Lyrica-- New Nerve Pain Pill

Piano0105

I'm just about to start taking Lyrica, however, I have to start at the absolute lowest dose (25 mg.) since I'm hyper-sensitive to all meds. I'll let you know the results after a few weeks.

mngirl

I started almost 2 weeks ago. I started with 50mg twice a day, but it was too much. So, I have been taking only 50mg at night. I am supposed to increase to 75 mg at night soon and then to 50mg twice a day. My dr. hopes to get me to 150mg a day by Christmas.

I am just getting really tired when I take it.

~Lisa

Gabe30

Piano and mngirl.....

That's great to hear other people are now being prescribed this. Lyrica did make me tired the first week I was on it. I didn't workout and slept more, like taking naps in the afternoon.

I am VERY happy with the results though! I'm on 40mg of MS-Oxycontin daily, 3200mg of Skelaxin daily, Percocet 5/325mg for break-through pain (my PM doctor prescribes me 120# a month and I usually need three of them daily), and now I'm on Lyrica- 150mg daily.

I'm only 27 and I have to take a lot of medication to feel normal. FYI, I'm a retired police officer. I had a severe, right-shoulder AC separation in 2001 and snapped my neck back at the same time and messed up my C-6 disc. I've had a total of 4 shoulder surgeries, at least 100 sessions of physical therapy, numerous surgical procedures in my neck and shoulder joint including epidurals and a lot of trigger point injections. Before Lyrica, I would frequent the ER several times needing morphine and nausea mediation because all of my pain meds couldn't stop the times my nerves "were going wild" and made me physically ill plus horrible pain.

Now, my case is nothing like Dave's (Shorline). Dave is my hero. Love ya Dave!

Blasterboy

I look forward to hearing more report on Lyrica. I had the chance to start it last week, but my Doctor (UK) preffered that I try a historically know drug (Gaba') and see how that goes rather than guiness pig this new one. I getting on well with the Gaba so far and hope it continues, but I know that we CP'ers have to keep open minded on medication progressions and tolerances etc.

Keep posting on Lyrica everyone, nice detailed reports please :-)

Gabe30

Ok guys, quick update here.

I've read and heard that people put on weight who take Lyrica since it's a side-effect. Well, I have noticed the past 5 days that I have been eating more than normal. It's like I eat breakfast at 9am and I'm starving and ready to eat a horse in 2 hours. I only eat 2 meals a day and have a protein shake at night. So, I have put on 3 pounds in 5 days. My energy level is low again and that sucks.

I don't know what to do because the Lyrica has helped me greatly. Probably by my next post I'll weigh 300 pounds.

Oh well, nothing is perfect with these meds. I guess I'll be happy and FAT instead of skinny with pain.

Piano0105

I had a bad reaction to Lyrica. At only 25 mg. once a day, I had very bad stomach pain, bloated feeling, and insomnia. I was pretty tired during the day, but I must have gotten that "energetic" feeling during the night enough to wake me up at 2 or 3 a.m. and not be able to go back to sleep. In addition to that, it made my nerve pain worse.

I've stopped it for the time being -- may try again after the holidays.

mngirl

I was taken off of it on Monday...I couldn't eat a THING! Still can't. I've lost about 12 lbs.

My dr. thinks that it was the Lyrica along with my Lamictal.

Unfortunately I think that it was starting to work too - the nerve in my arm slowly started to feel better, and now I am off it. (See post from the other day)

I talked with my dr today and if I can't eat by Monday we are going to try to figure something out...who knows what at this point.

I am supposed to up my Lamictal until Monday and see if it makes any difference. He asked if I thought it was an ulcer, I said no...he asked if it was heartburn...I said no. I just have NO appetite and when I do eat, I TOTALLY regret it a few bites later. I feel like I need to run to the bathroom to throw up. Not a feeling I love having. Forcing yourself to eat sucks too, especially knowing you are going to feel like that. Luckily I haven't passed out yet. I think that those 3 bites are barely keeping me upright at this point.

I asked if I was going to be down to a 100lbs soon...my dr said, probably...LOL. I am starting to get a little concerned at this point. We'll see how this weekend goes.

My dr said that after we can get my stomach back to normal (he figures a couple of weeks) that I can try the Lyrica again. And this time change NO medications AT ALL and take only a small amount for a much longer time.

anyway...good luck with it, let us know how things are!

~Lisa

Piano0105

MNGirl,

Did you have problems with apetite prior to starting Lyrica? I know that nausea is a side-effect of Lyrica. I wasn't nauseous -- just had a really bad stomachache for days on only 25 mg. Just didn't have the patience to wait it out particularly since I wasn't seeing any positive effects.

mngirl

No nausea until I eat. I have been having issues prior to this that were getting better. I was getting hungry and then when I ate I could only wat 3 bites and then was about throw up - I couldn't even stand the smell.

And now, I have NO appetite, I am forcing myself to eat. I get once again to the 3 bites and it is over. I feel sick the rest of the day. I am about 14lbs lighter at this point.

I was on Lyrica for a week before this seemed to start happening, so it is kinda weird for my dr to attribute this eating issue to the Lyrica, but who knows...

He stopped the Lyrica and upped my Lamictal. And now for whatever reason I cannot stop crying. I am not sure it if related or not, but this is getting too hard to handle anymore.

~Lisa

Blasterboy

Stick with things Mngirl, with a little more time, things will get better. I think we all have times when it seems too much and wonder how it can get better. But it always does at some point, always.

I've been feeling like a good cry over the past few days, wish I could let it out!

witchesway13

Hello, i am also on Lyrica. Following neck surgery for c5-c6, i am glad that i have something with the baclofen to help. I am 32 and have severe osteoporosis and ddd, and spinal stenosis, ..... THIS DOES HELP!! Though i am tired of them saying that this is all nerve pain. I am taking 3000mg of regular tylenol a day and i am still having what feels like bone pain in my neck and spine. I could use something a little stronger. All the docs around here treat me like a drug seeker. I am tired of defending myself. TRY LYRICA, if it can help, so be it.

twisten

I have trigeminal neuralgia. I've tried neurontin and it didn't help. Tegretol helps but I have absolutely no coordination on it and fall flat on my face every time I've taken it. Do you guys think this Lyrica would work for that? I'm in Canada though so its probably not even available up here yet.

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Crohn's disease, scoliosis, chronic myofascial pain, migraines, Osteoporosis, Trigeminal Neuralgia.

Blasterboy

Twisten, it's been available in the UK for a few months, so it's possibily available in Canada. I'm interested to hear if anyone has had success on Lyrica after having no success from Neurotin. I'm taking 1800mg Neurotin at present and getting no benefit (except a big belly.....) So seeing me PM doc on Wednesday and ask to go onto Lyrica.

twisten

Thanks Blasterboy. I'll have to ask my doc about it when I see her again. We seem to get all the new drugs last though, don't know why. The generic fentanyl patches aren't even available here yet.

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Crohn's disease, scoliosis, chronic myofascial pain, migraines, Osteoporosis, Trigeminal Neuralgia.