Originally Posted by what a ride

It will be two years next week since I went off lyrica. I am still having all the symptoms I started with. Most are a bit less but not all. Life has changed and not for the better at least for now. I am still, with my doctors help, working on reducing my symptoms. I am very careful of all meds RX or OTC since almost all give me severe side effects While I am mentally more alert, aware and happier then last year, my body is not much better. My RLS is day and night as well as involving my whole body sometimes, sleeping is hard I no longer try at night and wait until morning, less stress that way. The mental problems I got AFTER going off lyrica still come and go, but not every day a different problem. The first year off this drug my mind did funny things. Not to the point of needing to fix anything because within 3 days it would be gone and replaced by something else. I have come to the conclusion that for some of us the damage is permanent.

From your list these are the ones I had and/or still have:

Exhaustion, coupled with insomnia

Depression

Crying jags (Tears can help detox the brain I've heard. It did reduce other stmptons)

Rage (among a host of other emotional problems much better now)

Extreme episodes of sweating (had now just "Hot Flashes" no hormone problem)

Chills

Inability to regulate temperature

Headache (had)

Nausea (Thank God this one has been gone for a year)
Stomach pain (often described as stabbing pain) (had. forgot about this one)

Severe Anxiety (had)

Restless Leg Syndrome (extreme)

Body aches

Muscle contractions

Vision problems (No to this one)

Suicidal ideation (still but understanding why helps. I ran into a lady on Lyrica 1 month 9 months latter she still had this)

Difficulty breathing (hard to take deep breath) (hard to take a breath sometimes body kinda locks up)

Lack of desire to socialize in any way (may be part of depression but I know what you are talking about.)

Mood swings

Babbling (nonsense sounds without any meaning This happens as my symptoms start to escalate.)

Temporary mental illness . (like going to crazy town and visiting every address for a few hours to 3 days) This did give me a lot of understanding that sometimes behavior is in the brain and not under the control of a person. Once i stopped freaking out, about 2 weeks into it, I found it interesting

servere loss of appetite. (had)

Rebound pain (for 9 months)

Mental Fog



Good luck