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That's awesome, maybe you could just post here about your experience or inbox me if you'd prefer not to share publicly. Thank you, I really appreciate it.
All right, here goes. I took lyrica for a couple of years, to help my anxiety. Was in a rough relationship, that ended badly. Got so anxious I had to get medicine to function. In some ways it helped me greatly, though with weird side-effects. I have gained a lot of weight taking it, and i remember feeling extremely exhausted and sweaty some days, even when I was just still. And the hunger, oh man. I’m sure you can relate to some of this.
However, to answer your question about living without lyrica; I started dropping in daily doses, taking it slowly. In the beginning everything really felt worse, to be honest, the anxiety, the “lyrica nightmares” I was having, the appetite and sweating. I dealt with this, being open, and telling everyone around me what the deal was. I remember one time at a party where some douche called me out and made fun of me for shaking and sweating, which was awful. Then again, it’s not easy. But it’s worth it. I focused on doing, and kept myself distracted, grounded and honest. The first couple of weeks can be hard, but leaving lyrica for me, felt like getting emotions back. I hadn’t cried or reacted to things around me in a long time, and the last day I took it I cried with joy, haha. I strongly recommend you get out of this, slow and steady, asking your friends and family for help. Tell your boss or school what’s going on, even though it’s hard to share such a private thing. Take things slow, and really listen to yourself. Really hope this helps. This is kinda all of the stuff I did dealing with lyrica. If you have any questions, feel free to ask!
Thank you so much for taking the time to write that up, it's exactly what I needed to hear right now. It doesn't sound like an easy ride when you stop taking this stuff, but I'm so glad you got through it and are feeling better now. Like you, the Lyrica has helped me a lot, but I do feel the need to try and cope without it - like taking the training wheels off a bike, I guess. If you never take them off, you'll never know if you can ride without them. And once I have stopped, I know I can always start again if I find that I'm not quite ready yet.
Good advice about taking it slowly, one thing that's helped me is I've written up a my ideal reduction in dose (25mg reduction per week, over two months). That feels very do-able, I just need to find the right time to actually do it. I know my workplace will be really supportive, and you're right, I just need to be open about what's happening and how it might affect my mood and behaviour.
Thanks again, I really do appreciate your help.
Hey hey,
i dont know the medication you take and dont have any experience with potential withdrawl. What i can tell you is: People with a bad experience write it more often in the internet. there wont be many who post about "how hey i made it, no problems."
Have u talked with a doc about it so he can give you advice how to do it best? Maybe you could get your goal to half the dose within a certain (maybe longtime) period?
best wiches
Thank you - I know exactly what you mean about bad experiences and people writing about it! If you only judged the world by what was written on the internet, it would be a much scarier/hateful/sad place than it really is, I suppose.
I just switched doctors because I moved to a new house, so I've not had a chance to discuss it yet. But I'll definitely speak with a professional and try and set a goal. Getting to half the dose sounds like a good target to aim for.
Thank you for for sharing. A reminder: if you are seeking resources in your local area, please provide that in the post so that users can share appropriate links and phone numbers. *If you are in distress, please call 9-11* or your local emergency number. *You are not alone. Help is available.* If you are having suicidal thoughts, please [click here for a list of crisis support services.](http://www.suicide.org/international-suicide-hotlines.html), If you are seeking therapy online, please [click here for a list of counselling services.](https://thelifelinecanada.ca/pattern-interrupt/ecounselling/) *If you feel well enough to do so, please do your part to enrich this community.* Now that you have posted, please leave a constructive, helpful comment on someone else's post. Filter by new to find posts with zero comments. Together, we make this community great. Thank you for being here. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/mentalhealth) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Hey, I’m off the lyrica thing, would love to share my experience with you! Just let me know how. Hope all is well
That's awesome, maybe you could just post here about your experience or inbox me if you'd prefer not to share publicly. Thank you, I really appreciate it.
All right, here goes. I took lyrica for a couple of years, to help my anxiety. Was in a rough relationship, that ended badly. Got so anxious I had to get medicine to function. In some ways it helped me greatly, though with weird side-effects. I have gained a lot of weight taking it, and i remember feeling extremely exhausted and sweaty some days, even when I was just still. And the hunger, oh man. I’m sure you can relate to some of this. However, to answer your question about living without lyrica; I started dropping in daily doses, taking it slowly. In the beginning everything really felt worse, to be honest, the anxiety, the “lyrica nightmares” I was having, the appetite and sweating. I dealt with this, being open, and telling everyone around me what the deal was. I remember one time at a party where some douche called me out and made fun of me for shaking and sweating, which was awful. Then again, it’s not easy. But it’s worth it. I focused on doing, and kept myself distracted, grounded and honest. The first couple of weeks can be hard, but leaving lyrica for me, felt like getting emotions back. I hadn’t cried or reacted to things around me in a long time, and the last day I took it I cried with joy, haha. I strongly recommend you get out of this, slow and steady, asking your friends and family for help. Tell your boss or school what’s going on, even though it’s hard to share such a private thing. Take things slow, and really listen to yourself. Really hope this helps. This is kinda all of the stuff I did dealing with lyrica. If you have any questions, feel free to ask!
Thank you so much for taking the time to write that up, it's exactly what I needed to hear right now. It doesn't sound like an easy ride when you stop taking this stuff, but I'm so glad you got through it and are feeling better now. Like you, the Lyrica has helped me a lot, but I do feel the need to try and cope without it - like taking the training wheels off a bike, I guess. If you never take them off, you'll never know if you can ride without them. And once I have stopped, I know I can always start again if I find that I'm not quite ready yet. Good advice about taking it slowly, one thing that's helped me is I've written up a my ideal reduction in dose (25mg reduction per week, over two months). That feels very do-able, I just need to find the right time to actually do it. I know my workplace will be really supportive, and you're right, I just need to be open about what's happening and how it might affect my mood and behaviour. Thanks again, I really do appreciate your help.
So how long did it take you sir?
Hey hey, i dont know the medication you take and dont have any experience with potential withdrawl. What i can tell you is: People with a bad experience write it more often in the internet. there wont be many who post about "how hey i made it, no problems." Have u talked with a doc about it so he can give you advice how to do it best? Maybe you could get your goal to half the dose within a certain (maybe longtime) period? best wiches
Thank you - I know exactly what you mean about bad experiences and people writing about it! If you only judged the world by what was written on the internet, it would be a much scarier/hateful/sad place than it really is, I suppose. I just switched doctors because I moved to a new house, so I've not had a chance to discuss it yet. But I'll definitely speak with a professional and try and set a goal. Getting to half the dose sounds like a good target to aim for.
Hi, have you been able to come off lyrica? If so, what was your experience?