Are you interested in taking Lyrica?
July 10, 2007 by laura
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
Originally, I wasn’t going to write about the developments of the nerve pain drug Lyrica. I don’t find much interest in drug developments. I view treatments that surround a regime based on pills with a skeptical eye (at best). In my experience, it hindered my progress…not helped it.
However, this is not the case for everyone. Lyrica is no longer breaking news….people have been talking about its use for Fibromyalgia patients for weeks now. It is still news though, and so I will report it. Just not throwing my support behind it.
On June 21, 2007 the FDA approved Lyrica as the first drug treatment for Fibromyalgia. Let me say, that Lyrica is not a cure, although it might ease some symptoms. It is already approved by the FDA for the treatment of nerve pain caused by shingles and by diabetes. The drug is also known to reduce some forms of epileptic seizures.
According to Steven Galson, MD of the FDA
Today’s new approval marks an important advance, and provides a reason for optimism for the many patients who will receive pain relief with Lyrica. However, consumers should understand that some patients did not experience benefit in clinical trials. We still have more progress to make for treatment of this disorder
The clinical trials that Dr Galson are referring, consisted of two trials of about 18 000 fibromyalgia patients. The trials backed Lyrica’s use in treating fibromyalgia at doses of 300 milligrams or 450 milligrams per day, according to the FDA.
As with any drug, side effects will be present when you take Lyrica. Here is a list of what you might experience, when you start on this regime: dizziness, sleepiness, blurred vision, weight gain, dry mouth, swelling of the hands and feet, impaired motor function, and problems with concentration and attention.
You all know how I feel about this kind of treatment. While I try to keep an open mind about developments such as this, I find that a passive approach (ie pill taking) is definitely not for me. Of course, I may be alone in thinking this way. I am ok with that. If you have had a good experience with meds such as Lyrica (or some other one), I want to know about it. Or if you have a difference of opinion, please share it. Different opinions help my views to become broader….and that is a good thing.
I am taking Lyrica for fibromyalgia; 75mg per night. I was prescribed 150, twice a day. Not only is it expensive, I wanted to take the lowest dose that would help with the pain. It does help me with sleep, also. However, I’ve gained ten pounds! I hate that aspect of it and feel I’m caught between a rock (pain) and a hard place (weight gain). I’m going back to the doc later this month to talk about it….
My name is Lyndsay, and I’m 20 years old. I was recently diagnosed with FM & my doctor prescribed Lyrica. I LOVE it! Lyrica helps me sleep better at night, and relieves MOST of the pain. My mom is 43 & has FM also. She has a very high sensitivity to meds, so shes basically like a guinea pig; with that being said, she had a horrible reaction to the Lyrica. So obviously it didn’t work for her. But I really like it! I finally dont have to take motrin about 4 times a day & I’m no longer on my sleeping medicine. I encourage anyone to at least try Lyrica. Good Luck!
Lyrica
I DO appreciate the relief of extremely demonic pain that I continue to have with s.v.fibr., plus others; however, I don’t care for the mind-blot that it delivers too…I do not look forward and put the first 75 mg. dose off…I don’t want to eight-ball myself, as I’ve been in the hospital; twice; with wanting to dispose of myself because of the horrendous pain. I have been mutilated before from a drunk driver @ the age of eight. I know what severe pain is. Fibromyalgia is as if demons were turned loose in your entire body. I have been a fitness trainer (and yes, totally certified w/various sanctions over many long years, w/various degrees. I still am. Lyrica did do THAT FOR ME! I had to rehab for opiates (methadone), being one. But, I had NO WITHDRAWLS. MY USAGE OF THESE DRUGS WENT TO THE PAIN CENTERS! I asked then after a week of pissing out the drugs to be put on LYRICA. IT DOES WORK for awhile…I was a cadaver underneath my opiate usage; LYRICA, has not put any lbs. on me. My body works in opposition; I lose lbs…and have to consume alot of calories to keep up w/myself & the LYRICA. I am a distance-cyclist & strength trainer and can now continue w/those passions. If the drug works for you; then make IT WORK FOR YOU!!! While it does. Those of us w/severe w.f., have been there with it, and hoped that it would continue working w/out an increase…I mean hell, it’s expensive and not decreasing in price and NO generics or other competitors on the horizon as far as I could see; (rumour is that it was around before for anothe usage and then shelved for awhile)…thanx, pfizer…I do not apologize for a long reply as thus; I know much more about this particular drug than most people need to know…Like I advised; if it works for you; make it work for you, while you can. Best wishes…..
