I took Lyrica for a while a couple years ago, and it did not affect me at all the same as neurontin. I would suggest to anyone who has tired one to try the other if needed.
At a lower dose (I started with 75mgs 2 or 3 times a day), Lyrica made me feel stoned. No other way to put it. But within a couple days, the pain was better. And for a while I even had extra energy.
It wasn't till my doc made me taper up to 150mgs 3 times a day that I had trouble. It stopped helping the pain, I felt tired and my hands and feet started swelling. The doc was so sure going back to the lower dose was not going to help that he just pulled me off the med altogether.
I did gain a couple pounds, but I was eating a lot - I had the munchies all the time.
To me, gaining 8lbs was totally worth feeling good though. But it would have been better not to feel quite so stoned. I did not feel okay to drive. I'm wondering how long I'd have had to be at the lower dose to not feel like that?
Let us know if you try it, how it works for you. Good luck.