I took Lyrica for about a year before it started to have less effect, and also started to give me some rather scary side-effects. I started getting electric shock type pains all over my body all night, on several occasions. They would literally make me jump with pain and I couldn't sleep... I saw my doc and he took me off them over five days. The shocks stopped pretty quickly.

As far as I'm aware, all the common meds for CRPS - amitriptyline, Lyrica and Gabapentin - are used to try and treat the pain from nerve problems, they do not affect the nerves themselves. My pain doc told me they would not prevent CRPS symptoms, flares, spread etc, but they were used to lessen pain and so aid function. Since I've been on all three in turn, my CRPS has spread from being initially isolated to my left knee to being throughout my left leg and foot, in my left arm, and in my right toes. The doc said this would have happened anyway if my CRPS was active and inclined that way.

There really is so little known about how and why CRPS works that all the docs are doing at the present time is trying to treat the pain and improve function. They can't stop it spreading or send it into remission by the use of drugs. It can go into remission, but there is no reason into who that happens for and who it doesn't. Treating it within six months and physio seem to be important in getting remission.

That's what I think based on reading a LOT of research papers, websites and talking to docs. Try not to second guess the CRPS, just keep on fighting as best you can, and I hope these new areas are just part of a flare rather than a spread. Bit yes, it sounds more like your injuries have allowed the CRPS into new areas, not that the Lyrica caused it. Not your fault either way...

Sorry to ramble!

Bram.