Lyrica taper

I would reduce each dose by 25mg. Stay on that for 3-4 days and then reduce by another 25mg. I'm on 75mg twice a day so I would do 50mg twice a day for 3-4 days then drop back to 25mg for the finale. Figue how many 25mg capsules it would take to get off and get a prescription for that many. Remember that not everyone tolerates it the same so you may have an easy or hard time getting off of it.

I am only on 25 mg nightly. When I stopped cold I had depression and loss of appetite. I am 78 years old.

The smallest dose available is 25mg IIRC. Either stay on it or find a compounding pharmacy to supply smaller doses. I would suggest maybe 5mg then go to 20mg 15mg etc.

I have been on lyrica for 5 years. 75 mg BID for nerve pain in my Rt. leg. I started decreasing my does 2 weeks ago to 50mg. My sleep began to deteriorate and now I am having severe panic attacks. I manage to work myself through them, but hoping I will stabilize soon. Any others with any experience in this taper process?

My doctor suggested when I got to 25mg a day and withdrawal caused me extreme depression and lack of appetite to take 100 mg of gabapentin a day when I stopped Lyrica. It helped and was able to stop the gabapentin in 10 days. Maybe much different for you as you still need lyrica. I did not. I had no more pain.

Thank you for the information. If I don't see improvement that could be a possibility. I never expected this to be so difficult. I have however added a supplement ZEN 200 which has gaba and l-theanine in it. And it really seems to help. I hope to be able to switch to the liquid dose and then be able to decrease much slower. Hopefully that will help also.

I am 83 years old and have been on Lyrica for 2 months. The side effects are worse than the drug. I have had severe constipation, nervousness, headache,nausea,and so drowsy after taking the morning dose of 50mg that I feel like a zombie until it wears off about 4 in the afternoon. I am on 50mg in the morning and 75mg at bedtime. I am on it for nerve pain. My skin burns and is very miserable. I know that the symptoms will return after I get off the drug but there are other drugs that don't have such bad sad effects. I was on 75mg of amitriptyline for this same thing about 4 years ago and then when I turned 89 my neurologist said that I had to get off it because it would affect my heart so now he says that it will cause memory loss and dementia. I am a very intelligent person and am having a little short time memory loss which is normal at my age but nothing serious. I am also on BP medication 3 times a day. I want to wean off this drug. Any advice as to how to wean off.

@note8book

The smallest dose available is 25mg. Have you considered seeking out a compounding pharmacy which can supply smaller doses? The best would be 5mg size and take the appropriate number each time as you wind down. 20mg would require 4 of the 5mg size. Insurance companies don't like doing that tho, but it's very expensive without insurance.

@bajjerfan If I wean off I will try to get liquid Lyrica. It is supposed to be easier to wean off with the liquid. My only problem is that I live in a town of about 10,000 and Walmart Pharmacy is our Pharmacy and they might not have the liquid. The side effects of this drug are far worse than the drug. I wish I had never taken the first dose of it.

@note8book

For me it's been a Godsend with just one side effect. Wish I'd been on it years earlier.