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Lyrica Withdrawal Symptoms + Duration

Lyrica (Pregabalin) is an anticonvulsant drug utilized primarily to treat neuropathic pain. It is also used as an adjunctive treatment option for adults with partial seizures. In countries outside of the United States, it was approved in 2007 to treat generalized anxiety disorder. Doctors also have found that it works well to treat chronic pain associated with fibromyalgia in select patients.

It was originally designed to be a more promising offshoot of the drug Gabapentin. The drug works by binding to voltage-dependent calcium channels in the central nervous system, which leads to decreases in release of various neurotransmitters including: norepinephrine, substance P, and calcitonin gene-related peptide.

Despite carrying a relatively low abuse potential, it is classified as a Schedule V drug in the United States. It is regarded as being a depressant of the central nervous system (CNS). There is some evidence suggesting that there may be initial mood-boosting effects associated with Lyrica usage, but these tend to disappear with long term use.

Many people experience an array of uncomfortable symptoms when they initially discontinue this drug. There is significant evidence of withdrawal effects, especially if a person has used the drug for a long period of time. Most doctors should know to have their patients conduct a gradual taper off of the medication to reduce severe withdrawal effects.

Factors that influence Lyrica withdrawal

When discontinuing any medication, there are various factors that play a role in the severity and duration of withdrawal symptoms. These factors include things like time over which you took the drug, your dosage, how abruptly you discontinued, as well as some individual factors.

1. Time Span

How long were you on Lyrica? Those who took the drug for many years are thought to have a tougher time with discontinuation compared to those on it for shorter terms. When you are on a drug for a long period of time, your nervous system adjusts to accommodate the drug. The transition back to sober functioning is usually a longer process when you’ve taken a particular substance for a long term.

2. Dosage (150 mg, 300 mg, 450 mg, 600 mg)

Those who took a higher dose of the drug are thought to have more intense withdrawals than people on a relatively low dose. When you take a high dose on a daily basis, your body will eventually develop a tolerance to that particular dose and the drug will eventually lose effectiveness; this is inevitable.

Dosing tends to vary based on the condition being treated as well as the individual. Those who take it for pain associated with diabetic neuropathy may take between 150 mg and 300 mg daily, while someone being treated for seizures may take up to 600 mg daily.

3. Cold Turkey vs. Tapering

Unfortunately many doctors aren’t even aware that there are withdrawal symptoms associated with Lyrica. This leads to them telling patients that it’s fine to discontinue the drug “cold turkey.” Those who quit the drug abruptly or “cold turkey” tend to have longer lasting withdrawals with more severe symptoms than those who conduct a gradual taper. Therefore, it is always recommended to follow some sort of tapering protocol when you plan on quitting.

For long term users, you may want to consider tapering at a rate of 10% per month. By tapering your current dose at just 10% every 4 weeks, you are giving your nervous system plenty of time to adjust to changes in dosing. If this seems too slow for you, you could consider dropping at a rate of 15% or 20% a month depending on the symptoms you’re experiencing.

4. Individual Factors

When withdrawing from any drug, it is important not to get caught up too much in others’ experiences. Some people will withdraw and not really notice any symptoms. Others will withdraw and have a very difficult time performing basic functions.

Various individual factors that are thought to influence withdrawal include individual physiology, withdrawal sensitivity, whether you are taking any other drugs, and daily habits. People who are getting daily exercise, eating healthy diets, and getting good social support are thought to recover at quicker rates than those who aren’t.

Lyrica Withdrawal Symptoms: List of Possibilities

Below is a list of possible symptoms that may occur when you discontinue Lyrica. Keep in mind that although many of these are common symptoms, everyone is affected differently.

  • Anger: Some people have reported feeling very angry, nearly to the point of rage when they stopped this drug. Feeling angry can be a natural consequence of withdrawal from a drug that can have a calming effect. If you find yourself getting angry, keep in mind that this symptom should fade with time.
  • Anxiety: In countries outside the U.S., this drug is actually approved to treat anxiety. When a person stops taking it, they may experience a spike in anxiety. The quicker a person withdraws from the drug, the greater the anxiety is thought to be.
  • Body aches: Many people take this drug to help manage neuropathic pain. When you stop taking the drug, you may note that the original pain reemerges. The pain may even be more intense than it was when you first started taking the drug. This is because your body had become accustomed to receiving analgesic effects from the drug and it needs to reinitiate its natural pain response.
  • Chills: Some people have reported chills upon discontinuation. If you experience chills, it is likely that your nervous system is attempting to function without influence from the drug. It is unlikely that you will experience chills for longer than a couple weeks following your last dose.
  • Crying spells: Many people become depressed when they quit taking Lyrica. This is a drug that acts on neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine, which may be abnormally low or altered during withdrawal. This may lead a person to experience overwhelming emotion and cry.
  • Depersonalization: You may feel as though you feel unlike your normal self or completely void of emotion. This is a zombie-like effect that some people experience when they withdraw from this medication. It’s a result of brain chemical alterations and changes following medication usage.
  • Depression: Do you feel severely depressed now that you’ve stopped taking your Lyrica? It is well documented that this drug can affect norepinephrine levels and other chemicals in the brain.  It is known that low norepinephrine and depression can be linked.  Withdrawal could lead to a temporary chemical imbalance, which results in depressive thinking. Assuming you weren’t depressed prior to taking this medication, you should eventually get better.
  • Diarrhea: Some people have reported diarrhea when stopping this medication. The diarrhea is usually accompanied by an upset stomach and shouldn’t last longer than a week or two. If you are having difficulty coping with this symptom, get yourself some Imodium (available over-the-counter).
  • Dizziness: It is normal to feel dizzy when you discontinue this drug. The dizziness is thought to be intensified if you quit cold turkey. Usually the more gradual you taper, the more dizzy sensations and/or vertigo is reduced. This will fade over time, but may be present for weeks following your last dose.
  • Fatigue: Having low energy levels are commonly noted during withdrawal. You may experience deep physical and mental exhaustion and/or lethargy. Doing seemingly everyday tasks such as cooking meals, going to work, and cleaning may seem very difficult. Keep pushing yourself through this fatigue and know that in time, it will improve.
  • Flu-like: The combination of feeling chilled, hot flashes, dizziness, headaches, and nausea can lead a person to feel like they have the flu. It is more common to feel “flu-like” if you quit cold turkey.
  • Headaches: This is a very common symptom that people cope with during withdrawal. Some people actually take this drug to help prevent migraines (despite no evidence supporting this treatment option). In any regard, dealing with headaches (mild or severe) is common during withdrawal.
  • Hot flashes: These are sudden sensations of heat throughout the body. Between these and “chills” some may have a difficult time dealing with the temperature changes that can occur during withdrawal.
  • Insomnia: Another common withdrawal symptom is the inability to fall asleep at night. You may feel tired, but unable to sleep. If this symptom becomes bad, you may want to consider some relaxation exercises and/or taking a supplement like melatonin.
  • Irritability: Things that don’t normally bother you may really irritate you during withdrawal. Realize that an irritable disposition is temporary – as your brain readjusts, this symptom should gradually subside.
  • Itching: Although this is a less common symptom to experience during withdrawal, some people do report itching.  You may initially think you have developed a rash.  This is usually caused by sensitive nerve endings as a result of drug discontinuation.  Consider taking an antihistamine until the symptom clears up.
  • Joint pain: This drug can work very well for pain management, but when a person discontinues, they may experience an increase in joint pain. It is important to understand that this is a normal symptom of withdrawal, but may very uncomfortable. Do your best to cope with the pain in your joints and keep faith that it will improve.
  • Mood swings: During withdrawal, your mood may be in constant flux. Usually people experience negative emotions such as anger, depression, anxiety, and unwanted thoughts. Moods will eventually improve and should fully stabilize in time.
  • Muscle spasms: Muscles may be more prone to spasms when you quit the drug. Although not everyone will have spasms upon stopping this medication, some people do. Realize that this is just part of the way the nervous system is reacting.
  • Nausea: The body can take some time to adapt to changes during discontinuation. In some cases, this can lead some people to experience nausea when they stop the drug. The nausea may be uncomfortable, but shouldn’t persist for an extended amount of time.
  • Panic attacks: When anxiety becomes overwhelming during withdrawal, it could lead some people to panic. It is especially common to panic when dealing with both physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms. It is recommended to use relaxation techniques such as deep breathing to help curb anxiety and reduce the possibility of panic.
  • Poor concentration: This is a drug that influences neurotransmitter levels such as norepinephrine. Norepinephrine can improve vigilance and concentration while a person is taking the drug. Unfortunately during withdrawal, a person may have difficulties with concentration.
  • Restlessness: You may feel especially restless when you come off of Lyrica. If you are feeling restless, the best thing you can do is to get some sort of mild exercise (e.g. walking) and/or engage in a relaxation exercise (to help decrease anxiety). In particular, many people note having restless legs.
  • Seizures: In people taking this drug for seizures, withdrawal can lead to recurrence of seizures. The seizures experienced during withdrawal may be stronger and more frequent than normal. It is important to with a doctor during withdrawal if you are prone to seizures.
  • Shortness of breath: Some individuals have experienced shortness of breath when they initially come off of the drug. This tends to be a more common side effect while taking the drug, but can also occur during withdrawal.
  • Sleep problems: You may notice changes in your sleep patterns when you first quit the drug. This is because your nervous system is attempting to balance out the changes that it is experiencing. In addition to insomnia, you may not be able to get good quality sleep and may wake up frequently throughout the night. Your sleep should improve over time.
  • Stomach pain: Many individuals report stomach pain and/or cramping when they initially stop the drug. This pain will likely be uncomfortable, and there’s no telling how long it will last, but usually improve within a couple weeks.
  • Suicidal thinking: Many people report feeling suicidal depressed when they initially withdraw from Lyrica. If you feel suicidal, it is important to recognize that the brain is temporarily chemically imbalanced during withdrawal; sometimes to a significant extent. As the brain recovers, neurotransmitter levels will be restored, but this is a gradual process. If you cannot cope with this feeling, be sure to seek professional help.
  • Sweating: You may start to sweat a lot when you first quit taking the drug. The sweating may be prevalent throughout the day and while you sleep. Sweating is a natural response exhibited by the body when undergoing withdrawal.
  • Vision changes: It is certainly possible to experience visual disturbances during withdrawal. You may note blurred vision and/or other disturbances in your field of vision. Vision should return to normal over time so try not to work yourself up.
  • Weight loss: If you gained while taking the drug, you should expect your body to fluctuate back to the pre-drug weight. The weight loss may not come overnight, but as time passes, you should drop back down to your normal weight.

