I went to see my GP today. I told him that I was suffering side effects from the Lyrica (confusion and short term memory loss) and he seemed surprised that I had this as a side effect on 300mg per day (divided into 3 doses per day) he told he that the recommendation from the neurologist at the hospital was 600 mg per day. Does anyone else take 600 a day?

Does anyone else have the confusion side effect (I am on my 5th day of 300 mg) and if so does it wear off over time? I told my GP I could not stand the idea of increasing the dose, at least not yet. I am getting some pain relief with the current dose but not enough to be able to function properly so probably I should tirate (is that the right word?) up to 600 mg per day. I also have tramodol to be taken when needed.

I am still waiting for the hospital appointment for the Evoked Potential tests.

Thanks in advance, you must be sick of me keep coming back with questions but I am still trying to find my way through all this.

I have just remembered that Bob B has already give me “words of wisdom” in relation to this in an earlier post, sorry if I am repeating myself, I put it down to all the drugs swishing around in my system!

Lupin,
We don't mind you coming back with questions at all. Most if not all of us have done the same thing. I am taking Lyrica. I remember it did cause some confusion for me at first. It did go away and does offer some relief of the pain. Not all but enough to function ok. Just titrate very slowly. Don't make the big jumps in doses and stay on each dose about 7 days. It worked for me.

Billye

Hi Lupin:

Alan tried Lyrica for about 3 to 4 weeks. His feet and ankles blew up. Did nothing for the pain. (His IVIG did have a plus effect, he just told me, and we are still waiting for the neuro to arrange the home infusion).

As for the mental confusion, Alan's been confused since we first married. Don't think there's a pill for that!!!!!

Take care and I hope you get your answers.

Melody

For making me laugh.......I have a husband like that too - God bless him!

I do hope that Alan get some positive improvement from the IVIG

Lupin,

While tranquilizers and anticonvulsants can take the edge off of your pain, any relief comes with four big costs:

- Both classes of drugs have side effects such as dopiness, fatigue, and confusion. It scares me that people drive while taking these drugs. If you think that PN pain is bad, try living with a serious motor injury, or causing the injury or death of another.

- Both classes of drugs have to be eliminated by the liver and kidneys, adding to the stress on these critical organs. Most of us are older than 40, borderline diabetic or diabetic or with metabolic disorder, and are taking drugs for other chronic health problems such as hypertension, arthritis, cholesterol, acid reflux, etc. Our livers and kidneys are already working harder than when we were younger. You cannot be healthy with an unhealthy liver or kidneys.

- If the drugs provide pain relief to a tolerable level, many users stop the search for health and healing from PN. PN tends to get progressively worse without an aggressive program of healthy diet, supplements, exercise, and becoming mentally and spiritually calmer (i.e., getting rid of anger, guilt, frustration, and other stressful emotions). To me, it's like putting a bandage and soothing salve on a skin cancer.

- The body inevitably adapts to the drugs and the person becomes drug dependent. I don't mean addicted in this case. By dependent, I mean that any attempt to reduce drug levels results in increased pain, worse than the pain when the person started using the drugs. That makes it difficult for people to stop using the anticonvulsant or tranquilizing drugs once they start.

For these reasons, I'd hope that as much as possible people try the non-drug therapies suggested in this forum, with drugs as a last, not a first resort.

Doctors push pills. That's their training, to first intervene with drugs or surgery. Unfortunately, the available drugs for PN pain are neither totally safe, nor very effective.

Physicians' training is to not trust alternatives, of which they are generally dismissive and ignorant. There are alternatives that work, and are throughout this forum. I'd hope you consider trying those alternatives in a concerted program for health before you go too far along the drug path.

amazed that these Doc's think that any of this stuff is easy to take. Neurontin at 900mg/day last spring and my neuro thought that Lyrica would be good instead -mostly because I had private coverage for meds and she had some free sampes to give out.I took 75 in the a.m. and p.m. and for 2 whole weeks I couldn't moove off the couch I was so dizzy,stoned, blitzed. Then I was supposed to double it. I went to the GP and she said go back to neurontin. I did. I have increased it to 2700 mg over 9 months and now consider myself sufficiently stupid and refuse to go up any higher. And this from a girl who spent most of her adolesence on LSD. (This interferes now with Zyban apparently as I took one dose of that and thought I was back in the 6o's.)
I think playing this drug game is really based on "intent" to help.I try to convince myself this magic potion will work and stick with it , switch and/ or add more only when YOU "have" to because it's the best decision you can make for your own reasons. Then run it by the Doc who will hopefully think that way too. Maybe add some led Zeppelin and a black light? If we tred softly, hopefully we won't trip.

