Hey guys,

I’ve been going through hell and need some advice or shared experiences. I was on high doses of pregabalin (900-1500 mg daily) for about a year(recreationally), with some breaks in between. After moving to the US on Nov 5th, I couldn’t get pregabalin anymore because I didn’t have insurance. Withdrawal hit me hard—nerve pain, headaches, anxiety, depression, insomnia, restless legs, brain zaps—you name it. It’s been a nightmare.

After 20 brutal days, I finally saw a doctor. I thought she’d prescribe something like benzos, but instead, she wanted to put me back on 900 mg of pregabalin daily. I was like “Nope!” since I didn’t want to lose the progress I made during withdrawal. I asked for an alternative, and she prescribed propranolol and gabapentin (300 mg, 3x daily).

Here’s where I’m kinda freaking out:

1. Permanent Nerve Damage? I’m scared my nerves are wrecked forever and that I’ll need meds for life. Is that even possible after using pregabalin long-term?
2. Weird Effects from Gabapentin: The gabapentin helped a lot with anxiety, restless legs, and even calms my nerves a bit. But I still feel head pressure, nerve pain, and other withdrawal-like symptoms. I’ve noticed I crave the next dose and sometimes take them closer together just to feel better. Is this normal, or am I messing up?
3. Dependency Fear: My doc wants me on gabapentin for 6 months, and I’m scared I’ll end up dependent again. I don’t want to trade one struggle for another.

Has anyone else been through something like this? Any tips or advice would mean a lot. Thanks for reading!