Lyrica Withdrawal Duration: How long does it last?

There’s no exact timeline that can be followed for withdrawal from Lyrica. In general, withdrawal length will be subject to variation based on individual experience. Among people who have been on high doses of the drug for years, withdrawal symptoms may be more intense and longer lasting. In people who took the drug for a shorter duration at a lower dose, withdrawal symptoms may be minimal.

The half-life of pregabalin is (on average) 6.3 hours, indicating that Lyrica stays in your system for approximately 1.5 days after your final dose.  Although the drug may be fully out of your plasma, withdrawal will just be starting. The symptoms for the first few weeks of withdrawal can be very discouraging and debilitating. These symptoms are caused by your nervous system expecting to receive the drug, and scrambling to function soberly.

For some individuals the most severe withdrawal symptoms will clear up within a week. For others, it may take months to fully recover from the discontinuation effects. You may feel as if you are never going to get better, but you will. Your nervous system will be able to readjust itself back to normal functioning and symptoms will eventually fade.

In order to speed up the withdrawal process, it is recommended to engage in healthy activities such as: getting light exercise, socializing, and staying productive. Additionally it is recommended to eat a healthy diet, get plenty of rest, and consider taking supplements that promote healing. If you have gone through withdrawal from Lyrica, feel free to share your experience in the comments section below.

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357 thoughts on “Lyrica Withdrawal Symptoms + Duration”

  1. I took Lyrica for 5 years, 150 mg twice daily. After a year or two on the drug, my prescription ran out while my doc was on vacation. After 2 or 3 days I had an uncharacteristic fit of anger, along with many of the symptoms reported above. When I retired at the end of 2011, I knew I had to get off Lyrica because it wasn’t covered by the ODBP provincial drug plan, and I couldn’t afford it.

    Having some idea about how rough quitting was going to be, I devised a plan to taper off. The plan had 2 strict rules: each time I reduced the dose, it would be by 50%. and that I would immediately go from 2 x 150 mg daily, to 150 mg once EVERY OTHER DAY. So, I would carry on with that regime for 2 weeks, then step it down to 75 mg every other day, and so on, following that pattern.

    To create the smaller doses required, I opened a gel cap, and poured the contents onto a mirror and using a razor blade, divide it in half, and those in half again, and so forth, till I was making doses as small as approx 12 mg each. I would use cigarette papers to wrap each little does and simply swallow the paper and contents with a glass of water. In the last week, I got it down to 12 mg every other day, and after 3 days of that, I decided to not take anymore, flushed the remainder down the toilet and was at last free of it.

    However, in the following 2 years or so, I did have the most horrific nightmares of my life, and I am almost 70. They now seem to have fully subsided. From start to finish, it took me 3 months to get off Lyrica. During this intense quitting process, I would never have been able to maintain the job I had retired from. The sleep disruption and constant headache, carsick nausea and a good many of the withdrawal symptoms reported by others, lasted for nearly the entire 3 months, but went away quickly once I quit it altogether.

    I realize I am lucky re long term nerve damage, compared to others. Take heart in my story though, I did get off this most insidious drug, one that hardly seems to do any good, yet rips you apart if you try to quit it. As if all the worst symptoms of opiate withdrawal, flu, hangover, menopause and you name it, have been designed into this expensive drug – so that it is beyond most mere mortals to quit taking it. But, I did and You can too!

    Reply
  2. I was previously taking Gabapentin 100 mg once per day for about 4 months, but switched to Lyrica because I was told that it was the preferred drug for neuropathy which I had from my lower back surgery. I was taking Lyrica 75 mg once per day for about 2 years. The cost was not bad, but higher then the Gabapentin. I kept taking Lyrica even though it did not reduce my neuropathy in any significant way, but I didn’t want to see things get worse.

    At the end of January 2016, I decided to stop taking it cold turkey because my company had a new insurance plan which was going to charge me $400+ for a one month supply. Since the drug wasn’t really helping, I felt ‘why keep taking it’? About a week or two after I stopped taking it, I felt many of the symptoms others have noted: mainly panic attacks and shortness of breath during the attack due to hyperventilation.

    Other symptoms included: crying spells, depression, dizziness, fatigue, flu-like symptoms, itching, joint pain, restlessness, sleep problems and sweating. The symptoms continued for about 6 weeks. But it was a nightmare. I didn’t realize it was due to cold-turkey Lyrica withdrawal. I didn’t realize that I should have contacted my family doctor before stopping the drug.

