Posted by jlbl2l on November 12, 2004, at 9:16:38
In reply to Lyrica (pregabalin) very comprehensive review etc., posted by jlbl2l on November 12, 2004, at 7:08:43
Other things I should mention about Lyrica :
- it doesn't quite feel like a benzo, i cannot compare it to any medication i have taken except neurontin, but is so very superior to neurontin.
-it takes effect within an hour, it is not rapidly acting such as xanax
-depending on dosing ( i take 600mg or more all at once in the morning) , it lasts ALL day long and feels great to get home from work and have a good nights sleep
-lyrica appears to be as effective as a benzo in halting stimulant comedowns. must be a high dose though
-if you didnt know, theeis a study comparing lyrica to effexor and xanax for generalized anxiety. Lyrica was superior to effexor and equal to Xanax for GAD in this study.(search the web)
-lyrica + naproxen (Aleve) is the ultimate pain medicine (especially neuropathic) but also anti-inflmmatory combination. check pubmed.com for the studies on this combination.
-lyrica has very unique and strange mood altering effects, which can affect some people negatively or positively. I have been effected VERY positively (mood-outlook-etc)I hope this can apply to others, but remember the dose matters a lot. This could be useful for Bipolar and other disorders as Neurontin was somewhat effective...
-dosing is SO VERY important. My regiman as stated before was 600mg (two 300mg caps)in the morning before, during, or after breakfast or snack. Lyrica can be taken with or without food, but i notice if i have a small sugary snack it seems to kick in quicker. Spreading out the dose during the day is probably what most doctors will want. This may work, but from my experience it doesn't help as much, it seems larger doses at once work better and last longer. My doctor is impressed with my improvement as I come into his office smiling and in a great mood being the socialite!
-the question a lot of people ask is compared to Klonopin or Xanax (etc) which I had been on (Klonopin for a year with success, until seizure) does Lyrica just "supress" the anxiety like Kpins or Xanax or is it Pro-social also?
The answer is yes and no. For me, YES! Its the dose that matters, because it seems the higher dosage 600mg+ based on my pharmacology knowlodge it must act as a mild stimulant in a unique way perhaps through serotonin (neurontin is known to release serotonin in the bloodstream -pubmed.com)
or perhaps even dopamine is involved. Since gaba and dopamine balance each other out, I think dopamine is involved (at higher doses). So in conclusion on this, my answer is at lower doses of Lyrica (meaning below 200mg) I do not think there is much benefit for "pro-social". Once we get to 200-600-and preferably a bit more (as neurontin is prescribed off label in higher doses than is recomended) then the prosocial effects become very active.... At 1200mg which I am at now, I feel extrememly great and want to type, talk, touch (lol) and do anything with strangers - my pro-socialness is basically unbelivable. So, high dose (600+) will give pro-social + anti-anxiety (for me) and stimulation , whereas the lower doses (and this all depends on your own chemistry i remind you) give just anti-anxiety which could be considered even less effective than a benzodizpine if the dose is low (50mg , 100mg once a day or something would be useless in my opinion)-Lyrica is basically super Neurontin, with a few tweaks that makes it a mixed feeling between XTC and GHB (high doses) and some standard benzo like sedation and such. It does not feel like a benzo, so dont expect that. The first time I tried it, I got a "pressure headache". This is a normal side effect that WILL GO AWAY. It isnt painful, it just feel "werid", like your brain is re-wiring itself. I also felt very "drunkish" the first time, similar to a benzo drunk, but more stimulation.
Once again my email is jlbl2l@gmail.com for any questions.
All the best,
JLBl2l
poster:jlbl2l
thread:414879
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20041108/msgs/414973.html