Anyone taking Pregabalin?

Neuropathic pain has been a dominant symptom of my illness within the last 6 months (been ill for 3 and half years). Its there all the time compounded with allodynia and hyperalgesia (diagnosed by a specialist). When its bad it causes utter despair. The allodynia causes pain within 5 minutes wherever I place my head on a pillow. This has led to countless sleepless nights followed by days of unrelenting pain and despair. Imagine falling asleep and waking up 30 minutes later due to your ear really hurting (the ear resting on the pillow). Imagine physical discomfort from touching certain textures


I have tried Tramadol, codeine and even dehydrocodeine as well as indomethacin and they have little effect. I have had some pretty low days recently. Several times I have been in tears. I don't share my despair with close ones. On a couple of occasions, I have been in a very dark place with just despondency towards any future I may have and thoughts of a certain Swiss clinic.

I was referred for specialised pain management. They tried me on Duloxetine and then Venlafaxine. They both caused horrific depersonalisation/derealisation, tinnitus and a swimming sensation in my head, like everything was going down a plughole. They are now trying me on Pregabalin and after a small dose to assess side-effect profile followed by two dose increases my pain is diminishing. I am having a telephone consultation later this week with a planned dose increase up to 150mg three times a day.

This drug has been a life saver for me. It also has a mild sedating side-effect with me which is very welcome. I have lost so many hours sleep in the last 3 months I don't think I will replace it. I would be quite happy to sleep for 2-3 days non-stop. The other side effect which appeared 2 days ago is intermittent peripheral vision fogging which happens quite frequently with people who take this drug (saw my GP today). I just wondered if anyone else takes it long term and any side effects you may have encountered.

Its no longer used as an epileptic (on its own) and has no effect on normal pain. I read its used as fist line management for GAD in the US (450mg being equivalent to 30mg diazepam). In the UK the government are currently considering a scientific advisory panel's recommendations to reclassify it as a controlled drug (schedule 3) due to abuse potential. I believe it already controlled in the US.

cheers

Will

a reply to: Morrad

I have not, but I have had chronic nerve pain in the past. Everything I tried that helped at all put me in a state that was not safe for me to properly care for my children or even drive. Everything except one. Cannabis.

Good luck. Being in pain is horrible. People don't realize the mental toll it can have on a person. I pray you find what it takes to manage or eliminate your pain.

a reply to: Morrad

I have been taking gabapentin 800mg 3x day for about 2 yrs and lesser doses since 2001 for nerve pain on my left side since back surgery. I think it works great for me, I couldn't put a shirt on without constant irritating pain. I have never been prescribed pregabalin, but if it works for you that's great.

I was on Gabapentin for about a year, it wasnt doing much good, so over the course of a month I cut back and then went completely off the medication. I weighed 120 lbs at the time, and within 2 months I lost 25 lbs. I am 5' 4 and I weighed 95 lbs. I looked like a skeleton. My drs thought I had cancer and put me through a huge amount of tests. It was finally discovered that going off the meds caused the weight loss. It has been 3 yrs and I still can not gain the weight back. I currently weigh 100 lbs. My niece just went through the same thing and the weight is dropping off of her too.

So just be careful if you go off the meds.

I have had long term back pain ( shooting nerve pain ) down my right leg for 14 years now and have tried everything, a year or so ago I was put onto Lyrica ( Pregabalin ) and I thought I had found the miracle drug. It was the only thing that stopped this shin pain I used to get that moved up and down to my knee, but I found that it affected my kidneys and after a few months of being on it my urine went darker and it was clear hat it was harming my body so I went off it.

At the time I thought it was the magical pain cure that I had been searching for but I eventually had RH Rhizotomy done and never went back onto Lyrica even though I feel it was the best drug to hide nerve pain.

I'm on gabapentin for nerve pain too. It does help.

a reply to: KEACHI

I have heard this many times., I have a close friend with severe pain due to damage in his back. Doctors put him on strongest pain meds available. It took the pain away but put him into a depression. He was contemplating suicide. He received an ok from his doctor, and a certificate from another to try Cannabis. It worked. He did not completely stop his Pharm meds but dialed them back significantly, to the point that he got his life back and is happy again. His back is not repairable, but now he can cope, sleep, and even wake up with out taking very strong drugs, that impare his ability to do simple tasks, let alone drive.
If you are in a state where this is legal, and you can get approval from a doctor, it may be an avenue to restfull sleep and pain relief, without some unwanted side effects some pharm drugs can cause. Keep in mind that you still have to research and find the strain that will work for you. There are many people working night and day to develop strains that will be effective for many types of severe and painful conditions.
Good luck to you all in finding some sort of relief from your painful conditions, be it pharm, or something else. Whatever works is good.

a reply to: Morrad

I took its lesser sibling, Gabapentin for 2 weeks. My body and immune system were rapidly deteriorating. I went off the meds, happy to deal with constant, excruciating pain for the next 3 months, rather than succumb to the side effects (including potential cancer) of the little-understood medication.

