I tried Lyrica, but it made me feel very loopy and kind of out of body.

*I know, more than usual*

I am glad to see FM get attn on commercials as a REAL illness though.

It's about time!!

I have come over from the Peripheral Neuropatjhy forum because I read this today and thought it might be of interest here.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/14/he...a1&oref=slogin


Tony

Hi, everyone.
Like Tony, I've come over from the Peripheral Neuropathy forum, as well.
There is a fibro discussion over there regarding a post I saw on another site
where a rheumatologist told someone that her fibro was a result of her PN. I thought it was a questionable diagnoses and wanted some feedback.

Regarding Lyrica.
I've been taking it for almost 3 years, now. I switched from Neurontin (gabapentin) after over 6 years on that med.
Cost - expensive. Depends on the dosage.
It comes in 50mg to 200mg doses.(50/100/150/200)
My 3xdaily 200mg caps (90/month) would run me over $300/month if I didn't have an Rx plan on my ins.(it costs me $30/month now - 1/10th)
I'm concerned what will happen in 2 yrs when I have to go on Medicare (I'm 63). I take it along with Tramadol (Ultram), for my cronic PN pain and symptom relief.
It is not the same as gabapentin, altho it was designed to replace it by Pfizer. It is in the same 'family' (anti-seizure medications) but a different med entirely.
They are both used to treat PN, but I switched when the gabapentin stopped working well for me. I tried a lot of other meds as I was waiting (for about a year) for Lyrica to come on the market, and nothing else would work for me.

Thanks for the info Tony and Bob! Interesting!!!

I am on Clonazepam and want to get off of it, but don't see my Rheumy until Feb. I don't have any side effects from it, other than I left it home while I was away for a couple of days and Boy, did I hate what I was feeling. It was creepy.

I'm not sure what he will switch me to, if he even will.

I was on Lyrica for 6 months and gained 60 pounds.

OMG I couldn't even try Lyrica, my thyroid put enough weight on me. Any more and I'd be in more pain from the morbid obesity than the fibro. No thanks. I did read about the coincidences between fibro and flouride poisioning and going to check into it more. Sounds like it's worth trying to eliminate the flouride than keep being the pharmacy company's guinea pig.

Sara

I have been on Lyrica for about three years for neuropathic pain. It really spaced me out at 30 mg tid for the first three months. I ended up setting my alarm for two hours before I wanted to get up for the first dose. I took the second dose at nap time and the third at bedtime. Within 15 minutes, the room would be spinning but it did reduce the pain. I do have Fibro but it doesn't help with that.

My biggest concern is that when my Part D decided to discontinue paying for it, I went for ten days without it. I experienced a WD that was worse than anything I experienced when discontinuing an opiate. My pain doc called the ins. carrier daily. On day ten, I called him and said if I didn't have this straightened out, I was going to the ER and saying the magic words to get put up on the psych. unit where I could get it since it was on my official med list. That got the ins. company off their butts and precerted me for a full year.

Very interesting thread.

I've been taking generic neurotin for about 4 to 6 months now.

Its been very helpful. I'm not sure if its the fibro it helps as
much as the other things going on.

donna

Hi Nancy, I'm Diane and I finally found a new doctor who put me on Gabapentin...it's a form of Neurotin but works much better...little side affects and has reduced some of my pain..she said I can continue going up on the dosage as long as I can handle any of the side affects. Now that my burning pain is reducing I am feeling the effects of long-term injuries I accumulated when I was younger and had falls and am wanting to pursue treatment for those. I still can't get into an exercise routine yet, I have other issues too that also cause chronic fatigue and "brain fog" and that seems to be causing me difficulty in keeping up a routine...one day I hurt real bad but mentally feel like I can do things (but hurt too bad) and the next I'm not wanting to do anything and physically don't hurt as bad...it's a circle within it's own circle! Hope this helps you.

Hi there,
I've been on Lyrica for about 3 years now - currently 150mg twice a day.
I'd not associated it with the feeling loopy/dopey; I'm on so many other meds it could be any of them !
It doesn't really do anything for the fibro as such; in fact I've been known to stop taking them, or just forget to. But hey, after a few days I know about it because I ache everywhere & the "normal" fibro aches/spasms seem to take longer to settle.