I'm brand new and like your site very much!

I have diabetic neuropathy in my toes, both feet, right foot is worse.

Eight months ago I took Lyrica, for two months [150mgs/bedtime]; I didn't notice a weight gain because I weighed over 300 pounds, now it's been taken off the formulary of my Medicare D insurance provider and they refuse to pay [denied my request 6 months ago, and today they denied my PCP's request to pay for it again. I had my podiatrist send a letter to them requesting it as well. I take Tramadol for arthritis and had a total knee replacement in April of 2007, but this med doesn't touch the nerve pain at all.

My PCP put me on samples of Lyrica 75 mgs/bedtime one week ago. He wants to work me up to 150/bedtime like before. Oddly, the pain has returned with a vengeance.

I've tried Gabapentin - 900 mgs, which made me irritable and sleep only 3-4 hours a night for six months. My friends and family said I was too nasty to be around, so I stopped taking it.

Tried Cymbalta with Avopar-300mg (blood pressure medicine) which made me sick as a dog with diarrhea, nausea, severe headaches, and more sleeplessness after just 3 days on it. I stopped it and within one week I began to feel better, but my blood presure spiked even higher.

I'm taking Hawthrone Berries in capsule form for the blood pressure and it's below 117/76 now. Thing with this is you have to take a lot to get it down. My PCP says he doesn't care whether I use herbs or prescription meds to get it down--so long as it's down. That's why I like him.

Back to the toe pain. I don't know what to do about it. It's well, painful. Since being on the sample of Lyrica for one week, I've noticed a 7 pound weight gain, from 250 to 257 pounds. My vegan diet hasn't changed. So it's got to be the Lyrica.

I used to weigh 430 pounds and I'm not going accept a weight gain of 7 pounds! It's taken the Lord 2 years to give me a gradual weight loss of 180 pounds as I asked Him to reduce my appetite! No pills, counting carbs or calories.

So I need some help.

I need a medication that I can take for the neuropathy without weight gain, damage to my liver, or will cause me to be irritable or not sleep at night. Any suggestions?