Any one using Lyrica for nerve pain?
 

De just started a week ago and the first days she had great decrease in burning and shooting pain. But makes her groggy.
I was reading an insert tonight of the pros and side effects.
She is on the lowest dose of I think 25 mgs.
Had a lot of bad news with SSRI's and neurontin so watching things closely.
Di

Di, Yes I am on it. Have been since Feb2005. I am now on 300mg in a morning and 400mg at night (yes this is above the top dose). I had decrease in the shooting, pricking pains too. Made me groggy, then improved as got used to it. THis happened each time dose increased. I used to have a nap after the morning dose, but that is no ba thing.
Don't know what else to tell you....Brain like sieve ....just ask.

Love
Helen.

BTW - makes you snack is what I found...so put on weight.

Hi Di,
 

Law and I were talking about it yesterday. She is taking it. Maybe you can p.m. her?

O.T. Does De have a Medtronic pump by chance?? Wierd question I know, but there is a woman on the "Pumpsters" forum named De that I thought might be your daughter...Just curious... Give her my best and I pray she is doing better ....

Warm Hugs!!

G~

I Love It!!!
 

Works Wonderful And Also Helps With Ortho Pain...makes You Sleepy, At First..pm Me For More Info.
Smiles,
Laura

I take it 3 times per day, and I attribute it to bringing down that "suicide pain" that used to plague me regularly.

However, it is known for weight gain, and sure enough, with my body chemistry, after I lost 25 lbs. with Topomax, I gained 35 with this Lyrica. Quite a bummer.

Doesn't make me sleepy.

Really does help with peripheral nerve pain and nerve pain in general. (Doesn't do it for bone or muscle pain of fibro, though.)

I have just been switched from neurontin to the lyrica. I gained 30 lbs on the neurontin since my surgery in April. Sad to hear the lyrica does the same. What are we to do!

Sandy

I've been on it since June, 200 mg. day, am supposed to add another 100 mgs but hesitate because of weight gain!! I've gained 15 lbs and I eat very little most days. I seem to put it on in the "belly and behind" first, so I'm already up 2 pant sizes - in 3 months! At this rate, am afraid to think what size I will be by end of the year, without adding an extra 100 mg/day :eek:

I was REALLY hoping the weight gain problem was one of the side effects of Neurontin they had "fixed" when they developed Lyrica. Otherwise, I don't notice any problems with it, and it DOES help with the nerve pain. I take Cymbalta as well for depression and nerve pain and the combo works better than anything else for me so far.

I'm also a little hesitant to go to higher doses of Lyrica because at higher doses of Neurontin I had problems with blood in the urine, I think it was affecting the kidneys. Although very rare, there had been some incidence of this in the clinical trials (for Neurontin, not Lyrica). Anyway, I was taken off Neurontin at that point, which I understood, and agreed with, but I soon learned how much the Neurontin had been helping me, and haven't found anything since that is as effective. I was glad to hear of Lyrica's development and lower dosage and side effect profile, and hope the problem doesn't reappear and take away this source of relief!

beth

My PM put me on Lyrica and Vicodin after a botched Cervical Spine RF procedure that has given me Occipital Neuralgia(shooting pains at base of skull and tenderness and numbness) and I was rather dizzy the first week and was wiped out in the afternoon, the dizziness did diminish, the pain diminished a little, it did seem to stop the shooting nerves pains but not altogether, but after two months of Lyrica, and some weight gain, I was still groggy and wanting to and taking afternoon naps, which then made sleeping at night harder still and I was still occasionally walking into doorways.

I started Lyrcira(75mg 3x a day) and Vicodin in mid April and quit on July 1st with my PM's approval. I did not notice much difference in the pain level either way, but I had no more side effects and I am very happy I came on the medication.

This past week the PM asked if I wanted to go back on Lyrica, I said no, and then he offered a Rx for Topomax and I declined that also. Just tired of side effects from medications and I realize everybody reacts different and as long as I can stand the pain level I am at now, I will refrain from taking any.

