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Lyrica...Whoa never again

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Posted 11/24/2014 5:22 AM (GMT 0)
I was given samples of 75mg Lyrica, BID to take until I get my PA.
I started at just once a day, felt floaty, a bit off balance but ok at night.
Last night I started it twice today....
I couldn't not get out of bed, or even open my eyes because I was SOO dizzy. My body kept having random muscle movements I could not control. I stayed in bed and slept off and on until 9pm, when the med finally must be out of my system enough to function.
I've never been drunk but I wonder if thats what it feels like?
the muscle movements, and the way I couldn't hold my head up wear scary.

Thing is, THE BURNING IN MY ARM WENT AWAY....so it helps, but I can't tolerate it.
I'm hate the medicine change and search game.

anyone experienced such things?

When we looked up side-effects I had almost all of the "rare"ones.

Plus, I chose not to take any of my pain meds so not to alter myself anymore than was already going on, so now I'm awake and in PAIN.
Posted 11/24/2014 3:28 PM (GMT 0)
When I took it I was crawling out of my skin.  I could not keep still and my mind was racing, had weird dreams.  Restless leg was so bad my wife wouldn't sleep in the same bed.  It didn't do much for me either so I got off of it, never again.  Cymbalta was even worse.
Posted 11/24/2014 4:12 PM (GMT 0)
Lyrica and Gabapentin both made me feel terrible -- very dizzy, tired, nauseous... and yes, it was not too far from being drunk -- not the good drunk, but the ready to puke drunk.

Like jpjr50, Cymbalta (and Savella) were horrible. I couldn't make it through the titration in either case.
Posted 11/24/2014 5:32 PM (GMT 0)
I had a lot of vomiting and worsening of my depression plus weight gain when I was on lyrica. I got switched to gabapentin which luckily works for me.
Posted 11/24/2014 8:27 PM (GMT 0)
Your having a reaction to lyrica and you need to note this down when you talk to your doctor, don't take it again...
I had extreme vomiting on the lyrica so bad I almost ended up in the er dehydrated it was the worst 24 hours ever...
Posted 11/25/2014 12:29 AM (GMT 0)
whats frustrating is my PM is more than willing to LOAD my body these medications that are way more mind/body altering than any pain medicine ever has been for me, but in the middle of surgery recovery are taking me off all my pain meds. At least with the pain meds I can walk, talk, hold my head up, FUNCTION!
3 months ago they were more than okay with prescribing oxycontin or opana, until i needed them to do a little work to get meds approved.....(sorry will stop the rant before it gets out of hand)

I called today(of course no returned call), and will not take it again, at that dose at least. I'm willing to try the 25mg maybe once a day to start because it really did make that burning feeling stop. But it was really frightening. I lost all balance, coordination, and had the most random movements; it was like my abdomen,arms, and head all contracted and let go. I also cannot tolerate neurontin for dizziness and sleepiness. Cymbals I did okay with(in the past for depression) until i got to 90mg and then I got weird muscle spasms. This requires a PA too, but i may ask about it as well.
I was able to calm those with Frankincense oil, and luckily slept through most of it. I just couldn't get out of bed at all. Bathroom breaks were horrible, and required the help of both my parents.
Posted 11/25/2014 10:42 AM (GMT 0)
Usually one of those types of meds will be the Only one we can take and the rest will have severe side effects. Now all even the one we end up tolerating will show some side effects lightly until we get adjusted to it but when you find the right one it's worth its weight in gold. The difference and concern over the two class of meds is the one has immediate effects and the concern with narcotics is long term use and effects. Believe this narcotics are destructive on brain cells,kidney function and yes your liver and that's something you can't live with!! Getting out of pain now and for years when your younger could cost you much more pain and suffering in the years to come. The majority of narcotics are processed through your liver and stored and passes out through your kidneys, hence U/A for tox screening, and that's the concern of Dr's with long-term use.

Borrowing from Peter to pay Paul.
Posted 11/25/2014 2:15 PM (GMT 0)
A little more than one year ago, my then new at time PM doc put me on Lyrica and I had the worst nightmares... And they did not stop during awake hours. Horrible, horrible thoughts and I was very suggestable, not a good mix at all. I stopped the Lyrica after about two weeks of misery and he started me on Gabapentin. I titraied up over two weeks (I honestly don't remember the dose) and I got to the point where I had difficultly walking and speaking. I could fall asleep at any point during the day, I simply was not functional. After about six weeks I told the doc that it was not helping and the side effects were too much to tolerate so he said to just stop the gabapentin and I would be fine, back to "normal" in a couple of days.

Those few days turned out to be a living hell. At one point, I was sure I was going to die of a heart attack. Absolutely the worst mental state I have ever endured. I did post my experiences here after some others discussed withdrawal problems with Gabapentin, problems that the professionals said we should not have.

I know this May sound strange but I'm sorry to hear that the Lyrica helped... Because now your doc will try and find a way to get you on a substance that is a) very expensive and b) not tolerated well by you.

