Weaning off Lyrica

General
1

I know this topic has been brought up before, but I am having issues with this medication. I have been taking it for a couple of years now. I started at the 75mg twice a day. I, most recently, have been taking 150mg twice a day. Through some requirements of my insurance, I have been caught short with no Lyrica for a couple of days until it gets refilled and shipped to me. I didn’t make the connection right away, but have since understood how horrible I feel when I miss even a single dose. The next day I feel like I have the flu and what is really happening is my body is going into withdrawal from that missed dose. I really don’t like this. At my most recent wellness visit with my doctor, I asked her to help me step down from this medicine and she has given me a schedule on how to do it. I am in week 2 of that schedule and am doing okay. The first couple of days were rough, but then my body adjusted and it is going better. When I start going even further between doses, I may not think so, but for now, I am good.

I do worry about how to handle the pain as it ramps up again. The Lyrica works great for pain, but we with fibro know how easily we forget things and I didn’t want to go through that anymore. At my doctor’s suggestion, I am looking for a Tai Chi class to help manage the pain in that way. So far, no luck. Any classes I have found meet during the work day and I am not yet retired, so that schedule doesn’t work for me. Some days I really wish I could retire, but we are not in a position to make that happen for another few years.

I guess all this is to ask if any of you have gone off pain meds and what you did to manage your pain. I really would appreciate your input as I am hoping I have not made a big mistake that I will regret down the road.

Thanks!
Patti

2

In the “Complementary Therapies” there is some good advice. For myself I have been making my own special tea, I usu make a gallon at a time. {{{{You Must talk with your Primary BEFORE you try anything so that you both are on the same page}}}. Fresh ginger, the price seems expensive $3.98/lb, I use a pound a month. 4 or 6 slices, the same thickness I would make if I was cutting carrots. Dandelion leaves 3 or 4 will be enough. (Dandelion leaves have potassium & muscle relaxers do not work for me). I use decaffeinated green tea 10 bags. 4 sticks of cinnamon, (Cinn is a natural sweetener & good for your heart). 1 capful of whole cloves I like the flavor of cloves. You can experiment on what flavors you like best. You can grate fresh ginger & place it in your bath or place 1Tbs in a coffee filter tie off with twine wet it a bit & place on the body part that hurts.

3

I weaned myself off of Lyrica and it was pretty awful for the first two weeks. I felt generally bad for three months after that but then I didn’t feel that bad. I’m extremely glad that I quit.

Lyrica didn’t do anything for me but make me think I wanted to commit suicide. I was collecting the materials to carry it out. If anything, I felt loopy all the time and acted half drunk. About three years after I quit Lyrica, I quit sugar and my pain reduced remarkably. Sugar makes everything worse. Boswellia is a supplement you might look into. Not for women who are pregnant or trying to be.

For the worst detox times, STAY HYDRATED. Google, “Foods for detox” and eat those. I ate a lot of asparagus when I detoxed and I think it helped.

4

Thanks for your response! I just stepped down a bit more at the beginning of this week and again had that day where I felt horrible. I have been having a fairly consistent headache for the past few weeks - ever since I started this step-down - but I am still glad I am doing this. Sugar is a horrible addiction for me. I crave it all the time - even as soon as I wake up. Depression really brings it on even more. But, I will check into the detox info you mentioned and hope to make some progress in that light. If I could manage to break the sugar addiction, I think most of my weight issues would go away. And that can only help my situation.

5

Thank you for your response. I will do some checking into the Complementary Therapies and talk the over with my doctor.

6

I’ve heard that Maca Powder can be helpful for sugar detox. You can get it at your health food store.

7

All I can say that helps me that feels similar to lyrica is cbd capsules, taken orally (swallowed). I don’t know if recreational or medical cannabis is available in your state. Anyway, the feeling I get with it, a sort of global relaxation of muscles/nervous system, is similar to how lyrica makes me feel.

I have gone through 2 “cold turkey” withdrawals from lyrica, both times due to running out of my meds prior to getting a new refill, and it was ugly, It is super bad, even if I miss it for a day. Exactly what you described. For now I’ve decided to stay on it because I think it helps with the pain (some).

I know this post is a long time after your initial post, wonder if you’ve had any help with the alternative therapies previously recommended and if you are now completely off the drug. Wondering how you’re feeling now. Feel free to contact me if you are interested in more details about the concentration of cbd:thc I took, and how to take the capsules. Best of luck!

8

Hey fibrogal,
Sorry to say, I am back on the Lyrica. I was off it for about a month after the step down. The pain got so bad, I was missing work right and left. I feel like I failed in that effort, but I think we use whatever we can to try to dull the pain.