    My doctor prescribed Xanax to get me through it and it worked. Now I’m back to normal. Hopefully, this comment and the many others will encourage people to talk to their doctors before they stop taking a drug.

    Reply
  3. I am a healthy 29 year old male, with spinal Stenosis. I also have 5 herniated disk, all lumbar. I was prescribed Lyrica, and was given a 1 month trial. For the first week on Lyrica I felt like superman. I would take it in the morning and would tackle my day with no back pain. Well after taking it for a week, I forgot to take it one morning, and let me tell you it was one of the worst feeling I have ever experienced.

    I had severe anxiety, couldn’t concentrate, and had migraines. It scared me. I had to leave work just to go home and take one. The symptoms went away. I Knew that this was a horrible drug. The next day, I decided to stop taking it. The aftermath of my withdraw symptoms lasted months, at least 3 months.

    Every time the sun sets, it feels like it was the end of the world. My sales at work declined. I had taught a of suicide. Night sweats, heavy dark bag under my eyes developed from lack of sleep. At times I would hear loud buzzing sounds, before bed. Thankfully that I don’t suffer from any of those symptoms any longer. If you are reading this, please, I plead, please do not take Lyrica.

    It would be the best decision for you and your family. “By the way, my relationship with my family are ruined because of my mood swings, til this day I have broken relationships that I need to fix”. I only took Lyrica for a week and suffered months of withdrawals, I could already imagine how bad it would of been if I would of decided to take Lyrica for 1 year calendar periods.

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  4. I’m in UK, as appears most comments are in America. Have been on Pregabalin for last 6 months due to recurrent episode of sacral plexus neuritis (last episode in 2009) required it for severe nerve pain in left thigh. Prescribed 600mg daily, but difficulty concentrating, therefore about 4 weeks ago began to reduce dose to try & return to work soon.

    WOW unable to sleep, poor vision, slightly anxious, very fatigued & horrendous chills & sweating/hot episodes. First thought I was starting with another virus. But symptoms not improving, now totally stopped taking it. To think I came off it to try & get back to work, now feel worse as nerve pain symptoms increased, & temperature on my skin also makes symptoms worse.

    What a drug, had no idea withdrawal symptoms would last so long or be so life changing… No one in UK seems to understand this drug or the terrible side effects & withdrawal symptoms it causes. I also took it previously back in 2009, and remember being very unwell but not this bad.

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  5. Hi. My mum had lots of back pain so the doctor gave her lyrica. She only took it for 2 weeks or so and I do not know her dose but all of a sudden she had anxiety, could not breath and had anxiety. This happened 3 weeks ago and she is still in such bad shape. Trouble breathing and her heart is healthy we went to the hospital for it.

    So I decided to research lyrica more and I discovered how her symptoms are probably from those pills. Now the funny (not so funny) thing is 3 years ago she experienced the same thing because then she was scared as well and did not dare be alone and that happened because of her taking fentanyl patches for a few days. I think it took her 3 to 4 weeks to become normal back then.

    So when I discovered this could be the result I was happy for her because at least we know why this happened but she is s depressed now she does not believe it will stop. I had hoped that there would be people here telling when they got better and 2 or 3 did but mostly when people are okay again they do not write about that. I told her mum it will be okay you will soon feel better but it is so hard seeing her struggle.

    There is something I think in those meds that make her go really mentally unstable and it is so sad to see her like this. I read about magnesium so I will tell her to take some. So crazy that those medications are given to people without warnings.

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  6. I’m a paraplegic at the t-5 level and I’d have to say this is the second most evil drug I’ve ever taken (behind Effexor). DO NOT TAKE LYRICA UNLESS YOU ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO!

    Reply
  7. I stopped taking lyrica 48 hours ago after being on 600mgs for 6 years. Month 1 I dropped by half immediately, from 600-300, and dealt with the effects as best I could. I started cramping quite a bit and my nerves were on fire. I also couldn’t concentrate and had a very difficult time working. It was a tough month to work through.

    Weeks 5-8 I dropped 200mg, so I was at 100mg daily. During this time I trained hard for a triathlon which seemed to help deal with the pain. I find it hard to sell for work, but it’s easier than the first month. I received an epidural shot in my spine that helped significantly for my nerve pain that was flaring up badly.

    I went from 100 to 0, 2 nights ago and the crazy dreams and muscle spasms are hitting hard. I’m hoping that I can make it through this weekend and feel halfway normal for work in two days. It’s hard but not impossible so don’t give up!!

    Reply
  8. I have been on Lyrica for at least 6 yrs, 350mg/day, for complex regional pain syndrome – which compounded badly over time and debilitated me, due to very very late diagnosis of the on going Nerve pain arising for a foot OP gone wrong. Lyrica is a powerful drug. Drs are barely trained for it’s use – consider just how very recently (not even a decade yet) that this drug was released for use outside of epilepsy, which has a completely different regime and application.

    We are the pole bearers, so thank you so much, first of all to the writer of this site, for the clear description of each of the possible withdrawal symptoms etc. And the sensible advice and way you’ve written. Yesterday I thought I was surely going to have start discussing dementia! – until I realised at the end of the day that I had somehow managed to miss my morning dose! ??.

    I am, as it is, currently on a very graduated withdrawal program (am now down to 225mg). I hope to be off it by the end of this year, as I had a very successful re-surgery on the damaged foot last year, by a brilliant surgeon who was completely abreast with CRPS (for a change!). Your article and your reader’s comments have given me great courage and the sanity to persevere on with withdrawal, as I live in a vacuum of support (very few people, let alone Drs, understand the gravity of this drug on the CNS – the whole being as such – in my part of the world).

    My withdrawal symptoms were/are so severely impacting, it really takes very careful nursing by me. I can offer this, use the simple drug PARACETAMOL liberally, to cushion any pain-related out falls (headache or body aches etc). Hunker down a lot, stay quiet and protected to proceed through the more psychosomatic symptoms (spikes of unexplained anger/anxiety/confusion etc) listed in this blog. Thanks again for this blog and good luck everyone.

    Reply
  9. My husband is taking 75mg bid for femeral nerve damage. He began on 3 1/2 weeks ago. He has so many side affects we are taking him off. He has muscle weakness in his legs and lost muscle mass in his arms (can’t tell about legs as he has lymphedema which started around the same time). He can hardly walk and can’t stand for more then a minute. Has anyone had muscle weakness / loss of strength in the legs? I am wondering how this improved once you were off lyrica?

    Reply
    • Hi, sorry to hear about your husband. Yes I experienced extended and severe weakness in my legs (vertigo etc) which caused me not to want to take on this drug Lyrica, many times over these past 6 yrs (see my comment to editor). When I dropped my dosage due to this unbearable reason of muscle weakness (fuzzy headed ness etc), my neurologist was very cross and warned me that it would take a few years on Lyrica, to cure my condition of prolonged damaging nerve pain and its consequences.

      So, unhappily, I persevered (on 350mg). The drug does have awful side effects, and it lost me my career and participation etc, however, 6 costly years later, I am slowly coming off the drug as it’s done its task! Your husband has been put on it early in the piece, therefore it’ll be much more effective in its task and sooner to heal/manage his condition. So hopefully, he’ll mange on a lower dose and for a shorter time frame and in the end, be glad for this drug named Lyrica!