Jyes

I Have been on Lyrica for 3 weeks with greatly reduced leg nerve pain that valium did not touch (had spinal lumbar level 2 fusion with many complications in mid june, was in hosp 10 days instead of 4-5) left me with horrible nerve pain in legs, and overall pain is worse then ever.....and so far only wt loss which began after fusion.......only problem I see is memory loss (short term) and feeling like I just chugged a few shots but when I complain they basically told me to suck it up......that it will get better...and I guess she was right since I drove today!
I am only taking 50mg 3x daily and she wanted me on 399mg by now but I refused and am going at a as tolerated pace!
I wish everyone the best!

better than neurontin despite the new tummy!!!
 

Hi,
Been taking this for a few months now 75mg three times a day. Not sure if it is helping perhaps need to increase dose. But did seem to help at first. My pain has gone up considerably since i started on it. I am going to suggest an increase next time I see main family doctor. Definatly gained weight.....but I drank a lot of beer over summer....lol

best of luck with it,
Victoria

Hello,
Thought I would add an update....after getting my dose to 400 mg a day I began to have blackouts ( I do not drink alcohol at all) and had bumps on my head without knowing how I got them and got a full blown kidney/bladder infection with tons of pain and some blood so I backed off to 1 at bedtime. I became lax with internet security, allowed someone to get close enough to steal my dh's nerve med;s...I think you get the idea. I would rather deal with pain then give up my mental abilities. I am also dealing with possible ID theft when I was so zonked on the meds and is the main reason I have not been posting much......as I had a great deal of paranoia along with other side effects. I do not think we are gien all of the facts with many of these meds.
I am happy for those that are benefitting from it but no more for me!

Lyrica
 

I was perscribed Lyrica at my last neuro appt. I haven't started taking it yet - but plan to tomorrow (like to start new meds on a day I don't have much to do). The neuro suggested 1x75mg 1 times a day, up tp 1x75mg two times a day and ultimately up to 2x75mg two times and day and to continue taking the Neurontin. If I see relief to slowly stop the Neurontin. The side effects concern me...esp weight gain - I worked hard at dropping 30lbs while on Neurontin which means back to teh gym (best I can).

I am due to post an update - I will soon

update on Lyrica
 

Day #1
 

Groggy as all heck today...took my first 75mg does last night...for anyone that has taken this - how long does this normally last?

dose
 

Jamy,
Maybe take it down to the 50 MG dose for week....Then slowly go up, maybe one day 50 mg and next 75 mg, then up to 75 a day. It took weeks for De to get up to the 2 @75, she sleeps a long time at night though. SHe lays down at 8:30 and has to set timer to record TV shows, sleeps until AM.
No shooting pain, or nerve aches like she had.
Today though she has a flare in the neck/trap area.
Di

shy away from pain meds
 

i shy away from pain meds because i don't want to be misdiagnosed with epilepsy again. also i tend to do better without them.

have never tried lyrica. the last thing i tried was valium when i fell in the bathroom. they didn't give me very many and i was not that impressed.

water is a great "pain pill". i take a water aerobics class. some of the things i can't do, so i have to put up with the instructor repeating "under the water" when i can't push it under the water no matter how often she repeats it. (maybe she has echolalia?) lol.

anyway, after the class, i do a few laps elementary backstroke to get totally relaxed, and then i do stretches and nerve glides. think this does more to reduce my pain than anything else.

then i get in the whirlpool and i position my body with the water pressure over trigger points. after i have jetted a trigger point for a while, i find another.

Lyrica
 

Hi,

Well just got back from the doctor today and increased my lyrica to 150 mg tid..... I guess 600 mg is the total daily dose you would want to take.(maximum I mean)... been reading the CPS again with my doctor. I go in there and tell her what I want to try and she prescribes it really quite funny but she's amazing. I took 150 mg this afternoon with lunch as well as 4mg of zanaflex. Boy was I flying. Have not felt like that for a while.... had no pain though......... I think I like lyrica much better than neurontoin. I've been on very high doses of neurontoin as well, but that was before my surgery...... everybody reacts so differently to medication it is all trial and error unfortunately........ I have seen so much of this is a nurse one drug works well for one person and not for another.

