Anyone taking Lyrica?

Cake4Breakfast

Cake4Breakfast

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My new pain doc wants me to try lyrica, but it freaks me out. Anyone had good or bad experiences with it?
 
Why dooes it freak you out? Because it shuts down your nerve signals?

I'm on it for sciatic pain. It used to work but I'm so used to it now it doesn't have the same effect anymore. My main problem with it is that it will more than likely make you a bit slower and forgetful about certain things. I often forget things I'm about to do when I'm on it. E.G if I go upstairs to put my socks on I might forget why I went up and end up doing something different and only remembering when coming back down. Another common thing is going on the internet to do something, instantly forgetting what it was only to wind up doing something else.

Lyrica is also known to cause depression but I don't think the drug has caused anything like that in me, though mood swings can happen too. In the end though there are side effects with every drug and if you're in severe pain you're going to have to take something. Nerve injuries especially are hard to control with regular pain killers.
 
ZroC said:
Why dooes it freak you out? Because it shuts down your nerve signals?

I'm on it for sciatic pain. It used to work but I'm so used to it now it doesn't have the same effect anymore. My main problem with it is that it will more than likely make you a bit slower and forgetful about certain things. I often forget things I'm about to do when I'm on it. E.G if I go upstairs to put my socks on I might forget why I went up and end up doing something different and only remembering when coming back down. Another common thing is going on the internet to do something, instantly forgetting what it was only to wind up doing something else.

Lyrica is also known to cause depression but I don't think the drug has caused anything like that in me, though mood swings can happen too. In the end though there are side effects with every drug and if you're in severe pain you're going to have to take something. Nerve injuries especially are hard to control with regular pain killers.
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Yeah, the mood issues are a big fear, as are memory issues, fatigue issues, and weight gain issues (for health more than vanity), and I just have a fear of the unknown when it comes to something like an anti epileptic drug. I tried neurontin but I felt so out of it, and depressed. I also tried some of the pain focused antidepressants (amitriptyline, Effexor) with my PCP, but I hated how they made me feel.

But yeah, tramadol stopped working for me, so I might start on a low dose of lyrica at night and see how it affects me.

I am sorry that you are no longer getting a benefit; How large of a dose have you gotten up to?
 
Cake4Breakfast said:
Yeah, the mood issues are a big fear, as are memory issues, fatigue issues, and weight gain issues (for health more than vanity), and I just have a fear of the unknown when it comes to something like an anti epileptic drug. I tried neurontin but I felt so out of it, and depressed. I also tried some of the pain focused antidepressants (amitriptyline, Effexor) with my PCP, but I hated how they made me feel.

But yeah, tramadol stopped working for me, so I might start on a low dose of lyrica at night and see how it affects me.

I am sorry that you are no longer getting a benefit; How large of a dose have you gotten up to?
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I've been on it for the past 2 years now. Started on 50mg then went up to 300mg. These days I have 150mg and just take how many I want to cope with the pain. I'm also on Solphodol and Melfen tablets and tend to throw in some disprin extra when all those work alone. I've asked for stronger pain killers but the doctors just keep telling me to double up on the ones I have. Great thing though, if you're having trouble sitting or lying down the Lyrica WILL fix that.

I've heard diazipam works very well for nerve damage pain but none of my doctors will prescribe it. You could try the Solphodol if you don't mind taking Codeine. It's the only one I feel has the most effect these days. Vallium is also an option.

Also Lyrica can play havoc with your bladder. Bed wetting may not be uncommon. Just saying. Drinking alcohol and taking lyrica at the same time will also give you some crazy vivid dreams.
 
When I took I'd sleep up to 16 hours a day and sleep walk the rest of it.
 
ZroC said:
I've been on it for the past 2 years now. Started on 50mg then went up to 300mg. These days I have 150mg and just take how many I want to cope with the pain. I'm also on Solphodol and Melfen tablets and tend to throw in some disprin extra when all those work alone. I've asked for stronger pain killers but the doctors just keep telling me to double up on the ones I have. Great thing though, if you're having trouble sitting or lying down the Lyrica WILL fix that.

I've heard diazipam works very well for nerve damage pain but none of my doctors will prescribe it. You could try the Solphodol if you don't mind taking Codeine. It's the only one I feel has the most effect these days. Vallium is also an option.

Also Lyrica can play havoc with your bladder. Bed wetting may not be uncommon. Just saying. Drinking alcohol and taking lyrica at the same time will also give you some crazy vivid dreams.
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At what dose did you get some relief? My doc wants me to start at 50mg then go slowly up to 300mg.
 