      Reply
  10. I have been taking Lyrica for many years, it was prescribed for TMJ pain by my GP. Now I also have Diabetic neuropathy and 3 prolapsed discs. The dose has been increased from 75 mgs twice daily to up to 400mgs daily. I take 300mgs but it is making me high. I have tried to reduce it, but then I cannot sleep and feel wide awake.

    Reply
  11. I have been on Lyrica for 13 yrs for migraines due to hormone imbalance from complete hysterectomy. Over the last 3 yrs I have been trying to get my neurologist to get me off Lyrica, because I wanted to try something else. He wouldn’t listen so I had to put my foot down. I was taking 150mg 3 x’s a day, which is 450mg a day.

    March 2016 I started tapering off the lyrica slowly, I am now down to 75mg once a day & I am experiencing diarrhea but not all the time, insomnia for 1st 2 days & tingling/itching. I am taking this Benadryl and Buspirone to help with withdrawal. I sent an email to nurse practitioner at my GP and ask what I could do to help with the withdrawl.

    Reply
    • I was doing good on my tapering from my Lyrica until I got down to 75 mg a day and I started tingling and having bits of insomnia. I have spoken with my GP and she has given me suggestions on what to do about tapering and also with sleeping, suggested I take natural sleep aid called Melatonin, as long as I exercise, eat right, keep active and get sleep I should be able to get through the withdrawals. Tapering off Lyrica is hard but you can do it slowly. Pray for us all.

      Reply
  12. Thank you to everyone who as posted here. I have a 15-year-old sweet old chihuahua who was transitioned from gabapentin to lyrica about 5 months ago. He’s loopy, has trouble walking, stares into space and bumps into walls. I thought he had mental problems but now I’m thinking maybe it’s the lyrica. Your withdrawal stories are terrifying, given that it’s not possible to explain to a dog why he is feeling these things. I’m going to try the super super slow taper (10% per month) on him. Thanks again to you brave souls!

    Reply
  13. Someone needs to educate our doctors on the fact that Lyrica can cause withdrawals. When I told my doctor, he said to me that he had never heard of this and attributed all of my symptoms to my having a bad gallbladder. He also went on to tell me to stop trying to make my own diagnosis and called me and “assailed”.

    I was already feeling horrible only to go there and leave feeling worse. I’ve been on 600mg per day for the past four years. I feel like I’m at the end of my rope and I really don’t know who to turn to for help. Can anyone out there please tell me how I can get help for myself?

    This is my second full week of being of of Lyrica, cold turkey and I’m still feeling almost as if I just no longer want to be here. My body is so exhausted from going through all of these changes. Can someone PLEASE HELP ME?

    Reply
  14. My name is Kaitlyn, and I have been taking Lyrica 75mg for about six months, twice away, sometimes three times for spinal problems. I recently saw a doctor who said that nerve problems are not my problems and took me off. I slowed down to 1 Lyrica a day for a week, and I recently stopped completely.

    This is the most pain I have ever felt, I feel like my stomach is going to explode. I can’t sleep, and barely eating. Is this normal? I have a lot of heat flashes, and feel sick and like I’m going to vomit all the time. I can’t exercise or anything, so how else do I go about trying to calm down the withdrawals? I hope everyone feels better!

    Reply
  15. I wanted to add my experience, to balance out some of the horror stories in the comments. I was on Pregabalin for two years, prescribed for fibromyalgia. To begin with I was on 150mg, twice daily. When my fibro improved, I cut that down to 125mg at night, 100mg in the morning.

    But I improved so much that I decided to come off meds altogether – first I came off Amitriptaline, 10mg, without any ill effects at all (I cut down to 5mg for a week, then just stopped). Next I started tapering the Pregabalin, 25mg per week, alternating between tapering the morning and evening dose (ie. one week I reduced the morning dose by 25mg, the next week I reduced the evening dose by 25mg). This took 7 weeks, until I was taking on 25mg at night only, so I just stopped completely.

    I think if I’d alternated one night on, one night off, it might have been a little easier, but I figured I might as well get it over with. 36 hours after the final dose, my stomach started playing up, bloating, hurting, and then major diarrhea. This was three days ago. It’s still very uncomfortable, but I have stopped the diarrhea with Imodium.

    I’m achy, but otherwise okay. As far as I can make out, this may continue for a week or so, so I will come back and report progress again. I suspect that those of us who haven’t experienced really horrifying withdrawals may have something in common (I wish I could confirm this theory!) – we are still taking some other form of neurotransmitter medication (i.e. antidepressants).

    I am still taking Mirtazapine (45mg), for clinical depression (which is under control, but I have no intention of trying to come off the antidepressant, and in fact have been told by my GP that with my history, I’m on it for life, which is totally fine by me). I also still take mild co drydamol (10/300mg) daily, which I think also takes the edge off the symptoms.

    Reply
  16. I have been on 75mgs twice a day for 10 years. Due to our new healthcare system the cost of Lyrica has gone from $25 to $287 per month. I can’t afford that, so I am tapering off. I paid for one month, the doc gave me some 50mg samples, and next month I will suck it up and pay for 25mgs.

    I’m taking 75 at night, 50 in the morning, today is day 6, and I feel awful. My body hurts, my head feels like it is going to explode, and I feel nauseated, and my vision is all messed up. At the very least the doctor should be required to tell you how addictive a drug is when he hands it to you. I have never been addicted to anything, and this is terrible.

    Reply
  17. Was prescribed lyrica for neuropathic pain due to disc degeneration and fibromyalgia. 200mg tds. For 3 years. I put on do much weight I decided I had to come off it for the sake of my spine and overall health. I’ve worked in operating theaters for 25 yrs, and admit I hate being a patient. With oversight of my GP I was weaned off lyrica over a month.

    But this didn’t stop the withdrawal symptoms. Itching, aches, mood swings, tears, sleep problems. It has been terrible. My pain has come back with vengeance but I’m in a catch 22 scenario. The good side is that my periods are slowly returning to normal and the oedema is slowly draining. I now have about 4 stone of excess weight to remove!

    I would never recommend lyrica. In my opinion the side effects outweigh the benefits. For those who are talking about gabapentin vs pregabalin please know that they work differently. So can’t really be compared. Thanks to all who have shared their experiences, there is comfort in not being alone! Take care!

    Reply
  18. I have been on 150mg for 10 years- I went to 1/2 dosage for a short period when my doc wasn’t responding to the pharmacy. (Yes my doc is difficult, so when I was out of refills I cut back on my own until I knew the issue was resolved. It took 2 weeks) – It was AWFUL. Now I am faced with a worse crisis – 1 day of meds left & my new insurance plus the Lyrica card have raised the price from $25 per month to almost $300. I can’t afford this- so after tomorrow I will be forced to quit cold turkey for good. I’m scared spitless, but I have no choice.

    Reply
  19. I was on 600mg of lyrica for 6 years. I came down by 50mg a week about 6 months ago and am still struggling badly to adjust. I feel chronically fatigued and any exertion totally wipes me out. I sleep a lot after work or exercise. I would advise anyone thinking of taking this drug to think again.

    Reply
  20. Wow… Lots of great responses here. Glad I found this post. I’ve been on Lyrica now for 2 weeks for sciatica, degenerative disks, and arthritis in my lower back. My doctor put me on 75mg three times a day. Thankfully the pharmacist was the first one to tell me to ramp up the dose over a few days, weeks.

    I decided to start with 1 pill a day, increase to 2 a day after a week, then in the third week go up to the final 3 pills a day. Today is my last 2 pill a day schedule. After several hours of taking my first pill today (and still a few hours from taking my next one) I now feel horrible. Pain, dizziness, headache, trouble with vision, can’t concentrate, balance, etc.

