Has anyone ever had a bad experience with Lyrica? Because I think I'm having one.

My neuro gave me samples a few weeks ago. (75mg capsules) I've taken them for 10 days. Since then I've been walking around in an apparent drug induced fog. I have more numbness in my hands and feet, and now there's a weird pain in my left leg from about mid-thigh to just below and behind the knee.

I talked to my aunt tonight about the leg pain. She didnt think it was a blood clot (I'm still suspicious of that. I sit around a lot) She thought that it was a neurological pain. (it's a burning sensation, but it also feels like a bruise, except that there's no obvious bruise!) She thought it was running along the pathway of a nerve...Which kind of makes a little bit of sense.

I didnt have that pain till starting the Lyrica. The pain started either over the weekend, or monday or tuesday. (cant remember exactly when the pain started, I've been walking around feeling really sick and stoned feeling) The lyrica did seem to be helping when I first started to take it for the first few days...now I think its what's causing me problems.

I did just talk to a pharmacist and she said there was something in her information that said that 9% of people might develop a neuropathy when taking Lyrica, but she thought that might be for people who were undermedicated with the Lyrica.

I'm probably going to stop the Lyrica tho, since I have felt like crap since starting this stuff and cant stay awake at all. I have 3 bottles of the samples left that I havent touched, think I'll give them back to the neuro. Either that or take them to the prescription "take-back" that a local grocery store is doing this weekend. (pharmacist told me that Lyrica is controlled, so I cant give them away to someone) At least if I take it to the "take-back", I can also get rid of the four boxes of Copaxone that I have (boxes are over a year old, they're expired)

At least the pharm told me that she didnt think I needed to taper down since I've only been on the stuff for 10 days. (and it hasnt been 10 continuous days. I skipped it a couple of times)

I don't think your pharmacist read the insert properly. Here is a quote from a copy of the Lyrica insert:

from http://www.rxlist.com/lyrica-drug.htm

In the table that follows on that insert 9 patients with diabetic neuropathy reported neuropathy in the lowest dose category.
As dose was increased, this dropped. (meaning at the lowest dose the neuropathy was not improved since they had it already).
That is my interpretation.

Lyrica is one of the commonest drugs offered to patients with neuropathic pain.

You might be having edema side effects which are common, and that can compress nerves by itself.

I'd report to the doctor in any case, since deep vein thrombosis is also possible with those symptoms.

a blood clot tends to be warm, red and quite tender to the touch. Those facts relieved my mind when I was playing the what if game.

I hope you feel better!

Many blood clots in the legs are silent:

http://neilbaum.wordpress.com/2010/0...eadly-disease/

Thank you!

I'm not sure that it's a blood clot. Since I saw pictures (ewww!) on a few of the websites my aunt looked up, where the entire leg was red. My leg isnt red like that at all. It is tender to the touch tho. But it's barely even pink, and only in one spot, and that's the spot that I've been rubbing with my hand.

I'm not taking any more Lyrica tho. It's really screwed around with my sleep...which was pretty much already screwed. I didnt fall asleep till after 530am, and only woke up about a half hour ago. (it's just after 1pm now)

I'm about to go call my neuro and hopefully he wont have left yet. (he's in his 80s, he seems to take a lot of half days)

edited to add: Yep, neuro wasnt there (he was off all this week apparently) so I left a message for him to call me back on monday.

Erin

Here's a thread about Lyrica side effects from a bunch of other people with MS. Might shed some light on your issues.

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...light=av8rgirl

Hi -- I have been treated for peripheral neuropathy for 3 years with IVIG but had numbness, tingling and shooting pains in my feet & legs. Tried neurontin at first, but it made me depressed and seemed to slow me down mentally. Then tried Cymbalta which I didn't like but honestly can't remember why -- I got off it quickly. Then doctor prescribed Lyrica. I LOVE it! No side effects that I can detect, altho I must avoid alcohol. (If I drink while taking Lyrica, yes, I do get a little dizzy.) It has really stopped the weird nerve pains for me even tho I take a minimal dose (50 mg/day.) If I am especially active & discomfort increases, I take 2 pills/day instead of 1 and it takes care of the pain. I take the Lyrica in combination with ropinirole, which controls "restless leg syndrome."

Glad it works for you. It didnt for me, and the side effects are still bugging me. (the edema hasnt gone away yet. Going to the doctor in a few hours)

Thanks for posting. I am considering Lyrica.