Lycira experiences please - Should I take it or not?

KnowNothingJon · 09-01-2014, 01:20 PM

I thought I would add on Lyrica experience to this thread-

I was recently encouraged to go back to my 300mgs a day, though 100 three times a day as opposed to the 150 twice a day in the hopes there will be better coverage. I have had minimal side effects (occassional brain fog- gah, what was that word I was looking for?) While seeing an almost 100% drop in burning feet and electric shocks around my lower calf/ankle area.

I'm better off for taking it. I am lucky that the benefits outweigh the risks. Early on, while starting the medication, the brain fog was more pronounced. All in all I am happy it works as well for me as it does. Gabapentin didn't work well at all for me.

It is easy to say "give it a go" from my couch. Please consider any reasonable method to achieve some relief. I am still in 'no man's land' as far as I am concerned. Until everything is sorted out proper Lyrica is in my life with tramadol to help with joint/muscle/tendon pain and the "supplement/med de jour to try and get some sleep.

My best,

Jon

McKenzie · 09-06-2014, 05:53 AM

Pros- it actually does work to some extent for nerve pain
- you know you need this drug when you put up with the side effects and for some that can be life saving or buy you time until you can learn alternative coping mechanisms
Cons- long term it messes with just about all of your body and makes coming off it very hard.
I believe the drug company has made the ultimate drug from their point of view. It does have benefit where nothing else works. Once you are on it, you believe you cannot live without it. The long term side effects are not good but it is very difficult to withdraw from in the long term.
So weigh up your life expectations. At the time I started this drug I wasn't expected to live very long so withdrawal wasn't an issue. The universe has other plans and I have been surviving the nerve damage from a spinal tumour for over 16 years. I now think long term and know my life will be better without this drug. I have learnt to cope.

JK123 · 09-07-2014, 01:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AussieDebbie

I've been on Lyrica now for almost a year. When I first started taking it I experienced a constant headache. Not quite a migraine, but annoying. My Doctor assured me that it should go away with time and to hang in there a while longer, which I did. About 2 weeks into taking it, the headaches went away.

I now experience brain fog most of the time. I have good and bad days, but overall it's not too bad. I also get some blurred vision, sometimes, but it doesn't worry me as I know it's not permanent and just an effect from Lyrica.

The positives for me outweigh the negatives. Lyrica doesn't tend to get rid of the burning pain so much, or the stinging, for that I take Tramadol which does the trick quite well.

What Lyrica does for me is take away, completely, the electric shock type pain, the shooting pain. It helped a little (perhaps 40%) with the other pain, burning etc.

So for me, Lyrica does the shooting, electric pain. Tramadol takes care of the rest. Together they do a good job of keeping my pain bareable, and I'm able to function.

Hope that's of some help. But, as always, it's an individual journey. I'd encourage you to stick it out for at least 3 weeks before giving up on it, if you try it. Once the initial symptoms start to disappear the amount of pain relief you can expect will be evident.

---------------------
Hi AussieDebbie,

I also have some pain which I think is nerve pain, amongst others, in my heels. I started taking Lyrica, first 25mg a day then 50mg a day, as well as 50mg Tramadol a day. I didn't think the Lyrica helped much (after a month), so have started decreasing it in order to go off it.

May I ask what dosages you are taking?

P.S I'm an Aussie too, from Melbourne

Joanne

McKenzie · 09-07-2014, 03:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JK123

---------------------
Hi AussieDebbie,

I also have some pain which I think is nerve pain, amongst others, in my heels. I started taking Lyrica, first 25mg a day then 50mg a day, as well as 50mg Tramadol a day. I didn't think the Lyrica helped much (after a month), so have started decreasing it in order to go off it.

May I ask what dosages you are taking?

P.S I'm an Aussie too, from Melbourne

Joanne

I took 75mg Lyrica with 400mg Neurontin (Gabapentin) three times a day for about 10 years. Before Lyrica came to Australia I took 800mg Gabapentin four times a day for about 5 years. So I suppose my problems are from high doses over a long period of time. McKenzie

AussieDebbie · 09-07-2014, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JK123

---------------------
Hi AussieDebbie,

I also have some pain which I think is nerve pain, amongst others, in my heels. I started taking Lyrica, first 25mg a day then 50mg a day, as well as 50mg Tramadol a day. I didn't think the Lyrica helped much (after a month), so have started decreasing it in order to go off it.

May I ask what dosages you are taking?

P.S I'm an Aussie too, from Melbourne

Joanne

Hi Joanne

All up I take 300mg's Lyrica a day (150 morning & 150 night time).