Honestly man, I hate the bad rep medication is getting these days. I work at a law firm whsoe focus is helping our clients obtain Social Security and VA benefits. I stare at quite a few medical records and take note on the medications there on, dosages, how long, etc.

Give it a go, start off small and youll be fine Whats the worst that can happen (outside allergic reaction), you go through minor discomfort for one day. Fair trade of for all the upside this drug can hold for you.
 
Cake, I don't remember I'll get back to you on it.

Pope, I totally agree with you but remember Lyrica is being used off label.
 
akc814ilv said:
Man...your life sucks worse than I thought! Lol
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and you are a lot crazier than I thought, both for stalking me, and then for taunting me for the surgery related pain issues I had four years ago. my god, you need many, many years of therapy.
 
Not taunting at all. Genuine concern for your well being and the life you have to endure. Take care of yourself my friend!
 
akc814ilv said:
Not taunting at all. Genuine concern for your well being and the life you have to endure. Take care of yourself my friend!
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I will do my best to convince myself you are being sincere. Hope your work week is going well. Best.
 
i take it and i dont notice any differences it doesnt really help with nerve pain but it sure as hell gives you a good buzz and its highly addictive but i could take 500 mg i could take 3000 mg i dont notice anything
its only meant for peple with epilesy and to stop them from getting seizures there is no way to prove it really helps at all with nerve pain
 
Cake4Breakfast said:
and you are a lot crazier than I thought, both for stalking me, and then for taunting me for the surgery related pain issues I had four years ago. my god, you need many, many years of therapy.
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So did you get the pain sorted out then? I've been in severe nerve pain for periods myself and I know how exhausting and demoralising it can be. I hope you got somewhere with it.
 
Codger said:
So did you get the pain sorted out then? I've been in severe nerve pain for periods myself and I know how exhausting and demoralising it can be. I hope you got somewhere with it.
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Thank you for the well wishes, and sorry I didn't see that you responded to this sooner.

Yeah, I eventually broke down and tried Lyrica but didn't get much benefit, and the side effects were worse than they were for Neurontin, which didn't give me much benefit either.

I ended up having a couple of surgeries for the entrapped nerves which really helped, and I use a compounded pain cream that includes amitriptyline, voltarin, and lidocaine, which helps and doesn't slow me down too much cognitively. I never found an oral medication that I felt sharp enough on to use at work, outside of Tramadol, but as I'm sure you know, Tramadol is one of the medications that you need to keep upping the dose to get a benefit, and has its own problems at high doses. Medical cannabis really works for my pain, but I can't use it daily and function like some people can.
 
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Demogoblin said:
i take it and i dont notice any differences it doesnt really help with nerve pain but it sure as hell gives you a good buzz and its highly addictive but i could take 500 mg i could take 3000 mg i dont notice anything
its only meant for peple with epilesy and to stop them from getting seizures there is no way to prove it really helps at all with nerve pain
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yeah, the doc that put me on it was a hot shot at a big academic medical center, she was really pushing me to try it, but it didn't help me, and some of the newer studies show that the vast majority of people do not get a significant reduction in pain while using it, while the majority of people experience negative side effects. I felt fucked up on it, but not in a good way, I just felt drugged, like I wanted to sleep for 18 out of every 24 hours.
 
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Cake4Breakfast said:
yeah, the doc that put me on it was a hot shot at a big academic medical center, she was really pushing me to try it, but it didn't help me, and some of the newer studies show that the vast majority of people do not get a significant reduction in pain while using it, while the majority of people experience negative side effects. I felt fucked up on it, but not in a good way, I just felt drugged, like I wanted to sleep for 18 out of every 24 hours.
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you did the right thing giving me the thumbs up if you had not have i would have even checked this thread because my notifications dont respond to thumbs up

yeah i lost my job becuae of it operating company machinery at night during grave yard shift if you take gabpentin or lyrica ( you are lucky you werent taking gabpentin that is suppose to make you even more sleepey )you should probably take adderall as well.then you wont feel that fucked up . coffee wont do it for you .. welcome to the club its refreshing to see another guy with fibromylgia .. i feel the nerve pain if someone repeats them themselves in a harrasing manner by yelling at me



so ,the cleaning ladies took all my controlled substances like aderrall while i was sleeping and people sometimes joke about cleaning ladies tell me why arent you having sex with them these two from merry maids they were hot as hell and they were illegals ..man !!.. if

i didnt care about them taking lyrica because gabpentin is same thing as lryica
 
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