    I felt this way a few time in the past week and it finally hit me today that it’s not taking the drug that’s making me feel this way, but NOT taking it that’s causing it; i.e. withdrawal. I can’t work and feel this way and I don’t want to become dependent on taking this. My prescription is for 3 months with no refill. What the heck happens when that prescription is over?

    I can’t handle the pain, but I don’t want to take this medication. Luckily I live in Canada and am going to see my doctor in the next few days to get off of this and seek referral to an MJ clinic nearby.

    Reply
  21. Today’s been hell so far and it is only 09:15. I was prescribed gabapentin by my pain specialist for nerve pain in neck and arms after two neck operations. After a couple of years, the gabapentin wasn’t working and my specialist prescribed me pregabalin. I have been taking this for over 5 years, 600mg daily.

    My pain has recently got worse and I had another MRI scan which showed that my neck needed a fusion at c6-c7. Was told that I was to come off pregabalin right away, which I was keen to do. Specialist said that withdrawal symptoms were minimal and it would be fine to drop to 300mg after a week. I have done this and thought that it wasn’t too bad.

    Four days ago I stopped completely and since then my world has caved in. I am experiencing nearly all of the above and am barely functioning. My pain is unbearable along with the chills, sweats, etc. I had to admit defeat and I had to take a 300mg tablet. After 15 mins the sweats, etc. had all but disappeared.

    I have just made an appointment with my GP. In 20 days time I will have to do this properly and wean myself off this shit that is controlling me. The GP will have to give me smaller amounts as dropping 600mg in 10 days is awful. I thought I was weak but reading the other posts seems I am not. Wish everyone well in getting off this crap.

    Reply
  22. Further to my recent post, I am still going through hell with withdrawal symptoms from Pregabalin. Today is Day 23 of the nightmare with the worst things being the constant headaches which are terrible and insomnia. I saw my Pain Consultant today, who refuses to believe that these problems are due to Pregabalin, saying that in no way is the drug addictive.

    It really annoys me that the medical profession take no notice of what we, the patients, tell them. We know our own bodies after all. When I asked him for an explanation of why these symptoms had started at the exact same time as withdrawal, he couldn’t offer me any. This certainly is one hell of a horror story and at the moment I can’t see any light at the end of the tunnel, though I’m telling myself that this too shall pass… eventually.

    Reply
  23. I have been on 600 mg of Lyrica daily for nearly 3 years for chronic nerve pain and a disease that will eventually go to my hands and spine, the only reason I am stopping the medication is because I cannot afford it anymore. It’s been 7 days and already the burning in my feet has returned and in the centre of my back. I have suffered bad diarrhea, nausea, awful thoughts and toss and turn all night.

    I have returned to have a fan on my feet to cool them down while trying to sleep. My specialist won’t put me on something else due to the fact that Lyrica being the best way to treat my condition which is easy for them to say because they aren’t the ones having to fork out the money. I don’t regret having been on it because it really has helped me after being wrongly diagnosed with gout for many years.

    It was life changing to being able to function normally and sleep without the constant pain and burning. Unfortunately I just can no longer afford it and with my symptoms returning including withdrawals to go along with it is just going to be hell.

    Reply
  24. I pray for everyone that tries too stop this Drug. I took it for a broken Neck and Pain related with Nerve Damage. I took it for almost over two years. I’m on month number two without Lyrica. Now I know I don’t want too take the drug anymore.

    I also don’t want to live like I have for the past two months.!! I had my birthday being off Lyrica for two weeks. I didn’t know if I’d make it to Today. I have. I know tonight and tomorrow will be a fight. I just got too do my best and beat this thing.

    I pray to God I can. Although I’ve taken many legal and illegal drugs in my life. Nothing has changed my life like this one. F#CK LYRICA…!! Who ever this helps I’m Glad. I wish I never touched it. I feel like a Junkie. That’s the truth. Scary!!!

    Reply
  25. This is an awful, awful drug. I have a rare disease called PGf which caused root nerve death and dislocations when I was bad. The pain team gave me OxyContin, oxynorm, fentanyl and codeine and gave me the hard word about how addictive they were. Then they added lyrica rising to 600mg a day (supposedly maximum dose but I’ve heard abusers take way more) and no mention of addiction.

    As the 5 years went by I was sick of being a zombie and so I stopped fentanyl and oxynorm cold turkey. I had a few sweats and restless leg but managed Fine and I was taking 150mg of oxynorm a day, a high dose. I’d started tapering OxyContin as that was tougher and decided to just stop lyrica as I didn’t know it was addictive. Oh my god! I thought I was dying. I started vomiting.

    Fainting, with severe diarrhea and seizures. I didn’t know what to do so I increased my OxyContin to usual level thinking it must be that. Then I got worse, my partner found me in bed shaking head to foot, covered in sweat and in agony I thought I would die. I had an emergency injection of HC as my adrenals are dead and saw a consultant immediately who told me it was lyrica.

    I couldn’t believe it! I was so angry and hurt! They immediately put me back on it but on 150mg twice a day instead of 300 as I want off it so badly now. I’m still poorly, still have an upset tummy and headaches but I can manage now: I’d rather withdraw from morphine any day and yet they push this drug as an alternative and it’s worse! I am full of hatred for the drug.

    I’ll be tapering 50mg a week until I can report back I’m well and away from this nightmare. If offered this drug run a mile! It’s not worth it – ever!!!

    Reply
  26. I started taking Lyrica(L) 6 years ago at age 51 after a bout of shingles resulted in post herpetic neuralgia (PHN). The previous 12 months I had foot surgery, knee surgery, the flu, and a sinus infection. My immune system was severely compromised, but I was unaware of the seriousness of my health. I felt normal after I got well.

    My shingles broke out on my forehead on the the orbital nerve above my eye. The nerve pain and headaches were excruciating. After numerous pain injections, my pain specialist said I would be on L the rest of my life. I refused to believe or accept that diagnosis. I started at 800mg/d and slowly decreased my dosage to ~200mg/d in year 3, 150mg/d in year 4, 100mg/d in year 5, and just got off the drug at 50mg/d two weeks ago.

    After year 3, I started acupuncture treatments and did this for 2 1/2 years. I really believe it helped me drop my dosage. I have lower back pain, and my back pain has increased since I’ve been off the L. I hope this is only temporary, as I do not want to get back on the drug. Having said that, I don’t know if I could have survived my PHN without L.

    It really interrupted the shooting nerve pains and headaches I experienced. For those suffering with PHN, I would strongly suggest acupuncture along with L to get well as quickly as possible. I welcome any suggestions or comments. Best wishes to all.

    Reply
  27. My Pain Management Doctor put me on a low dose of Lyrica for nerve pain in my ankle. After a week I was suffering with horrendous headaches and stomach aches, so I decided to take myself off this drug. Considering I was only on Lyrica for 9 days at the lowest dose, I’m amazed at the severity of the withdrawal symptoms.

    I tapered the dose over 1 week, then the horror really kicked in. Muscle pain, tingling and electric shock type pains in joints, flu like symptoms, shivering, sweating, insomnia, dry mouth, no energy but the worst thing is pain in my head, eyes and ears. Not a headache exactly but a feeling of being squeezed in a vice.

    I’m only 4 days in from the start of the withdrawal, but it’s a nightmare. I shall never take this awful drug again, the pain is preferable to this horror. I dread to think how much longer I have to endure this and feel very down about it.

