Hi Kerry...I am on Lyrica now and my dr just increased my dose yesterday. I agree with the others on saying they should start you out on a low dose and gradually increase. Lyrica dosing ranges from 75mg to like 400mg per day. I am now on 150mg twice a day...it was doubled from 75mg twice a day. When I first started on Lyrica, I felt that *drunk* spaced out dizzy feeling. That soon went away, though, so I guess I got tolerant to it. I don't really feel any side effects from it anymore. My dr did tell me to be sure and space out the 2 daily doses and not take both of them at night, like I had preferred. So that's what I'm doing and I seem fine on it.
I was started on Lyrica a few months ago for my sciatic pain and restless leg symptoms. The restless leg conditiion has totally subsided now. So it definitely helped that. I still continued to have sciatic pain really bad, but I was on a low dose and just increased yesterday. I just had a steroid epidural injection about a week ago, so my sciatica has gotten better (actually just starting to get better today...so maybe it IS the Lyrica and not the injection I had!). I would say Lyrica is probably helping me.
It is expensive, like they say. It is not available in the US as a generic, so you have to buy the name brand. I have insurance but I pay the $20 per month co-pay for name brand drug, as compared to $5 for generic. I think without insurance it is VERY expensive. Where are you, Kerry? By your writing, you sound like you are in the UK? Just curious lol...I'm down in Texas.
I don't know what to say about the dr telling you this is "memory pain". So have you had a MRI showing that your discs are good now? I guess that would be similar to "phantom" pain. That's also just the nerves in the memory causing the pain, when someone has an amputated limb.
Well good luck on the Lyrica and with your pain issues. I do hope it gives you relief! Keep us posted!