I think that medical use of CBD is permitted in Ohio, where I live, but am not sure. I have an appointment with my primary doc this coming Friday and I am going to talk to him about it. (I know my first post said “she” for my primary, but she moved up north of the city and it would be a 45 minute drive each way to retain her. I went with her replacement at the facility I have normally gone to and I really like “him”) He is always willing to discuss my situation and try to come up with new ways to help me.

I have now missed 2 days this week. My boss tries to be understanding to a degree, but when I return there is this underlying resentment. That could be in my perception, but I don’t think so. We are a very small cemetery office, 2 full time and 1 part time. The part timer is the boss’s daughter-in-law. That could, and sometimes can, be strange. I have just learned to speak up and say when I am carrying too much of the work load. Surprisingly, last time it actually worked! But I can’t avoid these “too much pain” days. I wish I could, but it is just not the nature of the beast, so to speak, for those of us with Fibromyalgia. I have been diagnosed for about 5 years now and it still seems weird to tell people that I have this. I try not to for as long as possible, but then I have to back out of plans, or go but am in obvious pain or really struggling to follow a conversation. I have found a wonderful group of women who go out for dinner 1 or 2 times a month. I almost always indicate that I will be there and they understand if I have to cancel the day of. No judgment, just happiness to see me when I can make it another time. They have been a godsend for me!

I so appreciated your reply, even a few months after the post. As you can see, I don’t get on here as often as I should to keep current with reponses.

Thanks for your input.
LovePug (Patti)

9

I don’t understand why you want to come off Lyrica if it’s working? You can add other complimentary therapies to it for (hopefully) even better results.

azurelle

10

Thanks for that suggestion. I will talk to my primary about that on Friday. The Lyrica has worked to a point. Maybe I need the dosage increased. All things to consider.

Patti

11

Hi Patti,

Thanks for replying, it doesn’t matter that it took you a while, I don’t get on this forum as often as I would like to either. I hope things worked out well for you at your doctor’s appointment last Friday. I have found lyrica to be very helpful, and as long as I don’t run out of refills prematurely, I think I tolerate it pretty well.

Have you followed the postings about a newer drug, low dose naltrexone (ldn)? For me, it works even better than either lyrica or cbd oil/capsules! Check out the recent thread about it! I am very excited about it, and I have noticed no side effects. I really recommend mentioning this med to your doctor on your next visit. I understand it doesn’t work well for everyone, but for me it , along with cbd and lyrica (and tylenol), has made a major dent on my pain and has helped a lot with my sleep. Subsequently (eventually), I have noticed an modest increase in my energy level as well.

I still take the other two, lyrica and cbd though! After a while, I might consider going down on the lyrica a notch or two, but for now, I feel so much better, I wouldn’t want to risk it.

I hope you are feeling better by now, being back on the lyrica. You know, it is safe to combine meds such as lyrica and tylenol, like Azurelle mentioned. Tylenol has helped me a great deal for temporary relief of pain. I still take the tylenol for “break through” pain 3 or 4 x a day, since if I don’t take it, I know it! I don’t mind having to use a “cocktail” of medications to get through my day. Especially if I can get away with not having to use opiates. Tylenol is so innocuous, I really recommend it, especially in the morning before getting out of bed and at night, to help me get to sleep.

Good luck with everything! You shouldn’t have to be in so much pain. I hope you will let us know how you’re doing now that you’re back on the Lyrica.

Jean

12

Oops, Patti,

Regarding the cbd oil (I forgot to mention in my long post!) It is legal in all 50 states, you can purchase it online as well! CBD oil alone (without THC) won’t make you high at all. I used to take CBD with a tiny amount of THC (often called “full spectrum CBD”) which is possibly not legal in all states, but the pure CBD is legal. Anyway, I did a google search on “most effective cbd oil companies” or something similar, and there are several companies out there that are reputable and that undergo outside lab testing of their products. If you would like to get the url of that search that provided the “10 best cbd companies” (or similar) , let me know, if your own search doesn’t yield it. I can look it up for you. Also, some of us on this forum recently have discussed cbd oils, there is at least one recent thread you can check out. I can recommend the cbd capsules I currently order (that are mailed to my home, how convenient!), let me know if you would like that recommendation.

Warm Regards,

Jean

13

Hi Patti!

I am o the same amount of Lyrica. Weening off of Lyrica is something I’ve been wanting to do. I understand wanting to just find the right medication and just sticking with it, upping the dosage, etc. It’s been just disappointing so far and you’re right, missing a dose of Lyrica is a nightmare and it’s expensive on top of it all(at least for me). I am looking forward to scheduling an appointment with my doctor come the new year. Whatever you do don’t try to ween yourself off because it can very painful! Stay safe :sparkling_heart:

14

Hi Paisley!

After seeing my Primary, we decided to up my dosage of Lyrica. Still trying to adjust - still in the first week. Hoping for good results!

Thanks for your comments. I hope you are doing well.

Patti