I'm so sorry your going through this I was on Lyrica for along time I didn't get those side effects but it didn't help all that much that's why I did my own research in the fibromyalgia group online.If I hear of anything that might help I,'ll let you know.Drink lots,lots of water .

@cdcc — Did you taper off the lyrica? Or go cold turkey? I know that these types of meds can cause withdrawal, and need to be actively managed while you come off them. While Lyrica does help some, it doesn’t help all.

My thought is that you need a specialist, possibly not a family doctor. I’d hope you could get better management of your pain and your withdrawal symptoms. Blessings on you, my dear.

Living to tell about going cold turkey

Hi Lynn
I did do the tapering schedule per the doctor. As the tapering went down I became very sick with depression anxiety panic attacks as well as severe nausea. I couldn’t look st food, be around it etc..I ended up in the ER with severe depression and nausea. The ER doctor called poison control to see if the tapering was adequate which it was but they said since I’d been on it for so long the tapering was not long enough. I still am taking 50mg a day of the Lyrica. This needs to be halved for a week. The psychiatrist has told me not to start this until my celexa is increased to 30mg instead of the 20 that I have been on for years for depression. They fell when finally starting the last of this horrendous drug my depression won’t sky rocket. Hopefully this helped answer some of your questions. I’m open for discussion on everything. Thank you for your blessing Lord knows I need that

I,m sorry to hear about your side effects ,I was never on a higher dose of Lyrica just 50 mg so when I weened myself of it was every other day till I stopped .If you will take any herbs one for depression and just the feel good is Sam-e or St John,s Wort hope you find some relief Lioness

Oh dear, @cdcc. I do know what it feels like, from coming down too fast from another drug, an antidepressant that wasn’t working. It was purely hell. It hurt to be alive, even. I had told another doctor after moving to my present state that I’d never been so sick in my life, and the only thing I could imagine to compare it to was hard drug withdrawal (emphasis on “imagine.”) She knew what it was right away.

I’m going to mention an option that may be controversial to some, but is a very effective option, and legal many places: medical marijuana. I am not a recreational drug user. It is a godsend to me for pain and anxiety (fibromyalgia, ugh) and sleep problems. I have recently read a couple of articles in which they spoke of its effectiveness for treatment of opiate withdrawal. Even if I hadn’t read those, I would now try it for withdrawal.

First, I could hope it is legal where you live. It is in 29 states plus DC, with the matter pending in 2 more under something called “Put Patients First Act” in one of them. I have found any doctors I’ve seen for certification to be so compassionate and knowledgeable. The same with the personnel in the dispensaries. One can ask as many questions as necessary. They help patients to understand how to dose, how to ease into it at first. I became assured that it wasn’t some sketchy thing I was about to do. I always tell my docs what I’m taking, and haven’t received any pushback from any of them.

I know some are worried it’s going to be some kind of wild ride, but it isn’t at all. Although I don’t drink alcohol anymore, I might find a moderate med. marijuana dose to be similar to a couple of glasses of wine. I can watch tv or read a bit, and perhaps sleep peacefully. It alleviates my significant shoulder pain from rather involved rotator cuff surgery that remains over and above the Tylenol and tramadol.

And, one can always have more if the withdrawal symptoms haven’t entirely abated. My own recommendation might be to vaporize it initially, because you aren’t inhaling smoke, AND you can tell more immediately how it’s affecting you.

Hope I haven’t gone on too much. But I feel your pain and desperation for help with your misery. I myself am well past caring if the uninitiated judge me, but it is legal in so many places, and there are so many that it has helped. I try to remain appropriate within the forum, but I’d be wrong not to mention this option which could provide you and others with significant relief.

My very best wishes for your comfort,
Lynne

@lynneb2110 I mentioned in my post to @cdcc that I used CBD to help with my withdrawal, and it was very helpful. I tried the marijuana with full thc, and didn't like how I felt high on it. CBD doesn't have the "high" part in it. I highly recommend trying both to see which works best for you if you are in a state where you can get it. My pain doctor said he can't prescribe to me if I use marijuana, even CBD. That's OK with me now that I have gotten off the Tramadol. So, be aware that if your doctor drug tests you, they can't prescribe pain medications if you use marijuana because it's not legal at the Federal level. Hopefully one of these years it will be legal at the Federal level too. I wish you the best in your work to get off Lyrica and find peace. Gail B, Volunteer Mentor

My husband is all for medical marijuana he really believes it’s worth a try to see if it helps my shingles side effects which is severe itch on the right side of my face. Eye forehead to the crown of my head whphich is why the neurosurgeon put me on the Lyrica. I’m not sure yet if it’s legal here in Maryland but I know they have growers and dispensary ready. My internal medicine doctor was going to be licensed to prescribe it but has decided agains it, and the psychiatrist isn’t thrilled about it. I’ve tried cbd oil when I was on the Lyrica and it did nothing. Have not tried it again, at leas5 not yet I want to get off the 50mg Lyrica first. I do take an .05 Ativan in the morning because the anxiety gets over whelming, I wake up with it. There have been days where I have said I don’t want to live like this anymore and now I see why people take their own lives it can be very over whelming. That’s why I choose on my own to go to a psychiatrist I felt my family doctor just feels I should suffer it out. But for how long I asked his reply was maybe a mont; two or maybe years. Well I can’t go years like this, no way in hell,!

@lynneb2110, @gailb, and others. Thanks for supporting medical marijuana. It has totally given me my life back. I take no opioids at all for my Myofascial and Neuropathic pain. My neurologist and local physician fully support that choice. We all work together. There is no drug testing and no fear of any clash with other medications, only alcohol. And I only have one comment. You moved from 100% CBD to 100% THC. My experience and my dispensary coaches have taught me how to choose the correct potency percentages for the best treatment effect. They have charts with recommendations for neuropathy and other medical issues. Many of the vape cartridges, edibles and even the topicals have several choices (4-6) of different potencies for THC and CBD so that you can start with one of the lower THC/higher CBD potencies and then move with comfort and assurance into another or vice versa. You are right, the medical marijuana industry is very compassionate.

cdcc I hope you find some relief from your anxiety disorders The St John Wort helped me I took it while on Lyrica I think when I started to get it Lyrica this helped ,as I said if you believe in herbs Think of trying it.