A ? re: s/e's to the long time Lyrica patients. I've been on 100mg twice daily for ~6 months. During that time I've noticed the pitting edema in my legs is now constant and has moved up my calf sufficiently that my legs no longer have real muscle definition. I had pitting edema before the PN but it was localized to the ankles and lower legs and always resolved during the night. I know s/e's of Lyrica can include edema and weight gain - just wondering if other Lyrica users knew of similar experiences.


thanks
Alkymst

what you mean by pitting edema. As you know, I have been on Lyrica since April 2006 and I do not have any edema. The doctor checks me regularly for this. I am gaining some weight, but at this point, I am thinking it is because I am not outside and not near as active as in the summer. My husband and I do walk at the mall, but sometimes weeks will go by when we don't. We need to start walking on a consistent basis to get ourselves ready for summer and yardwork. Once I get outside, I hope to lose the pounds I have put on (~5-8). If not, then I will investigate if it is the Lyrica. I did not have this problem last summer. In fact, I lost almost 20 pounds from April-November. So....time will tell.

I've been on Lyrica since Sept. 2005 & haven't noticed any edema.
But I have gained over 30 lbs. Hunger, carb cravings, sugar/sweets cravings.(I'm not diabetic). Gotta try to diet (and stop smoking too- at 62, it ain't easy).

Diana, my understanding is that pitting edema is defined as an excess of fluid under the skin shown by pressing a finger into the skin - if a depression or pit remains after ~10 sec it's considered pitting edema - a common symptom of people w/ chronic venous insufficiency. Hope that helps and thanks for the reply.
Alkymst

Bob, gee nearly 18mo and no edema - that's great! I haven't noticed a significant weight gain yet - I'm up a little, maybe 5# but that's more related to less exercise than previously - if I can get my feet and toes "fixed" it would help enormously. In any case I'll keep looking for other causes - thanks for replying.
Alkymst

Hi, my husband had to stop taking Lyrica because it made his legs so swollen. Now he is taking cymbalta.

Just wanted to share info.

Melody

Hi Melody , how is he doing on Cymbalta? Ill be getting either that or effexor next. Im on my way to the ER im pretty sure i broke my big toe though i cant tell you where or how. My feet are entirely numb. I can feel when i step on a pebble it feels like a nail but i cant tell when i hit my foot hard enought to break it...haha....Its black and blue and swollen and i cant move it. It also set off PN pain, stabbing, shocks, and the ever popular getting your toe squeezed and twisted by pliers feel. Aint PN grand?

Melody thanks for the info about Alan, I was beginning to think I might be the only person who saw this as a s/e. Let me know how he does on cymbalta please. My PCP and I talked about switching from Lyrica to Cymbalta since I assured her that w/ chronic unrelenting pain I was probably clinically depressed too - big surprise!
Thanks again - hope all goes well for you and Alan.
Alkymst

Oh you poor thing.

Alan is doing fine n the cymbalta HOWEVER, yesterday, he comes home from the gym and he says "I think I shouldn't go on the eliptical thing anymore" I said "how come", he said "I have a blister". So he relaxes the rest of the day and evening. He went to bed, he gets up and goes out to make a wash at our local laundry. He comes home at 1 p.m. and he is limping like crazy.

He has this look on his face as if to say "I should have not walked on this foot". Alan has had BIG problems with a recurring ulcer on the underside of his foot. His podiatrist and another foot guy agreed that surgery was not good for Alan. That they would further adjust his orthotics (which are at the orthotic place and will not be ready for two more weeks). So they took an old pair of his orthotics, made a temporary thing for him until his GOOD orthotics are back from the orthotic place.

Well, he is sitting at the kitchen table and I said "show me your foot". and he goes, "no, I don't want to". I said "oh brother, please show me your foot"
He takes off his sock and I have NEVER seen a thing like I saw on his foot.
It was beside the ulcer. It was like a big bubble right there (and I mean big) I said "oh my god, are you crazy, why didn't you tell me about this"? and he goes "well, it didn't look like this when I woke up this morning". I immediately called his podiatrist and he has an appointment at 2:30 on Sunday (never knew they opened on Sunday but thank goodness for that)

I looked up blisters on the internet and all it said is "It's best to prevent them". but if you have them, they just heal by themselves.

I don't care what it says on the internet, this guy has PN, recurring ulcers and needs to go to the podiatrist. I wonder if they will lance the blister. I think there is blood collecting in it because it's dark. He thinks so too. He always has trouble with blood collecting on things on the ulcer (that's why he has to go sometimes once a week and they debride it, wrap it and every morning he takes care of it like they tell him to do). He uses betadyne, an ointment, (whatever they tell him to do, he's been doing it). But he must have overdone it at the gym and did more friction on the ulcer because this is some big bubble on the foot.

So I'll go with him and I'll watch and learn and hopefully he'll listen and stay off the foot for awhile. NO MORE GYM until this thing clears up.

I do hope you feel better soon, you poor thing.

regards,
Meldy

Yesterday was a really busy day. I had to run several errands and wasn't at home at my regular meals. So somehow, between exhaustion (crutches) and pain, I forgot my noontime pills including the Lyrica and when I filled my pill box a couple of days ago, I failed to put my noon and nightime dose of Lyrica in the pill box. I was in big pain last night and only slept from 10pm-1am. And this morning when I tried to eat breakfast I felt really nauseated. Stomach was upset too. I had the 75 mg. with breakfast and at noon when I went to take the noon pills, I realized I was behind by about 300 mg yesterday. Duh..I think this was all the beginning of withdrawal from the Lyrica. I took my regular dose at noon and so far I am better.

So you don't want to stop this stuff suddenly. It must be titrated downward slowly.

Billye