My 18 year old daughter has been on 150mg of Lyrica 3x a day for 2 months for nerve pain in her foot after a stingray injury and 2 surgeries. Her nerve pain is gone and the side effects of Lyrica are really effecting her. How important is it to wean off the Lyrica very slowly? Are there withdrawal symptoms that people experience?
How important is it to wean off Lyrica slowly?
Question posted by mom2jjc on 16 Sep 2012
Last updated on 6 August 2022 by Rando1954
30 Answers
Rando1954
7 Aug 2022
I suggest it is extremely important to wean off Lyrica slowly. I’ve been taking Lyrica for 10yrs (600mg per day - 300mg am & pm) and recently I experienced a nasty health episode that I believe is directly related to the long term use of this horrible drug.
Lyrica was prescribed to me by a psychiatrist in 2012 for neuropathy due to post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD), anxiety, and symptoms related to Polymyalgia Rheumatica. It worked wonders for several years and I was pleased with the benefits it provided because I had serious mental health issues at the time, but no one ever told me that the side effects of this drug would end up being worse than the symptoms it was originally prescribed for.
I’ve researched the side effects of Lyrica and discovered that withdrawal will be arduous and I can expect tough and painful times ahead. However, I’m determined to rid my body of the toxins this drug has delivered over time and I’m prepared for sleepless nights and tiring days ahead. Yes, please withdraw from Lyrica slowly..
Laura in SC
29 March 2022
I have been on 600 mg of Lyrica for 5+ years. It is a drug that causes more pain and symptoms than the disease that I was prescribed. I have Fibromyalgia. Yes, Fibro is painful and, no lie, it sucks. But Lyrica (brand name) will be my lifelong drug because that is how it was designed. There is no safe way off. I have tried. I titrated down (Doctor supervised) from 600mg to 50mg over a 10 month period - by the end, I was mentally distraught because of the chronic "Lyrica" induced neuropathy pain. It is a pain so much greater than Fibro and one that can't be described. It falls somewhere between 7/24 electrocution, needle pricks, and skin crawling. Prior to starting on Lyrica, I did NOT have neuropathy. By the time I titrated from 600 mg to 50 mg, a medically supervised decision was made for me to increase Lyrica. Within 2 weeks, I was back on 600mg.
Brand name Lyrica is not the same as Pregabalin and anyone that tells you it is, is lying to you. Pregabalin is a generic version, but taking Pregabalin in place of Lyrica is like you are taking a sugar pill - it does nothing. For insurance purposes - I have had to take Pregabalin twice, most recently for a 2 week period - in those 2 weeks, along with insane neuropathy, I had PTSD from when I tried to titrate off. I am once again facing an insurance change, so yesterday I went to meet with my Rheumatologist. He told me that he has NEVER had a patient safely titrate off, down, but never off. My Doctor is not a young Doctor, but he is one of the best - although I silently curse him for ever putting me on this drug.
I am not saying it is not possible. But the higher the dose, the longer the "addiction", the less likely someone will ever come off. I can't go into a drug rehab program - they don't even know where to begin. I was basically told "good luck" and asked why I would want to come off if it wasn't hurting me. This was from a drug rehab therapist. Why? OMG... I don't know, the list is so long, I don't even know where to begin. But let's start with ADDICTION.
Lyrica should NEVER be intended for long-term use - it needs to be controlled and always prescribed short term with a titration off-plan. Patients should ALWAYS be informed that long term use of this drug causes SEVERE NEUROPATHY. Are there medical reasons that a Doctor would prescribe Lyrica for long-term and high doses, maybe... but Fibromyalgia isn't one of them.
