pennyblues4: Pregabalin withdrawal journey

[pennyblues4]

Hi everyone and thanks for accepting me. I'm humbled by what I have read here. Today I took what I hope is my last 200mg of pregabalin (I've been on 200mg twice daily for a year) and tonight I start my first reduction- 175mg. My psychiatrist has said it is better to reduce both doses at the same time so I'll be on 175mg twice daily, for the next couple of months.

 

I am frightened. I've been stable on this for months now and been able to pick up parts of my life that lay in ruins, I thought, but were just dormant. I love to travel by train to visit my daughters and go to new places. I started Park Run and joined a running club. Before this there was a 2 year blur of burnout, break down, addiction to and withdrawal from sleeping tablets and tranquilizers. I'm frightened I might return to that time.

 

But I know there are problems with taking pregabalin long term and I already struggle with some of the memory problems so...here goes. 

 

I hope to be able to record here what happens on this journey, good or bad. Who knows where this train will take me? 

[Frogie]

@pennyblues4

 

Welcome to SA.

 

Could you please create a signature for us. Thank you very much.

 

Instructions:  Withdrawal History Signature

 

I'm going to give you a link to get started. @MerryJayneFriday should be along shortly to welcome you to the group.

 

 

In the meantime, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to us.

[pennyblues4]

pregabalin withdrawal journey update 1

 

Hi all and thanks for reading. Well it's the end of week one of my first reduction from 200mg twice daily to 175 mg twice daily. Nothing to report, I didn't notice anything until today when my memory seemed even worse than usual. Which is frustrating and strange as one of the reasons I want to reduce and hopefully ultimately withdraw, is to regain my short term memory. I forget dates, things that are being planned, the order of things. The other big thing that happened this week is my community psychiatric nurse left. I've been given a support worker instead who I will see monthly and firstly in April. Super bad timing! I really need someone through this time of coming off pregabalin. As well as the psychiatrist I mean as, to be honest, I feel they mostly administer medication. 

 

Well that's all for now. I know if seems like nothing, but I want to continue writing even if there are no apparent symptoms, as I think this will be a long journey. Lots of loving kindness everyone! 😊

 

Edited March 13, 2022 by ChessieCat
added topic title before merging with intro topic

[ChessieCat]

I've merged your new Introduction topic with your original Introduction topic.  Each member has only ONE Introduction topic.  Please post any updates and questions about your own situation here.  Thank you.

[MerryJayneFriday]

Hello @pennyblues4 and welcome!  Glad to see you took the first step of your journey!  I had horrible memory issues when I was tapering, I had to write everything down or I forgot. But it's so much better now I'm coming up on 2 years off. Hang in there and make sure you stabilize between drops. 

Holler if I can help XO 

 

MJF

[OldDodgy]

Welcome @pennyblues4

 

let’s look forward to you reaching your goal!  
 

If my maths is right you have dropped 50mg from 400mg and from bitter experience I think going at quicker than ten% can be a bit fast 

 

It’s often ok at those doses but as you get lower it can hurt.  I know the psych wants to keep it simple with 25 being the smallest capsule but learning to water titrate at a slower rate is worthy of consideration perhaps.  I came down from 150 really slowly with water titration of the 50 mg caps and finally the 25s. 
 

Are you still on mirtazipine ?  I’ve done that one as well and I didn’t wait long enough before tapering that after coming off pregabalin. 
 

Certainly I would be wary of lowing both together. 
 

I do wish you well— if you look at my signature you will see I was a bit chaotic but saved by sensible advice from fellow travellers. 
 

OldDodgy i

 

[pennyblues4]

@pennyblues4

 

I've merged your new Introduction topic with your original Introduction topic.  Each member has only ONE Introduction topic.  Please post any updates and questions about your own situation here.  Thank you. Frogie

 

 

 

Hi folks, well it's the end of week 3, nothing much to report as the 50mg reduction will stay now until another 8 weeks and my next reduction. Which happens to coincide with the date I've signed up to run a half marathon- haha! More on my discovery of running another time... It's sometimes hard to know what is a new symptom and what is just my imaginings- but there perhaps is the heart of it: that these drugs put a barrier between our bodies and our selves, our ability to listen accurately becomes distorted. Amongst the fears of coming off this drug- the possible withdrawal effects and how terrifying those can be- is a looking forward to saying hello to myself again, to greeting myself like an old friend. 

So, perhaps I've been a little more anxious, perhaps a little more inclined to tears this week; or perhaps those are just human emotions. And still the memory issues- very real and quite scary and making me feel quite embarrassed. 

Enough for now- to you who take the time to read this, thank you so much and I hope you have a good week. 

Edited March 20, 2022 by Frogie