Gabapentinoids The Lyrica (Pregabalin) Mega Thread v 2.0

[JTemperance]

Made it two weeks without etizolam. Felt terrible up until day 13. It definitely wasn't full blown withdrawal, but I was suffering quite a bit. Lyrica is a godsend for alleviating issues associated with benzo discontinuation. It didn't resolve all discomfort, but it helped a lot with anxiety.

The only drawback with lyrica is it's insanely long onset. I don't really feel anything until roughly 2 hours goes by. At least it's overall duration is extremely long.

A few hours ago I took 60mg of amphetamines, 600mg of lyrica, and treated myself to 1mg of etizolam. Absolutely love this combo. Pure bliss.

How much etizolam were you taking on those 1-2 days a week, if you don't mind?

I'm curious because I gave up benzos as a drug of addiction years ago but came back to them eventually, with a more pragmatic attitude this time. But I've still have had periods when I used them up to 3x in a week for several weeks in a row and it never seemed to bring back W/Ds, not even when skipping them for a couple of weeks. However, my dosing was usually pretty low (like 0.3-0.5mg etizolam or equivalent).

I also concur whole-heartedly on the 60mg amphet + 600mg pregab combo + 1mg etiz for 8h later.

 

[higherconciousness]

How much etizolam were you taking on those 1-2 days a week, if you don't mind?

I'm curious because I gave up benzos as a drug of addiction years ago but came back to them eventually, with a more pragmatic attitude this time. But I've still have had periods when I used them up to 3x in a week for several weeks in a row and it never seemed to bring back W/Ds, not even when skipping them for a couple of weeks. However, my dosing was usually pretty low (like 0.3-0.5mg etizolam or equivalent).

I also concur whole-heartedly on the 60mg amphet + 600mg pregab combo + 1mg etiz for 8h later.

I have a similar situation. From age 18-26 I had an atrocious benzo problem. Going through grams of etizolam and other benzos at an extremely high rate. Hell I was even IV'ng etizolam dissolved in propylene glycol. Wreckless behavior that I'm still paying for. I've had countless seizures and I feel like I'll never be quite right as if I caused irreparable damage.

Fast forward a bit. I'm now 31 years old and after about a 4 years of abstaining from benzos I started cautiously using them again. For the past year I've been taking 2-3 mg of etiz usually 1-2 times a week. There have been some weeks where I'll do it 3 times, but rarely. The days in between using etiz started to become more difficult as time went on. 2-3 days after a dose I notice I'm extremely anxious and agitated. My body aches and I have trouble concentrating. And the nightmares... oh man they are absolutely horrid. Vivid and lucid projections of all my fears and insecurities accompanied by sleep paralysis.

I truly believe my past benzo abuse permanently altered my brain chemistry which makes occasional usage difficult to do without experiencing intense rebound symptoms.

I wish I didn't love this god damn class of drugs. They just work so well. Insidious little fuckers.

 

[higherconciousness]

How much etizolam were you taking on those 1-2 days a week, if you don't mind?

I'm curious because I gave up benzos as a drug of addiction years ago but came back to them eventually, with a more pragmatic attitude this time. But I've still have had periods when I used them up to 3x in a week for several weeks in a row and it never seemed to bring back W/Ds, not even when skipping them for a couple of weeks. However, my dosing was usually pretty low (like 0.3-0.5mg etizolam or equivalent).

I also concur whole-heartedly on the 60mg amphet + 600mg pregab combo + 1mg etiz for 8h later.

Oh boy, I just unnecessarily plugged another 20mg of adderall and it's 8:40pm. Perhaps I overdid it. My heart rate is quite high. Amphetamines destroy my ability to contain my compulsive behaviors. May not get any rest tonight but I know the lyrica and etiz will help.

Maybe it's because your doses are pretty low. Did you often give yourself 2 week breaks? I think that's crucial if you want to avoid benzo withdrawal or rebound. This was probably the first 2 week break I had in a year and it was pretty rough. From now on I have to reduce my intake down to once maybe twice every two weeks.

 

[Specified]

Is there a cross tolerance between lyrica and benzos

 

[Nas47]

May be.Benzos are stronger for me.Gabas are all over 100 mg like dayly dose-to hundreds mgs.Use in the past lyrica and quit diazepam for couple of months.Two of them work on Gaba transmission,but affect different receptors

 

[higherconciousness]

Yee! Just got 60 300mg in the mail. Took a 3 week break so my tolerance should be relatively low. Initially I was concerned that my avid consumption, over the span of a few months or so, would lead to some withdrawal symptoms. For whatever reason abrupt discontinuation of Lyrica doesn’t leave me in a state of unbearable withdrawal. I may feel a little irritable or achy for a week, but nothing debilitating.

I’ve been trying to limit my benzo usage to twice a week, but even so I still experience rebound anxiety and other nasty effects in between my off days. Lyrica has been a perfect tool to mitigate these effects and doesn’t prolong or exacerbate benzo withdrawal.

I’m so glad to have these little guys in my arsenal. It’s the one thing I’ve been able to use without negatively effecting my life.

 

[The Hypnotist]

I was one of the ones who got very easy withdrawals and had doubts believing the horror stories about pregabalin. After ten mild withdrawals or so in a 3 or 4 years period, I got very uncomfortable paws that seem to last forever. It is around 7 months from my last dose of pregabalin, the paws consist of probably a glutamate storm that makes me feel anxious and uncomfortable in general, tiredness, difficulty concentrating and bad sleep.

