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tshadow · 12-06-2007, 08:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fern

thank you tam and ann- i appreciate your posts.

what exact bloodwork should i ask for? the pain doc (who doesn't see people a 2nd time...i am very annoyed as he said he'd research for me the name of a physiatrist and a TOS surgeon for me...but when i have phoned his office MANY times i have not gotten any response. they give you over to a NP who "monitors" you after that initial visit. they even write the perscriptions and then initial w/the doctor's name. i think it's how they do it in this silly state as Melissa had the same experience. SO I am back to my search for a treating doctor.)

Luckily the pain doctor i found for that one-time-visit was willing to re-prescribe my Lyrica which is for "up to 6 100mg pills a day". the TOS neurologist who originally prescribed it is retired and all i can seem to find are temporary docs who will re-subscribe my meds but don't engage in intelligent discussions of what meds and what strengths are appropriate for me right now. As i said this pain dr told me that blood sugar problems are not assoc. with Lyrica but offered to allow me have the fasting test for blood sugar. This is why I would like to know what ELSE to ask for. I will try to find a treating doctor to order the tests I desire.

If my thyroid is an issue and it doesn't show up on the regular T3, T4 tests I'm not sure how to find out if I have that problem. Any suggestions?

And my initial Q? remains. Is the weight gain on Lyrica due to something in particular or can it be due to multiple factors? I do have an increased appetite so I wondered if it was due to that or something else. I think from what Tam says for her it may have been due to fluid retention?

Lyrica isn't really an anti-depressant. Are you saying Tam that it operates as one?

Tam, I'm w/U on the exercise front. I do go in a pool or walk daily and I limit my exercise to my lower body. Even so my arm can swell; it's a circulation issue--that the fluids get damned up in the BP (PeterEdgelow's description) and of course the occlusion in the subclavian vein. That's why I was told to not exercise vigorously. Warm water is great I find but I don't think it really gets my heart rate up much--however the good side of that is that I don't get much swelling w/a moderate water workout.

Ok - first, you're right, I jumped subjects and started in on the antidepressants, which are NOT Lyrica - I just was sort of free rolling there...

Next, blood tests are the usual. You don't need a fasting to show high blood sugar / diabetes. Also, normal blood tests will show elevated liver enzymes. And, the blood tests I get have computerized norms, so when something is high or low, it has an "H" or "L" next to it - that's what I suggested you post here, so that people can help you figure out what coded name the blood test is referencing. Does that make sense? If not, keep asking questions - I do NOT mind trying to help.

For thyroid, I don't know how my internist analyzes the figures, but, I do know that when I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's thyroid (low, immune system attacking thyroid also) that it was NOT off of blood test numbers, but was because my skin was extra dry, (feet, hands, lips, mouth), my metabolism seemed very slow, (no bowel movements, if I threw up my food was a day old), and tired, slow hair growth, slow fingernail growth, and more. And then what was really weird, was that I could sleep from Friday to Monday - just on & off, all the way through. I never felt like I'd slept enough. My typical was 12 hours. AND I had trouble falling asleep - but once I started on thyroid med, I fell asleep at 11 and was up by 8, like clockwork, I finally felt "normal" like the t.v. ads. I also had a low grade depression and for the life of me, I had nothing to be depressed about. Fiance used to pick me up on a motorcycle and take me to the beach cliffs to try to snap me out of it. Immediately I felt relief from that, and complete recovery, by using the thyroid med.

Now with TOS, my thyroid is screwed up again, but I had many years of being very good with the thyroid med.

I CANNOT BELIEVE that a doc wants you to get up to 600 mgs. per day!!!

The weight gain from Lyrica is quite simple - the drug makes the body gain weight. Again, I was hardly eating anything - I was living off of a few glasses of skim milk per day. But my body was clinging to every calorie and every pound. In fact, at the end, I was practically gaining two lbs. per day.

The Lyrica also causes blood sugar to rise. If you get the full literature from the pharmacy, and / or check JAMA (journal of american medical association and search for old articles) I read that at the LEAST, Lyrica "interferes with successful management of blood sugar in diabetics. Diabetics should be warned of this complication." But other articles go a step further, and say that it causes diabetes II. That is what I BELIEVE with ALL OF MY HEART, in my case.

I suffered no rebound pain or significant change in pain either ON Lyrica or going off or staying off of it. This is not to say I do not believe others - merely that we are all individuals, and these drugs can and do behave differently on each.

Ok - hope this answers all.