Experience:Pregabalin (2,625 mg, oral) - Pharmaceutical Sunshine

17:00

Setting: Room in a nice, modern shared house in a medium sized rural town. Room has full length windows at one end, with doors opening on to the garden.

My mindset's pretty good. I've had a reasonably productive day and enjoyed some social interactions. That's a vast improvement on the last week, during which I've been going through a down phase with lots of anxiety.

I'm prescribed Pregabalin QDS legitimately, for severe GAD, and take it responsibly most of the time. I just don't take the full dose sometimes, so I have spares to play with. It's an absolute lifesaver to be honest, it's turned my outlook around completely, and silenced the needling critters in the back of my head.

1,575mg may sound a risky dose, and to many it would be and I'd not encourage it. In my case it's not as dumb as it sounds. My physiology is ridiculous for its ability to chew up any substance known to man. In addition, up until about a month ago I was taking 20-30g or more of Phenibut daily, and the drugs are so similar in action that the cross-tolerance with Pregabalin is pretty much 100%. Either way, this isn't my first time being a bit flexible about the doctor's 75mg QDS instructions, so I know what I'm doing.

As an aside, coming off the Phenibut wasn't much of a problem at all. I've read some mad warnings and stories about withdrawal from it. I read someone claim that it was worse than wd from alcohol or heroin, and someone who'd experienced all three laugh at them and tell them not to be so absurd. I can't comment on the skag, but I'm in AA and have detoxed off drink countless times before I finally got permanently dry. There's simply no comparison.

Those scare stories, well meaning though they may be, are actually very damaging. Google "Nocebo" if you don't know what it means. That's exactly what we have here. If you drill it into someone's head that they're going to have a absolutely horrific time of it, then guess what? They're going to have an absolutely horrific time of it. The mind is a powerful thing.

I took 1,050 at 17:00, and an additional 525mg at about 18:00. I've actually got another 525 sitting here which I'm undecided on as yet. I've no idea why I split the first two doses really.

So, it's now 18:51 and I'm starting to feel some effects. I've also had a couple of joints but I'm capable of distinguishing the effects of one from the other. The pregabalin is giving me some mild *physical euphoria*, to use the definition on Psychonaut wiki - "feelings of pleasure and comfort... the coziness of a comfy bed". Stretching is more pleasurable than normal. I'm quite stimulated, I can certainly feel that effect in my my urge to write this itself...

Time for a piss and a rollie. I may jazz the fag up a bit...

My coordination and balance are slightly off at this point, but it's not unpleasant. It's quite fun to be honest. My judgement's probably questionable, because I'm seriously considering that additional 525 now...

Other effects at this point are a minor difficulty with micturition, and a dry mouth. Nothing patience and a cup of tea won't cure. Micturition. Good word that.

The pregabalin definitely enhances the weed. The stuff round here recently has been crap, and my tolerance is high, but that was very pleasurable indeed. Staying outside for a bit feeling very relaxed, tapping away on my tablet. Some mild visual effects kicking in. Kind of like a precursor to tracers.

Watching Maniac, which seems appropriately fucked up viewing. There was a bit of a music in it though, and that really hooked me. So full volume jungle it is! That tired quickly though. I'm on a borrowed laptop for music at the moment, so a quick hop on to Limetorrents and 1337x to grab some Aphex Twin, Chemical Brothers, Prodigy and The Orb.

Fuck it, it's 20:00, let's have the 525.

Distracted by downloading music for half an hour, so at 20:30 I necked another 4 (not the whole strip, gaze at my self control and bend the knee), so that's 300 on top, totalling 1,875mg.

Music appreciation is well enhanced now. A Prodigy album I've not heard before is on and the bass is starting to hit me like a wave. Which it is I guess.

Eyeing that last 225... hmm.

Big yawn. Hope I haven't just knocked myself out...

I *do* use elipses a lot...

Almost nine O'clock. Meh, let's finish that strip off. Total 2,100. Probably not advisable generally eh? Never mind, I'm grinning at the music. Propellerheads downloading now. Why don't more people know about Decksanddrumsandrockandroll? It's fantastic, especially when you're a bit fucked up.

Very relaxed, but a little disappointed with the effects so far. Peak's meant to be at 4 to 6 hours, so there's still time.

Got The Orb on, Aubrey Mixes. Looking forward to Little Fluffy Clouds. Joint time with that on I think.

21:30 - Plan - Try to have a piss. Finish making joint. Smoke Joint. Make dinner - A homemade spicy bolognese type of thing, egg noodles, and a couple of little sizzler steaks.

21:45 - I may take back the disappointment. I just need to move around to feel it. Sitting writing this isn't the right idea. Let's take a break from logging this, and just enjoy it for a bit. And when it would rain it would all turn, it, they were beautiful The most beautiful skies as a matter of fact The sunsets were purple and red and yellow and on fire And the clouds would catch the colours everywhere... Little fluffy clouds and little fluffy clouds and.

22:13 - Dry eyes, very easily distracted, just monged out really. Having to ration the weed unfortunately. Music appreciation is nowhere near Phenibut. That's an amazing experience when you get it. The effect is on a par with good crystal MDMA. This is much, much milder. Aphex Twin's Heliospan can put you on the ceiling even without any pharmaceutical assistance though. Man, that's just *surging* through me. It's like the rest of my body has an orgasm, and my knob's not been invited.

22:40 - Craving for sweet things. Fortunately, I have Chocolate Hobnobs, Skittles, and M&Ms to hand.

22:55 - Another 525. I know it's daft even as I take it. Not the amount - 2,625 I make it - but the timing. It's too late to be topping up, but there you go.

01:00 - A bit wobbly, a pleasant pulsing sensation in my head and jaw, but competent enough to cook dinner etc.

10:00 - Slept at 03:00, woke at 09:30 (which is a good amount for me) feeling fine. No real after effects other than an expected positivity.

In conclusion, my tolerance appears to be even higher than I thought. I need to use the rest 'responsibly', but maybe I'll give it a go again once my tolerance should have returned to near baseline. One of the more subtle effects is a generally sunny disposition, and that's been present the whole way through. Physical coziness has been very pleasant too.

Nb: I've carefully combined Phenibut with Pregabalin before, and that can work very nicely. You need to be VERY careful doing that though, as they're both CNS depressants, so getting it wrong could result in a coma. I don't drink, but the same applies to alcohol.

Submitted by Raxxy