as you won't become physically dependent on any of those two drugs.


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## feelalone (May 1, 2010)

Medline said:


> No, that won't happen to any significant degree. It's important to have some drug holidays from time to time though IMHO, which is easy as you won't become physically dependent on any of those two drugs.


Yes, I've many drug holidays, but not to avoid physically dependence, only to avoid that drugs could became less effective. It's my obsession, the fear that the meds I take now and that are effective, over time they can stop being effective :b
But I have never had any phisically or mentally dependence on drugs.


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## upndownboi (Oct 7, 2010)

TheoBobTing said:


> . Even if I wanted to I couldn't because AFAIK in my area the NHS will only give you regular psychiatrist appointments if you believe that you're a giraffe and think that the Spanish government wants you dead.


too true!


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## TheoBobTing (Jul 8, 2010)

Arisa1536 said:


> TheoBobTing, i have noticed that your signature would indicate you had a bad run on benzos or little to no success with some SSRI meds like fluoxetine and you did not respond to buspar (belowpar) if thats correct then do you think pregabalin is the answer? well not the answer specifically but if you have found lorazepam and diazepam crap then is using a drug that could give you edema, erectile dysfunction and weight gain really worth it? Those ARE common side effects of lyrica
> i am just curious because of the bad run you had with benzos and the other meds
> 
> have u ever been asked to try anything besides SSRI medication for your anxiety/SA?
> ...


I didn't have a 'bad run' on benzos, they simply didn't affect me at all. I didn't get hooked on 'em.

Virtually every med causes side effects. I'm not that fussed as long as they aren't horrificly bad. Pregabalin is relatively mild in that sense.

I've tried a number of other med types that you didn't mention.

Dex would be virtually impossible for me to get on. I'd probably have to fake ADHD.

All in all, pregabalin seems like a reasonably efficacious anxiolytic with relatively few negatives. It doesn't seem like a bad choice.


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## TheoBobTing (Jul 8, 2010)

Does anyone else have an answer to my original question of _does pregabalin, as I suspect, work well PRN, or does one need to take it consistently to get any significant anxiolytic effects in the treatment of social phobia?_. I've only really had one reply to that so far and would appreciate a few more.

BTW thank you JohnG for your answer.


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## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

Okay so I've got literally infinite amounts of Lyrica. I only really take 200mg at night. Is there ANY dosing schedule or dosage that will work for anxiety that I can take?


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## Takerofsouls (Oct 20, 2010)

Im having virtually no side effects on pregabalin, just dizziness and confusion. Those arent really that bad though, its very euphoric so those dont bother me.


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## hanzsolo (Jan 2, 2011)

Hi 

I have been using pregabalin for one week and then Clonazepam for one week, and alternating every week for the last 3-4 weeks. They seem to be similar cuz I don't have any withdrawal when switching back and forth. I am alternating to avoid potential tolerance with pregabalin or Clonazepam. Although they both affect GABA so am pretty sure there will still be addiction issues even if I get around the tolerance part..

I also wonder what the best way to take pregabalin is, and if I should be on it longer then one week at a time. Everywhere I have read online says that it only starts working after one week. Then again, maybe it would be less effective and I would get tolerant ?? 

I have to say that so far, I like pregabalin much better then Clonazepam. It's even slightly stimulating, very different from clon.. It isn't as relaxing as clon is though, and this is why I also wonder if taking it longer then one week will help more. For example. I do get anxious on pregabalin, whereas I don't usually on clon.

I worry about side effects of both.. And was even thinking of adding in a non gabaergic med like hydroxizine or phenobarbitol for 5-6 days every 3 weeks. 

Anyways sorry to go off topic, 7 days at a time works for me so far.. And will possibly experiment longer to see what happens
Best of luck...


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## Himi Jendrix (Mar 24, 2010)

Lyrica is good. I take it at 150mg for PHN and it helps with that. It also helps with anxiety. I would like to get it prescribed at 300-600mg daily for anxiety. 

Tolerance to the anxiolytic effect occurs fairly quickly with everyday use so I like to take something like 100-150mg p.r.n anxiety. A single 50mg dose will help with nerve pain but this is likely something that doesnt matter to you.


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## hanzsolo (Jan 2, 2011)

Himi jendrix love the name lol 

If tolerance to the anxiolytic effects happens quickly, why do they say it takes 1 week to work?? Is that more if you're taking it for pain relief??

I do notice that I get headaches sometimes from lyrica, does anyone experience this? And would they subside over time??

Thanks


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## Medline (Sep 23, 2008)

hanzsolo said:


> Although they both affect GABA so am pretty sure there will still be addiction issues even if I get around the tolerance part..


No, there won't. You can do this as long as you want without getting physically dependent, but a drug holiday every ~3 months for 10 days is a good idea.



hanzsolo said:


> And was even thinking of adding in a non gabaergic med like hydroxizine or phenobarbitol for 5-6 days every 3 weeks.


Phenobarbital is a classic GABAergic drug with a very long half-life.


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## TheoBobTing (Jul 8, 2010)

hanzsolo said:


> Himi jendrix love the name lol
> 
> If tolerance to the anxiolytic effects happens quickly, why do they say it takes 1 week to work?? Is that more if you're taking it for pain relief??
> 
> ...


I have noticed some headaches whilst taking pregabalin. They tend to be pretty mild and pretty sporadic, rather than constant pain. It's interesting than a pain reliever is causing pain. Obviously the human body/mind is an enigmatic phenomenon.

