Lyrica questions

Hi Backtolife:

I was on Lyrica for a couple years. The medication is used to take pain out of nerves. For me it was to help with my Fibromyalgia. The only reason the Doctor took me off was due to weight gain. I did also ask my Doctor about info I found that suggested that the med might cause more nerve damage if used for long term. It is a relatively new medication. My Doctor did not think it was unsafe to use and not likely to cause long term damage.

If you look online you can find mixed reactions to the medication. I started taking it with a small dose and you gradually increase to get to the higher allowed doses. I truly did not feel any really bad effects from the medication. I did not feel "high". I do have nerve damage. I get terrible flare ups of pain on windy days. While on Lyrica I could feel the meds or my nerves, like a buzz. Not pain really. When I think back while on the med when I went to bed I would feel some small twitches. They I would go to sleep.

I had to be taken off slowly. It does cause withdrawal symptoms. I had some but it did not last long. Chills and itching. Once off, however, I began to get terrible nerve spasms in my back and behind when I was trying to sleep. I tried getting outside for fresh air, drinking milk and honey before bed etc. I did not buy any supplements. I was told that I could increase my Muscle Relaxer (Baclofen) for the nerve spasms. I did, but it didn't make them stop. I ended up seeing another Health Professional for jaw pain. I saw this Doctor before. This time it was explained that I have Neuralgia. I took Nortriptyline prior to Lyrica. Came off to go on Lyrica. I was put back on Nortriptyline for Neuralgia. It is not perfectly helping the Neuralgia but it has stopped the nerve spasms. Most nights I get a deeper sleep. Additional pain can of course impact sleep still.

Chronic pain for 12 years. I did not have a good response to the Fentanyl Patch, Oxycontin or Topamax. Lyrica was helping me with limited side effects. It did not stop all the pain but it stopped some of the pain. I never know I felt better until I feel worse.

Good luck to you.

Loring

Osteoarthritis in Multiple Joints, Fibromyalgia, Neuralgia, Chronic Daily Headaches, I.B., Hard of Hearing...

I've only been on Lyrica since June 2014. It did not make me "high" when I first started taking it, in a sense that I think "high" is. However, I do call it my stupid drug. I'm talking common sense went out the window when I started. I made a lot of accounting mistakes for our business but thankfully that was easily fixed after I became used to the drug. I can say that there is a feeling of contentment when I take it though. It does help with some of the nerve pain I have but what it actually helps for me is the tingling and buzzing across my skin I feel.. My leg & foot are completely numb except for back of thigh and it feels like leg and foot are in a vice grip. Lyrica does nothing for that. Sometimes, I feel like I'm walking on sharp knives but I don't know if Lyrica helps that because its so random that I have the sharp knives feeling. Hope some of this is helpful. But remember everyone reacts differently,
Sorry for rambling, I should be asleep since I have a migraine.

I first was on neurontin and didn't do well because of the brain fog and it made me mean and irritable. Switched to lyrica and some side effects that went away after a few weeks. I don't recall feeling high but rather light headed and the fog was there but far less then on neurontin and didn't last but a week or so. It has helped a lot with sciatica flares in number not so much intensity of the one's I have.

Just as with any other med It is individualized as to outcome of therapy and how well it does or doesn't work.

I tried it and it didn't do anything for me except weight gain, dizziness, dry eyes, eyelid tic, and extreme sleepiness at 50 mg.

I think it might help some people with peripheral neuropathy or maybe fibro. It didn't help my fibro and it didn't help my central nerve pain at all. I don't have peripheral nerve problems. It just feels like it because of damaged nerves in the neck.