Re: Lyrica and weight gain (long)

[Guest guest]

Sumchyk was found muttering these words:

I have tried Lyrica, Topamax and Neurontin. I experienced side-effects with

all of them -- and, sadly, they all worked. So, my pain doctor worked with

me to find a ways to minimize the problems as much as possible. I have to

take some variation of them or I am unable to use stairs/sit/participate in

life.

One of the things we did was dose load at night. Most of the side effects

I have are sleepiness, brain fog, speech issues, and memory problems. So,

it hardly matters if I can't remember a word in my sleep ;-) My largest

dosages are at night. I imagine, if weight gain is a problem, it is

less likely you will eat between midnight and 6 am than noon and five pm.

I also take smaller doses. Instead of taking a 300 mg of Neurontin, I take

100 mg. I try to use the smallest amount of the drug possible -- I can

tolerate a small amount of pain. Plus I found over time the smaller dose

actually took care of it.

I cannot emphasize enough you should work with an experienced pain

management doctor. One you trust and are comfortable with since you may

find these drugs alter your personality and sometimes that is hard to talk

about with a doctor you don't like.

I found I can take low doses of Topamax and Neurontin together, but I

cannot take Lyrica -- I had such a profound negative personality change.

The depression and paranoia was terrible. There was no

dosage workable.

My son, on the other hand can take Lyrica or Neurontin -- but only one of

these drugs at a time. He becomes depressed almost immediately when he

tries to mix them. He ended up taking anti-depressents and Neurontin --

and is now pain free (he has SBO and arthritis).

M.

> I have a few questions with this as well. My doctor

> just prescribed Lyrica yesterday. Neurontin made me

> sick as hell. I lost a lot of weight on it because I

> couldn't eat anything without throwing up or getting

> diarrhea. It was awful. I just lost all the weight I

> gained from having Dylan 3 years ago. I do NOT want

> something that's going to make me put on the pounds

> again.

>

> I took topamax and had to stop when I got pregnant. It

> had some funky side effects, weight loss being just

> one of them. I also had tingling in my hands and

> feet, which was annoying but bearable. I felt very

> much like I had smoked a lot of weed. I was in a fog

> all the time, and though it did get better, it didn't

> go away entirely. I also had this thing where I'd be

> typing away and realize that what my left hand was

> supposed to be typing, my right hand was. I thought I

> was typing the word " see " and I really had typed the

> word lii. Same fingers moving, wrong hand. I was told

> yesterday that it's a pretty common side effect of

> topamax.

>

> I never got to therapeutic dose, so I don't know how

> well it might work. It's worth a try for you, though!

>

> My questions. Anyone ever take neurontin and later

> take Lyrica? Did anyone ever have trouble with

> neurontin, switch to Lyrica and the trouble went away?

> I do not want to go back to the days I couldn't eat.

> Oh my gosh, I had so many bowel accidents, I can't

> even think about it without getting flustered. I need

> to know if someone had a side effect with one and had

> the exact same with the other. Also, how about

> Cymbalta? He's going to add that to the mix if the

> Lyrica works at low dose.

>

> Thanks, , for bringing this up! I can't imagine

> your doc doesn't want to give you something because

> you might lose weight. You know, he could monitor for

> that and stop it if you lose too much!!

>

>

>

>

> --- Filipi wrote:

>

> > Hello Everyone,

> >

> > I had another question for the group. I have been

> > taking Lyrica for the past six months. I have

> > noticed that I have been loosing tone and gaining

> > fat. After my detethering I have lost the ability

> > to run. My coordination is messed up. I am/was

> > very physically active. I started walking but with

> > that my neuropathy seems worse and my toes curled up

> > along with painful ankles. So I don't do that. I

> > didn't swim before but I thought that was my last

> > hope. So I took swimming lessons and now I swim

> > laps 4-5 times a week for exercise. Even with that

> > I can't get back descent shape. I know that Lyrica

> > can make you gain weight. I want to stop the lyrica

> > and try topamax. I realize everyone is different

> > but has anybody tried both? I am concerned that my

> > neuropathy will worsen. My doc doesn't want me to

> > take topamax because it may make you loose too much

> > weight. I don't get it. He will give me pain meds

> > no problem but switch to topamax no way??? I use

> > to take neurontin but it didn't work as well as the

> > Lyrica. Any thoughts?

> >

> > Thanks,

> >

[Guest guest]

,

Who is your pain doc??

goes to the pain clinic at U of C.

Tommi

--- wrote:

> Sumchyk was found muttering these words:

>

> I have tried Lyrica, Topamax and Neurontin. I

> experienced side-effects with

> all of them -- and, sadly, they all worked. So, my

> pain doctor worked with

> me to find a ways to minimize the problems as much

> as possible. I have to

> take some variation of them or I am unable to use

> stairs/sit/participate in

> life.

