Pregabalin and Dizziness: What Users Say

• Ann...
• March 9, 2021

Pregabalin for Neuropathic Pain "Taking Lyrica for almost 2 weeks now at 50mg 3x per day and have had no change in how much pain I’m in. Doctor prescribed this without even looking at me. The side effects are so intense, and there are too many drug interactions that come along with it. I have had the worst brain fog, I forget the most simple words, and you lose the ability to speak properly. Always drowsy and dizzy, feeling of being drunk or high. More pain is also a side effect I seem to have. Definitely would not recommend this drug to anyone."

• Cha...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 12, 2014

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "Lyrica has been incredible for my anxiety! Within just a couple days, I was running errands without needing to have someone with me due to anxiety. I was doing chores, which I often delayed without a second thought, and I was enjoying my life and time with my children. I was prescribed pregabalin for fibromyalgia pain, and I can't say I've noticed a difference with pain, but it has done everything for my anxiety! I am way less irritable and moody and feel like I can actually enjoy living a happy and complete life for once without worry, fear, or nervousness. I went from being a procrastinating homebody to a normal-feeling, confident person! My side effects have been blurred vision, sometimes feeling a little sleepy, and dizziness. It's 100% worth trying!"

• mt0...
• August 11, 2015

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I'm 63 and have struggled with depression and anxiety, starting at age 30. In late March 2015, a significant life event occurred that sent me spiraling downhill. Extreme anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts. The worst episode ever. Dr. prescribed 150mg Lyrica. I began taking it on June 11. By noon on June 13, I felt incredibly good, invincible, euphoric. Weird in that I just felt SO GOOD, almost too good. Then side effects hit. Bad dizziness, but still felt good mentally. Cut the dose to 100mg. Over the next 2 weeks, side effects resolved themselves. No weight gain. The artificial high dissipated. What I'm left with is this...NORMAL LIFE. Lyrica gave me my life back. Pray it works for others as well as it's worked for me."

• CSa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 21, 2019

Pregabalin for Fibromyalgia "The first time I took it, I became a little dizzy, but I haven't had that problem since. This is an absolute miracle drug. I have fibromyalgia, and there are days when moving hurts to the point of tears. I also have severe back pain for which I was on narcotics, and at age 20, I'd rather not take them. Lyrica gives me energy, and I'm able to be a mom, play with my 2 babies, and get things done. So thankful for this medication! It is very expensive, especially without insurance ($568 for 60 pills that are 75mg), but with my insurance and a savings card, I only pay $4."

• Lis...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 22, 2020

Pregabalin for Neuropathic Pain "I recently had a rib resection due to a bone disease and was put onto Lyrica. The first two days in hospital, my feet swelled, and my mouth was like a desert, and I was having nightmares. After my first night at home, being on Lyrica for a total of 8 days, I will never take Lyrica again. I had the most horrific hallucinations, lost all balance, couldn't be reasoned with, and couldn't sleep for 72 hours even after stopping it, and also losing all my peripheral vision for that time. My saving grace being my husband who got me to medical help as fast as possible. It took about 1 minute of talking to an emergency doctor to know what was happening."

• Jja...
• December 9, 2019

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "This has changed my life quite literally, from the anxious, shy, and introverted person that I usually am, with difficulty showing or sharing my emotions. I have become the person I know I am or was before I realized I had GAD. Yes, you do get high side effects, but do not misuse this drug. Take it for what you need and maybe you will have the same outcome as I am experiencing. It can be quite addictive, so again be careful and do not mix it with alcohol as it can increase the effects by at least x10 in my experience: dizziness, nausea, and unstableness. I hope this helps. As I said, I am a really bad sufferer of GAD, and this has really helped me become myself again."

