From Clonazepam to Lyrica

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nicholas:)

nicholas:)

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From Clonazepam to Lyrica

History
Started Tegretol 800mg May 2011 – Seizures down from 70/100 a month to 25
Started Clonazepam 5.5mg September 2011 – Seizures down to 5 a month

Introducing Lyrica (Pregabalain) and withdrawing from Clonazepam July/August 2012

Apprehensive.
:)
 
nicholasscott21

Things will go well for you I hope and I feel for you as I am in the middle of getting drugs changed and another added, but you are doing well and everybody will be thinking of you.
Come on you can do this and it will work out ok.

Thinking of you
 
Thank you Liam. I hope all goes well for you too! I guess it's the initial first week or so I'm worried about then the complete withdrawal of the Clonazepam and how I get on with the Lyrica.

This site is always of great help - just having friends here who support one another is great and then there are those with good advice and info. Feeling slight euphoria at the moment - Sliat mentioned this might happen. As long as I can keep a grip of who I am then that will be fine. Lamotrigine sent me overboard last year.

Will keep you informed - thanks :)
 
Nicholas This site is of great help and the people who make it up. Sliat is one and with good advice, even if he is late with his writing ( sorry Sliat just ignore that, your very prompt). Thank you.
 
Nicholas / Fedup,
I hope it gos well with your med changes.
 
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Nicholas, I'm wondering if you requested the change. You've dropped from 70-100 per month to 5 in a little more than a year!

That's 5 too many, of course, but you must be thrilled overall.
 
Hi Nicholas! Best of luck to you with your med change, hope it transitions smoothly for you. Was there a reason you wanted or needed to stop taking the Clonazepam? I also wanted to ask you how you were diagnosed with the nocturnal seizures? My daughter had a sleep study and they found nothing clear even though she had 2 small fits while sleeping. Frustrating and the Keppra isnt doing much. Keep us posted with how you are doing!!! :)
 
Hi no.guru. I didn't request the change - I was quite happy on Clonazepam, even though they made me tired all of the time. I was and am thrilled to come down in numbers with my seizures, but the side effects of the meds meant/mean the price I paid/pay is sleeping day and night. It may sound awful, but I got use to the seizures over a three year period (before then they were less intense).

The doctor wanted me off of Clonazepam, a benzodiazepine, because they are habit forming and after awhile there's a need to increase the dose as the body gets use to the dose the dose needs to be increased. I also have mental health issues and my GP, Psychiatrist and Neurologist all agree that Pregabalain is a better choice for me.

:)
 
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Hi LisaBee. It took me two years to persuade the GP, Neurologist and psychiatrist that I was actually having epileptic seizures. I had eegs, night studies and an mri scans and all came back as normal "as such" - quoting my first neurologist. I got a second opinion from an other neurologist and she was most useful and agreed my seizures were epileptic.

I kept a journal for two years and this was found to be most useful. I was conscious throughout most of my nocturnal seizures so I was in a position to describe what was happening to me. My seizures would happen as I was falling to sleep or would wake me in the night. Many of my seizures were vocalisations where I would scream out. I would have feelings of dread. My whole body would shake and often I would hit myself in the face, bite my tongue and fall out of bed. It's funny that I'm speaking of them in the past tense - they seem to belong to another time and place. I do have five a month now but they are less vigorous and less intense.

My advice is to keep a journal and learn to speak the jargon. I do feel lousy on the medication but I guess it's the price one pays for limiting the seizures frequencies.
I hope this has been of some use.
:)
 
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Hello Nicholas

How are things going for you, I hope all is good, still thinking of you.
 
Hi Liam. Early days. Still sleepy most of the time. Trying to take a day at a time. Thank you for asking :)
 
Hi Nicholas.

How are you doing coming off the clonazepam?

I take clonazepam along with dilantin.

I have been on all the medic. out there but these are the only two that has my seiz. under control.
I only have a seiz. if I'm given anbtio. or take something over the counter that reacts to my E.
 
Hi jyearta.

This is week two. off of my day time Clonazepam, down from 4mg to 3mg at night.
Pregabalin 2 x 25mg day time as last week. upped to 50mg from 25mg at night. This arrangement will continue next week until my GP comes back from her holiday on the 20th Aug. Then Clonazepam will be decreased more and the Pregabalin increased.

I'm missing the day time Clonazepam am noon and teatime - I'm getting quite anxious during the day. I'm still so tired and wonder if this is due to the Tegretol 800mg at night. I started the Quetiapine last year around the same time as I started the Tegretol so I never really know what side effects are coming from where.

Bet you wish you never asked now haha!

How much Clonazepam are you on? I took 4mg at night then 0.5 am, noon and tea time - I didn't think this was enough so kept pestering my GP and this back fired because the GP then thought I had become dependant on the Clonazepam and decided to switch me to Pregabalin.

Hope you are well?
:)
 
Hi Nicholas! Im sorry you are feeling so anxious. Thats such an awful feeling! Hope there are better days ahead for you!!
 
I hope you feeling better this morning Nichol.

I on 0.5 mg. I take 1/2 tablet every 4 fours (around the clock) execpt at 10:00PM then I take a whole tablet. This is a total of 3 1/2 daily.

I have tried to reduce to 1/4 tablet, trying slowly to come off but I couldn't handle the side effects of the withdrawal.

I was 1st. just given 1 tablet of the 0.5 to take at bedtime for sleep by my FP. Then when I went back to a Neur. in 2005 instead of adding a 3th medic. he wanted to me to try adding more clonaze. so 1st. I try every 6 hours, then every 5 hr., then every 4 hours worked along with dilantin.

Before I got onto this combination my seizure were getting worse in every way, but with these two medic. my seiz. are under control more than they have every been.

Having said ALL that I do have side effects, but I chose these side effects, so that I can live a more normal life.

I'm praying that all will work out for you.
 
I see - it is difficult jyearta. It's suppose to be easier for me because the GP has introduced Pregabalin, 25mg twice in the day and now 50mg at night. I feel quite well after the evening pills I don't want to sleep.

The GP said 300mg of Pregabalin will control seizures and up to 600mg will work on the anxiety so there's scope to improve things. She said we will do it slowly. I appreciate things have to been done slowly but I'm still missing the day time Clomazepam and become anxious.

I see her on the 20th when she is back from her holildays - I'm hoping then for an increase in the Pregabalin. 12 days and counting till I see her.

It must be difficult for you - breaking them down - I hope your are managing.

:)
 
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