Now, I'm clearly way more sensitive to the negative side effects than most, or the drug would never have made it past even the corrupt Pharma lackeys at the FDA, but I would urge caution. It can cause immune system dysfunction. If it's not seeming to hurt and it's helping, go with it, but if you feel like it's going to cause your demise, as I did, stop tsking it.

a reply to: Morrad

I have tied both Pregabalin and Gabapentin for nerve pain from a SCI, along with the narcotics. I currently take Gabapentin. They both help, and I found the Lyrica works better for me than Neurontin, but my wife couldn't tolerate the side effects I was having, which was mainly extreme drowsiness. I only took it for a month, and that side effect would have probably subsided if I took it longer.

The most annoying side effect to me (with both Pregabalin and Gabapentin) is they noticeably slow my thinking and memory recall. For example, in a conversation, I have difficulties at times finding the word I am trying to say, even for very common words and thoughts. Like saying I went to KFC yesterday and got some, um, um, what did I um um . . Chicken? Yep, that was it.

They also cause my legs and feet to get transiently very swollen. Pregabalin worse than Gabapentin. For me the side effects are not worse than the pain, so I see it as a fair trade off.

I hope this is helpful.

on 600mg of pregabalin daily for nerve damage does help and certainly hasn't the side effects of tramadol hate those things tbh ..

Thanks for sharing you experiences. I should have put Lyrica in the thread title which is the trade name as mazzroth used. Pfizer's patent for Lyrica runs out in the US in 2018. We have a generic version here in the UK although the regular pharmacy I use have given me Lyrica.

a reply to: misskat1

Thanks for the warning.

a reply to: dogstar23

Thanks I wasn't aware of potential immune issues. I will do some searching on this.

a reply to: AtypicalJ

Decreased cognitive function and word blocks are part of my illness. I will watch to see if it gets worse. Its embarrassing isn't it when you just stop mid-sentence and loose the rest of the sentence. With me it cam sometimes takes up to a minute for recall to return. Sometimes I just give up. I am forever apologising.

a reply to: robbeh

I have been lucky with Tramadol as family members who have taken it have had really bad nausea.

originally posted by: visitedbythem
a reply to: KEACHI

I have heard this many times., I have a close friend with severe pain due to damage in his back. Doctors put him on strongest pain meds available. It took the pain away but put him into a depression. He was contemplating suicide. He received an ok from his doctor, and a certificate from another to try Cannabis. It worked. He did not completely stop his Pharm meds but dialed them back significantly, to the point that he got his life back and is happy again. His back is not repairable, but now he can cope, sleep, and even wake up with out taking very strong drugs, that impare his ability to do simple tasks, let alone drive.
If you are in a state where this is legal, and you can get approval from a doctor, it may be an avenue to restfull sleep and pain relief, without some unwanted side effects some pharm drugs can cause. Keep in mind that you still have to research and find the strain that will work for you. There are many people working night and day to develop strains that will be effective for many types of severe and painful conditions.
Good luck to you all in finding some sort of relief from your painful conditions, be it pharm, or something else. Whatever works is good.

Back issues... Tell me about it...

I had a neurostimulater implanted 10 years ago... NO more chemical compounds... No more pain...

Spinal cord stimulation is delivered with a small spinal cord stimulator—similar to a pacemaker—that is implanted under the skin, but implanted in another location. The neurostimulator delivers mild electrical pulses to your spine, causing a tingling sensation in the area of your chronic pain.

After years of buggering up my liver and body with prescribed pain meds and going through various "black holes" where I lost precious family memories and time I am more than thankful...

SCREW BIG PHARMA DEEPLY WITH A FIST FULL OF SALT...

www.tamethepain.co.uk...

Now back to waiting to have my plaster cast off my bloody broken leg...

Warmest

Lags

a reply to: Lagomorphe

Thanks for that info. I have not been aware of this. I looked at your link. I tried a TENS machine a couple of years ago but it only made my pain worse. I have overexcited nerve pathways according to the specialist.

originally posted by: Morrad
a reply to: Lagomorphe

Thanks for that info. I have not been aware of this. I looked at your link. I tried a TENS machine a couple of years ago but it only made my pain worse. I have overexcited nerve pathways according to the specialist.

The difference with a neurostimulator compared to TENS apparatus is that a neurostimulator is implanted subcutaneously and that the captors are placed in or near to the spinal column under surgical conditions and calibrated as to your degree of suffering. Although more expensive it is a much longer lasting pain relief method in my opinion...)

Wheras TENS apparatus is normally situated on the outside of the body and not very accurate or calibrated as to each individual pain sufferer.

Maybe asking another pain specialists opinion might be an option?

Warmest

Lags

a reply to: Lagomorphe

Thanks I will mention this to my specialist.

a reply to: Morrad

Imagine falling asleep and waking up 30 minutes later due to your ear really hurting (the ear resting on the pillow).

I get that too. Bloody annoying.

I find that pulling down on my earlobe relieves the pain.

originally posted by: Morrad
a reply to: Lagomorphe

Thanks I will mention this to my specialist.

You are welcome, let us know the outcome.

Warmest

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