• Ger...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 22, 2019

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "Not sure if it's too early to be sharing my experience with Lyrica, but there are some important things you should know. I started about a week ago with 75mgX2, one in the morning and one in the evening. I also take 150mg of Effexor and 15mg of Remeron, both in the evening. The Pregabalin was stronger than I expected (I'm a big man, 120kg) and I experienced some dizziness. When I drank 3 beers (3x 0.5 Ltrs) one evening, I had some heavy suicidal thoughts the next morning. I stopped taking Lyrica after 3 days because of the suicidal thoughts. On the fifth day, due to my intense anxiety, I decided to take just 75mg in the mornings and cut out all alcohol. This seems to have worked as I have far less anxiety and I am more social, but it's too early to say. The other side effect I experience is overeating. I suggest you begin with the lowest dose of this drug as you never know what to expect. Merry Christmas and a HAPPY 2020."

• AJS...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 13, 2023

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I'm a 45-year-old mum of two, and I have been suffering from obsessive thoughts and GAD for over 20 years. 14 years ago, I was put on 20 mg of Paroxetine by my psychiatrist, and I improved a couple of months later after taking it. My life has been good with up-and-down situations. 3 months ago, when my anxiety came back after I contracted bad flu, I started to feel anxious with dark obsessive thoughts every morning to the point that I couldn't cope with anything in my life. My GP prescribed me 40 mg of Propranolol, but it only slowed my heart rate, and I still wasn't good enough to function. After talking to my psychiatrist, he prescribed me Pregabalin 50 mg twice a day, and OMG, I started to feel brand new almost immediately! What a life-changing medication! I felt dizzy, and my vision was blurred at the beginning, but as days went by, the symptoms started to wear off. No anxiety, no dark obsessive thoughts! Life is good again! Recommend to everyone with anxiety and depression."

• Okg...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 6, 2014

Pregabalin for Fibromyalgia "I was taking Xanax to calm the muscle spasms and Tylenol 3 for severe pain. This combination worked, but I was terrified of addiction. Now taking 75 mg Lyrica 3x a day. Pain almost gone after two days, but I'm dizzy, falling down, sleeping in a stupor for 18 hours a day, weight gain 7 lbs a month for 5 straight months, can't remember vocabulary, feel dumb down."

• Ori...
• December 15, 2019

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I have spent this past year being very depressed with severe anxiety. It seemed like whatever med the doctor wanted to try on me for my anxiety didn’t work. The antidepressant, Celexa, was supposed to help with GAD but as far as I’m concerned, I believe it made my anxiety worse. My anxiety became very crippling. I asked to be taken off Celexa and put on Prozac recently. He made the change for me and said he wanted me to try Lyrica for my anxiety since the gabapentin and clonazepam I was on didn’t work well for me. I tried the Lyrica at 50 mg 2X a day that my doctor gave me a script for, and the crippling anxiety was gone and the depression lifted. I’m glad I found something that finally worked for me. I know everyone is different and what may work for one person may not work for another. You just have to find what works for you. My girlfriend can’t take Lyrica. At 25 mg 2x a day, she felt high and really dizzy. So she’s on something else that works for her."

• mis...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 12, 2014

Pregabalin for Fibromyalgia "I have had fibromyalgia for as long as I can remember. The pain was so bad 6 months ago from too much stress that I wasn't sleeping, which made it worse. I had to quit my job, and I would just lay in bed and cry, moving my heating pad all around my body. It was a nightmare. I wanted my life back. I found a doctor to do all the tests and diagnose me. I tried gabapentin first, and did nothing for me, and I was a zombie, so we switched to Lyrica. I take 300mg a day. It's not perfect all the time. Some days I am back in pain. And three days before my period, I'm in a lot of pain. It has also helped my anxiety and insomnia. For me, the dizziness went away after a month. And the other side effects are minimal."

• anx...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• October 17, 2019

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I had GAD for over 30 years, tried all medications, pregabalin works the best, better than Valium. I still get side effects, I can get paranoid, dizzy, and my eyes can hurt slightly. However, it has allowed me to work and feel less depressed. I can get out and do things. I only take a small dose, try to take the smallest dose that works. A higher dose could be no more effective than a lower dose, in my experience."