My common recreative dosage of pregabalin was 225mg+150mg, though I got up to 600mg+300mg at the peak of tolerance a couple of times. I used to do quick tappers every time I wanted to quit. I tried slow ones too and didn't experience much difference in the resulting mild withdrawal which no matter the slowness was unavoidable but mild and short-lived. The problem for me never was the withdrawal if not the paws that I have now.

I believe the problem is with the GABAergic system because any amount of alcohol or benzos brings back mild withdrawal for a few days (increased tiredness, even worse sleep, headache, tinnitus, bloated stomach, diarrhoea, sweating, depression and smelly farts). I have been as long as 3 months without a drink or benzo and after that, a double whisky brought back the withdrawal the next day. The alcohol didn't seem to kick either giving an extremely mild effect with no tolerance at all, this reduced effect from alcohol started before and it has to be related to my abuse of pregabalin. Never had any withdrawal of benzos or alcohol before and I abused them very very rarely. Anyone has found this is happening to them? Never heard of anyone in my internet dips explaining that paradoxical relation between alcohol and pregabalin paws and that worries me. Any advice on treatment that anyone has tried? I do exercise and eat well and all. How long do you think I should be away from any gabaergic before I can be in the clear.

Interestingly even very weak things with some GABA activity like bacopa monnieri or ashwagandha bring back the withdrawal symptoms too. They seemed to help in the beginning but it was just postponing the unavoidable.

Quite a shame because I loved pregabalin, which put me in my best mood and it is probably my favourite drug for abuse, but it seems the price got too high for me.

 

[opiofr3k]

Above 450mg preg became toxic for your body, you we’re taking 600mg as a single dose, may be that’s the issue. When I’m on preg run for couple of weeks sometimes months I never take more than 300mg in single dose and I’m taking 1-0-1. When I’m on lower doses mostly 150mg I take 1-1-1

 

[The Hypnotist]

Above 450mg preg became toxic for your body, you we’re taking 600mg as a single dose, may be that’s the issue. When I’m on preg run for couple of weeks sometimes months I never take more than 300mg in single dose and I’m taking 1-0-1. When I’m on lower doses mostly 150mg I take 1-1-1

I very rarely took 600mg in a single dose. Just in the beginning when I was doing it very often and got quite a tolerance and build it slowly up there. The problems and paws came to in the tenth or so withdrawal much later when I was not taking such high doses anymore as I wasn't taking it many days in a row anymore as I found it to be a waste of time with the rampant tolerance, and with experience I found 225mg to be the sweet spot for me. I blame it on the number of withdrawals more than the few times I took too high of a dose. Not saying high doses are innocuous and don't cause harm, they sure do to some extent. Pregabalin has been shown to be extremely variable in different individuals in effect, effectiveness and harm.
But well, I am looking for solutions and related experiences and I know very well my use of pregabalin was far from ideal (it was abuse really).

 

[opiofr3k]

Good luck! I hope you will find a solution and you will recover fully! Try to do extended morphology test, urine etc. I’m doing regularly just to be sure if my body is alright. Maybe there is something else that cause that and preg was just helping you to not feel any uncomfortable things you have.

 

[The Hypnotist]

Good luck! I hope you will find a solution and you will recover fully! Try to do extended morphology test, urine etc. I’m doing regularly just to be sure if my body is alright. Maybe there is something else that cause that and preg was just helping you to not feel any uncomfortable things you have.

Thanks. I already did. Everything is normal besides some monocytosis. The doctor said it was because I had been ill recently. I haven't, but really I didn't feel like explaining to him my life and I don't have much trust in doctors with these kinds of issues, normally they know close to nothing. If I haven't found the right paper I doubt very much they are going to find it. Sad to have to trust a drugs forum before a doctor, but it is the reality in which we live with those matters.

 

[axe battler]

I took 600mg at about 2pm. It's now 9pm almost and I feel like I've plateaud.
I realise I have to be careful with this drug as I've felt their withdrawal from stupid high doses back in my 20s.
This drug gives me so much motivation. I can't help doing useful stuff, I can't walk past a sink and see dirty dishes in there, I frantically clean them; I'll tidy the house, do laundry, feeling great all the time.

I've managed to resist taking any more as I simply do not need it, and I know from experience I'll be wonky as fuck all day tomorrow if I take another 300mg capsule.

 

[Specified]

I gotta get off this stuff....it's literally destroying me

 

[Forever Changes]

I gotta get off this stuff....it's literally destroying me

in what way? What amount are you taking?

 

[Specified]

Used to take 300mg for sleep but it stopped working now I wake up early....so sometimes I take 1,200mg but even that sometimes doesn't work

 

[Forever Changes]

so do you get withdrawal symptoms if you stop taking it?

 

[Specified]

No but I get bad memory....I'm unsteady on my feet....forget where I was goinģ on....find it hard to think of words when I'm saying sentences....all different kinds of stuff. It's a horrible drug

 

[Nas47]

Take this shit like it was prescribed from doc.Never ever get close to max.recommend dose from 600mg daily,which is huge.If you get something- 100-200mg daily max. and it helps you ok,but no more,than a month.Advice from old dog.Be very cautious with lyrica people.It can be hell or it can be help for somebody

 

[Specified]

Take this shit like it was prescribed from doc.Never ever get close to max.recommend dose from 600mg daily,which is huge.If you get something- 100-200mg daily max. and it helps you ok,but no more,than a month.Advice from old dog.Be very cautious with lyrica people.It can be hell or it can be help for somebody

I know.....been on it for years. Higher doses like 1200mg 1800mg it just makes me feel drunk

 

[Specified]

Anyone else get similar side effects????