    Reply
  28. I want to post this to those who have not yet taken Lyrica, but again if you are reading this, too late. I am sure. Lyrica is worse worse than a methadone withdraw, ativan, ambien and all other drugs I have ever come off of. I have wondered why I am still having withdraw symptoms and I took lyrica and all the withdraw symptoms were gone and I fell asleep for hours.

    I felt like I was back to being ok until the dose started wearing off again. I was prescribed Lyrica for pain in my feet due to INJURIES thats it. I have a job that is highly an at risk job and I cannot take any chances while doing this job. I have not been working and decided to go back to work due to LACK of money. I am surely not ready to go back but I have to.

    I have had bad thoughts, my hands back and legs are killing me. I have more nerve damage now then when I started the drug but know it is temporary as I have come off this drug before because I was using more potent medications. This may be the way to go for some who don’t have to work and take drug testing.

    I suggest NEVER taking this drug and tell the doctor NO. You will either die using it end up dead in a hospital or using other drugs to get off this one. Good luck to you all.

    Reply
  29. Hello. I’ve been using Lyrica for only 4 months. I have been taking 150mg morning and the same at night. The medication generally has treated referred pain quite well though impacts on my ability to function within the work environment. The upward swing of getting used to the medication hasn’t waned so have decided that cessation will be better than the ongoing issues of using.

    I have read that a reduction of 10% per month is the ideal way of weaning off the medication. I am headstrong and ferociously determined. I am about to start my reduction. Wish me well. I wish the same for you. I’ll come back and let you know how things are going.

    Reply
    • By now, I am clear of using the medication. I did reduce my use faster than the recommended means. The outbound journey was as challenging as the inbound. I’ve avoided coming back until now as by giving voice to the challenge to me meant giving power to it. It was an option that was explored and now I’m back to my usual self.

      Albeit I’m in need of an alternate means of pain management. For anyone who is ceasing use of the medication, know that the discomfort is temporary. I suggest gearing up and know what’s ahead of you. Be prepared and try not to give it too much if any voice as I think we can make things harder for ourselves when we do.

      There must be a far greater number of people out there who have no problems when using this medication and it has been presented to us as an option to try. Once you’ve started your journey away from using this medication, stick to it and get through to the other side. If you prolong the journey you may find that you’re contribution to greater challenges if you stop and start.

      We’re all different. I’m head strong. I’m determined. My heart wished for you too be the same. If I can do it, anyone can do it. Was it hard? Very. Have I succeeded? Yes.

      Reply
      • Thanks so much for coming back and letting us know how it went. A lot of people write horror stories when they are in the middle of withdrawl but don’t come back to say how they are, or how it went. Really appreciated that you did that and that you are now Lyrica-free! I plan to reduce very very slowly as well so hopefully it will go well for me too.

        Reply
  30. Yikes. Ive been on lyrica for about 12 years, a higher dose, and we recently got new insurance which doesn’t pay for it, so Ive been trying to wean off. It’s such a struggle, and I recognized the withdrawal right away. Chills, stomachaches, no appetite etc. I once detoxed from oxycontin, so it wasn’t a stretch to see that the effects were so similar. I sure hope it subsides pretty soon, because I just can’t go through this again! Good luck to all.

    Reply
  31. Hi. I wrote on her about a year ago when going through withdrawal. Really tough time and although I’ve now been off it for a year, still didn’t feel back to normal. Had a return of some symptoms recently… Anxiety, insomnia etc, very similar to withdrawal. Worked out from symptoms and what eased symptoms that I had a magnesium deficiency. I think that one of the reasons why people struggle coming off pregabalin is because it interferes with magnesium levels.

    There is a link between low magnesium and anxiety and depression, also a whole range of other physical problems. Just wondered whether people had tried this to help with withdrawal. Transdermally i.e. flakes in bath, was most effective for me and improving diet. Apparently once low, it can take 9-12 months to improve levels. Commonly doesn’t show on standard blood tests from GP. It’s made huge difference to me. Hope this helps other people too. Good luck.

    Reply
  32. I took lyrica 400 mg a day for chronic nerve pain in my back for years. The best drug for my pain. I would feel a little lightheaded in morning but would pass. Do to not having insurance at present time I went cold turkey. I feel like I’m dying. Nausea diarrhea terrible back pain!!! Loss of appetite terrible stomach & chest pain.

    If I could afford it I would definitely get back on it. Can’t sleep at night due to pain. Wish there was an answer. Hopefully I can find a job with insurance to pay for it. It was a miracle drug for me. I never experienced any depression from withdrawal or any of those symptoms but the above mentioned are horrible.

    Reply
  33. I’m an ER nurse and have been on 50 mg twice a day for only six months for cervical radiculopathy (severe C5-6 herniation). Since having a spinal fusion several weeks ago, I no longer need the Lyrica and my neurosurgeon has started the process of weaning me off. For two weeks I’m to reduce my dose to 25 mg twice a day, and then go down to 25 mg once a day for an additional two weeks.

    So far, the insomnia and hot flashes are the worst of what I’ve been experiencing, with some tummy troubles and nervousness. I’m looking forward to getting a good night’s sleep when this is all over, and I really feel for those of you who have been on higher doses for much longer. Don’t EVER go off this drug cold turkey! It even says so on the medication insert, so talk to your doctor if they give you that instruction.

    Reply
  34. I started 150 mg a year ago. I just quit taking it around a week ago and this withdrawal is horrible. I’m praying it gets better ASAP.

    Reply
  35. I have taken lyrica for 5 yrs. Past 2yrs at 300mg 3x’s day. Along with other meds for a scroll long list of diagnosis including : trigeminal neuralgia, fibromyalgia, migraine, radicular neuropathy, sciatica, sacral joint dysfunction, 2 ruptured disc, etc… Yes I am a mess. After Christmas 2015 I caught a bug, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, the works. Nothing was staying down, especially medicines.

    But after a few days I was feeling better then the sickness escalated, changed and I am still sick. I ran out of lyrica while I was sick. I called pfizer for a refill on lyrica (prescription assistance) was told I had to reapply for assistance for 2016, called my Dr. & explained how sick I was & asked that they just call it in to a nearby pharmacy. They reminded me my insurance wouldn’t cover it because my dosage exceeded the FDA’s recommended daily dosage.

    I have been so sick, dizzy, chills, vomiting, nausea, crying, stomach cramps that will double you over, body aching, joints hurt, restless legs & arms, stiff neck, constant headache, several migraines, ears stopped up & ringing, weakness, fatigue, muscles sore to touch or use, sweating, can’t sleep, lost near 30lbs in 2.5 months. But this is the part that I want people to know* I have been in a horrible depression. I have sit here day after day for the past several weeks crying my eyes out & dying inside.

    I told myself what a burden I was on my family & how they would be better off without having to worry about me all the time. I feel like such a waste of air lately. I did not understand what was happening to me until I found this site. Maybe coming off the lyrica has cleared the fog and I can see what I have actually become, a burden on my family, society, and our government.

    Reply
  36. My doctor put me on Lyrica 3 years ago when I wanted to get off of opiate pain meds. I am in my late 30’s and the reason I wanted to get off the pain meds is because I would like to have children soon. I didn’t find out until later that pregnancy on Lyrica is more dangerous than being on narcotics. So I have started weening down.

    I was on 300 MG a day and started weening down 50 MG per week. I am down to half my normal dose now and I feel like I am dying. I have trouble catching my breath, I feel like I can’t focus and I am afraid of driving. My pain is almost unbearable. I have done Suboxone detox now 3 times for opiate pain meds. That was a walk in the park compared to this.

