Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
Null I Need A Specialist Who Is Seasoned With The
Question: null
I need a specialist who is seasoned with the drug Lyrica in order to give me medical advice to tapper off and then to completely stop taking it.
My dad is 73 years old. Has Diabetes type 2, slight renal failure, hyper tension, gout and neuropathy.
He was given the drug Lyrica for his neuropathy. He takes 600 mg, one time a day, once a week or every 4-5 days. He has been taking it for over a year now and feels physically and psychologically dependent on the drug. When the drug wears off which is 24 hours after taking it, he feels muscle pain, leg pain, shoulder pain, back pain, low energy, fatigue, depression and aches all over his body. Terrible itching. Blurred vision as well. He wants to get off the drug entirely because he feels addicted to it but the side effects are so severe that he rebounds. He has tried to wean off the drug but unsuccessfully. He needs medical professional advice. He wasn't prescribed the dose 600 mg a day but has administered this dose by his own accord. That must be stated.
He has been on a tapering schedule of taking Lyrica 300 mg twice a week for one month and then
300 mg once a week for one month and then
150 mg once a month twice a week for one month and then
150 mg once a week for one month and so on
but he has had a severe panic attack and feels irritable, agitated, dips in moods. He feels dependent on the drug but wants off it as it has changed his life for the worse.
I need a specialist who is seasoned with the drug Lyrica in order to give me medical advice to tapper off and then to completely stop taking it.
My dad is 73 years old. Has Diabetes type 2, slight renal failure, hyper tension, gout and neuropathy.
He was given the drug Lyrica for his neuropathy. He takes 600 mg, one time a day, once a week or every 4-5 days. He has been taking it for over a year now and feels physically and psychologically dependent on the drug. When the drug wears off which is 24 hours after taking it, he feels muscle pain, leg pain, shoulder pain, back pain, low energy, fatigue, depression and aches all over his body. Terrible itching. Blurred vision as well. He wants to get off the drug entirely because he feels addicted to it but the side effects are so severe that he rebounds. He has tried to wean off the drug but unsuccessfully. He needs medical professional advice. He wasn't prescribed the dose 600 mg a day but has administered this dose by his own accord. That must be stated.
He has been on a tapering schedule of taking Lyrica 300 mg twice a week for one month and then
300 mg once a week for one month and then
150 mg once a month twice a week for one month and then
150 mg once a week for one month and so on
but he has had a severe panic attack and feels irritable, agitated, dips in moods. He feels dependent on the drug but wants off it as it has changed his life for the worse.
Brief Answer:
follow the advice...observe how he stays afterward...
Detailed Answer:
Hello there,
Welcome to 'Ask A Doctor' service...
I've gone through your query and understand your concerns...
Well, at this outset, I'd suggest following the same tapering regimen which he's following and reduce it to the lowest possible dose to observe how he stays afterward (up to 25 to 50mg)...At such dose, the side effects would also be minimized to a bare minimum only...
Since you've already mentioned regarding neuropathy, and there seems to be a significant amount of pain involved already, I wouldn't suggest stopping it completely as of now...
Just taper it down to that dose and observe how he stays thereafter...
Additionally, I'd suggest to seek out for counseling sessions by a Psychologist as they're also required in the long run to overcome those panic attack episodes...
However, if you notice any further recurrence of acute panic attacks it'll be better to take him to the nearest urgent care as he may also require another regime of anxiolytic medications (Sertraline namely), to combat these episodes.
Let me know if I can assist you further.
Take Care
Kind Regards
follow the advice...observe how he stays afterward...
Detailed Answer:
Hello there,
Welcome to 'Ask A Doctor' service...
I've gone through your query and understand your concerns...
Well, at this outset, I'd suggest following the same tapering regimen which he's following and reduce it to the lowest possible dose to observe how he stays afterward (up to 25 to 50mg)...At such dose, the side effects would also be minimized to a bare minimum only...
Since you've already mentioned regarding neuropathy, and there seems to be a significant amount of pain involved already, I wouldn't suggest stopping it completely as of now...
Just taper it down to that dose and observe how he stays thereafter...
Additionally, I'd suggest to seek out for counseling sessions by a Psychologist as they're also required in the long run to overcome those panic attack episodes...
However, if you notice any further recurrence of acute panic attacks it'll be better to take him to the nearest urgent care as he may also require another regime of anxiolytic medications (Sertraline namely), to combat these episodes.
Let me know if I can assist you further.
Take Care
Kind Regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Arnab Banerjee
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