• Chi...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 29, 2014

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I was prescribed Pregabalin by my GP for anxiety disorder. I am 27 and have had anxiety since a teenager. I have never tried meds before. I have just gone up to 600 mg. I have definitely experienced side effects (blurred vision, dizziness, drowsiness). The side effects do wear off, but it does take some perseverance in the beginning to get to grips with it. I felt 'out of it' for a few days. I definitely feel less anxious. It's hard to tell how well it is working, but I definitely have the ability to look at 'stressful' and 'anxious' situations with far more clarity. I am a designer and I always worried if taking meds would suppress my creativity, but in fact - I think it helps me to have more confidence in my ideas."

• Cho...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 21, 2019

Pregabalin for Neuropathic Pain "I have both nerve pain and other joint and limb pain. But even with my injuries, I exercise every day, eat healthy, don’t drink or smoke. Twice I have been prescribed this drug for pain relief. Always being told it's a good drug, how can this be correct when the side effects make you dizzy (what can't stand, can't walk so no exercise). It increases appetite so you then put on weight because you can't prepare healthy food due to nausea. So again, you don't exercise, and it prevents proper nutrition. Beginning to think this is a way of further putting the blame on the patient. You won't be suffering from the initial conditions, but will have secondary medical harm that the medical profession can then blame on the patient. Instead of treating the initial problem."

• Sie...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 12, 2019

Pregabalin for Neuropathic Pain "I tried this drug after recurrent nerve pain from a herniated disc (S1/L5). Could barely get out of bed. My doctor put me on 150mg once a day to start. I went home and took 1 on the Friday night to see how I would react as I'm a truck driver. After 30 mins, I felt like I was drunk. I couldn't put two words together and fell over. I crawled to my bed and had the wildest dreams of my life and woke the next day, swearing I'd never use it again. But after reading some of the reviews, I'm considering trying it again on a much smaller dose, say 25mg. Keep you all posted."

• myf...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 21, 2014

Pregabalin for Neuropathic Pain "Started taking Lyrica due to nerve damage suffered during surgery, 75mg twice a day. It provided relief for about 3 weeks, before pain returned. Have now been on 150mg twice a day for about 8 weeks - no pain, but the side effects are horrendous: dizziness, brain fog, and worst of all is incontinence. So I now have to decide whether to reduce the dose and go back to having pain but no side effects, or be pain-free but incontinent and out of it."

• Tom...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 12, 2015

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I suffer from panic disorder that limits my social interactions to the point that I cannot leave the home or see anyone. I have been suffering from this since childhood. I am now 32. Furthermore, I have been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. I have taken many types of medication including venlalic (venlafaxine) which I have been taking for over 12 years (225mg daily). I was told about pregabalin from a friend and asked my psychiatrist if I could start them. She agreed to start me on 75mg twice daily. In the first couple of days, I felt like I had drunk a few beers as my balance was off, and also things seemed funny to me (in a good way) that soon subsided. Pregabalin has been the best thing I have ever been on. I just hope it carries on working!"

• Blu...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 15, 2020

For Pain "I had swollen discs in my neck from falling off a ladder. Incredible pain. I contemplated suicide to stop the pain. I took a heap of Advil in one day with no help. Steroid injections and a chiropractor did nothing. After 3 weeks of Lyrica at 200 mg a day, the pain was gone. There were definite side effects of dizziness and blurred vision, but it was worth it."