I found a study that you guys might find intersting:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18635690

There was a similar one that I found which I have since lost. If I locate it again I'll post it.

I tried 225mg of pregabalin today in a single dose. I didn't notice an anxiolytic effect, but I've noticed that often when I'm on pregabalin my mood is quite good. I need to dabble with this med a bit more before I can confidently say that it has an antidepressant effect on me.

Thanks for your response Himi, you guitar legend.

Phenobarbital is, as far as I know, quite dangerous Hanz. I'd be surprised if your pdoc would prescribe it, and if he does, be very careful with the dosage.


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## hanzsolo (Jan 2, 2011)

Medline I just went through 2 weeks of total detox, no meds. It was rough for the first week but then not so bad, just returned to my normal self.. I agree great idea to take med holidays.. Tks for the info on lyrica and clon, that makes me feel better...

Tks Theo am not sure about pheno myself but will see what the doc says.

Pls keep me posted on your experience with pregabalin and I will do the same. I also tried 225mg and found it very nice, had a nice feeling in my tummy if that makes sense and was in a great mood.. Interesting article too


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## Medline (Sep 23, 2008)

You Pdoc won't prescribe you Pheno. That said, it's not nearly as dangerous as short acting barbs and has IMHO lower abuse potential than many benzos. It's most useful for strong benzo withdrawal.


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## TheoBobTing (Jul 8, 2010)

Two days after taking a 225mg PRN dose of pregabalin and I've got this weird feeling behind my nose. It feels like a sore throat, except a bit higher up. I had a similar feeling a week or two ago after dabbling with a lower PRN dose of pregabalin (75mg a few times I think). However, when I spent around five days at 2x150mg I didn't notice it then, but I did experience some other side effects.


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## hanzsolo (Jan 2, 2011)

Never got that before, very strange.. Has that happened again? What other side effects have you experienced theobobting ?? 

I do notice some definite cognitive slowdown, short term memory, headaches, and a slightly stimulating feeling using it 7 days at a time. 

Does pregabalin really make you stupid ??? Cuz I'm already pretty stoopid lol, this could be bad....

Any other pregabalin users on here that can share their experiences with us?


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## Takerofsouls (Oct 20, 2010)

Has anyone emptied a capsule onto their tounge before a stressful situation? It kicks in faster/doesnt last as long, But almost right after I did it I got a pain in my chest around my heart. Not quite on my heart but more in the middle, sometimes I get random pains other places in my chest but none that hurt enough to matter. Anyone else get chest pains from lyrica?


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## TheoBobTing (Jul 8, 2010)

hanzsolo said:


> Never got that before, very strange.. Has that happened again? What other side effects have you experienced theobobting ??
> 
> I do notice some definite cognitive slowdown, short term memory, headaches, and a slightly stimulating feeling using it 7 days at a time.
> 
> ...


Constipation seems to affect me while I'm on pregabalin. It has given me headaches, but only occasionally. Those and the weird side effects that it may have had on my sinuses are all of the side effects I can think of. The sinus thing was odd, and I'm not 100% sure it was due to the pregabalin, but it seems to have happened twice, the first time being very mild and the second time being pretty uncomfortable and persistent (the second one seemed to start a day or two after taking a single 225mg dose, while the first seemed to occur after I first began taking the med in smallish PRN doses).

I spent about a week or more taking 75mg twice a day just recently. My mood was mostly ok during that period. I'm confused though. I'm not sure if pregabalin is having an antidepressant effect or not. Currently I've stopped taking it for a while to see if my mood drops whithout the med. Over a day in and my mood doesn't seemed to have dropped. I might go up to 150mg twice per day every day for a while after a few days off it.


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## sparky10 (Dec 30, 2008)

ive been on pregabalin 8 months at the relatively small dose of 100mg
twice a day. You do gain tolerance over time and i might need to up my 
dose soon. I hated the drunk feeling at first but that has gone now.
it definetely makes you feel more slow mentally and stupid which i am not
used to. It has also made my short term memory crap but im sure these would be reversed if i come off it.
It is the best drug i have took for sa and gad , alot more practical than benzo's imho.


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## hanzsolo (Jan 2, 2011)

TheoBobTing said:


> Constipation seems to affect me while I'm on pregabalin. It has given me headaches, but only occasionally. Those and the weird side effects that it may have had on my sinuses are all of the side effects I can think of. The sinus thing was odd, and I'm not 100% sure it was due to the pregabalin, but it seems to have happened twice, the first time being very mild and the second time being pretty uncomfortable and persistent (the second one seemed to start a day or two after taking a single 225mg dose, while the first seemed to occur after I first began taking the med in smallish PRN doses).
> 
> I spent about a week or more taking 75mg twice a day just recently. My mood was mostly ok during that period. I'm confused though. I'm not sure if pregabalin is having an antidepressant effect or not. Currently I've stopped taking it for a while to see if my mood drops whithout the med. Over a day in and my mood doesn't seemed to have dropped. I might go up to 150mg twice per day every day for a while after a few days off it.


Please keep me posted on your progress,
I have discontinued it for now but may experiment lower doses at some point...
Its very hard to get a proper read here since it works well for some PRN and not for others....


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## TheoBobTing (Jul 8, 2010)

Recently I spent about two weeks at 300mg per day (divided into two 150mg doses). Over that period my mood was fairly good, and I had decent motivation. I'm struggling to work out if that was pregabalin having an antidepressant effect or just a coincidence. Good weather along with other positive things might've been responsible for it. My social anxiety was unchanged.


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