HELP! Im in Hell coming off Lyrica!! Has anyone on here ever got off it?

[SHELLBELL79]

I am having a hell of a time w/d off Lyrica! It is horrible! I was on it for my dental pain and decided to get off of it b/c I gained almost 30lbs in 2 months and its not really helpful! I have read on many other forums about how bad it is to come off Lyrica, it takes a long time. I only saw in one forum that it took 3 to 4 months of w/d. I read a lot of people's stories that they dealt with the withdrawals for 2 to 3 weeks and couldn't take it anymore and got back on the Lyrica b/c the w/d are so bad! I agree, I am going through the same thing! Iv'e been off the Lyrica for 2 weeks now and nothing is better! I feel like I have the full blown flu, achy, joints hurt, can't sleep, nightmares, headache that doesnt go away, very bad GI problems, body temp is messed up, no appetite, lethargic, low grade fever, weak, night sweats every night,etc. I know what its like to w/d from the strongest pain med in the world,(fentanyl) and detoxed off high dosed of Norco and Loratab 10s. Those w/d were really bad, especially the fentanyl but, ended eventually. This Lyrica w/d is hell! I can't do anything. I fell like this will never end. I refuse to get back on the Lyrica but, I also need my life back! I knew taking Lyrica you would have some w/d but, I had no idea it would be this bad and this long! I can't believe no one on medhelp has ever talked about it b/c Lyrica w/d is all over other medical forums and, its all about how bad and long it is and how no one can handle it! There has to be someone on here that got off the drug after taking it reg. for a few months!
Hope someone can help!
Thank you!

[Truthseeker5110]

Lyrica is the most negative life-altering medication that I have ever experienced. After a hellish month of trying to hang with the side effecgts, I had to stop it. And now almost 10 days since my last dose I am still suffering worse that I have been for the past 7 years with this fibromyalgia-like condition. If I had had a gun, I would have put a bullet in my brain. I have never felt so despondent about my existence. And to boot, my digestive system has slowed down to the point that I cannot eat a small meal without the feeling that I just gorged on a Thanksgiving dinner. My lower legs and feet have swellesd up to where I cannot wear my shoes. I am living in a state of mental confusion and cannot remember things from one minute until the next. I have forgotten the names of people whom I have known for years. Stay away from this poison! When I see my doctor next week I am going to demand that he take it fpr a month himself before prescribing it again. My money is on him not ever prescribing this medicine again. These doctors hand out these meds loke they are candy on the information that the pharmaceutical SALES REPS have given them. Stay away from LYRICA. Stay away fronm it.

[LYRICAMANIA]

I am coming of varied doses of Lyrica which I have been taking for 5 months in the dosage range of 75-1200 mg, (for depression, migraine prophilaxis and GAD) mostly around 450-750 mg a day. I have skipped a few days here and there without ill effect. Now I cold-turkeyed it 3 days a go. First day was soso with chills, sweats, diarrhoea etc, second day was worse with suicidal ideation and depression and TODAY on the third day, I am in absolute despair, pacing, acutely suicidally depressed......I went half the day and gave in. Took 300 mgs at 1pm and feel completely normal now at 4pm. This drug is the DEVIL!
I want to avoid tapering over weeks so will attempt lowering the dosage every 48hrs and see  what happens.

[Peacelovinghuman]

This is a reply to all who have reported significant side affects from Lyrica and/or significant side effects with withdrawal. Please report this to the FDA. I do not have confidence that our Dr's do or our health care systems. The FDA and the drug companies collude to get drugs on the market and chronically under report users negative feedback. I believe that posting on the FDA sight may get the FDA to test this very strong drug. Best to all of you.

[Djm426]

2014 and I have just read these comments about Lyrics.  I had a similar journey that started in early 2013 when I went to an upper cervical chiropractor for a stiff neck that was bothering me.  After several adjustments to the C1 and a final adjustment to the C2, I spiraled down into total body nerve pain.  I went to an orthopedic pain management specialist who put me on 300 mg daily, telling me the pill was a non-narcotic and "I didn't have to worry about it." I didn't stay on that very long, I felt so terrible, that I quickly went down to 200 mg. a day and stayed on that amount for about 3 months.  When I tried to go down to 150 mg. I had all the symptoms I'm reading about here- headache, sleeplessness, mental fog, loud ringing in my ears, and horrible diarrhea.  So I went back up to 200 mg.  when another well respected doctor in alternative medicine told me the Lyrica was "poisoning my system"'I was determined to get off.  This doctor helped my neck and I was able to go down to 100 mgs.  From there it became a night mare!  Not knowing what exactly "gradual withdrawal" means, I thought gradually going off the  100 in a week's time would do it.  I have never experienced anything so terrifying in my life.  I felt as if spiders were crawling all over my body, my head pounded and my ears rang so loudly, I could barely stand it.  I am now grateful, I didn't have a seizure! I could go on and on here, but what I want you all to know is that I did finally get off this terrible drug.  I have been off for about 7 months.  The way I did it was to go down from 200 mgs. In 25 mgs. Increments and would stay on that dose for at least a month before lowering it again.  I did have withdrawal symptoms, especially with the stomach and sleep, but I was determined and I prayed a lot.  I still have some nerve pain, whistling in my ears, but I can tolerate it.  I am SO glad to be off this terrible drug.  Good luck and many prayers to you all who are in this battle.  I so understand what you are going through.

[tooter212]

Kick, I too took Lyrica for a month, refilled the script and started on it and it did me the same way it did you. I quit CT didn't know any better. The Dr. gave me amitriptyline 25mg it worked great!! I was on it a month. I was also taking ambien so when I went to get off it I took the amitriptyline again. Stopped taking it again and just took otc pm med. all this in a 2 month time with on wd's and no trouble. You might check into it.  

[clean_in_ks]

I SO AGREE with you!!  The older we get, the more sensitive our bodies get to prescription medication....we metabolize it differently than someone younger.  The Norco and Dilaudid in between if she needs it sounds good.

She is SO BLESSED to have you for a daughter and it's great that you are looking out for her.  I agree, adding MS Contin and Lyrica to the Norco would totally zone her out.  I'll tell you when my Dad was in his last days he never would have made it without an advocate in the lung hospital he was in....they even carried strep b across the hall....and I was furious with them!  I'm so glad she has you...you're right to be concerned.

If you want to talk to any of us on the substance abuse forum again....this thread is pretty old...and if you go to the top of this page and hit the orange post a question button, you will be on the most current page of those seeking help and answers on the forum.

Wishing you and your Mom the best~