Lyrica

I'm taking Lyrica. I started November 12th, so I'm not quite 2 months on. They started me on one pill with the option to go to 2 if/when that didn't keep up.

When I got the pills, I felt like my nerves were on the outside of my body. I was jumpy and hyper and all sound/smells/etc were overwhelming. I took the first pill before bed and was laying in bed wondering what would happen when suddenly it was like someone turned the dial down. I had this huge sense of relief. I took 1 pill for a little over 2 weeks. By the end of that time, I was getting rocky again. I moved to two and was worried if this would continue forever - that I would need to amp up every few weeks. I had read online that some people had good luck with Lyrica only to have it stop working after a few months.

I won't lie to you - the first week or two was VERY rocky. I was overtired, couldn't wake up, couldn't think and just plain overwhelmed. I couldn't even drive. My husband had to work from home to take me everywhere.

But, it got better. It was gradual over those weeks, but now I feel almost normal. I will tell you that it does not fix my physical problems from Fibro. I have severe edema at times to a point which makes me cry. However, it does make me much less nervy and less sensitive to every little bumped knuckle etc. (Ever bumped your finger and screeched only to have everyone look at you like you are a freak? Happned to me a lot).

I still have other things going on, but most of them are related to other things I have going on. I do not find that it assists with Fibro Fog. However, I have a subscription for Modafinil that handles the worst of those symptoms.

So far, I'm a fan. The only real ongoing side effect I have experienced is that eating is NOT an option. If I don't eat on time, I get dizzy. I'm a diabetic, so I think that is exacerbated, but it has forced me to be more careful about carrying Kind bars in my purse. That is the only long term side effect for me at this point.

I hope it works well for you. I know some people have not necessarily had as good a situation, but I am feeling pretty positive about it.

Thank you for the answer Jenni. I hope I dont have the problems you have. I hope the Lyrica will work quickly. The Cymbalta only helped my pain for a few weeks and then stopped working so I home the new stuff doesn't do that.

Des, I am just stopping the Cymbalta today and starting Lyrica tomorrow. I wasn't on a strong dosage and I only had it for a month and a half. Should I still ween off?

From what I've read, Lyrica works for fibro because it heals stop those misfiring nerves that tell us we're in pain. It sounds weird since it's an anticonvulsant like you said, but I guess it kind of makes sense.

I would recommend tapering off the Cymbalta. It's never good to abruptly stop any medication.

I found that I was way too tired on Gaba, so I moved to lyrica and was much less tired. Oh, wait, that's not the reason but it isn't help. It made me suicidal. Not a joke, within a week I was despondent and couldn't be convinced that the world wasn't a terrible place with me in it.

Total 180 with lyrica.

I haven't but I absolutely would if it became legal in my state and if I could afford it. But again even with that I would be afraid of weight gain from the side effects ...

I tried Lyrica and didn't last but a few days. It made me feel drunk, I literally could not get out of bed without feeling like I was going to fall over.

I've been on Gabapentin for almost 5 years now and never had a single side effect. It helps a lot with the nerve pain and I can vary how much I take depending on how bad my symptoms are and what else is going on (like current neck/back issues).

Ratoncitta, I try not to worry about the weight stuff but it's something I've struggled with my entire life. about 4 years ago I changed the way I ate and lost 98 lbs over two years.

Since the fibro kicked in I've been less active 30 lbs have creeped back. Plus I'm on amitryptaline already which can cause weight gain. I've been at my current weight awhile now, but it is a struggle. Anything that gives me relief is wonderful, but I know how easy it would be to sink into depression if I let too much more come back.

We all have different chemistries. For me, gabapentin (Neurontin) is a lifesaver. Lyrica...meh. Pretty useless. I have heard that Neurontin doesn't work for everyone, but for those it does help, it REALLY helps. Lyrica is really a verion of Neurontin that has been "tweaked." That's how Big Pharma keeps getting our money. But if it helps, it helps.

I didn't take Cymbalta for years because it is so expensive. Now it's generic, and it's STILL expensive, although my pharmacy charges a reasonable price for it. But it didn't help me. It was pretty much a nonevent, except that it completely took away my libido.

I've tried Lyrica, Cymbalta, Elavil, and Gabapentin. None have provided any relief of my Fibro symptoms. Side-effects have varried from none with Elavil to unable to function with Lyrica (dizzy, horribly foggy, sleeping 18+ hrs daily, shakey, weight gain, etc.). Cymbalta wasn't too bad and Gabapentin just made me kinda groggy in the mornings.

So now I'm weaning off the Gabapentin and it's back to the drawing board to try and find something that helps. I was thinking of asking my Dr if I could try Savella once I'm off the Gabapentin. Though when we discussed it in the past she said if none of the others helped me, it was unlikely Savella would help either, but she's willing to let me give it a try.

Good luck to you and I hope you have better success that I have.

Have a blessed day!
Mari