u/ExploringPharm

Pregabalin vs Benzos withdrawal

I ve been taking 225mg to 300mg Pregabalin daily for my hip nerve pain for more than 3 months.

I firstly started when tapering off Ativan/Lorazepam and it helped benzodiazepine withdrawal a lot but I am aware I just exchanged a dependency for other

I heard some people saying Lyrica withdrawal is worse than benzodiazepine withdrawal but judging by pharmacology it theoretically shouldn't be??

What is your experience?

I can really tell you this drug works for some and be miserable for others due to our unique brain chemistry.

I also made a post about how low dose Abilify can help when quitting stimulants like amphetamines after a long time (maybe recreational or pure ADHD) coupled with Bupropion (can t find a better drug and Bupropion is pretty good when used sporadically bcs it s not a real stimulant)

It s more complicated than Abilify is depending on endogenous dopamine and dose to either raise it or block it. I can make an essay about it and still not sure how it works. On paper at least it sounds more than promising

I had all side effects like akatishia and lack of motivation when I started it because my doctor jumped to 15mg from the begginging for psychosis.

I m still controlling the akatishia after a year or so on 5-10mg with 40mg Propanolol. It workes wonder. Maybe took a bemzo like 3 times on year

It took 6months of tolerating side effects because I really hoped it s going to be different than Olanzapine, Risperidone, Seroquel and second generation

And then I realized it finally works. Mu dose is currently high because I need an antipsychothic to function but this i s the best. It also even working for depression despite my dose is purely an antipsychothic. Very strange but refreshing.

I can't really detail how it feels it s a very weird drug for me but what rewards me the most is that It took so much time to kick in and I never losed my hope.

You can give it a chance. A long one maybe. Or you can switch. The choice is yours but I wrote this post because the sub is full of negative vibes.

Maybe it needs some to post some success I would love to read it.

I ve been on Effexor for 4-5 years. It would stop working after some months so I had my dose increased eventually at 450mg that s a dose that happen to inhibit dopamine transporters when I had to quit doctor prescribed Bupropion.

I am in EU and this med happens not to be found in some countries for a while then reach the market again. I always had to be prepared in order to quit out of other possibilities like lifting the simple prescription.

That 1. Secondly, my issue with Bupropion happened to be about its antinicotinic effects that although good for quitting nicotine it made me experience anhedonia and lack of motivation. I loved the honey moon though

When I quit I used to sleep A Lot because quitting cold turkey removed any norepinephrine stimulation all of the sudden.But that was it. I eventually switched to Cymbalta and all good so far.

I would come back to Bupropion simply to quit nicotine. I would have loved to try auvelty but it s a shame this drug is found everywhere but not in my country. Pharmacist said they recieve 4 boxes of 30 capsules per limited amount of time

I

I decided to make this post to possibly help others understand how these meds helped and still help me quit stimulants for 10months so far and how they interact with our current brain (after use)

Most of stimulants are either monoamine releasers or reuptake inhibitors. In simple words - > in case of Methylphenidate (NDRI) the drug amplifies endogenous dopamine signaling while amphetamines and Cathinones like 4-mmc (releasers) partially overrides endogenous dopamine regulation reversing the dopamine transporter to release it.

The first phase of quitting is exhausting. especially when you dealt for so long with binging, lack of sleep, overwork OR - > porn and stimfapping. You are basically addicted to 3 drugs at once at this stage and it s harder to ignore the fact you can't do it anymore. But it eventually gets better trust me. Not a cliche, just facts.

Dopamine IS NOT really about hedonic pleasure. Overtime, our brain does not merely ‘seek pleasure’; it learns that certain sequences predict dopaminergic reinforcement (like rituals, when you prepare your dose to snort when then it burns etc) . These sequences become deeply encoded behavioral loops. The ritual itself is more addictive than the high. This is why craving can intensify before consumption and why relapse can occur long after withdrawal subsides: dopamine is heavily involved in wanting, prediction, pursuit, and learned salience, not simply enjoyment or hedonic pleasure.

The person may no longer feel euphoric, yet the reward system continues to mark the drug-related ritual as biologically important. Yeah, terrifying.

Why Wellbutrin helps the first stage: Bupropion’s not really a dopamine reuptake inhibitor per se. Compared to Methylphenidate which is thought to occupy greater than 50% at dopamine transporter sites, Bupropion (at max dose 300mg) occupy 14% to 26%. Not negligible but not really therapeutic if you re looking for a straight stimulant (and you shouldn't (this is not what you re looking for.

Instead, it s a potent norepinephrine transporter blocker. Inhibiting NET strongly automatically and involuntarily affect dopamine in prefrontal cortex only. Venlafaxine and other NET blockers do it too but Bupropion is mostly the authentic one

So The intetesting thing is that in prefrontal cortex this effect is not about reinforcement or reward. Affecting dopamine in PC promotes wakefulness, arousal and boost attention & motivation. This is why Bupropion’s not really euphoric or addictive. It just takes away that depressed part of your brain who abused stimulants and makes you get up from bed and try to live your life, do your tasks, at least 40% normal at first. Note: there is still no enjoyment at this stage. You gotta be patient and quit other strong dopaminergic substances even alcohol will make things worse IMO.

Abilify - > a D2/D3 partial agonist. This is the most interesting and intriguing medicine because it s an antipsychothic but lately it s been more and more prescribed for depression. The reason is not something pharma conspirational or monely related. In fact, it s a good med and let me explain why:

Simple words : Abilify at mid to high doses mostly activate dopamine autoreceptors which inhibit release. This is very useful if you suffer from stimulant induced psychosis, paranoia, voices - > its getting everything quiet without completely shutting off dopamine like 1st and 2st generation antipsychothics. A functional antagonist at its finest.

But this still can be useful at low doses like 1-2mg for those who do not struggle with psychosis. Abilify at this dose does not block dopamine making you feel even worse (actually, it can provide a mild baseline stimulation in pathways that are underactive while simultaneously preventing excessive phasic overstimulation. In practical terms, this means it may reduce compulsive reward-seeking, intrusive stimulant cravings, emotional impulsivity, and dopaminergic chaos without producing the emotionally flattened state associated with stronger 1st & 2st antipsychothics). - > the main reason it works in depression.

Notes:

- Wellbutrin in my opinion should be taken short term, the first phase is the hardest. You deserve all the help you need and this meds really provides it but its metabolite Hydroxybupropion is a non competitive nicotinic antagonist and long term can blunt dopamine release. It becomes useless to use it long term. I tried and failed. I learned to use it short term and then finally switch to other med that affects NET too - > Venlafaxine or Duloxetine.

- Abilify is sometimes associated with compulsive behaviors like gambling or shopping addictions. It s obviously dopamine related as I explained earlier. The best thing to do is to talk to a doctor first and if it makes things worse, just stop using it. I never had these reactions and they are still considered rare.