[ditzydame]

ages since i have been here but am still hanging on waiting for the day something stops the pain.
so hi to everyone from sunny australia


here in australia Lyrica has now been put on the *free * list which means we can access it for the price of an ordinary script.
i have been on gapapentin for a few years now and am fortunate that my neuro has the power to write scripts on the hospital pharmacy and i dont pay the huge price for it that otherwise applies here

anyway.........i asked about lyrica so she has given me scripts. she, like most neuros i suppose, feels she has little to offer so is happy to comply with any of my not unreasonable requests and works in a multi disciplinary hospital clinic and helps out for me with my balance issues (the result of flu vaccine )
i finally today got up the nerve (!!!) to take a tiny dose after a meeting this morning when i knew i could relax at home.
i have a lot of drug sensitivities and interactions and got the PN from a flu vaccination nearly 7 years ago

i have opened a 75 mg cap and tipped out about 3/4 of it and am testing how i go and will slowly up the dose. it is pretty much what i do with any change of drugs. everyone dealing with me knows i do this!!

meanwhile i took my last dose of gabapentin last night . i am on 200/100/400 which i realise is nowhere near as high as others go.
i am pretty much over the sleepy feeling from the morning 200.
i have tolerated it reasonably well over 3 years , kept driving and kept up a good number of activities but am still very hindered by pain for walking and am tired and short tempered from pain effects at times.
i was told i did not need to taper. my pain is to my knees and into my hands and as we go into winter the cold is really affecting them. i wear gloves to counter that but wonder if others have that effect????

i started today on lyrica while i have a family member here to call for if i have a reaction.
my pain levels today are pretty horrendous and i am effectively now without much for pain as i cannot take morpine/codine or tramadol.
my fall back of Doloxene is off market and may not return here. i know it is totally off market most places but here there is some ambiguity and i live in hope of its return in a few months. meanwhile i have 10 days supply in a country where it is probably worth as much as gold ingots to others

i might be having a bad day or i might be already missing my 200/100 mg so far.
how long does the lyrica take to kick in at 75mg?
are we talking hours or days?
i cant afford the weight gain and simply have to keep the capacity to drive so i am not sure how i will go . since i only have half my balance remaining i cant afford to have side effects that will be balance /dizzy related .

i have read back to see how much positive is said re lyrica but dont see a lot.

any feedback would be welcome

thanks