    Reply
  37. I have been feeling off for a few weeks now and couldn’t figure out why. Then yesterday the nausea, migraine and concentration problems all came to a boil and I thought I might die. I knew it wasn’t normal but it was more than the flu. My son asked my if it could be because I had stopped taking the Lyrica and the Codeine that had been keeping my back pain at bay, cold turkey.

    I never put the two together before but it made sense. I’ve been taking 200 mg of Lyrica for 2 years now and so much Codeine daily I can’t remember. The waves of nausea have taken me over, even as I am typing. I can’t eat for fear of getting sick. But I am so tired of being dopey and drugged all the time. My Doctor didn’t mention anything about tapering off of these medications.

    Reply
  38. My 13 year old daughter has been taking Lyrica for severe nerve pain caused by nerve tissue that was inside cysts in her back against her spinal cord. She has had surgery two and a half weeks ago to remove five cysts and the nerve tissue in them. She has no more nerve pain, which is great. The problem now is getting her off the Lyrica since she doesn’t need it any more.

    We started reducing a week ago. She has had really bad headaches which I assume is a withdrawal symptom (not her usual migraines). This morning she started throwing up and has thrown up repeatedly all day. Not sure if she is sick or if this is part of the withdrawal. Has anyone else been vomiting during withdrawal or just nauseated?

    Reply
    • Yes nausea is a very common withdrawal symptom although from what I have read, rarely progresses to vomiting but can happen. Hope that your daughter is feeling better soon. Lyrica withdrawal can be awful for the unlucky minority.

      Reply
  39. If Lyrica works for your pain than just stay on it. This is one medication you do not want to immediately stop. The withdraw is the worst withdraw I have ever experienced!! If you are using this for recreational use you are asking for trouble!!! I was just without it for one week and I was miserable… anxiety… depression… pain… insomnia.

    I could go on and on. I finally got my refill today and after just one 200mg capsule all those symptoms are gone. Please don’t misuse this drug or you will suffer when it runs out. I have fibromyalgia and nerve pain… lyrica is a miracle drug for me and I will never be without it again.

    Reply
  40. So very grateful I googled ‘withdrawal from Lyrica’ and came upon this thread. I am coming off of Lyrica 100 mg, 3x/day. Long story short, Leukemia meds lowered my resistance to everything, so this past summer after one ‘minor’ illness after another I got a horrible case of shingles which continue to be painful to this day. (Who knows why I was not allowed the shingles vaccine.)

    In the midst of shingles I had a stroke. My doctors were seeing me regularly throughout this shingles episode and yet never properly diagnosed shingles or stroke. Off point: One doctor, who is about to replace one of my hips, had the audacity to inform me that the stroke had nothing to do with the shingles. Yet, again, *online* I found people who also had a stroke during their shingles episode.

    I could write a book about abuse and dismissive attitudes at the hands of doctors. My therapist believes me! Six months ago I was put on Lyrica by a pain doctor and now my insurance company is refusing to pay for the Lyrica anymore. I began going off it a few days ago. ‘Luckily’ my ‘regular’ PCP (primary care physician) consented to prescribe me 50 mg tabs taken two at a time instead of 100 mg tabs.

    So now I am backing off much more slowly, 50 mg at a time every 2 weeks is my plan. For several days I had backed down to 50 mg 2x/day, then found this site. So thankful. These pain meds are as bad as heroine, addiction wise. I think the medical community is being *pushed* by the drug companies to *push* these ‘legal’ meds. Lyrica certainly did ameliorate the horrible shocks of the shingles.

    Now what will cure me from the withdrawal symptoms of the Lyrica?! I have been taking a far lower dose than many people have mentioned here and I can barely cope with the withdrawal symptoms. I can’t go off it all at once so have to pay the exorbitant price of the prescription. I see why addicts turn to crime to pay for their street medications.

    So now I am back up to 100 mg 2x/day and 50 mg 1x/day (taken every 8 hours). My plan is to do this amount for 2 weeks and then back off another 50 mg for 2 weeks and so forth. It should take me 12 weeks to get off of this completely if my math is right. I am writing this hoping that it will help some other poor soul down the line.

    I finally got some sleep last night since I decided to go it more slowly. I have every symptom mentioned but one. My husband is my caregiver and he has been through his own personal hell with me. I am grateful he has cared about me through all of this because I have been horrible to live with. If I had it to do over, I would not have received chemo therapy regimen and umbilical cord blood transplant for the Leukemia back in 2011.

    I would have asked for pain meds back then and let the Leukemia have its way with me. Tired of being a guinea pig. Tired of being dependent on others. Tired of doctors and nurses and hospitals. Tired of being dismissed because I have opinions that differ from the doctors. I have realized that cancer is big business.

    It has nothing to do with curing us, and everything to do with how much the drug companies and doctors and hospitals can make off of us. I have so much more wrong with me than this site allows. Thanks for the space to vent! P.S. For what it’s worth, if it weren’t for ‘obamacare’ I would not now be covered for my ‘preexisting conditions’. I am into the system for nearly $300,000.00.

    Reply
    • Thank you for sharing your story. I’m so glad you beat your cancer. I wanted to tell you that I understand your Lyrica withdraw. It is hell to come off this drug. Thank the Lord my Medicare insurance company pays for my prescription. Lyrics helps my fibromyalgia and nerve pain. I just spent a week without because I couldn’t get a ride to the pharmacy for my refill.

      I take 200mg twice a day. I cannot be without this medication. And if I ever have to be off of it… I will do a slowwwww taper. And even then I am certain it will still be hell on earth. I too am sick of doctors and hospitals and insurance companies. You take care and let me know how your taper is going.

      Reply
  41. Hello, I have experienced quite a few of the same symptoms I have read here both on the drug and no weaning off of it. Lyrical was great for the pain. However, I missed a dose and thought I had the worst flu I’ve ever had. Also has anyone else had bleeding from little cuts that won’t stop, hair loss or eyelash loss?

    I was only on the drug a little while and noticed my hair getting thinner and thinner and I have almost no eyelashes left. A friend who works at a nursing home said most everybody was on Lyrica for a little while but is now off of it because of side effects like the bleeding, headaches, edema. A friend who works at a nursing home said most everybody was on Lyrica for a little while but is now off of it because of side effects like the bleeding, headaches, edema.

    There’s no other reason for my weird hair loss or eyelash loss or bleeding, as I don’t take any other medications or have had any other life changes. Good luck everybody, this weaning off is so tough.

    Reply
  42. Thank goodness I found this website! I had thought I was going nuts. I have been on Lyrica for approximately 2 years, starting off on 75 mg bd. That gave me some relief to the pain symptoms of stenosis of the spine for a while, but soon needed increasing to 150mg bd around 6 months ago. In that 6 months I have gained over 10 kg in weight, without any change to a normal sized healthy diet or change in my activity level.

    I have also started to experience very painful edema in my lower limbs, to the extent there are days I can barely walk. In an attempt to combat my weight gain and the edema I approached my Dr. who told me I needed to look at my diet, and recommended that I see a dietitian, and that weight gain can contribute to water retention. In hindsight, it seems that my Dr knew as much about the effects of Lyrica as I did!

