New Med for Fibro?
 

Hi Fellow Fibro Sufferers;

Last night I caught just part of a commercial done by Pfizer that was directed toward people who suffer with fibromyalgia. They were talking about a new medication. I wish I would have seen the whole commercial but I didn't.

Anyone know about this? I'll look at the Pfizer site.

Nancy-H

Let us know if you find anything out about this Nancy! If only there were a magic pill... I think they'd make a bundle.....

Nancy, I love your little dogs!!!!!!

Not that its new but Lyrica was just officially approved for treating Fibro.

Lyrica
 

www.lyrica.com
RE: Lyrica's approval for treating FMS and Links to more articles on FMS +
Lyrica's other uses.

The moment I saw that the commercial was sponsored by Pfiezer I knew it was for Lyrica. Darn cheeky bastards.

Here's a link to Lyrica and fibro.

So, does anyone know the scoop on Lyrica? I've seen it mentioned many times.

cost
 

Hi, I have no insurance. Does anyone know the cost.

Since it is new it would probably be expensive. So if you are without insurance, I would go to generic Neurontin (gabapentin). It is a sister drug of Lyrica and does the same thing as Lyrica.
Lyrica is a more consentrated version on Neurontin, so that it is longer lasting. But if you have been on Neurontin in the past, the same side effects apply.
Weight gain is a major side effect. I gained 50 pounds on Neurontin. Now that I have been off it for about 2 years I still have tons to loose. I'm working on it though.
Good luck to those willing to try it.

Its expensive. I was on for a short time. Gave me relief but the weiht gain is rapid since it slows down all the nerve responses in your body.

And you have to watch your sugar insulin levels because it can affect that as well. Before this it was mainly used for diabetic neuropathy. And since the diabetics were already diabets they were receiving the correct meds to balance. But if you are not diabetic make sure to watch and test your levels. One member was on it and became diabetic.

Also in the beginning some people can have kidney/water retention problems.

I tried Lyrica, but it made me feel very loopy and kind of out of body.

*I know, more than usual*

I am glad to see FM get attn on commercials as a REAL illness though.

It's about time!!

I have come over from the Peripheral Neuropatjhy forum because I read this today and thought it might be of interest here.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/14/he...a1&oref=slogin


Tony

Hi, everyone.
Like Tony, I've come over from the Peripheral Neuropathy forum, as well.
There is a fibro discussion over there regarding a post I saw on another site
where a rheumatologist told someone that her fibro was a result of her PN. I thought it was a questionable diagnoses and wanted some feedback.

Regarding Lyrica.
I've been taking it for almost 3 years, now. I switched from Neurontin (gabapentin) after over 6 years on that med.
Cost - expensive. Depends on the dosage.
It comes in 50mg to 200mg doses.(50/100/150/200)
My 3xdaily 200mg caps (90/month) would run me over $300/month if I didn't have an Rx plan on my ins.(it costs me $30/month now - 1/10th)
I'm concerned what will happen in 2 yrs when I have to go on Medicare (I'm 63). I take it along with Tramadol (Ultram), for my cronic PN pain and symptom relief.
It is not the same as gabapentin, altho it was designed to replace it by Pfizer. It is in the same 'family' (anti-seizure medications) but a different med entirely.
They are both used to treat PN, but I switched when the gabapentin stopped working well for me. I tried a lot of other meds as I was waiting (for about a year) for Lyrica to come on the market, and nothing else would work for me.

Thanks for the info Tony and Bob! Interesting!!!

I am on Clonazepam and want to get off of it, but don't see my Rheumy until Feb. I don't have any side effects from it, other than I left it home while I was away for a couple of days and Boy, did I hate what I was feeling. It was creepy.

I'm not sure what he will switch me to, if he even will.

I was on Lyrica for 6 months and gained 60 pounds. :(

OMG I couldn't even try Lyrica, my thyroid put enough weight on me. Any more and I'd be in more pain from the morbid obesity than the fibro. No thanks. I did read about the coincidences between fibro and flouride poisioning and going to check into it more. Sounds like it's worth trying to eliminate the flouride than keep being the pharmacy company's guinea pig.

Sara

I have been on Lyrica for about three years for neuropathic pain. It really spaced me out at 30 mg tid for the first three months. I ended up setting my alarm for two hours before I wanted to get up for the first dose. I took the second dose at nap time and the third at bedtime. Within 15 minutes, the room would be spinning but it did reduce the pain. I do have Fibro but it doesn't help with that.

