Lyrica experiences?

awsam007

Kat,

I've been taking 150 mg's of Lyrica for 9 months now. I take it before bed. I love it. I don't wake feeling drugged and I don't feel sluggish all day either. I would recommend it. The only downside is that there's not a generic for it so it's pricey.

Good Luck!

pooby

I never experienced any fog on Lyrica. Your doctor has you on a low dose to start. I had already been on neurontin for over a year before I was put on Lyrica so probably my sensitivity to side effects was lessened. Lyrica was a drug developed in the same family of Neurontin (gabapentin) designed specifically to have less side effects.

The most prominent side effects are tiredness and dizziness. These side effects diminish greatly after the first week or so so you have to tough it out. Also your dosage is low. Personally I don't see sleepiness at bedtime as a negative side effect in fact I wish that Lyrica had a heavier sedative effect at bedtime.

The big plus is that it does help with nerve pain but the dosage has to be increased to the level that is effective for you. For me that was 150 mg in the morning and 250 mg at bedtime. The biggest negative for me was weight gain. But remember I was on a very high level. 300 mg per day is usually the upper limit.

After talking to my neurologist he states that there are three groups of patients on Lyrica. The first group has no weight gain and no increase in appetite. The second group has a large increase in appetite and weight gain follows and finally the third group just puts on weight and no one knows why.

But like my family doctor so wisely says "let's get our priorities straight, first get rid of the pain!!!"

I am now in the process of lower dose of Lyrica combined with Topamax. My appetite is diminished, my pain level has not increased and my mind is not yet affected by the Topamax (Dopamax...lol).

I did have some language side effects from Lyrica at the high dosage like finding words and calling things the wrong names. My concentration was slightly impeded. But remember Lyrica has the least side effects of all these type meds and my side effects were due to a very high dosage.

Prior to these drugs I was sitting upright in a chair all night unable to walk even with the help of my cane because of the pain shooting down my leg. Laying down was agony and left me in a gasping sweating mess. These drugs have changed my life for without them I had no life. NOTHING else had worked!

For me these small side effects were a very small price to pay for the pain relief they afforded me.

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Pooby Gal

mamakitkat

Hi,
I have been on lyrica for about 6 months now, I too was on neurontin, 2700 mgs a day, for a long time so when I was switched it didnt' bother me either. I don't have hardly any side effects, a lil sleepy for like the first hour after I take it. I take 100 mgs three times a day. I get a lil dizzy here & there but nothing that curtails my daily living. I did not drive on the neurontin but I do drive on this, how nice that is. For me it was the answer to better nerve pain control and less side effects. I have nto gained any weight but I have a harder time loosing it. I would have to encourage anyone with nerve pain to at least try it. It does take a week or two to balance out in your system and it may need to have the dosage adjusted to find the right amount to help YOU but it has literally given a big part of my life back to me compared to the neurontin.

Good Luck!

God Bless

Carol

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sandim

I have been on it for 15 months, and have no problems with foggy brain now.
The first few days I did and slept some when it came on but after that, I was fine. The only other times that I got a bit tired with it was for a big upward dosage adjustment of more than 100 mg at a time.
I currently take 200 mg 3 times a day and I still drive.
Sandi

Nikirae

Hi,

I was taking 150mg Lyrcia per day, 75mg at bedtime and 75mg 12 hour later. This so far was the only med that helped my nerve pain, unfortunally I had to get off due to a serious side effect, I lost control of my bladder. I have since been on Cymbalta and now I am Elavil and currently as I type this in a fog.

If the side effect was anything but loss of bladder control I would have stayed on the Lyrcia,cause it actually it worked.

~hugs Niki

Johnathansmomma

Okay sounds like I may be a minority, but this drug almost killed me to be honest. I was put on 300mg a day and totally lost the ability to be coherent, walk, or think. Keep in mind though that my mistakenly mixed it with soma, valium, and loretab. They say that 3 more days and I would be dead. I had been on and off of it for the last year, I refuse to go back on it ever again. I am now 10 days past the hospitalization and can just now think or function on my own. I am trying every other option. I would rather feel the pain than take the chance of leaving my children motherless.

Sorry but it is the truth

Jaime

avglenn

Ive been on Lyrica for a year now and has helped my nerve pains in my legs alot. A few months ago I was having real bad dizzy spells. My general Dr. had me spread out my 150mg doseage to 3x a day instead of all at night. It seemed to help for 3 months , but have had the dizzy spells again & balance probs., and Ive tried taking less mgs. aday for a week and hasnt helped much. So looks like its back to the Dr. maybe my other RX's are causing it too. I take Norco 6x day, but never had any past problems with it ?

pooby

Jonathonsmomma,

Did they not slowly titrate your dosage upward? I can't believe any doctor would start a patient initially off on 300 mg dose. Also when you are taking a mixture of drugs there can be so many interactions it can be hard to know what is going on. I am sorry you had such a hard time.

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Pooby Gal

ktnap

Well, I took the first pill on Saturday night and, so far, I love this stuff!

I noticed I was less tense yesterday. That either helped the nerve pain that originates in my lower back and extends to my foot or it gave me a higher tolerance for it. Plus, I definitely didn't have as much shoulder / neck pain (since I normally am "tensed up" and don't relax during the day very much).

The doctor had prescribed me to start taking 150mg after a week but since this 75 mg seems to help enough, I probably won't increase it, [B]but...

My question is:[/B] Is this a drug that requires you to start taking more and more of it to get the same effect? I noticed in the included instructions it warns it may be habit-forming. I don't want to be addicted to it.

Kat

ibake&pray

[COLOR="Navy"]I took Lyrica and went off of it. I was having trouble with minor bladder issues...dribbles if you will (ahem)....and also I put on about 22 lbs...which is a very common side effect of Lyrica....sigh....[/COLOR]

ktnap

did you gain weight because it increased your appetite and you ate more? or does it just cause indiscriminate weight gain? (perhaps from swelling??)

Johnathansmomma

My doctor did titrate, it was over the course of a year. We can trace back things that now make sense but at the time didn't. Like constant stomach ache. Like I said I think i am in the minority when it comes to this, my body just didn't like the med.


[QUOTE=pooby;3022482]Jonathonsmomma,

Did they not slowly titrate your dosage upward? I can't believe any doctor would start a patient initially off on 300 mg dose. Also when you are taking a mixture of drugs there can be so many interactions it can be hard to know what is going on. I am sorry you had such a hard time.[/QUOTE]

ibake&pray

[COLOR="Navy"]I did not retain fluids with it...thanks heavens for that...I already had fluid retention from the broken back issue. It just causes weight gain in some folks. I didn't notice an increase in my appetite...but the pounds did come on..and they don't want to leave very gracefully either...

If you read the Lyrica literature, it is now listing weight gain as a side effect. It didn't use to list it quite so prominently......oh well. Forewared is forearmed..[/COLOR]

mike37

I was taking 50mg every night and had to quit taking it because of severe, violent naightmares. They were just horrible. I am taking OxyContin 20mg twice a day and have had little problems other than some breakthrough pain and constipation.