Lyrica, a brand name of pregabalin, is a prescription medicine used to treat nerve pain in diabetes and fibromyalgia, and can be used as an anti-seizure medication in combination with other anti-seizure medications. You should stop Lyrica only under the care and direction of your health care provider, but this step by step will lead you through the principles of stopping Lyrica.
Make an appointment with your health care provider to discuss your concerns about Lyrica. If you both agree that stopping the medication is in your best interest, you will wean off the medication over the course of one to two weeks.
Mark on your calendar the days you will step down your Lyrica dose. This will help you remember which doses to take on which day.
Divide your pills as instructed by your heath care provider using the pill cutter as necessary. Placing the Lyrica in divided doses into a pill organizer also helps you remember to take the correct doses.
Contact your health care provider if you experience any dizziness, nausea or other new side effects as you taper down your dose.
Tips
Take your tapering doses of Lyrica in the same way, at the same times, that you took your Lyrica in the past.
Warnings
Do not stop taking Lyrica suddenly, or you risk suffering from nausea, diarrhea, dizziness or seizures.
References
Writer Bio
A writer and professional lab assistant based in Seattle, Kate Bruscke has been writing professionally about health care and technology since 1998. Her freelance clients include "The Seattle Times," KGB.com, Reading Local: Seattle, Nordstrom and MSN/Microsoft. Bruscke holds a Master of Fine Arts from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.