gabapentin/pregabalin and mania

an anyone who's got experience of pregabalin (or gabapentin) help me?

does anyone have any experience of or thoughts about side effects of this new med, pregabalin?

i've been prescribed pregabalin for fibromyalgia, and it's apparently the newer, faster acting version of gabapentin. the doc (a pain consultant, who i saw about my FM) said it was possible it may send me manic - it was a risk i took, because the alternative was increased amitriptylin, and i know anti depressants make me go manic.

i've been on 75mg at night for a week, but this morning, as prescribed, i started on 75mg in the mornings as well. the first night i took it, i didn't sleep any more quickly but the whole of the next day, i felt really spaced out, just really really drunk or stoned. i'd had no alcohol or drugs, so.... anyway, i was a bit worried about the next dose but that major side effect only happened that first time - since then i've felt pretty normal, and had to be as i had two essays to hand in!

but today i've definitely felt a bit like everything's happening all at once and i have to do stuff like now, before it goes away, and i'll think of something i need to do and go to write it down or put it in my phone diary and by the time i get my pen or push the button on the phone that activates the diary, i forget what it was - we're talking seconds here, not even minutes! i don't think it's memory loss, but i do think that as soon as i think of something, something else repaces it and i forget it.

my mum says i sound a bit high and i know i'm racing a bit. usually when i go hypomanic i race, but full mania for me involves aggression, violence and irritability. so i don't think i'm really bad but i do think there's something going on - do you think i should contact the doctor or just wait and see if it goes any worse?

I'm on pregabalin, and here's the list of side effects I experienced (most since disappeared). I made the list so that I could be sure I'd have the details when I saw my pain specialist again. For some reason the formatting I used disappeared when I pasted it here. Oh, well. I think you can make it out.

-visual perception of movement when objects stationary.
-visual perception of depth, in 2-dimensional objects, e.g. text on computer screen
-perception of body moving (e.g. rocking motion), when it is stationary.
-episodic mental dizziness (not like body dizziness), I'm going down, totally overwhelming
-three major episodes, the last one lasting four hours
-involuntary muscle contractions
-twitching, when trying to sleep
-jerking movement, when stationary
-clasping movement in hands
-clumsiness, incoordination
-tremor
-cognitive
-difficulty in managing complex thoughts/tasks
-recall problems, aphasia (can't think if words, or finish sentences)
-stammering
-emotional lability
-very susceptible to crying
-insomnia
-weight gain

Like I said, most of those have faded. I still can't sleep on it, I'm still clumsy, I'm still easily confused for brief periods of time, I still have recall problems, but less so.

I think giving it a bit of time is a good idea, given my experience that the side effects fade away pretty quickly.

Lar

thanks lar, that's really helpful i think i'll make a note of that list because i think some of those are happening, but i feel really dazed until mid afternoon when suddenly i feel really alert. most odd.

I couldn't take gabapentin.. well I did try.. it was horrible for me. . . MD said some of the side effects would wear off in a few days, but they didn't and I couldn't handle them to find out how long it might take! Good wishes on healing!

Hey there,

I started taking it for jerky legs... I think over time it made the jerking worse. I think I might better get off of it but I am going to see the doctor first. Thanks for the info though on the drug... It helps people relate.

Jess

I also have Fibromyalgia and Bipolar I .. I have taken Neurontin in the past which my doctor thinks is basically the same Lyrica just alot cheaper LOL . For me I didnt get really any pain relief and it caused me to rapid cycle ALOT .

Everyone responds differently to medications. I so hope you find some pain releif with the medication.. Fibro is such a ugly illness ! Gentle ((Hugs))

Wishing you some peace ~