My Worst Experience Tapering Off an Anti-Epileptic Medication

I have been told I have medication sensitivities because over the years even the smallest doses of anxiety and depression meds caused increased anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, and horrible GI symptoms when I started or tapered off them. When I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, I started Lyrica, one of three medications available to patients. I have comorbid conditions of migraine, interstitial cystitis, TMD, depression, and anxiety. The neurologist had hoped it would work to aid sleep and lessen migraine attacks. I thought Lyrica would not have the same issues since it is an anti-epileptic drug. I took this from 2007 to at least 2010 and thought I tolerated the medication well. I chalked up all the weird feelings and pain to fibromyalgia.

I felt like a sleepwalker. I floated through a fog most days. I never felt rested. I gained 40 pounds, and exercise became difficult because I hurt all over. My migraine attacks stayed the same, brutal, 10+ a month. Eventually, it was a headache specialist who asked me to tell him why I take all the medications on my list. He said I was overmedicated. He had me taper off of Lyrica when he rightly diagnosed that it did nothing to help my pain and instead added symptoms. I think I was in bed more than out of bed those years.

I have always had difficulties titrating down off psych meds, but this anti-epileptic drug was just like them. I became just as anxious, depressed, and thought of committing suicide. My headache specialist and the rheumatologist told me that they had not had a patient who wanted to commit suicide getting off Lyrica, but neither questioned me. They worked to help me get off the medication smoothly. My church family prayed over me the day I thought I wanted to die.

Months later, I had dumping syndrome after I discontinued Lyrica and lost weight quickly. I would eat and then have GI issues. Then I had a hypertensive crisis. I think I had very high blood pressure for some time, but Lyrica masked what I thought was just normal for me.

Back then, I reported the suicidal thoughts that came with tapering off Lyrica, but the company called a doctor who used to prescribe the medication to verify. He, of course, had no record of my reporting symptoms since he wasn't the most recent prescriber. They didn't take my word for it. I explained the error but never heard back. But one day, I saw an ad that said patients may become suicidal while on Lyrica and thought, "I knew it wasn't just me."