I also take 100mg's Tramadol in the morning, and another 50mg's at night.

It sounds like you may not have been taking enough Lyrica to have much of an effect. My Doctor started me on smaller doses, but within a few weeks I was taking 150mg's twice daily. From memory, I started to feel noticeable pain relief at about 100mg's, and about week two into taking it.

However, if you can live without Lyrica then definitely so so. It's something I dread ever having to come off.

Best of luck with your diagnosis. I'm up in Brisbane. Nice to meet you.

. It helps somehow knowing there are others closer to home here to talk to.

skutters · 09-07-2014, 06:34 PM

I was prescribed Lyrica 150mg twice a day. My pharmacist warned me about the drug and said to start on half the dose, stabilize on that and only to increase if I had to. As I found it was masking symptoms enough I stayed on 75mg twice a day. It did take me most of the first month to establish balance and the ability to think clearly. I have now been on it all this year.

Reading up this drug does have side effects but I have not had the weight gain and am not noticing side effects.
I am one of those people who take medication once it's to late (Even panadol). My GP knows this about me.
I missed my does the other morning and by midday was not coping so take it then.

JK123 · 09-07-2014, 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AussieDebbie

Hi Joanne

All up I take 300mg's Lyrica a day (150 morning & 150 night time).

I also take 100mg's Tramadol in the morning, and another 50mg's at night.

It sounds like you may not have been taking enough Lyrica to have much of an effect. My Doctor started me on smaller doses, but within a few weeks I was taking 150mg's twice daily. From memory, I started to feel noticeable pain relief at about 100mg's, and about week two into taking it.

However, if you can live without Lyrica then definitely so so. It's something I dread ever having to come off.

Best of luck with your diagnosis. I'm up in Brisbane. Nice to meet you.

. It helps somehow knowing there are others closer to home here to talk to.

----------
Hi AussieDebbie,
Thanks for your reply.
I normally only take 50mg Tramadol in the evening as more constipates me and I have to watch that closely as I had an **** fissure 2 years ago which flared up again 2 months ago. I took 2 Tramadols yesterday and had a bad time this morning in the toilet. I am already using a stool softener (lactulose).
Do you know of any pain medication that is still effective but constipates less?
Joanne

AussieDebbie · 09-08-2014, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JK123

---------------------
Hi AussieDebbie,

I also have some pain which I think is nerve pain, amongst others, in my heels. I started taking Lyrica, first 25mg a day then 50mg a day, as well as 50mg Tramadol a day. I didn't think the Lyrica helped much (after a month), so have started decreasing it in order to go off it.

May I ask what dosages you are taking?

P.S I'm an Aussie too, from Melbourne

Joanne

Quote:

Originally Posted by JK123

----------
Hi AussieDebbie,
Thanks for your reply.
I normally only take 50mg Tramadol in the evening as more constipates me and I have to watch that closely as I had an **** fissure 2 years ago which flared up again 2 months ago. I took 2 Tramadols yesterday and had a bad time this morning in the toilet. I am already using a stool softener (lactulose).
Do you know of any pain medication that is still effective but constipates less?
Joanne

Hi Joanne,

I'm fairly new to pain relief myself. Started taking Lyrica and Tramadol about a year ago, and haven't been on any other pain meds.

Your mentioning constipation got my attention. I've never had it in my life until this year. I have been blaming Iron supplements but perhaps it's the Tramadol! It's only a few times a month, and Tramadol helps so much I'm willing to let it be. Thanks for bringing the drug connection to my attention.

Hopefully some others here who have tried various pain medications can give us some insights.

Dr. Smith · 09-08-2014, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AussieDebbie

Hopefully some others here who have tried various pain medications can give us some insights.

Debbie,

ALL opioid pain medications—including tramadol—cause constipation. Many other kinds of medication used for pain—e.g. antiseizure, antidepressant meds, etc.—have the potential to cause constipation.

When in question, consult the prescription insert for side effects, or goggle: side effects [medication name]

Doc

beatle · 09-08-2014, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JK123

----------
Hi AussieDebbie,
Thanks for your reply.
I normally only take 50mg Tramadol in the evening as more constipates me and I have to watch that closely as I had an **** fissure 2 years ago which flared up again 2 months ago. I took 2 Tramadols yesterday and had a bad time this morning in the toilet. I am already using a stool softener (lactulose).
Do you know of any pain medication that is still effective but constipates less?
Joanne

Hi Joanne,

In addition to the stool softener, have you tried consuming prunes, prune juice or taking a magnesium (not the oxide kind) supplement? If not, they might help.

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