>

> One of the things we did was dose load at night.

> Most of the side effects

> I have are sleepiness, brain fog, speech issues, and

> memory problems. So,

> it hardly matters if I can't remember a word in my

> sleep ;-) My largest

> dosages are at night. I imagine, if weight gain is

> a problem, it is

> less likely you will eat between midnight and 6 am

> than noon and five pm.

>

> I also take smaller doses. Instead of taking a 300

> mg of Neurontin, I take

> 100 mg. I try to use the smallest amount of the

> drug possible -- I can

> tolerate a small amount of pain. Plus I found over

> time the smaller dose

> actually took care of it.

>

> I cannot emphasize enough you should work with an

> experienced pain

> management doctor. One you trust and are

> comfortable with since you may

> find these drugs alter your personality and

> sometimes that is hard to talk

> about with a doctor you don't like.

>

> I found I can take low doses of Topamax and

> Neurontin together, but I

> cannot take Lyrica -- I had such a profound negative

> personality change.

> The depression and paranoia was terrible. There was

> no

> dosage workable.

>

> My son, on the other hand can take Lyrica or

> Neurontin -- but only one of

> these drugs at a time. He becomes depressed almost

> immediately when he

> tries to mix them. He ended up taking

> anti-depressents and Neurontin --

> and is now pain free (he has SBO and arthritis).

>

>

> M.

>

>

> > I have a few questions with this as well. My

> doctor

> > just prescribed Lyrica yesterday. Neurontin made

> me

> > sick as hell. I lost a lot of weight on it because

> I

> > couldn't eat anything without throwing up or

> getting

> > diarrhea. It was awful. I just lost all the

> weight I

> > gained from having Dylan 3 years ago. I do NOT

> want

> > something that's going to make me put on the

> pounds

> > again.

> >

> > I took topamax and had to stop when I got

> pregnant. It

> > had some funky side effects, weight loss being

> just

> > one of them. I also had tingling in my hands and

> > feet, which was annoying but bearable. I felt

> very

> > much like I had smoked a lot of weed. I was in a

> fog

> > all the time, and though it did get better, it

> didn't

> > go away entirely. I also had this thing where I'd

> be

> > typing away and realize that what my left hand was

> > supposed to be typing, my right hand was. I

> thought I

> > was typing the word " see " and I really had typed

> the

> > word lii. Same fingers moving, wrong hand. I was

> told

> > yesterday that it's a pretty common side effect of

> > topamax.

> >

> > I never got to therapeutic dose, so I don't know

> how

> > well it might work. It's worth a try for you,

> though!

> >

> > My questions. Anyone ever take neurontin and

> later

> > take Lyrica? Did anyone ever have trouble with

> > neurontin, switch to Lyrica and the trouble went

> away?

> > I do not want to go back to the days I couldn't

> eat.

> > Oh my gosh, I had so many bowel accidents, I can't

> > even think about it without getting flustered. I

> need

> > to know if someone had a side effect with one and

> had

> > the exact same with the other. Also, how about

> > Cymbalta? He's going to add that to the mix if the

> > Lyrica works at low dose.

> >

> > Thanks, , for bringing this up! I can't

> imagine

> > your doc doesn't want to give you something

> because

> > you might lose weight. You know, he could monitor

> for

> > that and stop it if you lose too much!!

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > --- Filipi wrote:

> >

> > > Hello Everyone,

> > >

> > > I had another question for the group. I have

> been

> > > taking Lyrica for the past six months. I have

> > > noticed that I have been loosing tone and

> gaining

> > > fat. After my detethering I have lost the

> ability

> > > to run. My coordination is messed up. I am/was

> > > very physically active. I started walking but

> with

> > > that my neuropathy seems worse and my toes

> curled up

> > > along with painful ankles. So I don't do that.

> I

> > > didn't swim before but I thought that was my

> last

> > > hope. So I took swimming lessons and now I swim

> > > laps 4-5 times a week for exercise. Even with

> that

> > > I can't get back descent shape. I know that

> Lyrica

> > > can make you gain weight. I want to stop the

> lyrica

> > > and try topamax. I realize everyone is

> different

> > > but has anybody tried both? I am concerned that

> my

> > > neuropathy will worsen. My doc doesn't want me

> to

> > > take topamax because it may make you loose too

> much

> > > weight. I don't get it. He will give me pain

> meds

> > > no problem but switch to topamax no way??? I

> use

> > > to take neurontin but it didn't work as well as

> the

> > > Lyrica. Any thoughts?

> > >

> > > Thanks,

> > >

>

>

Tommi

's Mom

Chicago, IL. USA

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