Hi All,
Can anyone give me some advice on the painkiller ‘Pregabalin’ please?
I have been offered this today as a treatment for my ongoin Muskular Skeletol pain. Great news I think. However, I am a bit worried about the side effects of makin ppl more sleepy apparently. As I already struggle with Fatigue daily and do not want to add to this. Apparently though from what my consultant said today, I would start off on very low dose and build that up until I can tolerate or get used to the dose.
So does anyone have any experience with this Med please?
Ty in advance and God Bless,
Anna x
Hi Anna
I’m on pregabalin and was started on a very low dose of 10mg once a day for a week, then 10 mg twice a day for a week and so on. I now take 75mg in the morning and the same in the evening. I haven’t had any big problems with it - a bit ‘spaced out’ to start with, but that soon settled down. Of course, everyone is different, but I hope it works for you.
Hazel x
Thnx for your reply Hazel 
I understand what you mean by the spaced out but it settles down. I have tried different Antidepressents in the past and know that I was too expect that ‘spaced out’ feeling. I am pleased and reassured to hear that it generally clears up though. So thnx foir sharing hun
I haven’t been told what dose I will be on yet only that he would start me on lowest dose and that he be writting to advise my GP shortly.
thnx agaiun hun,
tc
Anna x
Hi Anna
My GP started me on 75 mg twice a day then increased it to 150 mg twice a day. My MS nurse suggested he reduced it to 100mg in the morning andd then 150 mg in the evening. Needless to say I was a bit spaced out to start with but even at that dose it settled. Personally I would give it a try, you can always come off it if it doesn’t suit you. Good Luck, hope you find some relief.
Anne
Hiya Anna
I have experience of this drug last year. I am currently trying it’s older sister drug Gabapentin - which is less ‘potent’.
I started on the lowest possible dose of 1x25mg taken at 8pm for a week and then a further 25mg at 8am the following week. It did give me a slight fuzzy head and a bit dizzy, rumbling bowels, headache, a bit of anxiety, heart racing a bit, weaken legs. Oh and I should have drank a bit more as it can dry you out - constipation, dry mouth. I would say after a month or 2 the body became adjusted and the side effects went.
With me and some other past Msers these type of drugs take a while to adjust to and if you do get side effects you might need to ‘ride them out’ for a bit before you can say if it is working for you or not. Time is need, I’m afraid, for a proper yes or no when I try various ‘sweeties.’
Take care,
Marty
Hi again Anna,
Does he believe it’s really nerve (neuropathic) pain, then? Because pregabalin is a neuropathic painkiller, and normally wouldn’t work for genuine musculo-skeletal pain. Not that I’m discouraging you from trying it. I’m just questioning why you’ve been prescribed something for nerve pain, if the pain is accepted as being musculo-skeletal. The two types of pain are different, and require different approaches.
Sometimes it’s hard to tell which is which, so it’s worth a try, to see if it makes any difference. But if you don’t have any luck, I would suggest it’s because it isn’t nerve pain, and would respond better to “ordinary” painkillers, like paracetamol or codeine. But perhaps you’ve already tried those, and they didn’t help?
Tina
x
Hi, I began on pregabalin last September. I take it for nerve pain in my heels. For a few years it was thought to be pressure pain and despite trying 3 types of heel protectors and 3 different mattresses, it didn`t shift at all. It is worse in bed and i have to keep my heels off the bed, with a stout pillow, but if they come off during the night, I am awakend with the pain.
When I first went on the med, I was given 75mg x 2 a day. But it made me woozy, so it was reduced to 50mg x 2 a day. Then I got used to it and raised the dosage to 75mg x 2 again.
The heel pain reduced and almost went, but has recently become as bad as ever again. So today I started 75mg x 3 a day. Okay so far.
luv Pollx
Hi, I have been taking Pregabalin for a couple of years albeit on my second attempt.
The first failed because the dose was too high and on the second I started at 25mg per day. I now take 300mg per day and will soon be increasing it. It has helped me a lot as I am hyper sensitive on every level. My body buzzed and shook in bed and that has stopped. My neruopathic pain is lessened and balance has improved. This could be because I am more relaxed and sleeping well.
You have to try it out for yourself to see if it is a good fit for you.
Good luck
Moira