Is Pregabalin the answer?

[[Al...]]

 

This days my withdrawal symptoms are forcing me to search for any solution that will reduce their severity. I've read everything I could find about all the drugs that were tried for this medical problem and one name stands out in the medical literature: Pregabalin. Please share your experience with this drug or any other drugs that were prescribed to you. My only benzos medical detox experience was traumatizing. The doctors forced me to go cold turkey while I was locked inside a closed psychiatric ward where I only received anti-seizures drugs. Recently I was denied help by three different psychiatrists. For this reasons, this days I only trust in the opinions of other people who are in a similar situation to mine's.

[Guest [ba...]]

Gabapentinoids (gabapentin & pregabalin) can mask some of the benzo withdrawal symptoms.  I took 300 mg of gabapentin for a couple of months after my c/t.  I felt it helped a little with my sleep, and raised my overall baseline by about 10%.  I would expect Lyrica to have a similar effect.

 

I didn't have any issues quitting gabapentin, but my dose was pretty low.  People who take higher doses should taper (both up and down), and some people experience withdrawal symptoms that are very similar to benzo withdrawal symptoms.

 

Br careful using one drug to compensate for another. 

[[Al...]]

Hi badsocref! Thank you for sharing your experience with me. I have another question for you: are this drugs that you mentioned in the same controlled substances group as benzodiazepines are? Do you need a special prescription to buy them or just a regular one?

[[ki...]]

Hi badsocref! Thank you for sharing your experience with me. I have another question for you: are this drugs that you mentioned in the same controlled substances group as benzodiazepines are? Do you need a special prescription to buy them or just a regular one?

 

Gabapentin and Lyrica are controlled substances, but they’re not schedule IV like benzos.

[[Al...]]

Hi kitsune556! Thank you for your answer! I have another question for you too: Do you feel that propranolol has any real anxyolitic properties? I tried it myself but it didn't work. I also tried clonidine which had strong anxyolitic properties but it's sedative effect was just unbearable.

[[Pl...]]

Hey 

 

I am on pregabalin and it has helped me with my withdrawals. I am on a high dose, 225mg morning/evening and 75mg during the day.

 

You need a special prescription, in the UK you do anyways. The doctor writes me out a different prescription for the pregabalin.

 

I have tried a few antidepressants and didn't get on with them, they seemed to ramp up my tinnitus really bad and I never had any luck with them. I changed doctors and the new doctor put me on pregabalin. I started off slow, 25mg, think it was an increase of 25mg per week until I reached my optimum dose.

 

At the time I was having bad withdrawals, mania, psychosis etc and couldn't cope. The drug definitley helped me and got me back on track.

 

I have heard it can be hard to come off, but them most of these tablets are and everyone is different so it may work for some and not others 

 

[[Al...]]

Thanks for your reply, Plasticman. That means no pregabalin for me. I cannot forge those prescriptions. They have way to many anti counterfeit things on them.

[[Al...]]

I'm currently on 10 mg of clonazepam (Klonopin, Rivotril) and 250 mg of trazodone (Trittico). It's a very low dose for me and withdrawal bothers me really bad. I buy the clonazepam from a young surgeon and I forge the prescriptions for Trazodone.

[[Pl...]]

try and stabiliser as much as you can mate. Isn't there any other physiatrists near you that you could try for some help

[[Al...]]

Now I hate them all. Maybe I'll change my opinion one day.

[[Pl...]]

the physiatrist I have at the moment is good but the one I had before was not great and didn't know the basic rules of benzo reduction, he had no idea and tried to ramp my diazepam down from 8mg to 5mg, so I decided to find someone how had a clue what they where doing. Its trial and error sometimes mate but I know what you mean, just need to find one that works for you 

[[Al...]]

This are the psychiatrists who refuzed to help me. The first one is specialized on addictions:

 

https://www.medicover.ro/medici/marinela-minodora-manea,164,d,256

 

https://www.romedic.ro/medic/banciu-m-d-lina-018607

 

https://www.romedic.ro/medic/cismas-silviana-amalia-023926

[[Pl...]]

Thats not good mate 

 

Why did they refuse to help you, thats not on 

 

Can't read their bio, sorry its not in English

[[Al...]]

I am a difficult case. But no real doctor should be afraid of that. The third one almost had a panic attack when I told her about my problem.

[[Pl...]]

I am a difficult case. But no real doctor should be afraid of that. The third one almost had a panic attack when I told her about my problem.

 

yes that's their job mate to look after people, can't see why they must have seen others in the career that need help coming off prescription drugs. Well my advise is keep looking mate there are doctors out there that can help just unfortunately they can be hard to find.

[[Aj...]]

If what is driving the symptoms is excess glutamate rather than underutilisation of gaba you could try Memantine which you can buy legally online.

[[Al...]]

Thanks for your advice, Ajusta!

[[ki...]]

Alin, the propranolol helps a lot with the heart palpitations and tachycardia. I haven’t found it helpful for the chemical anxiety feeling, but if the physical stuff is taken care of I find the chemical anxiety easier to cope with.

[[Ba...]]

 

I hope I can piggyback on this thread... as the topic was my question, too!

 

But am on low dose, but doing terribly and been suffering 3.5 years.  Lyrica, which I have no prob getting, does help if I take about 25 mg... then I sleep, can get up next day get out of house, usually.  Then if I don't take it the next night, I am in terrible shape, tho... depressed so that I can't move.

 

I realize most drs. say find a level stick with it, but I just don't know and trust no meds at this point.  So don't know what to do...  steady amount of Lyrica,  occasional use to function, or stay away?

 

I recall seeing one poster who went on Lyrica for a few months, while he got off the benzos.  Anyone else done that?

 

Yes it is rare to find a dr. who likes a challenge or gives a damn, in my experience.  ;(

 

 

[[Su...]]

I take Lyrica. I have for several years. I only dose k once per day, so it’s probably helped with interdose withdrawal. The only issue is Lyrica, like Benzo, can turn on you. Now you have another drug potentially to taper. There is a lyrica support site and people have gone on benzo to get off it. So just weigh everything carefully. It is so hard trying to deal with all these symptoms, it would be great to find something that helps! I hope you get some relief.

 

Best,

Sun

[[Ba...]]

Yes, I dose the valium and ambien once, at night.

The lyrica I'd also take at night as sleep is major problem and always was, hence the reason I was put on benzos.