amazed that these Doc's think that any of this stuff is easy to take. Neurontin at 900mg/day last spring and my neuro thought that Lyrica would be good instead -mostly because I had private coverage for meds and she had some free sampes to give out.I took 75 in the a.m. and p.m. and for 2 whole weeks I couldn't moove off the couch I was so dizzy,stoned, blitzed. Then I was supposed to double it. I went to the GP and she said go back to neurontin. I did. I have increased it to 2700 mg over 9 months and now consider myself sufficiently stupid and refuse to go up any higher. And this from a girl who spent most of her adolesence on LSD. (This interferes now with Zyban apparently as I took one dose of that and thought I was back in the 6o's.)
I think playing this drug game is really based on "intent" to help.I try to convince myself this magic potion will work and stick with it , switch and/ or add more only when YOU "have" to because it's the best decision you can make for your own reasons. Then run it by the Doc who will hopefully think that way too. Maybe add some led Zeppelin and a black light? If we tred softly, hopefully we won't trip.

Hi Lupin, back in the early days of having PN my GP give me Neurotin 3 x 300 mg daily, which is a really low dose compared to what i read from others here that do take it, i only took it for one day because when i woke up the next morning i felt like a truck had hit me, groggy as, like a massive hangover without the grog, it was unreal.

Later on that day when i could JUST barely function i went back to the same GP and told him what to do with those Neurotin , so he then give me a total of 300 mg Tramadol - Slow Release, it was 1 x 200 mg tab and 1 x 100 mg tab taken together twice a day[ they last for 12 hours ] they worked really well for me, with no grogginess what so ever & i remained on them with Endep for a long time, that combination worked really good for me, but keep in mind that we all can react differently to what ever drugs.

I found out much later on that the max amount of Tramadol per day is 200mg thats here in OZ, by that time i was only taken the 200mg as i was healing but i don't know what the max is in the USA though.
all the best
Brian

I've been on Lyrica for about 4 months (I think, I can't remember exactly..that's the Lyrica). I used to be really proud of my great memory, now I struggle with remembering alot of the time. I would say short term memory.. and just plain loss of ability to concentrate (except I seem to be able to read the internet every night trying to figure out what's wrong with me). I forget where I'm driving to and I make mistakes at work (luckily I'm the one who catches them). I THINK I''m sometimes using the wrong words but I never know if I am... When I stop talking and people are just looking at me, I wondered exactly what I said. It may be fine, I just have no confidence... or I may really not be making sense. I am more emotional. I quit my job effective end of year and I'm sure it was a combination of drug, pain and loopiness... maybe depression? I am going to try to get better before I even think about working again. Unfortunately, I've not been diagnosed with anything and have probably no chance in hell of proving disability.

I look perfectly fine, I mostly sound perfectly fine. I could have something really horrible like cancer or anything besides "neuropathy"... so I should be able to work and stop acting like its debilitating. I feel like a hypochondriac but I've never been one before...

The lyrica made me feel euphoric, almost "high" the first few days. I wasn't really "high" (as in drunk). I was just feeling "lighter" because I wasn't in so much pain. I could climb the stairs normally and not drag myself up to bed... like each leg weighed 500 pounds.

Now it mostly makes me sleepier. I consider that OK compared to the burning pain; stiffness etc. I have taken Ambien for years because of chronic insomnia (I never slept for days on end) so I'm thinkng I may cut my pills in half now and see if I can get by on less of that at least.

I started on one Lyrica at night but by mid morning I was burning all over with the neuropathy. Now I take one am and one pm. It still wears off late in the day. I tell myself that I can deal with that... I don't want to be loopier. it keeps me realizing I really am sick. I get so I think my burning must not really be that bad until the Lyrica wears off and I feel so darn sick again. Sometimes I don't take my morning dose on purpose because I want to see if I'm better. I realize just how sick I was to begin with. I keep hoping it will go away but of course, all I'm doing is masking the pain.

So far I havent' gained weight but I've been dieting religiously since starting it. I am obese and don't need to gain any weight.

I am already "dependent" (not addicted) on Lyrica and dread the withdrawals; and would hate to try something else in case it doesn't work. I can't take OTC pain medication because I have slightly elevated liver enzymes (Doc thinks it was the 1 month I was on Celebrex). The Lyrica does work... I am worried that I will get "used' to the dosage and have to have it increased.

its expensive too. I thought about asking for neurontin but, again, I feel so much relief, its hard to take the chance. My PC just handed out an RX for Lyrica without any real tests for what was causing the pain. (can you believe that?) She thinks I have fibro, but I'm not so sure. I have had some test since, but only more questions, no answers. Finally got referred to a rheumotologist