Review Erowid at GreatNonprofits.org
Help us be a "Top Rated Nonprofit" again this year and spread
honest info (good or bad) about psychedelics & other psychoactive drugs.
("Share Your Story" link. Needs quick login creation but no verification of contact info)
Traded One Addiction for Another
Pregabalin (Lyrica)
by Jake
Citation:   Jake. "Traded One Addiction for Another: An Experience with Pregabalin (Lyrica) (exp76576)". Erowid.org. Feb 3, 2009. erowid.org/exp/76576

 
DOSE:
  oral Pharms - Pregabalin (daily)
BODY WEIGHT: 200 lb
Let me start off by saying I am a recovering opiate addict. Ironically I was introduced to this medicine in rehab as a replacement for narcotic painkillers. I knew it was a schedule 5 substance, but I thought to myself so is lomotil (and it was being perscribed by a doctor who treats addicts) so I figured what the hell?! At the time I was experiencing a fair amount of back pain and I was a week and a half off of suboxone (still experiencing mild withdrawls) so it sounded like something that could help with both. BOY WAS I RIGHT!!

The doctor started me at a dose of 2 75mg pills in the afternoon. I was taking no other medications at the time. About an hour and a half after dosing I noticed that I was feeling very talkative and happy. It felt similar to neurontin, but better and stronger. I took at 3 pm and felt lingering effects the next morning! I couldn't believe how good it made me feel. It really isn't like anything else I've tried, and I've used a lot of substances. 'This is the ticket' I thought. I continued to take the medicine as perscribed throughout the remaining month until I completed the rehab program (as if I had a choice) noticing that the aforementioned effects diminished the longer I took it. But that was soon to change. As soon as I got out of rehab I began experimenting with higher doses (in between 150-900mg) feeling those wonderful effects as I did before. Of course taking more of my script than I was supposed to caused me to run out early. I really didn't think that much about it at the time until the next day when I started noticing I was feeling extremely sick. Oh shit! I thought to myself. I just traded one drug for another! The withdrawls are very uncomfortable! Almost as bad as opiate or benzo withdrawl. Upon withdrawing from lyrica my skin and eyes dry out, I can't sleep, I ache all over and I get very depressed.

After feeling that way for a little over a week, I decided to go to another doc and have him perscribe me more lyrica. This time I got the 300mg capsules. 6 months worth. I went through that amount in 2 months! After I ran out of those I used neurontin to detox. It seemed to help quite a bit. I just thought I'd let everyone out there know this drug at least for me was very habit forming, and the withdrawls are extremely uncomfortable. I foresee this drug becoming more tightly controlled in the future due to how good it feels when I'm on it, and how shitty I feel when I'm not. All of this caused me to start back on the path of the opiate again and landed me back in rehab exactly a year later. Be careful with this one. I found it to be crazy fun, but the withdrawls are just crazy. Good luck on your adventures!

reported dose: 75-2200 mg

Exp Year: 2007ExpID: 76576
Gender: Male 
Age at time of experience: Not Given
Published: Feb 3, 2009Views: 50,964
[ View PDF (to print) ] [ View LaTeX (for geeks) ] [ Swap Dark/Light ]
Pharms - Pregabalin (418) : Addiction & Habituation (10), Hospital (36)

COPYRIGHTS: All reports copyright Erowid.
No AI Training use allowed without written permission.
TERMS OF USE: By accessing this page, you agree not to download, analyze, distill, reuse, digest, or feed into any AI-type system the report data without first contacting Erowid Center and receiving written permission.

Experience Reports are the writings and opinions of the authors who submit them. Some of the activities described are dangerous and/or illegal and none are recommended by Erowid Center.


Experience Vaults Index Full List of Substances Search Submit Report User Settings About Main Psychoactive Vaults