Hi Spine,

There must have been an article or study in a medical journal around that time, because I had 2 neuros and one other doctor try to ram that one down my throat all within a year. It's like it was the fad of the month or something.

I've experienced rebound pain - several times - so I know the phenomenon is real - unquestionably - but I've never had any problem distinguishing it from chronic pain (CP) - it feels different. When I told that to the last guy, he dismissed (disbelieved) me and asked, "How do you know it's not rebound?" My response was, "How do you know it is?" When I related this to my PCP, he got a real chuckle (and agreed with me).

I can't speak for other patients; I don't know how common or uncommon it is for CP patients to be able to distinguish the difference between CP and rebound pain (and I'm not aware of any statistics or studies about this) but I sincerely doubt I'm the only one. IME, the two types of pain are so different that it's difficult for me to imagine that others cannot tell the difference, but I'm not so arrogant (like some doctors) as to dismiss/disbelieve someone who says they cannot differentiate.

Out of curiosity, can you tell the difference?

Doc

I experienced two completely different sensations between rebound and chronic pain. While I have numerous pain producing conditions, the worst is the never ending sciatica. It doesn't respond to conventional treatments anymore. Nerve pain is just that and feels different from rebound. I agreed to go off the pain meds as an act of desperation.....the way one might agree to a surgery that their "gut" tells them is a bad choice. This took place about ten years ago and it was deffinately a trend around here. Most of the neuropsychiatrists were doing their best to talk their pain patients, who had been referred by their pain docs, into discontinuing their sched. IIs as they felt the sched. IIs caused rebound pain. They had far more training in addiction than chronic pain and felt that most of us had been turned into addicts. They were on a mission!!!! Have a great day.

That again sounds to me like, as I mentioned, some article in their journal(s) purporting such a contention AND/OR equation of dependence with addiction (perhaps a reactionary/backlash response to their clinical differentiation or vice versa) which came about around the same time as the publication of Definitions Related to the Use of Opioids for the Treatment of Pain: Consensus Statement of the American Academy of Pain Medicine, the American Pain Society, and the American Society of Addiction Medicine (Adoption Date: April 1, 1997; rev. February 1, 2001)

Unfortunately this confusion/equation persists (and continues to be disseminated) today among medical professionals (who above all SHOULD know better by now), bureaucrats & politicians, yellow journalists, and laypersons alike.

Doc

My former psych. still contends that I am an addict, my pain is rebound and my pain doc is a drug pusher. Of course, he now specializes in addiction.

Sounds like Maslow's Hammer, popularly phrased as "If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail."

or

Q: What's the difference between a General Practitioner and a Specialist?

A: A GP treats what you've got; a specialist thinks you've got what s/he treats.

Doc

Too True!!! Have a great weekend.

I was on Lyrica for 3 years. 75 mg x 2 daily. I took it for my chronic back pain. I started the withdrawal process 10 weeks ago and have been off completely for 10 days. The process has been a nightmare! Extreme nausea, upset stomach, 10lbs+ weight loss (which is not needed), lightheaded, headaches, anxiety, chest pain, nightmares, hot/cold spells with sweating, shakes, no appetite, the list goes on. I've contacted my doctors and consulted pharmacists but they are not offering any solutions. They have denied that Lyrica has withdrawal symptoms, and even suggested maybe I have food poisoning. Oh, I've been poisoned alright, but by something called LYRICA. Their other suggestion was to go back on the medicine, which definitely is not an option.
I can't believe the withdrawal process has taken this long and although the first couple weeks were the worst, it hasn't seemed to improve the past 8 weeks.
I do not regret coming off the medicine but I am seriously hating these withdrawal symptoms. I work and go to school and this is having a debilitating affect on these areas.
Suggestions and support please?

If Lyrica has no withdrawal symptoms, then why must it be tapered off of? I'm just asking this rhetorically; I think it should be asked of those who claim/state it has no withdrawal symptoms (but in a non-confrontational manner).

Have you tried benedryl or another antihistamine to help alleviate the worst of the symptoms?

Doc

That's a very good rhetorical question. It's still hard to believe my doctor suggested I had food poisoning and am not actually experiencing withdrawal symptoms. (definitely don't have food poisoning)
I have not tried benedryl or antihistamines, but may be worth a try.

I understand your frustration, I haven't found a medical/pharmalogical website that entails any withdrawal symptoms from Lyrica other than very mild side effects that are purported to last a couple of days if that long!

I am back to feeling crummy; all of the withdrawal symptoms are back, fibro symptoms that were numbed by Lyrica are exacerbated, and now my emotions are hardly controllable. I've gone from being a strong person with fairly tough skin to someone that cries at commercials and feels severely depressed.

This whole ordeal is scary, especially when you don't know what to do or who to turn to for help. I am going to see a neurologist September 19th, first available appt and I fear that they will either 1) say there is no reason for me to feel this way or 2) here's some drugs to help you feel better...

I want to eat better and exercise, but those two tasks are unbearable when you're sick to your stomach and are too weak to leave your home.

I wish everyone the best and hope that we can all find a way out of this very dark and painful point in our life.