Have been battling vertigo, then imbalance for year and a half now. Been through all the tests and physical therapy for balance, now meds. Lyrica and topamax. Both cause dizziness in which seems stupid to me. Trying to get off both. Tried to first ween off topamax 50mg twice a day and I became depressed, became scared so I didn't ween anymore. Now iam trying to ween off of lyrica and am getting severe ice cold chills like I have never had. I have not taken lyrica every day, and not even 75mg a day every day. Only been on this for a few months. What the heck? The doctor is denying that I should have any of these withdrawal symptoms at all since they are such low doses and also since I have not been on them long. Liar or he just doesn't know his stuff. So, how long should I have withdrawal symptoms? Still haven't a clue why I have imbalance and ear sensitivity. Searching still. Next stop is dentist and OBGYN. Neurologist is frowning at my independence from him... when I wanted to ween off of these meds, my husband cursed at him. Doctors last prescription for me was swimming and taichi after putting me on meds that made my imbalance even worse. Taichi is about gaining balance. Contradiction!!!
How long should I expect withdrawal symptoms from Lyrica?
Question posted by Tired oral on 24 April 2014
Last updated on 2 August 2018
3 Answers
Hi everyone,
I have been on Lyrica for just over 6
Months. I was taking 75mg morning and night. I’m pretty sensitive to medications and have suffered severe anxiety in the last for which I take Zoloft. I dropped the 75mg at night purely by accident and forgetting to take it. That was a couple of months ago. I have been to the doctor and a week ago was reduced from 75mg in the morning to 50mg. This is for one month. Then down to 25mg for another month and the following month to 0. I have read a lot about side effects of stopping but honestly didn’t think on my dose it would be this rough. I wake up shaking and until I take the 50mg, I don’t stop. My mouth tastes like metal, I have stomach aches and running to the bathroom. All I can handle but the anxiety and tears have been hard. Wondering why I am on this earth some of the time. Which sux!
How long into the first taper should these side effects start to reduce? Am I going to go through these same side effects again when I taper down to the next dose and again when I get to 0? That means I need to get through 3 months of this.
Hi Jazper76. I was taking Lyrica for 7-8 years and I finished tapering off last year (2017). It is advised to taper at 10% every 2 weeks. Some people have been able to go a bit faster and some have had to go slower. We are all different so we have to listen to what our bodies are telling us. Most people who I have talked to have also had a problem with the side effects of Lyrica and other medications like it. The thing with tapering this drug is that the lower you get on the dosage the harder it is. Some have to lower the dosage drop down to 5% to handle the withdrawal symptoms. During the taper our emotions are being unlocked and that's why we often find ourselves in tears. Anger can happen easily too. Once I tapered too fast and I spent the next two weeks in the bathroom. I was in so much pain that I ended up going back up in the dosage. I literally thought I was going to die. I was taking Lyrica for chronic pain; but it caused me to have anxiety and depression.
I had profusive sweating; even in the winter time. I also gained over 80 pounds and I was miserable. There were so many other problems (side effects) for me... too many to list. Most doctors do not realize how hard it affects people; but some are starting to because of their patients letting them know. My doctor had no idea until he saw what I was going through. Some pharmacies will now help people taper the right way. I have talked with people who have had problems months after tapering off Lyrica. A lot of the withdrawal symptoms are the same as the side effects. I am not trying to scare you; but it can be very dangerous to taper off these types of medications too fast. I am in a group on Facebook and they help to guide and support people through the process of tapering off. Find all the help you can to do this and you will be able to get through it; like me and many others have. I wish you all the best. Please take care.
Cindy
You absolutely can have withdrawals on low dose Lyrica even only having been on it a few months.
I am now down to 100mg, from 600mg, and I can't budge it. I am almost out, hate to refill. Will try to dose down again, but I truly wish I had never been put on it. Chills, fever, dehydration, naseau, vomiting, and restlessness so severe I want to clae my skin off. All I can do is curl up and cry.
A doctor that does not accept this is not giving you care you need.
Good luck, bless you!
You should not be having withdrawal if you're weaning off of it. You must be really sensitive to the medications, its hard to say how long it will go on.
Thank-you. Sensitive to meds, yes. But I have read online others having the same symptoms with higher doses though. Guess I will tough it out. Thanks again.
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lyrica, topamax, vertigo, withdrawal, physical therapy, symptom
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