Hope this insight helps,

Victoria

Lyrica Update
 

I am going into my third week on Lyrica and have now upped the dosage to 2x75mg a day (started on Sunday as it was a long weekend here). So far no help in the pain but i am back to be groggy as heck - usually hits about mid-afternoon...last night at Thanksgiving dinner I thought I was going to fall asleep. I know this side effect wore off after a week at 1x75mg so I don't think it will be too bad...I will probably wait two weeks then go to the final dosage of 2x150mg a day.

Lyrica and amitriptyline
 

Hi everyone, I've been using Lyrica for about a year now, Had and accident and broke many bone resulting in nerve pain in my legs. It's been horrible. Lyrica helps but not entirely. I been advice to add an antidepressant to help with pain, is anyone using it? I am on 600mg of lyrica a day, 300 in morning and 300 evening. plus 25 mg of amitriptyline. I've been on the later for two days and sleeping a lot.
Thanks :cool:

desideratha,

Is it RSD that you got from the broken boneinjury?
or was the nerve itself injured?

I tried Neurontin for a couple of weeks, and it helped marginally. Doc then put my on Lyrica, which I took for 3 weeks with pretty dang good results. Then I had a freak allergic reaction (rash/hives, breathing difficulty,swollen face, etc). which sent me to the ER on a friday AND saturday night. i would have gone back sunday, but my wife didn't want me to go alone, and i wasn't about to bother someone at 2am to watch the baby. The dr's wanted me to stop the lyrica in case that was the problem. that stunk, because i'd been getting results w/ minimal side effects. now, i'm taking 500mg 3x, 1000mg 1x daily of Keppra. wheeeeeeeeeeee. :eek:

desideratha,
I've been taking Amitriptylin at bedtime for over 3 yrs. now and it along with my muscle relaxers has helped me considerably. I was finally able to sleep through the night and they've also helped put a stop to the occipital/migraine headaches I was waking up with. My PM dr. started me out on a low dose and slowly worked it up. Are you taking it during the day or only at night? I take my meds about 30 mins before I'm ready for bed. dabbo, I had the same kind of reaction to Wellbutrin that you had to Lyrica and ended up at the ER at 3AM. I was covered in hives- some of them as big around as baseballs and you could watch them move right before your eyes. They would go away and come up somewhere else,etc. They were in my scalp, around my eyes, in my ears- one of the WORST things I've ever gone through.

hi all, and thanks for replying,

jo55,
What is RSD? I had broken and damage nerves in the sacrum bone I broke. Out that bone a whole bunch of nerves come out, it is called the horse tale, or something like that, I broke many of the nerve outlets thus the pain from both broken and half broken nerves that are actually very slowly healing.

redjpwranglergirl,
I am taking it only at night. I started two nights ago with half a pill of 25 mg. Tonight I should be taking a whole pill of 25 mg.

Lirica was working, however over the past few weeks its effects have been fading. That's why I'm trying adding the antidepressant. But I'm afraid of its side effects long term. I already feel I have been gaining weight. Also, I've been sleepy for the past two days.
:eek: :confused:

RSD {Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy}-also goes by CRPS{ Complex Regional Pain Syndrome} is a over reactive sensory condition -disease brought on by damage or trauma to the Sympathetic Nervous System. It can be brought on by an accident, ie: minor trauma or surgery .

