Pregabalin (Lyrica)

Does anyone have experience of using this drug for tinnitus?

 

Never heard of this medication. Looked it up and posted here to help.

I don't find that it is used for tinnitus though. Interesting.


Lyrica is Pfizer's trade name for a drug called pregabalin. Pregabalin is an anticonvulsant (anti-seizure) drug that is often used to treat neuropathic pain as well as partial seizures that are common in temporal lobe epilepsy. In Europe, pregabalin is also approved to treat generalized anxiety disorder.

What does Lyrica treat?
Lyrica or pregabalin has been approved in the U.S. to treat epilepsy, diabetic neuropathy pain, and post-herpetic neuralgia (pain after shingles). In addition, pregabalin has been approved in the U.S to treat fibromyalgia, a condition where there is pain in muscles and connective tissue as well as widespread pain and a heightened and painful response to touch. The European Union has also approved Lyrica to treat generalized anxiety disorder.

What are the side effects of Lyrica?
The most prevalent side effect of pregabalin is dizziness or drowsiness, which occurs in more than 10% of patients. Between one and ten percent of patients experience visual problems, lack of coordination in muscle movements, disorder of speech, tremor, lethargy, memory problems, euphoria, constipation, dry mouth, peripheral swelling, loss of sex drive, erectile dysfunction, and weight gain.

Less than 1 percent of patients taking pregabalin may experience depression, confusion, agitation, hallucinations, muscle twitching, change in sensitivity to touch, increased heart rate, excessive salivating, sweating, redness, rash, muscle cramps, muscle and joint pain, urinary problems, or kidney stones.

Less than 0.1% of patients may experience low neutrophil (type of white blood cell) levels, heart block, blood pressure changes, inflammation of the pancreas, difficulty swallowing, halt in urine production, or a breakdown in skeletal muscle tissue.

Although the likelihood is low, patients may become dependent on pregabalin and they may see withdrawal effects after using the drug for an extended period of time.

Does Lyrica interact with other drugs?
The manufacturer of Lyrica warns of potential dangerous interactions with the following drugs:

• Opioids
• Benzodiazepines
• Barbiturates
• Alcohol
• Any drugs that depress the central nervous system

 

Thanks.

Its a souped up version of Gabapentin. I've got a study or anecdotals somewhere on its use for T. I have it and will probably start it tomorrow. Although I see from your post that it has an interaction with Benzos. The doc who prescribed didnt mention that and he knows I take Clonazepam. Gosh, maybe I'll combust? Especially when I have my evening glass of wine on top of them?

Was hoping someone would post who has tried it, for good or bad, before I start taking it

 

Yes, I had read that Wikipedia write up Markku, it was the one I took to my NHS doctor and I'd highlighted the section on it being an anxiolytic preferred to Benzos due to the addiction stuff. I wanted it in place of the Clonazepam. But nope, he wouldnt do it so I had to pay privately.

My dose is 50mg 3 times a day. So you were started at the high level that's used for seizures. You should have been built up to that! Its possible it will only reduce T at the anti-seizure level of course but still should be built up.

I never wanted to go the drugs route but......

 

I noticed the "dizzy" side effect and I see that it affected Markku like that.

I had that head spin thing and when I see a side effect of dizzy, I RUN!

 

A lot of the SSRIs have that effect too. I read its because its affecting the vestibular system?

Well, we will soon know when I give it a shot. If I dont combust from having the Clonazepam too I will post my findings.

 

The Pregabalin will potentiate the effects of the benzo's so becareful. Also I've seen this med mentioned a few times on a drug harm minimalisation site (bluelight.ru) for it's recreational effects, undesired side effects and some nasty withdrawl symptoms - so maybe do a little reading through those forums to get a better idea of what long term use might entail.

Hope it does help with the T though!

 

I will check out that site, thanks.

 

Well I initially wanted it to take the place of Clonazepam which I intend to taper off. If the Pregabalin works I'll start to taper off the Clonazepam. Although in my Ototoxic drugs book the Pregabalin is a much higher risk than Clonazepam.

Its just playing with fire really isnt it?

 

Its an eBook Markku and it was £35. I wanted to post it on the site somehow for everyone but I guess its breaking copyright.

Its called 'Ototoxic Drugs Exposed'. When you look at the site it looks like a scam but it isnt. At least I dont think it is. The guy seems to have researched properly and for each drug lists the effects it can have on the ear and the % of people who reported the ear problems and he quotes his sources, like 'The Physicians Desk Reference' etc. There are anecdotal stories too.

The trouble is that almost all drugs are in there He assesses the risk factor and gives each drug a number from 1 - 5, 5 being the highest. Pregabalin is 4 Clonazepam is 2.

