On Lyrica

A long time ago, I was given pregabaline for pain relating to my accident.  It's an unscheduled, unclassed drug in Canada (and the UK) due to its new-ness, but I'm sure it'll hop to Class B or Class C very soon.  Pregabaline isn't an opioid; it doesn't even work on what most people would call "pain".  It works on tingling, burning, etc., which are forms of "pain" caused by damaged nerves.  Because of my chronic tingling "pain", I was given 300 mg of pregabaline to take at night; I now take 600 mg, half in the morning, half at night.

However, pregabaline has some... ahem... interesting side effects.  It pins your eyes, even worse than oxy does.  In fact, people first thought I was taking ungodly amounts of oxy when I began taking the pregabaline in the morning.  I mean, I was, but the pinned eyes and the walk... Oh, God, the walk.  After you overcome the drowsiness, which is a big factor for me, you walk like you're on methaqualone.  Sorta like the stumble of the alcoholic, with a bit of the Largactil shuffle (if you don't know what that is, visit your nearest psych ward and you'll see it) mixed in.  If you've been to a 70's disco, you've seen the Quaalude walk (most probably on high-heeled shoes).  Well, learning to walk on pregabaline is no different.

Oh, yeah, and it KILLS your anxiety.  I thought Valium worked.  Now I see that Valium is just the beer to Lyrica's champagne.  When I wake up in the morning, I take my 300 mg horse pill (the pills are fucking huge, like tetracycline) of pregabaline, and I feel good within an hour.  I've heard of Lyrica abuse... didn't take it seriously till I had the 300 mg pills.

I mentioned this to a particular professor of psychiatry at the U of T, a Dr M., who said, and I paraphrase, "Oh, yeah, they do that.  We use them instead of benzos [benzos are Valium, Librium, Klonopin, and Xanax], because, well, you're smart, you know what they do."

Well done, Dr M.  I no longer need SSRI's from my psychiatrist, Dr R., who's fresh out of psycho school and actually told me to take the pregabaline out of my diet.  Hayull no.  I refuse to take pills that make my dick not work and my head hazy... which is what Prozac does.  And, I quote, there's a chance that upon withdrawal of Prozac, certain side effects will persist long-term.  Plus, the SSRI's only work long-term; you can't take one Prozac when you're feeling terrible, and no pills the rest of the week.

Dr R. actually recommended I see Dr M., who "had more experience".  At the time, I figured, another shrink, same difference, I have experience with Dr R., so I said no.  Now I know he's the professor of psychiatry, plus he practices at the pain centre, and at the hospital... oh, yeah, and he's my fellow countryman.  I asked for a referral immediately.  Too bad when he sees my psycho file he's going to recoil in horror.

"Poly drug abuser".  Blow me.  When I feel stressed out, I take a Valium.  When I get hurt, I take an OxyContin.  When I feel burning in my legs so bad I can't stand up, I take a Lyrica.  That's not poly drug abuse.  That's normal human behaviour.