Tysbunny
21 Dec 2021
I am 60 years old and have been taking Lyrica 100 mg tid three times a day for the past 9 years. I'm also a health care professional. I'm going through a period right now when my doctor did not refill my prescription for my Lyrica for the last 2 days.! This has happened before please titrate yourself down because the withdrawal symptoms I am experiencing nausea headache mood swings anxiety diarrhea are not fun! Thank goodness my pharmacist just called with my refill as I am typing this! Have a blessed Christmas season and best of luck and God be with all of you
Flock3
18 Jan 2021
I've been on Lyrica twice in my life for post-op nerve pain, 150mg twice daily. Both times I quit cold turkey with no withdrawal symptoms, and I had no adverse side effects while taking it. I thought it was a good drug it really helped me.
dandylion67
14 March 2020
My old Doctor put me on 75mg Lyrica for around 2 months for RLS.
He is now retired so my new Doctor was horrified i was even prescribed Lyrica.
I just stopped taking them with no withdrawals or sight effects at all.
I’m so glad I got off them.
Horrible Medication
opiumbob
26 Feb 2020
It's pretty important. Worst case scenario if you can't get a script for lower mg capsules, you could do water titration as pregabalin (lyrica) is freely soluble in water. I would advise investing in a Nalgene water bottle, the wide mouth type, and one with graduation marks (marks that show how many ml). Essentially you would empty the capsule (don't just drop the whole thing in), make sure you shake the bottle. Put the pregabalin in roughly 3/4 of a liter of water, or whatever you prefer, (750ml total) for a 150mg capsule. Decrease dose by 50 mg every day, and very importantly, refrigerate solution. This would be 50mg per 250ml. I'm not a doctor and don't plan to be, I'm just a pharmacology student.
Also are you sure she had nerve pain in the first place? Sounds more like acute pain, nerve pain rarely recovers, nerves are hesitant. It angers me when doctors prescribe pregabalin for acute pain to avoid opiates. It gives a helpful drug like lyrica a bad name, and then people like myself who have chronic nerve pain have a harder time getting a script they need. Opiophobia also angers me, people WILL need opiate painkillers at some point or another, and when doctors don't write a prescription, it hurts people, and also reduces the effects of opiate induced analgesia (analgesia=pain relief). Thanks for listening to my little rant, hope this helps you (it's a little late), and if not somebody who stumbles across it.
Pawlove7
6 Nov 2019
Your daughter's relatively short term use may not require a long wean but I can tell you that the side effects of weaning can be harsh.
This is the only Rx that I have found this to work for but after over 10 years of being on Lyrica I was able to wean almost symptom free by dropping my dose slowly until I was on the lowest dose every 24 hours- 25 mg. Cutting even a tiny amount of the powder from that caused severe symptoms. I stayed with 25 mg and started adding an hour a day to my time between doses. So I went from every 24 hours to 25 hours and added an hour each day. If I has symptoms I held for a day at that same time frame. I had to set the alarm at times to wake at weird times to stick to the schedule but it was worth it. I went to 72 hours between doses before I stopped and had very few symptoms.
These mind altering drugs should be used with so much caution! Good luck and prayers for your daughter's healing!
curlybostock
5 Nov 2019
Hi, I was on between 300mg and 600mg lyrica over 6 years for fibromyalgia and lyme disease, though it wasn't really helping. My doctor insisted I stick with it. It's wrecked my life.
Severe cognitive issues (I thought I had early onset dementia like my grandmother), developed severe migraines, debilitating fatigue, could no longer walk, swollen limbs, trouble breathing, depersonalisation... I just didn't know who I was any more. Went from being athletic to obese in just a few months. Depression. The list of side effects go on. I could no longer hold a job, and have barely worked in 6 years.
Another doctor diagnosed me with lyme disease 5 years ago, after a year of being on lyrica, I was so ill. But as of yesterday he no longer thinks I have lyme. I'm scared that all the symptoms that led to that diagnosis were actually because of the lyrica! I spent my entire life savings and am now living in poverty treating an illness I didn't have when it was probably all lyrica side effects! I live in Australia where lyme isn't properly recognised, and so treating it is all at your own expense... No insurance or government help.