My biggest concern is that when my Part D decided to discontinue paying for it, I went for ten days without it. I experienced a WD that was worse than anything I experienced when discontinuing an opiate. My pain doc called the ins. carrier daily. On day ten, I called him and said if I didn't have this straightened out, I was going to the ER and saying the magic words to get put up on the psych. unit where I could get it since it was on my official med list. That got the ins. company off their butts and precerted me for a full year.

Very interesting thread.

I've been taking generic neurotin for about 4 to 6 months now.

Its been very helpful. I'm not sure if its the fibro it helps as
much as the other things going on.

donna

Fibro - Med
 

Hi Nancy, I'm Diane and I finally found a new doctor who put me on Gabapentin...it's a form of Neurotin but works much better...little side affects and has reduced some of my pain..she said I can continue going up on the dosage as long as I can handle any of the side affects. Now that my burning pain is reducing I am feeling the effects of long-term injuries I accumulated when I was younger and had falls and am wanting to pursue treatment for those. I still can't get into an exercise routine yet, I have other issues too that also cause chronic fatigue and "brain fog" and that seems to be causing me difficulty in keeping up a routine...one day I hurt real bad but mentally feel like I can do things (but hurt too bad) and the next I'm not wanting to do anything and physically don't hurt as bad...it's a circle within it's own circle! Hope this helps you.:)

Hi there,
I've been on Lyrica for about 3 years now - currently 150mg twice a day.
I'd not associated it with the feeling loopy/dopey; I'm on so many other meds it could be any of them :D!
It doesn't really do anything for the fibro as such; in fact I've been known to stop taking them, or just forget to. But hey, after a few days I know about it because I ache everywhere & the "normal" fibro aches/spasms seem to take longer to settle.

Lyrica is helping my non diabetic neuropathy but does not address the Fibro symptoms. Go figure. I will take the improvement where I can get it and be darn greatful. Best wishes to all.

HI,
I'm new here and honestly curious to see what has been said here about Lyrica. I must be on of the oddidties on it as I have lost almost 90 pounds in the last 6 months. Granted I've been on Lyrica (150mgx3) for about 2 years now, since a German doctor prescribed it. It has helped with my all over pains and I know when I don't take it right. The pain comes back and drives me up the wall.

Just because it's listed as a side effect doesn't always mean it happens. The German pamphlet with things scares the living daylights out of me with everything they list, but with what I've experienced I fought like crazy when the new insurance I am on refused to give it to me.. YIKES.. 10 days and a lot of phone calls and they finally relented and I'm so very thankful.

Although they are similar, neurontin and lyrica are not at all the same med. It's worth trying both if you can.


I used both. I could not even toletare neurontin. Even at 300-400 mgs I felt so foggy I could barely walk and could not feel my skin. And I rarely have bad reactions to meds. It did not help any symptoms, pain or other wise, and I was so tired I did not know what was going on.

I only used it for a couple months, so I cannot say if weight gain would have been an issue for me.

I tried lyrica and it really helped the pain, plus for the first few weeks I had all sorts of energy. Completely the opposite of N.

Go figure.

I was taking 75 mgs 3x a day which is a low/moderate dose. I bumped up to 150mgs 2x, then 3 x a day. At 3x, it stopped working and I started swelling at the hands and feet.

I wonder, looking back, if I should have stayed at the lower dose - I might have been fine.

They only side effect until that point was I felt a bit stoned and gained 3-4 lbs over a few months.


Your mileage may vary. Every med is different for everybody.

All of the latest "solutions" have issues for some of us. For me Lyrica did reduce the pain BUT, my hair began to fall out - significantly. Had (some say "chose") to stop the Lyrica. Neurontin also reduced pain but increased weight - significantly (30-40 lbs) - already carrying 25 xtra lbs so this too was discontinued. Now comes Cymbalta, the latest "cure" A quick search of the posts I've made today will tell you about that less than positive experience! No pain reduction & rather than reducing depression sympts it created aggitation & anxiety instead! Not pleasant. For me: Ultram 100mg/12 hrs continues to work after 5 years!!

~ K

Pfizer
 

Hi Nancy,
Pfizer commercial was Lyrica. I am on that, have been for 2 years. It helps for the pain. But there are alot of side affect , very addictive. I am trying to get off and having a very had time. I have gained 35lbs. There are + and - so please read up on it before you take it. I my self wish I never started taking them. I am on other meds. that could have helped me though my Fibromyalgia. Be safe and good luck

hey all...Jan 19th 2009 the FDA approved a new drug called savella. It was specifically developed for fibro. It has side effects like all medicine but there is one good one! An average weight loss of 1 to 2 lbs a month. Have no idea when it will be available...it is brand new. I went to the web site and asked to be notified when available. Here is the link to read up on.
http://savella.com/

my pain mgmt doc just gave me samples of this med last week. I was hunting around here for anyone else who might be taking it. I have been on effexor for some time now, but low dose to avoid the weight gain, with wellbutrin to keep my spirits up. Together they were pretty good but somehow the last few months everything was wacky....so this month my doc suggested i give it a try.