    She then placed me on fluid retention medication…sigh. I knew there had to be another explanation, so a few days ago I started to research Lyrica and found this website, and others, confirming my suspicions that it was this medication at the root of my problems. Initially, after reading many of the comments I decided to come off the drug ‘cold turkey’, but the more I read about the withdrawal symptoms so many of you have experienced, I have decided that a reduction over a 3 week period was a better way to approach the cessation of the medication.

    I also noted that many people suggested that taking doses of vitamins; B, C, D and fish oil seems to have helped many people weather the withdrawal symptoms, as well as lots of water, to help flush the drug from the system, also adding a small pinch of salt to the water every now and then. This medication has turned my life upside down in just a few short months; I have gone from being reasonable active, reasonably slim adult to someone who doesn’t so much walk as shuffle, because of the edema, on a bad day.

    It would appear that the cure, in the case of Lyrica, is far worse than the cause for which it was prescribed. It certainly gives food for thought that when the health professionals carry on banging their collective drums about weight being one of the major health concerns of the general population, how much of it is caused by drugs/medications of this nature, and not by the perceived ‘unhealthy’ lifestyle that they like to blame?

    I am now on the 3rd day of the reduction from this medication and I’m expecting to start experiencing the full force of the withdrawal symptoms any time soon. So far all I’ve experienced is a feeling of mild anxiety, palpitations and breathlessness, but that could be due to the empathy I feel for so many of you that I have discovered who are in the same situation as myself. Hang in there all of you!

    Reply
  43. I was prescribed Lyrica for nerve-ending pain associated with a badly broken ankle, which required surgery. I wasn’t on it for long (thankfully) and took it as advised: starting at 25mg and increasing to 75mg – then I tapered off doing the same: 75 > 50 > 25.

    Everything was fine until I got back down to taking 25mg once per day (which was Thursday last week), then I started to have a lot of trouble sleeping because I was extremely restless. By Saturday I thought I must be getting the flu because my body was aching all over. I couldn’t stay awake during the day, then couldn’t get to sleep again that night.

    By Monday, I felt really agitated. I tried to work but couldn’t sit still or concentrate for more than a few minutes. Then that made me so upset I ended up in tears and had to do meditation-style breathing to try and calm myself down. When I realized I felt on the verge of throwing a tantrum I knew I was suffering from more than a lack of sleep.

    So I started looking up advice online regarding withdrawals from pain medication, and found this article. Besides blurry vision, suicidal thoughts and a few other symptoms listed above, it describes exactly how I’ve been feeling!

    I still haven’t been able to concentrate long enough to do more than an hour’s work at a time. But I do feel better than yesterday, and yesterday was a bit better than Monday, so hopefully the effects won’t last too much longer in my case.

    Reply
  44. I took Lyrica for 6 years, 600mg a day. I stopped suddenly due to my new insurance not going to pay for it. That’s when all hell broke loose, started having bouts of rage, severe depression, and I was even suicidal. Be very careful coming off of this crap it can kill you. It’s been about 2 weeks now and I still have headaches and severe depression and I’m angry.

    Reply
  45. I wish I had known about withdrawal before I ever started this medicine. I decided to stop cold turkey because of weight gain. It worked so good it was hard to know whether to stop or not. It has been the worst 10 days I’ve ever had – because I thought I had the flu and thought I was dying. I was irritable, horrible headaches, sweats freezing chills and an inability to feel. Now I know and I will taper. No amount of neuropathy pain relief is worth the benefit of this drug. I hope it never goes generic and I can’t wait to recover my body from this torture I’ve been in.

    Reply
  46. My insurance stopped paying for lyrica and effective and I could not pay the $600.00 cost. It was a year before I felt anything like myself. I had all of these symptoms plus tumors on my adrenal glands which kept me from falling asleep for 4-5 days at a time. Brain zaps and many manic moments. The only thing to help me was fish oil 2000 mg 2x daily which I took with 2000 vitamin D oil caps a day as well.

    I thank God for it. It really did help. It almost stopped the brain zaps and help the anxiety and depression. If you have any control in the matter, wean off these drugs… it is pure hell otherwise. I will never take any drugs like this again. Good luck everyone and hang in there… one day at a time.

    Reply
  47. You all have confirmed my suspicions. Have been taking Lyrica (225 mg at night) for 3-4 years now for fibromyalgia. When I was having difficulty getting it filled due to a move to a new state with new Rx coverage and difficulty getting it refilled I was off of it for 3 days. Had diarrhea, cold chills, lethargy. Was fine when I got it refilled. Have also been taking Tramadol 3x/day.

    Have been running out of both, and don’t see my new doctor for a week and a half now. I made the decision to start tapering them both back since I can’t get them refilled without seeing my new doctor. I be an with the Tramadol and now only take it occasionally when I can’t handle the pain. I stared this week to try cutting the Lyrica to every other night.

    Bingo, the symptoms I experienced when I had difficulty getting it at the beginning of the month returned. I started cutting back Sunday night. Had two days of mild diarrhea. Took it Tuesday night. Was fine Wednesday. It’s now Friday, and I’m now two nights off of it, and I have the runs, cold sweats, lethargy – both days. Trying to decide if I’ll take a dose tonight or if I’ll try cold-turkey from now on and see if I can just get it out of my system.

    Reply
  48. I’m currently in withdrawal now. I’ve been off the medication for a week now and have experienced many of the symptoms as described above. It started with a headache that gradually got worse and worse. I’ve been having the chills, sweats, nausea, sleeplessness and very vivid dreams. I didn’t even realize it was due to the lyrica until a few days after it started.

    I’ve been on lyrica for years now due to severe nerve pain in my legs from multiple sclerosis. Two years ago I had a pain pump put in to help with it and nite that I’m starting to get some relief from that plus the Percocet, well aren’t I already on enough drugs so I figured I try to get off the lyrica and eventually the Percocet which is the whole reason I got the pain pump to begin with.

    It delivers a very minute dose of morphine and clonidine directly to the spinal nerves via a small catheter inserted into my spinal column. Ago small in fact, that when I was on oral morphine, I was taking 60 to 90 mg 4x’s a day and the amount I’m on daily via the pain pump is a fraction of that, at only 3 mg per day give or take. Big difference there.

    I don’t want to be addicted to pain meds for the rest of my life. I’ve already lost too much time to them already. I want my life back, or at least a semblance of one. Anything but this where I sleep all the time. I miss my family, I miss riding my motorcycle, and most of all, I miss me. Goodbye lyrica!

    Reply
  49. After taking 50mg of Lyrica a day for about three months, I decided to taper myself off and did so in one week. Even with the low dose I was taking, I was terribly bloated, had trouble breathing, swollen feet, itchy scalp and had gained 10 lbs. My thinking seemed sluggish and my memory was terrible.

    These side effects are worse than the neuropathy I have after neck and back surgery. It was nice to initially have less pain, but it didn’t take long for the side effects to begin. My last dose was two days ago. I have hot flashes, terrible chills, headache, fatigue, depression and no appetite.

    I plan to see this through and will never take this devil drug again. I hope and pray that my thinking and memory will return and that I can drag myself out of my chair tomorrow and do a few chores. God bless all of us who are in the throes of overcoming Lyrica.

    Reply
    • Hi Brenda, I’ve been in Lyrica for about 2 months pre & post Spinal neck surgery. It is a horrible drug, One I too cant wait to see the back of. The horrible side effects were never properly explained to me and I am now down to 75mg per day for 7 days then 75 mg every second day to stopping. I have encountered most of the horrible symptoms that accompany the withdrawal process. Staying as positive as possible and surrounding yourself with positive people, family and friends support is the key. It will pass and we will fully recover. Take Care.

      Reply

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