I've been coming off Lyrica by 25mg every 2 or so weeks, for months and months, I don't know how long. The withdrawal symptoms can be intense and worse than the side effects if it's done too quickly. If your chemically sensitive, 10% reduction every 2 to 4 weeks is a good idea. Whenever I try and reduce after just a week I get really ill for a few weeks.
My worst withdrawal symptoms are migraines and headaches, nausea, severe fatigue, anxiety and I want to scratch my skin off its sooo itchy!
Be gentle with yourselves while you come of this drug, and listen to your bodies. It's a nasty drug and you need to give your central nervous system time to adjust tto the new dose.
Take care xx
Azores
1 Nov 2019
I have been on lyrica since 2004 75mg I have aggressive fibromyalgia my whole body burns my legs my skin I have pins and needles on my body that's why I'm on the lyrica. but I feel for the past two years very forgetful in a fog I don't know if they're if has anything to do with lyrica I'm also taking 10 mg of amitriptyline and 10 milligrams of cipralex for depression
Michael Pope
21 Oct 2019
I have been taking 300 mg of Pregabalin for one month trying to find relief for nueropathy pain on the bottom of my feet.
Does anyone have a safe taper. Any information would be appreciated.
Thanks
Pawlove7
14 Feb 2019
Lyrica can be very difficult for some people to wean off. I had been on it for over 10 years and found it almost impossible. I got to the lowest dose and trying to then cut the dose by 10% per week was causing severe symptoms. Burning skin, restlessness, terrible feelings. I was only able to get off by taking the 25 mg pill and extending the time between doses by an hour per dose over many days. 24 hours apart, then 25 hours, then 26 hours. It meant setting my alarm in the middle of the night at times but it was almost symptom free. I went to at least 72 hours between doses or more- I don't recall now- before stopping. Best of luck to your daughter and I hope she does well.
foresthome54
12 Feb 2019
I was on gabapentin for years for fibromyalgia and sciatica, I started having horrible memory issues and they switched me to lyrica, which helped. I decided to wean off of it September of 2017, I was taking 75 mg twice a day. I went to 75 mg only at night for a week, and then every other night for a week, and then stopped taking it. I had no real side effects that I noticed, but of course some of the pain came back. I was doing well dealing with that, and then in December of 2017 got shingles on my face and had to go back on the lyrica for the pain. I have decided to wean off again as my insurance has decided that it is no longer a drug that they cover in full, and I am paying $175/month for it. I am going to try the same slow method as I did before.
Slingshot2010
2 Jan 2019
I have been on Lyrica for about 14 years now. I have been at dosages ranging from 150mg/day to 600mg/day. I experienced substancial weight gain, joint inflammation and when attempting to reduce the dose, significant withdrawal symptoms although no seizures. Finally after 14 years I have had enough and have decided to decrease Lyrica dosages as recommended in this thread at the 10% rate. I recently attempted to go from 225mg / day to 75mg / day however the withdrawals were too intense. I have gone down to 150mg instead and am starting the 10% weekly decrease from this 150mg/day dose. I have been consistent at 150 mg for about two weeks with minimal withdrawal symptoms (taken as 75mg every 12 hours like clockwork). Thank you for everyone else's opinions and experiences in helping to choose a weaning option. I will update my feedback. As I do not have a script for 25mg or 50mg, I have chosen to extend my 12 hour dosage schedule by the 10% amount hoping that will be successful. I guess we will see. Cheers!
patricia carrington
20 Nov 2018
I am on 600mg daily and am desperate to stop taking this drug. The side effects are awful and am not quite sure how to wean myself off of Lyrica. Any help appreciated.
CAN56GIRL
16 Nov 2018
Doctor weened me off Lyrica 100 mill. Been on them for 4 months..
Here's the schedule he used to ween me off..
75 mill for 3 days
50 mill for 3 days
25 mill for 3 days
25 mill every other day for three days
Related topics
lyrica, pain, neuralgia, side effect
Further information
- Lyrica uses and safety info
- Lyrica prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Lyrica (detailed)
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