Good luck with the new meds and here's to a low pain good day for all!
Posted 11/25/2014 2:50 PM (GMT 0)
I couldn't tolerate any of the meds mentioned above, except gabapentin, at anywhere near an "effective dose." Gaba helped a tiny bit for a several months after I very slowly got up in dose, but then came the apnea episodes. I stopped breathing and couldn't move for so long I thought I'd pass out and die.

Don't stop gaba cold turkey like I did. I was too scared to take another dose, but I suffered horribly from withdrawal. I wasn't even anywhere near "effective dose" on it either.

This story might help some of you:
I know my "burning in my arm" is from a pinched nerve in my neck. The pain is in my bicep muscle (also in my trapezius), and I had the exact bicep pain before on the other side. I had a lumbar injection that traveled up the spine channels to my head and gave me some double vision, so I had to stay on my tummy extra long until it cleared enough to sit up. When I did sit up, I noticed, after a few minutes, that the pain in my bicep was gone! And it's stayed gone!

Since my crushed C3 vertebra surgery I've had the same pain in the other arm. It's actually a constant muscle spasm and is helped some, temporarily, by passive PT stretching. But my insurance stopped my PT after only 10 visits, so it's hurting again. A lot. I can get it stopped with muscle relaxants, but don't tolerate any but diazepam, which my docs don't want me to take.

I'm still looking for a muscle relaxing med or something for my chronic, constant muscle tightening. I have to keep my morning pain meds by my bedside. I stretch everything I can before getting up. I stretch the bicep while I'm here typing. I wish I could do the stretch like the therapist!
Posted 11/25/2014 3:33 PM (GMT 0)
Gabapentin, 800mgs x3 a day, was an awful experience for me. I didn't have the dizziness or sleepiness issues that you guys are reporting (which my doctor found odd too), but I had AWFUL panic attacks and nightmares. But the worst was, and maybe this is a bit of a TMI, the, ahem, intimacy problems that gabapentin caused! I couldn't orgasm at all and I had no libido. As a young person in a long term relationship, this is clearly a problem.

Detoxing from gabapentin was worse. I was dizzy and sick all the time. Like Litespeed87, I felt like I was going to have a heart attack. I have POTS and my heart kept racing. It was awful and lasted for weeks. Worst still, the medicine did absolutely nothing for my pain, so I went through all of that for nothing.
Posted 11/25/2014 3:53 PM (GMT 0)
Hmm, I have really good results from gaba. I'm sorry to read about these terrible reactions you guys have had from it! I'm on 1800 mg/day now and wish I could increase it because I really do think it helps my pain.
Posted 11/26/2014 2:58 AM (GMT 0)
B2L - FYI max dose on Gaba continuous is 2400mg/day. I have taken 3x that much, started on accident but kept it for a period of a few months. IT is so asymptotic between 1800 and 2400 though dont expect big improvemets, you can only utilize so much no matter how much you take. I'm on 2400 because I am barely functional, I dont recommend it on the principal nvrthesame gave.

I too had bad effects on Lyrica, the dreams were bad but it erased my short term memory to where I was babbling and couldnt remember what I had just said. I would definitely suggest you have it put on your allergies list so they dont keep trying to put you on it. Gabapentin has been my best friend for 15 years now. Stopping it cold turkey is definitely a bad idea as it puts you at significant risk for seizing.

If you have a very specific pain, like burning in your arm, you might look into EMDR for it. Not trying to sell it or anything, but I have a thread on it that I am going to go search for and update. It has helped me with some very difficult but specific pain in my shoulder that really no medicine could, with a weird exception of the lowly salonpas patch. Its cheap, works or doesnt immediately, and has no side effects because its just a mental exercise.
Posted Today 3:26 PM (GMT 0)
Lyrica was a mess for me...it was for post shingles pain and made me forget what I was doing. I was sure I lost my wallet but it was under my winter hat in my car. I planned on going back to the store and put my hat on and it was there!

Also thought I lost my keys and locked the door to my car. Had the gas station call for a tow and then found the keys in my pocket.

It is true that pain itself can mess up your head BUT NOT THAT MUCH.

I am allergic to drugs and have to be very careful. I love my Mobic or meloxicam. When you find the right pain pill it is great but a difficult process to go through.

Good luck all.
Posted Today 3:27 PM (GMT 0)
Lyrica was a mess for me...it was for post shingles pain and made me forget what I was doing. I was sure I lost my wallet but it was under my winter hat in my car. I planned on going back to the store and put my hat on and it was there!

Also thought I lost my keys and locked the door to my car. Had the gas station call for a tow and then found the keys in my pocket.

It is true that pain itself can mess up your head BUT NOT THAT MUCH.

I am allergic to drugs and have to be very careful. I love my Mobic or meloxicam. When you find the right pain pill it is great but a difficult process to go through.

Good luck all.
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