My neuro recently started me on an addition of pregabalin, as I have reached the ceiling with Tegretol. I am now on 1200 mg carbamazepine and increasing with 25 mg Lyrica weekly with pregabalin.
The pretty much only side effect of carba - aside from lowered salt levels, where treatment is to eat more salt - has been very low alcohol tolerance. At 1200 mg, I get drunk from 2 glasses of wine, and only drink maybe every two weeks. In addition, I don’t like lots of wines that I used to like, and the rest of them are so boring flavoured, so I hardly ever feel like drinking. Still, I do like to have the odd cocktail or whisky, or a glass of wine at dinner parties.
The question is if anyone out there are on a combination of carba and pregabalin and if they ever have a drink or have chosen to abstain? In the leaflet it said that coma could ensue from mixing pregabalin with alcohol. Not that I believe it will for me, I know I have to be on the safe side.
Another thing is, at Norwegian pharmacies, they won’t even let you have the carba until they make sure you know about the alcohol thing. For carba, I know it is said to interfere in the way that carba loses some effect while your alcohol tolernce lowers. They don’t advice me on that here in the UK, and so they did not say anything for Lyrica either. I wonder if I should enjoy my last whisky tonight or risk the comas in the future, he he.
I too am on the same medication mix albeit a much lower dose(300 mg tegretol and100 mg lyrica). I enjoy the occasional glass of wine:) at least I used to. When I started lyrica even a glass made me feel like I had 4 or 5. I now stay away from it. I say it’s not worth the risk… Enjoy your last tonight.
This is just my experience with adding alcohol into the mix. Maybe others have had better luck:)
If it just that my tolerance is lowered, like with carbamazepine, then I don’t mind having one drink. For me, it really is a maximum of 2 as I never cared for the alcohol in itself. However, no substitute will ever fill the flavour of a whisky, cognac or an excellent barbera, and I would love it if I did not have to give these up.
I realised I could check on google scholar, and I found a couple of studies from 2008 and 2012 that concluded with pregabalin as a promising drug for treating alcoholism. Now, they would not really do that if the risk was pretty terrible for the addicts, I think. I will ask my GP next time I see her.
I didn't drink when I took Lyrica. I was too busy trying to be out of pain.. but I will say recently when I was weaning off of Trileptal and taking Gabapentin at the same time...??? there is NOO way I would have had a drink....I Was Already pretty darn typsy.....and I was glad to be off of the Trileptal finally. As the the Gabapentin makes me kinda woozy by itself. But mostly just tired....
I do miss having an occasional glass of wine tho... Before I used to try and drink some...when I was on Trileptal. And EVERY time ..I would get a headache...like right away. So, I gave up trying to drink altogether.. pretty much...
I don't take the same med I take nortriptyline but I love the taste of beer now that im on this med I don't get buzzed or can't get drunk. It still has a calming effect on me and has even helped when I have some breakthrough pain. Just odd thought i'd throw it in the mix.
I am on 450mg Lyrica, 400 Carbetrol, 500mg Naproxen, and I will have about 3 beers one or two nights a week. I haven’t had any bad side effects. It makes me feel a little better and less pain. I would just do it in moderation and listen to your body.
I am on a high dose of Gabapentin, have been for years and one Halloween I had several glasses of wine and a hard drink and a friend had to hold me up..my first experience drinking with it. Since then, I have found out I can have one glass of wine or beer and be fine, two makes me feel tipsy. I've rarely drank in the last 7 years of diagnosis, but now, when I do, it's one drink, rarely two (makes me feel like taking a nap). Although I remember that it did lessen the pain, even one glass.
- has been very low alcohol tolerance. At 1200 mg, I get drunk from 2 glasses of wine, and only drink maybe every two weeks. In addition, I don’t like lots of wines that I used to like, and the rest of them are so boring flavoured, so I hardly ever feel like drinking. Still, I do like to have the odd cocktail or whisky, or a glass of wine at dinner parties.