• Wor...
• May 13, 2013

Pregabalin for Fibromyalgia "I have been on Lyrica for almost a year now and can say that it has helped tremendously. I am very active in trying to keep the fibromyalgia pain as controlled as possible and just not been able to get to a plateau of any type. After a rough adjustment period of about 5 wks, I noticed a drastic change in fibro pain. I have gained a significant amount of weight, but over the last three months have been able to maintain. Now I am able to start losing the weight but have to be very careful to not take in complex carbohydrates or sugars in the afternoon or evening. I have gone to an almost vegetarian-style diet and have noticed that the weight just starts to come off with ease but slowly. My balance and vision are the only consistent side effects that I have."

• Mar...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 1, 2018

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I have suffered from GAD for as long as I can remember. I have taken numerous SSRIs over the years which never really worked and came with a host of side effects. After finishing my 3rd round of Sertraline, I visited my GP and admitted defeat. The anxiety had won. At that moment, he asked if I had tried Pregabalin. I have now been on pregabalin for 2 months and have worked up to 2x300mg a day. It is amazing! A bit of dizziness at first which has gone now, and no further side effects at all. I feel a lot calmer, more energized, relaxed, much more confident, and will stand up for myself. I can concentrate better as my mind isn't racing around. I am more sociable and don't dread bumping into people. I take the Pregabalin in conjunction with Propranolol 80mg slow release. For myself, Pregabalin works much better for my GAD than SSRIs ever did with no side effects."

• Twe...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 3, 2014

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I had anxiety and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and tried many medicines before pregabalin. It has been the most effective of all. I would describe my condition as a constant compulsion to change the present moment, no matter what I'm doing. I had only a very vague idea what 'relax' meant. I get what I think is relaxation on pregabalin and just be. The compulsion to change every moment is greatly reduced. For side effects I do get dizziness and if I miss a dose, I can't sleep."

• tf9...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 14, 2019

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "Was nervous about taking Pregabalin for my anxiety initially, as I've never been prescribed with any mind-altering medication before. I can honestly say I'm extremely impressed with this drug, anxiety has almost completely gone. I still get the physical symptoms of GAD (dizzy spells, lethargy) but I find these can be controlled through lifestyle regulation: getting a good night's sleep, regular exercise, eating well, and avoiding stimulants (especially caffeine!) Pregabalin is also surprisingly subtle, I'm on 75mg twice daily and I honestly feel completely normal other than the fact I have no anxiety."

• Tta...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 29, 2018

Pregabalin for Neuralgia "I have been on Lyrica for 6 months for trigeminal neuralgia. At first, I didn’t want to keep taking drugs, so when I felt a bit better, I stopped the med. Then, very horrible pain attacked me after two days. The attack was so unbearable that I had to go to the hospital emergency. The doctor told me that is because I didn’t take Lyrica regularly. Since then, I have continued the med without any break. Sometimes when the pain is increasing, I take 100mg*3 per day. When it is in remission and totally pain-free, I still take 25mg*2. I feel very dizzy and unstable while in high dose. However, I thank Lyrica very much! Lyrica is my lifesaver. Without it, I might have committed suicide."

• Anonymous
• June 28, 2016

Pregabalin for Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy "The nerve pain became so unbearable that it forced me to take Lyrica despite the bad reviews and long list of negative side effects. I was told by many that it worked a lot better than Neurontin with less drastic negative effects. Well, it has eased my pain some, but the side effects have taken my life from me. I'm dizzy at times, my head is always foggy and not clear thinking, I have depression, anger outbursts I've never had before, daily nausea, and am so tired that I can sleep all day and night long and can barely function. Unfortunately, the alternative medications have even worse negative side effects, so what are we supposed to do in order to have some normalcy?"

• Swe...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 15, 2014

Pregabalin for Neuropathic Pain "I am 36 years old and had a lot of chemotherapy. Now I have extremely bad electrical pain in my feet, mostly at night but during the day too. I was taking gabapentin, but I got really sick. I am not sure if it was because of that, but my doctor took me off it and put me on Lyrica 50 mg 2x a day. However, I only take one at night because it makes me dizzy. The one at night works great. The pain before was so bad that I was starting to not be able to drive, but now I am fine."