Sincerely,
Lu*
…why is my comment awaiting moderation? Too truthful and telling about the drug, LYRICA & the game of: mon3p0l3y?!
Hi can somebody help me! 18 mths ago after a visit to the dentist I got a pain in the side of my face with tingling and numbness and burning mouth syndrome. 6 mths later I got vulvodynia with burning pain on my thighs. I eventually got seen by a neurologist and had scans which were all normal. She said my nerves were oversensitised and prescribed Gabapentin. I tried this for 2 mths without much difference in pain. I then had morfe dental treatment and got sick and started missing dosages of my antidepressant and Gabapentin this resulted in terrible headaches which they said was occiptital headache. I also had muscle weakness and my head felt like a pressure cooker. I took these as withdrawal symptoms so I came off the Gabapentin and a couple of months ago I got referred to a pain clinic who prescribed Lyrica. Day after I started it made my legs burn, which had practically cleared up but I persevered for 5 days and then stopped. This brought about a burning pain starting in the back of my neck and head and shot down my spine and over my shoulders and chest my skin feels sore as if I don’t want anything to touch it. So I thought OK i’l have to got back on igt. I’m 3 wks into it at a dose of 75mg per day. A baby dose according to my neurologist. It has got rid of some of the pain but every time I up the dose pain get worse then I even out for a few days then I need to up it again. Neurologist says take a higher dose but Im wondering if its giving me more problems than I’ve already got. Anyone got any answers.
I was prescribed Lyrica after a an injury that caused nerve pain, burning and numbness on my left hip. Was also initially on Naproxen and Vicodin but stopped that after a week. I took the Lyrica for 4 weeks. Initially 2 weeks of 2 - 75mg then increased to 150mg 2X daily. Total time on the Lyrica was 4 weeks. I was not savvy about this type of drug and was not warned to taper.
After about 3 days I started feeling the anxiety. Hellish “wanting to crawl out of my body anxiety with no means of relief but to walk crazily around my house and wonder if I was just going to be like this forever. Headache and tinitus always accompanies the anxiety. I do not have any of the nausea issues.
Attacks are mostly confined to the night time hours. Sleep is fitful, and usually when I start to doze off I wake up with another panic/anxiety attack. I’m glad I don’t have a bridge to jump off!
Oddly, there are days when I don’t have a problem at all.
It has been almost a month since stopping the Lyrica. I am still having the problems and just as intense.
My Neurologist wants me to go back on full dose and taper off. I AM TERRIFIED of doing this and have been putting it off.
Does anyone know if there is a history that would tell how long symtoms from a cold turkey withdrawal might last, or anyone know if the re-start and taper idea will work or just cause me to go thru all of this agony again?
I’m off the Lyrica! while it helped with pain and significantly with sleep, it made me gain about 10 pounds which I hated. I started Mickel therapy, and miraculously the FMS and Chronic Fatigue is gone! After suffering for 7 years! Now I’m learning to sleep without it, using some sleep meds and Tylenol PM instead….some nights only herbs. BTW, I was prescribed 150 mgs twice daily, tapered it down to 75 at bedtime only. Got off it by getting food poisoning, unable to take any meds or food for 3 days, then said what the heck, and didn’t continue the Lyrica. I’ve lost 5 pounds so far.