Re: Lyrica

[Guest guest]

wrote:

>Only side effect for me has been sleepiness. I'm not usually a nap

person, but I have been taking two short naps sometimes a day. But I

needed that anyway, being I never could sleep due to pain. 75mg 2xa

day. <

Short note to add to the thoughts on Lyrica.

I have been taking it for about a year. When I started, it was to

replace Neurontin which was giving me bad psychological side effects.

I stopped taking Lyrica, for a month, in July- and the pain increased

quite a bit. Sometimes it is hard for us to realize that a med is

working, at least a little, when we are still in pain.

I have sleepiness, too- especially after my morning dose. I was

taking 150 mg 3 x a day, then went to 50 mg in am and 150 in

afternoon and at bed. I still had morning sleepiness. I am now taking

150 mg at 10 am and 10 pm, to see if I can avoid some of this

sleepiness. I am tired, too, just from the pain insomnia at night.

Good Luck!

in PA

[Guest guest]

I did the same thing with the Lyrica, in fact I’m

calling to day to see if I get mine increased, It

sounds like we have close to the same pain.

ron patterson

--- angelsabv789 wrote:

>

> I never would have thought that the Lyrica was

> helping as much as it was. I have herniated

> discs/spurs and pinches nerves in spine. I stopped

> for 2 days. The pain was unbelievable.

>

> I re-started the lyrica and immediately got relief.

>

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[Guest guest]

angelsabv789 wrote:

>

> Not allowed to complain or talk about pain or anything

> medical(medicines, surgeries pain management etc. with some family

> (their rules). Wish I hadn't come back to NY till better. Had better

> support elsewhere. Again, Sorry.

Welcome, You can talk to me anytime and I think you decide how long

it takes to say what you need to say. If you feel better after venting

and someone else can comfort you with what they say, it has been worth

talking about. Think about that. You are worth comforting and if your

family feels uncomfortable with the subject, just come here, you are

welcome here.

Bennie

[Guest guest]

Dear Karla,

How many mg are you taking? Lyrica is a drug that should be started out on a

low mg and work your way up to a dose that is helpful. You probably just need

to see if your doctor will cut it back.

Your in my thoughts,

Carol (OK)

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[Guest guest]

lyrica has the same effect on me. I figure its a trade off, pain or tired? i do

not like the other side effects. for me, everything appears somewhat surreal.

when i talk its like it is not me, like im detached from my body. It does help

take the edge off the pain, which is a relief.

ron Pat wrote: It does me the same way but its a

choice of being

sleepy or cutting my pain down some I guess I’m just

going to be lazy for a while

--- Karla wrote:

> This stuff really knocks me out..I am not sure I can

> go on taking it,,I went

>

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[Guest guest]

Makes me tired & loopy.I dont want to give up driving.I live 20 miles

from town & anything happens to my life I would be stuck.

[Guest guest]

I take 150mg 2x a day..That is what he started me out on as well..

Thanks

Karla

-------Original Message-------

Dear Karla,

How many mg are you taking? Lyrica is a drug that should be started out

on a low mg and work your way up to a dose that is helpful. You probably

just need to see if your doctor will cut it back.

Your in my thoughts,

Carol (OK)

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[Guest guest]

--- " Karla " wrote:

>

> I take 150mg 2x a day..That is what he started me out on as well..

> Thanks

> Karla

Hi Karla -

I'm not a doctor, but I was on this med at one time (and just about

every other one in its class at some point!) and this is WAY too high

to start. No wonder you're having terrible side effects. This level

should be the ending dose you work up to over time, slowly titrating

your dosage up week by week. You'll still have some side effects, but

nothing as bad as what you're describing. It may also take longer for

it to start helping with the pain, but it can actually be dangerous to

jump too high in dose changes without titrating with any of the anti-

seizure meds.

Doctors don't know everything, and this is an example of that. Insist

that he lower your dose significantly to start and provide you with the

appropriate prescription to allow you to increase it over time.

Cheryl in AZ

Moderator

[Guest guest]

Thanks Cheryl,

My Dr did admit he was not sure of the dosage and went and checked it out..

Then I saw on here that people were starting at like 75 2x a day..I will

have to contact him about it.. It isn't helping much with pain anyhow, I

hurt so bad all the dang time..

