Pregabalin (Lyrica) for Opiate Withdrawal and/or PAWS

[OhCasey]

I've been meaning to post my experience with Pregabalin and opiate withdrawal for some time but I've been trying to build more experience before posting.

Heres some basic info on the drug and the pharmacology you can skip this paragraph if youre familiar with the drug. Lyrica is a drug used for nerve pain, fibromyalgia and its also being prescribed for general anxiety. Its very similar to gabapentin (Neurontin) but its considered stronger and less is needed to get the same effects. Its a schedule 5 drug here in the US. Lyrica (pregabalin) binds with high affinity to the alpha2-delta site (an auxiliary subunit of voltage-gated calcium channels) in central nervous system tissues. Although the mechanism of action of pregabalin is unknown, results with genetically modified mice and with compounds structurally related to pregabalin (such as gabapentin) suggest that binding to the alpha2-delta subunit may be involved in pregabalin's antinociceptive and antiseizure effects in animal models. In vitro, pregabalin reduces the calcium-dependent release of several neurotransmitters, possibly by modulation of calcium channel function. While pregabalin is a structural derivative of the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), it does not bind directly to GABA A, GABA B, or benzodiazepine receptors, does not augment GABA A responses in cultured neurons, does not alter rat brain GABA concentration or have acute effects on GABA uptake or degradation. However, in cultured neurons prolonged application of pregabalin increases the density of GABA transporter protein and increases the rate of functional GABA transport. Pregabalin does not block sodium channels, is not active at opiate receptors, and does not alter cyclooxygenase enzyme activity. It is inactive at serotonin and dopamine receptors and does not inhibit dopamine, serotonin, or noradrenaline reuptake.

Swim has been prescribed Lyrica for years but he doesnt take it because of the lack of pain relief and the side effects which for him was slight blurred vision and weight gain. Swim continued to fill his script and not use the medication just to make his opiate prescribing Doc happy. Swim discovered that many people noticed that opiate withdrawal can be somewhat alleviated with Lyrica so he decided to try it. Swim was pleasantly surprised to discover that it helped every aspect of opaite withdrawal. Since he had a lot of mg's he could burn through he started with twice daily doses of 1000 mg's, the highest recommended dose is 600 mg's split into 300 mg's twice daily. Ive read reports of people taking 2000 mg's at once but swim would suggest staying around the 1200 mg range at the most. After a week swim stepped down to 500 mg's twice daily and then 3 days later went to 200 mg's twice daily. A week later he went down to 50 mg's and then 25 mg's for a couple days before stopping all usage. The only withdrawal symptom that returned was diarrhea which the lyrica had relieved during opiate withdrawal quite well, lopermide was used to take care of the problem after lyrica usage. Lyrica has been known to cause withdrawals itself but only after prolonged use at extreme doses. Symptoms of lyrics withdrawal usually include restlessness, insomnia and rebound anxiety. Lyrica is easily tapered and tapering almost always negates any withdrawals.
If you have addiction issues to multiple substances not just opiates then lyrica might become a replacement drug though swim cant see why one would go that route since any euphoric effects are slight and tolerance to those effects builds very very rapidly. Overall lyrica is compareable to a mixture of clonidine and a very very light benzo, atleast for swim. It helps a lot with the restless legs, diarrhea, chills, cold sweats and changes in body temp. It gave noticeable but smaller improvements in the insomnia and anxiety department. I think it could also be very valuable as a long term treatment for 3 or so months to avoid severe PAWS. Its usually very attainable from a doctor since most docs think its potential for abuse is nonexistant. A lot of people use it to taper off of Benzo's with mixed results.

This is only swims personal experience and everyones different but I imagine more people than not would get similar results.

Reputation Comments on this post:

	Interesting information. It would be good to see this thread grow.
	brings light to intriguing concept, thanks for the personal experience
	Very interesting topic! Thanks for relaying this information
	This is great, relevant information.
	fantastic report,really helpful info.-not much on DF about lyrica experiences.thank-you.

[yulamada]

If only my badger had known about this possibility when he was detoxing at his folks den. His dad has several bottles of it that go unused by said parent, and the badger would have been more than happy to provide another experience to this thread.

Surely another SWIY must have input on this...anyone?

[thebige]

Swim has found the same use for gabapentin/Neurontin......It is not a cure all but swim throws in large amounts of lopermide and reasonable amounts of dxm into the mix,so he can't say for sure..........
There is something about the gaba/pre gaba that works.....swims not a chemist so he can only say from personal experince.............

[OhCasey]

Originally Posted by thebige

Swim has found the same use for gabapentin/Neurontin......It is not a cure all but swim throws in large amounts of lopermide and reasonable amounts of dxm into the mix,so he can't say for sure..........
There is something about the gaba/pre gaba that works.....swims not a chemist so he can only say from personal experince.............

I used gabapentin for opiate withdrawal also and it helped but didnt have the same effect as lyrica. It also needs to be taken in a lot larger doses.

[Mikeymc]

I am currently using Neurontin, did people find this was helpful with intial withdrawl, and paws? I know both Lyrica and neurontin are similar. I have been off hydroc for a day and a half now.

[OhCasey]

Originally Posted by Mikeymc

I am currently using Neurontin, did people find this was helpful with intial withdrawl, and paws? I know both Lyrica and neurontin are similar. I have been off hydroc for a day and a half now.

Neurontin is helpful during withdrawals it just has to be taken in higher doses and its not as powerful as pregabalin. If nothing else it helps with sleeping during withdrawals.

[paolo777]

ok...check it out...I kicked in Italy a few years ago where they gave me subs and lyrica...no one knows how lyrica works...forget the pharmacology...only dope can help a dope kick (or a chemical relayed to dope)...lyrica hits opiate receptors, how? no one knows...Pfizer swears it doesn't, but it does...it also hits THC, MDMA, and GABA receptors...how? no one knows...and, yes, Pfizer swears it doesn't....I telling you as an ex-dope fiend and raver that this drug, in higher than recommended dosage (i.e. 750 mg and up) will make you roll, trip, and eat...it's a really, really weird drug...nothing like it. It was synthesized at the Univ. of Chicago because Pfizer's patent on neurontin was expiring...Lyrica is neurontin's big, bad brother...But, it cuts a kick by 80% (without subs)...it works, but it's really, really trippy.

[needtostop]

i'll have to agree with some of this info here. i Lyrica's exact MOA is not known but it is thought to act at the a2d subunit of the calcium channels. It decreases excitatory neurotransmitor release. when i was withdrawing from opiates i didn't sleep for 3 days. on the third day i decided to take 600mg of lyrica. 2 hrs later i was feeling a hundred times better and i slept solid for 10 hrs. it was literally a friggin miiracle. the drug is best used at MOST every other day...to every three days. It will cause insomnia for several nights after you dose. if you go to sleep within 10 hrs of taking the dose, you will sleep. just not after you wake up for a few days.