anyone else tried it yet?

i stopped my effexor last friday, and have been ramping up the savella since thursday. definitely having some withdrawal symptoms but not nearly as bad as trying to quit effexor w/o taking something in its place. today i ramped up to the 50mg pills and actually felt sort of normal. I hope hope it works...especially the no weight gain part. i have been expanding even on a low dose of effexor.... really need to quit that!

I'm sorry.. I just had to quote this: UG. sounds like some people I know...it's like- it's in your head- everyone else can do it... why the heck can't you just DO it?

I had my 5th back surgery last year in October. Months later when I was changing to lower doses of pain killers I noticed that I was having a horrible flare with my fibro and didn't know it because of the heavy drugs I was on. I have had fibro for 30 plus years and I have never hurt so badly.

Today I went to see my GP to talk to him about pain management for my fibro, back and just my over all chronic pain. He gave me a two week sample pack of Savella that will titrate me up to the normal dose. He has seen some really great results from this drug. So...tonight is dose number one.

He also changed my pain meds and Gabapentin dose and gave me some Trazodone for bedtime to help with sleep. I have used this before and it was great!!!

Hope the side effects aren't too bad. He did warn me about the nausea...though...:)

I hope it helps! Let us know how it goes for you. :hug:

Savella was the most recent drug to be approved for FMS. It is another type combo Antidepressant. I had a very bad reaction to it that made me feel like I was flaring for one month. My Rheum said it was the drug so I just d/c it.

Also, my Rheumatologist mentioned that Tapentadol ER (extended release) manufactured by Ortho-McNeil will be available next month. He feels it will be a good drug for FMS. It is a Oxycodone-type narcotic mixed with a Norepinepheran reuptake.

Dosage is two pills a day which is probably cleaner than taking multiple dosages of Loratab and daily Welbutrin. Nothing really new and wonderful though...:cool:

Mere

Hmmmmm, sounds like it might be promising. If you go on it, let us know how it works....:)

I took Savella for the two week titration pack and felt the worst flair I have ever had...terrible!

I have also been on Tramadol...I feel it is a sugar pill. No relief for pain. I take a handful...not really but it feels like it...of Aleve and have gone back to my Lortab. I do take Wellbutrin and muscle relaxers. When I get the feels like my skin is crawling I take a Xanax and it does take most of it away. I just want to go back to my Lortab and forget about all the new or old Fibro drugs! Thanks for caring and for all of the suggestion. It is always good to know what works for everyone else…:hug:

Thanks Tammi for letting me know about that. I'm sorry you had a bad time with that, which means I probably would too as I am very sensitive to medications. I think Soma helps me a lot, also the L-tryptophan, and Noni juice. :) :hug:

I just came over from the PN board. Started seeing a pain mgmt doc and she put me on Savella. Just like sugar pills! I have SFN and this stuff does nothing for me. I was on 3600mg a day of Nuerontin which worked pretty well, there is no way to get out of all the pain. Maybe it works for FM, but I'm going to cal my doc today and say I want back on the Neurontin. Very little side-effects with it and no weight gain. I have used Neurontin for about 3 years now. Good stuff for me.

But if it works for someone, that's great. We all are trying to find our relief somehow.

Mirapex
 

I have found Mirapex (a Parkinson's Disease) medication, 4.5 mg or 3 tabs at night to work better than Lyrica. ;) Now, Mirapex is not without side effects but I could not tolerate Lyrica's side effects whatsoever. :mad:

Mere

Humira and FMS
 

I apologize for double posting. I tend to lose my train of thought (fibrofog I guess). I also wanted to say that my Rheumy told me that the Humira I inject (for my arthritis) also helps FMS. I have found this to be true after having missed a dose.

In support of this statement, Swedish Researchers injected Humira in patients that did not have arthritis but suffered from chronic back pain. Well, it worked in relieving the pain after just one injection. If I remember what he said, apparently, TNF blockers work to balance Substance P (excessive in FMS) and another brain chemical - the name I cannot remember. The drawback = price. Without insurance coverage, Humira costs around $1,000(+) per injection. Injections are 2x per month.

Unfortunately, Humira is not approved for use in controlling the pain of FMS. It should be.

Interesting stuff...;)

Mere

This is interesting... I wonder if studies are peing done... or if there are drug similarities?