I have FMS, degenerative joint disease in my back and arthritis in my hands

and fingers (fingers looking a little deformed these days)..I feel much

older than 45! Right now I have burning pain across the top of my shoulders

..I have a hot tub, but it's to darn cold to go outside to get in it..LOL.

How pathetic is that?

When they gave me a list of the side effects of lyrica I laughed because I

already have all of them OFF the medication..I asked my Dr how am I supposed

to know if it's the medication or not! He said I would know. I already had

blurred vision (age?), already had balance problems, shoot I fell the other

day (had been off lyrica for a week)at least this new Dr is trying to help,

others have tried to push NSAIDS off on me and I cannot take them..Not

because of tummy trouble but because I take lithium for bipolar and taking

NSAIDS with it would kill me.. The specialists and PCP's were still trying

to give it to me. Dummies..

Karla in WA

Karla

" It's what you do, not what you say, if your not part of the future then get

out of the way.. Mellencamp "

-------Original Message-------

Hi Karla -

I'm not a doctor, but I was on this med at one time (and just about

every other one in its class at some point!) and this is WAY too high

to start. No wonder you're having terrible side effects. This level

should be the ending dose you work up to over time, slowly titrating

your dosage up week by week. You'll still have some side effects, but

nothing as bad as what you're describing. It may also take longer for

it to start helping with the pain, but it can actually be dangerous to

jump too high in dose changes without titrating with any of the anti-

seizure meds.

Doctors don't know everything, and this is an example of that. Insist

that he lower your dose significantly to start and provide you with the

appropriate prescription to allow you to increase it over time.

Cheryl in AZ

Moderator

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[Guest guest]

> 25 mg. is the smallest dose of Lyrica. I took that tiny dose for one

> week and my hands and feet developed edema. That was the end of my

> Lyrica experiment.

> --

> Lyndi

Lyndi,

I got edema just a little and it seemed to accumulate. Last week I

went in to the doctor and weighed and I had gained 17 pounds in one

week.

My doctor had already upped my blood pressure medicine with a

diuretic in it so it wasn't as it I wasn't having some excrement. I

felt the overload also. I had more than 3 plus edema. I looked like

one of those diabetic ladies.

I am really curious what causes the overload. The research I read just says

that it does it but not how it does. (kidney, circulatory etc) If anyone reads

anything specific, let me know.

Bennie

[Guest guest]

Hi,

I sorta did the same thing with cymbalta. I felt like I was doing okay

depression wise, so I thought I would save a lot of money if I went off of them.

My doctor had told me that they sometimes helped people with chronic pain and

that was one of the reasons he put me on them. Also, the fact that I was

depressed.

Wow, I guarantee you one thing and that is they really do help with the pain.

Once I went off of them the pain seemed to get a lot worse. A week later I went

to the doctor and he gave me another script. for them. As soon as I started

taking them again I got pretty much instant relief. My pain level went way

down.

I'm not sure if all of this was just a strange coincidence or if cymbalta really

does help relieve pain.

Carol (OK)

[Guest guest]

I'm not sure if all of this was just a

strange coincidence or if cymbalta really does help relieve pain.

Carol (OK)

>Carol, it is true! The same for me! I went off them year before last

and last Sept. of 07 started back, within a week I was down to two

pain pills a day from 4-6 tablets a day. They increased my dosage in

December and I felt relief but after some edema issues had to cut

back, and I really can feel the difference, way to much.

I don't think it is a coincidence at all. My husband too, that is at

least three of us with the same experience.

It does seem to help with both though, at least for us it does. Have a

wonderful day.

Janet (SC)

[Guest guest]

I don't take any pain meds at all so I noticed right away that the Lyrica was

helping. Especially the longer I take it.

I must be getting more used to it because as of the last 2 days it hasn't been

making too sleepy. However, yesterday when I took my 1st dose of the day, after

a couple of hours I felt " foggy " .

Actually, I felt kinda high. I read that it can do that so, I

wasn't worried, but it was weird because it hadn't done that to me before.

So I just kept on doing stuff and let it relax me. lol I started falling asleep

while watching TV though, and that's a good thing because it was after 9pm and

normally I am awake until 2, 3 am.

But I noticed my arms were not hurting so bad, and my shoulders weren't burning

and still aren't. So it is totally worth it!!!

