Since increasing my pregabalin from 400mg to 450mg I’ve been pretty bad MAV-wise. I was doing really well, with the odd ‘spin’, at 400, but Dr S wasn’t satisfied and told me to increase by 50mg every 2 months if I continued to experience spins.
Question is, do I continue to increase or could it be that I was at my best (so called sweet spot) at 400mg and should actually DECREASE again to that, against docs advice? And where did the ‘sweet spot’ theory arise?
I’ve been on the 450mg for a month now. my bad bouts are possibly triggered by my increased laptop use at work, although a visit to a back pain therapist where I had to put my head through a hole in a plinth made me dizzy too!
I wouldn’t know what to say to you about your meds, I’ll leave that to others who know more than me, but I would say that it very easy to mis-attribute symptoms to the wrong triggers. Did your increased use of your laptop coincide exactly with an increase in MAV symptoms? I think it’s likely its your meds but with that extra laptop use and the ‘head through a hole scenario’ maybe it’s not wise to be too hasty to jump to conclusions. Do you have any gut feelings about what’s going on? Sometimes they can be pretty on the money.
Gut feeling is I should increase the pregabalin again. Just don’t like the weight gain associated with it lol!
Thing is, I was so well for so long on 400mg (6 months). It seems odd that increasing it coincided with a deterioration. I may very well have been overdoing it as I felt so well, e.g. increasing hours at work, going out more etc. Too many variables really.
Sometimes I feel the MAV ‘catches up’ with the meds and I will be forever increasing them to stay on top! The limit for pregabalin is 600mg so can’t increase for much longer anyway…
You know, its funny you say you may have overdone it. I had 4 months of nearly 98% “normal”. I even started going out a little, and having a few drinks. I was and still am working full time, and taking classes for my Masters degree. I am also a mom of 2 young boys, and a wife. CRAZINESS. I think since we feel so good, we tend to do everything we can…which probably has its consequences. Mine hit right after my 2 classes were completed, and before the Christmas holiday. I equate it to the stress let down, but I don’t get it. Shouldn’t the relief be wonderful? I have since had to up my ami, and take klonopin on my really bad days. I still haven’t gotten back to that place, but I am continuing to do all the stuff I was before. I think it keeps me sane! I am happy as long as I don’t go backwards. I don’t know what to say about the meds, but I’m sure you will figure something out, and you will get to your sweet spot again. Hang in there, just a bump in the MAV road.
Jen
Hi
I am thinking you should go back down to 400 and see if things return to “better”…if not, you can always go to another increase. But at a month, I think maybe you passed the sweet spot. Plus, the lower the dose, I’m guessing the lower the side effects (ie weight gain).
Also, really try to reign in your triggers and see if that doesn’t calm you down a bit…brain wise.
Kelley
Not due to see Dr S till august…
any advice much appreciated
Dizzy Lizzy x
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Hi there,
just wanted to let you know that I’m also seeing Dr. S, and things have really gone off the rails with me too recently (not Dr. S’s fault - this is likely to do with the Topamax which I was on before going to see him). But I was able to phone his P.A. and ask him to call me, which he so kindly did, really quite quickly! (I have been seeing him privately, thanks to some company medical cover, so not sure whether that’s made a difference, vs. seeing via the NHS…?).
Tony.
I saw Dr S initially privately but then moved over to the NHS. I have been unable to get hold of his NHS secretary’s number. If anyone has it I’d be forever grateful if you could PM me with it. I’ve increased the Lyrica to 500mg now and still feel like s**t!
maybe it’s not wise to be too hasty to jump to conclusions. Do you have any gut feelings about what’s going on? Sometimes they can be pretty on the money.
