Another thread on Lyrica

[medic1]

I saw my doc today. He suggested I start Lyrica. Taking 50 mg 3x a day. After reading the posts on this medication I am really leary about starting it. Mostly because of the bowel problems. I am in school right now and there is no way I can take this medication and go to school if it is going to make me go to the bathroom after I eat. I also do not tolerate pain meds that well, if I take nyquil I have to lay down. I am on Ultram 100 ER for my back and hip pain, but have had no relief with the foot pain. At time it is unbearable. However, I also see it can cause weight gain, which I most certainly dont need, along with edema, which I already have in my feet.

For those who have tried/or are trying this medication, do you have any suggestions?

[firesmurf]

i can understand your hesitation and concern given some of the posts on this stuff.i too had a very hard time with Lyrica.the thing is tho,anyones given response to any medication is so very highly individual that there really is no way to know how your response will be til you actually try it.medication response just depends on so many different factors.i do think it would possibly be worth at least a shot,like i said,you will never know how well something(or how bad) really will work for you til you try it.who knows,you could be like alot of other people who have had great results with this.i have to say that despite the side effects i had with this,it was the first and only med i have taken since 03,that i actually felt a definite drop in both my central pain and my RSD with.the lyrica also actually made my RSD swelling go DOWN,and for some bizarre reason,it has not ever come back and i tried this stuff like a year ago.i have had just horrid knee swelling and actually had swelling in the lower leg that i didn't even realize i actually had til after the very first dose,the next morning,the lower leg was smaller than the day before.then the next morning,the knee swelling was cut about half of what that was the day before.why this workd this way,i have no idea,but i never gained extra fluid with it,i actually lost it.

the choice of course is totally up to you,but quite honestly,when trying to control some of the crap we have to deal with,i am usually willing to at least give something a shot to see if it actually would work for me or not,ya know?you can always taper off if this brings too many side effects.what really bothers some people will not bother others at all.i just wish i could have stayed on it as it really did give me some good relief,unfortunetly that was not to be for me.see how it goes.you wont know either way till you just give it a trial run.good luck,marcia

[medic1]

Thanks for the advice. I think I am going to wait for the weekend and try it. Hopefully I will know right away if it is going to affect my BP and if I can adjust to any of the other side effects easily.

[justadildo]

i started it this a.m.......i am waiting to see effects of it also...i decided to start today because weather is crappy and this is when my cp is most intense...we'll see???

[firesmurf]

Good luck to the both of you,should be interesting to see how this goes.keep us posted,K?the more info we can accumulate on this stuff the better.marcia

[medic1]

Justadildo, please post and let me know how it/if it has started to affect you. I would like to know how long it is u r taking it before side effects start. That way I could start taking it with a good guestimate of when to expect the side effects.

[justadildo]

so far okay...i've been "yawney" but not sleepy???...pain not down yet but ad cold sweats gone..brain feels better, i wasn't depressed but kinda gloomy, feel better now...first 2 days i had munchies, but gone now...stool is pretty loose today, but not sure if med or diet?? and i have colostomy so no big deal....will keep you posted

[hendra]

I have been on Lyrica for 7 months now. It helps a lot with the numbing pain especially around the feet area. It won't get rid of the pain totally but it is much bearable. For me, I dont feel any side effect or problem with my BP. I usually take it at night with my sleeping pill to help me sleep better. During daytime the pain usually isnt that bad as I try to keep myself busy with exercises and work. I started out with 300mg and have slowly reduced it to 150mg a day. According to my doctor, Lyrica has less side effect even if taken for long term. It is either he is telling the truth or he is trying to sell me more:D. It costs about $2.50/150mg tab here.

Cheers,
Hendra

[razzle51]

I do know from some people it is a weight gainer and some edema . The n some people it doesnt effect that way . good luck keep us posted

[Karla523]

For me, the side effect I couldn't deal with was memory loss. I was taking a small dose, but still was forgetting people's names and my short term memory was shot! This all completely reversed itself when I went off, so if this happens to you... don't worry too much, it isn't permanent.

My biggest warning is that if and when you ever decide to wean off Lyrica, GO SLOWLY!!! Reeeallly slowly. My dr. was a moron and took me off quite quickly (weaned over a week) and I suffered the worst headaches and vision disturbances that went on for weeks. I am sure that could have been minimized with a really slow taper. I am very sensitive to med changes, which probably played a part in that episode. If you aren't sensitive to meds you might be OK with going faster.

Also, for the first few days on it I felt a little drunk, like the room was tipping at times :) That did pass after a few days.

Good luck!

[maryonwheels46]

I have been taking Neurotin for seven years and it don't help anymore so the Dr put me on Lyrica but I didn't start with 50mgs. I jumped in and started with 100mgs for three days two times a day. Now I am on 150mgs two times a day. I have noticed a big difference. I am not having that severe numbing at night like I did. I hope it keeps working. I am pleased. But it doesn't make me feel druggy or strange.
Mary