Karla

[Guest guest]

I don’t know what it is with Lyrica. I have been off

and on it several times in the last 6 years, some

times it does a great job for weeks then it will just

stop helping . then in a couple of weeks it will

start back, At least thats how it does me

Ron patterson

--- Karla wrote:

> I don't take any pain meds at all so I noticed right

> away that the Lyrica was helping. Especially the

> longer I take it.

>

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[Guest guest]

>

> I'm not sure if all of this was just a strange coincidence or if

cymbalta really does help relieve pain.

>

> Carol (OK)

>

Carol:

I am really glad to hear this!

I just got back from my doctor this morning. She changes me from Paxil

to Cymalta. She said this very same thing. I'm awfully glad it isn't

just " advertisement "

Thanks!

M.

[Guest guest]

> I tried that Lyrica that they are advertising and it didn't help at

> all. In fact I was in more pain than before. But I hope those of you

> who do try Lyrica have good luck with it.

I had to stop taking the Lyrica. My weight gain and edema was so bad.

I was having trouble breathing, headaches, and vision problems. At

first, it was fine. I even tried cutting back. It was really hard. I

have been off a week and lost some weight. How long did it take for

the weight to come of from those who went off Lyrica ?

Bennie

[Guest guest]

It took about 3 weeks for all the side effects to clam down.

But now I give it credit for cutting my pain at least about a third, But I was

to the point to where I would have still took it even if the side effects

stayed.

I was well past caring about weight gain and edema. and I was already having

headaches, I could have stood any thing that would have took some of the pain

away.

Ron

--- bennie@... wrote:

In fact I was in more pain than before.

> I had to stop taking the Lyrica. My weight gain

and

> edema was so bad.

> I was having trouble breathing, headaches, and

> vision problems>

> Bennie

[Guest guest]

--- bennie@... wrote:

> How long did it take for

> the weight to come of from those who went off Lyrica ?

>

>

If the weight is from the edema - water weight - it will come off very

quickly. If it is actual weight gain, then it will come off just as

slowly as any weight, and will require just as much work.

I monitored my calories obsessively on Lyrica - never taking in more

than 1800 calories a day and often much less (which should have

generated significant weight LOSS at my size - I'm tall and muscular)

and still gained 15 pounds in less than 60 days. Mine was NOT edema.

It took two more months of that kind of restricted diet to get it back

off again.

I must admit that before this experience, I always thought people who

said they gained weight on a med were just not paying attention to what

went in their mouths. But now I realize the med really can make a

difference, beyond just making you more hungry so you eat more. I ate

a lot less and still gained weight. It must mess with our metabolism

something crazy to do that.

Plus, I gave Lyrica a full six-week trial and it did absolutely nothing

for my pain; I never got over the severe dizzyness which made it

impossible for me to drive or work; and even after six weeks I was in a

fog and constantly sleeping. I couldn't stand the side effects, even

if it had worked.

I'm proof the side effects do not go away automatically for everyone.

Cheryl in AZ

Moderator

Mine was not edema. I think it just slows your metabolism something It

took a lot of work to get it off again.

[Guest guest]

Sounds like you had a reaction to it. They put me on Lyrica for pressure h/a

(though I was asking for something to help cure the pain in my legs, it would

get so bad that I would be crying in bed when I woke up.

I know it helped since it is working but I think I am just sick of taking too

many pills already.

G/WI

> --- benniewrote:

In fact I was in more pain than before. I had to stop taking the Lyrica. My

weight gain and edema was so bad. I was having trouble breathing, headaches, and

vision problems.

[Guest guest]

I think that is something I have to watch out for then.

I fall asleep with it but I have lost weight taking it and other medicine.

In the last 6 months I have lost 40-50 lbs.

G/WI

> --- bennie wrote:

How long did it take for the weight to come of from those who went off Lyrica ?

[Guest guest]

Weird thing is, I take prednisone for my asthma maybe twice a year but when

they put me on the Methylprednisolone I gained about 25-30 lbs in one month,

though going thru radiation at the time didn't help either.

G/WI

Cheryl wrote:

> I must admit that before this experience, I always thought people who

> said they gained weight on a med were just not paying attention to what

> went in their mouths. But now I realize the med really can make a

> difference, beyond just making you more hungry so you eat more. I ate

> a lot less and still gained weight. It must mess with our metabolism

> something crazy to do that.