 

Hi , Currently taking above fro neuropathic pain. Have read it can cause/ aggravate tinnitus. Has anyone experience of this ?

Regards

Nick

 

,,,not for me mind just not into drugs however bad my t is EDITED ,well thats not true I would have taken it in 2010 when i was walking the streets at night to try and get away from the t that was following me everywhere i went,

 

1200 mg...??
But, is he crazy ?

I took 25 mg for two months and I felt some slowly decrease of the volume of T. Then I stopped according my ENT.

I did not know it was possible to take that quantity of drug.

 

I was taking Lyrica for "burning mouth syndrome". For some reason, after I had some dental work done, about a month later, my mouth would ache quite a lot whenever I ate anything other than at room temperature. The slightest cold or hot sensation would make me feel like my mouth was going to explode with pain. It would start back in the jaw. I would also wake up in the middle of the night sometimes with the pain without having eaten anything.

I found that lyrica help suppress the burning mouth syndrome after about a month on it, but the sensitivity in my teeth remained. I also found that anything above 75 mg would cause me to be in a state of confusion. I had to tone it down. 1200 mg would be way too much in my opinion.

I am happy to say that the sensitivity to hot/cold went way about a year later and I thought I would try lyrica again for my tinnitus, but I think it is apples and oranges to a certain extent except perhaps the lyrica would simply make you less "aware" of the sound but I would guess the awareness would come back once the lyrica effects fades AND not to mention the side effects of taking enough to make a difference.

IMHO, I would probably not use lyrica for those reasons.

 

I was taking 1200mg of gabapentin a day, I thought the maximum dosage of lyrica was 150mg a day, I was expected to reach 2800mg of gabapentin a day (for nerve issues), but on 1200 I had dreadful memory loss, I also felt really good on it, the complete opposite to depression, six weeks into taking it, flying back fro abroad I went very deaf, then shortly afterwards tinnitus started for the first time. Gabapentin I found addictive, since then I've been offered lyrica, just can't take it, previous re attempts on gabapentin just caused spikes. Doctors not keen to offer pregabalin in uk because of expense of it. Can't swear gabapentin caused my tinnitus, after 7 years jury still out, taking pregabalin now would frighten me even more considering the level of tinnitus I'm already on

 

Anyone have a good dosage for lyrica for anxiety/generalized anxiety?

 

Lyrica is supposed to be pretty ototoxic, but everyone is different.
I've used gabapentin 400 mg but I'm going to see what's it's like without it now that I am on mirtzapine which has helped anxiety and sleep and just started Abilify for depression as add on because I am sooooo down these days.
I think anytime you take too much of any drug for your system your at risk.

 

@dochoppy

Does Lyrica really work for anxiety? Better than anti depressants?

 

In my experience, the max I took was 75mg a day and it just "numbs" you and worse it make me very confused.

 

I know someone who amputated his thumb - a work accident - the thumb was re-implanted.
However he was left with nerve pain in the thumb.
Surgeon and docs told him to take Lyrica for the nerve damage pain which is like constant pins and needles.
He was told that 2 months of taking Lyrica was needed to rid the pins and needles.
He didn't want to take the meds so lives with the pins and needles.
Anyhow he doesn't want it and therefore I can have enough Lyrica to open a pharmacy.
Reason is that each time he got a prescription for Lyrica he cashed it in at the pharmacy but never took it so now has mountains of it...Not sure if I should take it or not. He told me to take it....what do you guys think?

 

I am contemplating trying it for anxiety, maybe start at 25mg three times daily and work my way up if tolerated. I have read that is is approved in Europe for treatment of anxiety, and I thought it would be a better long term med than klonopin. Might help me get off klonopin hopefully.

 

Please can you say me ototoxicity from this book for these drugs ?

mirtazapine
trazodone
lorazepam
paroxetine
rifampicin
cefuroxime
ceftriaxone
penicillin
oxalicine
azithromycin
doxycycline
levofloxacin
paracetamol
N-acetylcysteine
methylprednisolone

thank you!

 

Yes.can you write
Louise about drugs 1WM asked? Below. Thanks !

 

Looking back now, I am thinking that Lyrica actually might be the cause of my hearing loss which has brought about my T. I'm 48 and I have been told that is too young usually for natural hearing loss. The only thing that I could think of that might have attributed to it is taking this drug.

I wouldn't touch it for anything.

 

Here's the book....

 

thanks , Louise !

 

living in the world of today everyone is bombarded with noise ... metro, traffic, city life ... natural hearing loss hasn`t been around ever since the industrial revolution ...


And about Lyrica ... I have read only bad stories about it ... and the people on youtube filming themselves while on it are a bit mad and freaky ... I wouldn`t touch it ...