"Hope I copied this right...anyway, I read this on a facebook page. Interesting. Glad my neuro took me off of it.[/QUOTE]

Hi Debbie and all.I am new here.I am a 54 yr old f with nueropathy in my feet.I have some choice words for Phizer.Ty for posting about gabapentin but the company is making a killing from their new drug lyrica so it wont hurt them at all.
my post is a warning to any considering lyrica or gabapentin for that matter.
aprox a yr and a half ago I began lyrica for the pain in my feet.
Now if you have severe debilitating pain that absolutley nothing will help.....I can see using this drug.
My experience.I have become an angry ,sad depressed fat person with a host of other side effects w lyrica.At 250 mgs hard to remember anything.Amnesia is a side effect.
oh at first I thought it was good pain gone but then began stumbling around my house at night(only can take it at night)as tho drunk and i dont drink.
ok so after 60 lbs weight gain and severe depression,I tried to drop a quarter of my dose last summer,,,well instantly suicidal.crying etc...next day bk to dose bk to normal.
It scared me.I am now on a doctors taper I am of the mind to do it in a weelk as phizer says or 5 weeks the week is appealing because then I would be done with this stuff.Just suck it up for a week.
anyway this drug is the worst i have ever encountered.It is actually gabapentin in a difforent form,,so the co just switched it up a bit.Lyrica binds more tightly to the molecules.
It will ruin your life for sure.It has mine so far.
I am trying other pain meds just to get rid of lyrica but getting rid of it is not easy.If anyone has tips they are welcome.
I would only take this drug if i was dying and nothing mattered.
Or the pain was so severe it didnt matter what my mood was.
Yes it has caused rotten teeth,,,,,yes mood so low its scary.Hair loss,swelling,,,,urinary problems,,,,and eyesight problems.
I am so done with lyrica and upset with phizer,,they just reinvented their drug to make more money.And take advantage of people in pain.
so there it is sorry for the long post but....please use at your own risk.
I pray I get my life back.
kayyla

Hi Kayyla,
Welcome to NT. This is a friendly place with lots of nice people. Thank you for your information, I am sure it will help some people judge the drug they take.

I hope we hear more from you. We love new people. Take care.

I read a report on CNN.com today that Gabapentin/neurontin has been shown to cause suicidal tendencies...
these darn drugs and the docs who use them off-label without knowing what kind of effects will show up...

Everyone tolerates drugs in a different way. I've taken it with no bad sides, but no real results. We are all different.

Debbie, and all

I read the stuff when getting on neurontin, and I was informed by reading all the possible side effects, some being depression and some of the other things listed here... long time ago... why is it coming out like this is new news.. is what I wonder... I am reading the comments and now makes me wonder about being on it... but at same time it is only thing that keeps my face from tingling in PAIN when humidity is up! I have not gained any weight from this medicine, have not had extra teeth issues... have not felt down from it...

so like most meds, as many do list side effects it depends on person body and go for the ones you feel comfy on.. lyrica I did not do well on... but the gabapentin/neurontin I have been fine with...

good luck all, sarah

Sarah, If it is working for you, I would stay on it. While I did gain some weight on it, It was worth it to me while it was working. I only stopped taking it because I was at a fairly high dose, and did not want to keep increasing it.

I agree, if it's working for you then you should take it if you do not have side effects.

I also agree that if it works for you, then take it...I just hope that the docs know and also inform their patients what side effects can occur. I was never, ever told about these side effects when I was prescribed Gabapentin by a former neuro.

Hi Aarcyn! I noticed your post stating that you have been reducing your gabapentin recently. I want to do the same. My foot doctor is out of town for 2 weeks and there is not anyone else in his office taking care of his patients. I have seen quite a bit of improvement on the drug but I have decided that the side effects when trying to get off of this drug is not worth it. If my doctor would have told me about the possible withdrawl problems, I probably would have never gone on this medication. How is the reduction working for you? I take 300MG AM and 900MG PM. I have only been on this dose for about a month and want to reduce but I am afraid to. Any suggestions?

Crazy, I would wait until your doc is back and available so that you can discuss withdrawal together...