extreme sensitivity to touch, burning, swelling, color changes of skin

Burning Pain in Extremities Chronic Pain after Injury or Surgery
Chronic Pain after Injury or Surgery
Cold Feeling in Extremities
Discoloration of the Skin
Edema (Swelling of the Extremities)
Hypersensitivity to Touch
Limited Range of Motion
Muscle Spasms

more info on it-
http://www.rsdinfo.com/
http://www.rsdhope.org/ShowPage.asp?PAGE_ID=4
http://www.rsds.org/2/what_is_rsd_crps/index.html


Have you found our spinal injury & disorders forums?
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forumdisplay.php?f=22
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forumdisplay.php?f=43

also the chronic pain forum-
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forumdisplay.php?f=10

those will also help with meds, info and pain management

jo55
thanks for the info. My pain is from injury. I am using both amitriptyline and lyrica. I just started on the first one and still don´t feel any difference. I am growing anxious for lyrica seems to be less effective in controlling my pain. Any suggestions
I currently suffers these symptoms:

Cold Feeling in Extremities
loss of sensitivity to Touch
Limited Range of Motion
Muscle Spasms and cramps
constant electric current throughout the nerve
pins and needles
:(

lyrica and tos
 

I take lyrica and trileptal for my trigeminal neuralgia. After about a year and a half, in one of doc's neurological exams he asked me about numbness in arm and loss of strength in hand. He later did emg. proved tos. Started physical therapy, was working o.k., TN was getting stirred up, was extremely tired. Doc did nlood work, tested positive for Epstein Barr. Went to Ent to check my chronic sinuses. Was not sinuses, was tonscils, 45 having tonscils out sucked, but let me tell you they had been infected for years, and guess what, mt tos has improved 90% little problems occasionally with thumb and first tho fingers. Removal of tonscils made space in bracioplexus. If I could cure my Tn like that I'd bottle it up and sell it. It's worth a try. Jen

That's interesting about the tonsils because I had mine out quite late and they were a mess, too.

But back to Lyrica -

I'm now off of it about 2 months or so and lost 22 lbs. And it's not just the lbs. DiMarie - watch her BLOOD SUGAR. Mine swooped up and kept going higher. I was pre-diabetic, when I stopped the lyrica. I wasn't eating anything. All I did was drink fat free milk, water, etc. Maybe the Lyrica helped in nerve pain, but I couldn't notice because the pain is always so high. So no change on pain for me.

But watch out for the weight gain and the blood sugar rise. I believe it made my liver VERY fatty and big, too. (I just got an ultrasound.) Get blood every 3 weeks - at least that's what I'd do if it were my child until I were sure of things.

I took my Lyrica with Cymbalta and I still take the Cymbalta. It helps me to sleep (I take it right before bed) and with pain and depression.

What is your dosage/ day
 

__________________________________________________ _________________

Howdy,Peripheral nueropathy is one of my gifts from chemo. Trying Lyrica and different doses. What strength are you taking. I haven't found any relief yet.
Thanks, BillyBobzg

Hello BillyBobzg,
Welcome to NeuroTalk.

tsshadow hasn't posted in a while.

You could try asking over on the
Peripheral Neuropathy Forum
as well.

Also if you use the Forum Search Feature
you can search for keywords such as Lyrica.

There are many posts across many different forums here.

Hi BillyBobzg, I'm pretty new here too. My pain mgt Dr put me on lyrica about a year ago now, before my tos diagnosis. I started out with 50 mg at night, and worked up to 150 at night. Other than the weight gain, I didn't have any noticeable side effects. She doesn't want me taking it during the day because I have 3 kids, ages 9, 7, & 2, and drugs and parenting aren't the best combination. :)
I got moderate relief at the 150 level, but I've heard lyrica is notorious for patients developing tolerance to it pretty quickly. It recently stopped helping me much at all. My pm doesn't want me going off of it though because I'm headed for surgery and she said studies have shown that if the patient continues to use lyrica bf surgery, they'll require less of the heavy pain meds in the post op period. I'm hoping she's right, cuz I do not do well with any kind of codeine. Hope you can find some relief from your pain soon!

Does Cymbalta help you? I was thinking of trying it?