topic Re: Has Anyone Taken Lyrica? in Wellness

Has Anyone Taken Lyrica?

Kachina624 — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 00:16:00 GMT

I just received a 90 day supply of Lyrica my doctor wants me to try so I can get off the NSAID I've taken for years. I just read all the medical data that the pharmacy sent and I'm not sure I want to try it. It sounds as though every possible side-effect known to mankind is possible with this drug.

If you've taken it, it is did you have any reaction? Did it seem to be effective?

Re: Has Anyone Taken Lyrica?

software — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 00:24:24 GMT

@Kachina624 wrote:
I just received a 90 day supply of Lyrica my doctor wants me to try so I can get off the NSAID I've taken for years. I just read all the medical data that the pharmacy sent and I'm not sure I want to try it. It sounds as though every possible side-effect known to mankind is possible with this drug.

If you've taken it, it is did you have any reaction? Did it seem to be effective?

I can't speak for it personally, but I have many friends who use it for various reasons. It does seem to be safer and as effective as NSAIDS. NSAIDS have become the boogey-man. I don't know a doctor that approves of NSAIDS anymore.

My friends seem to do well on Lyrica.

If you trust your doctor, try it.

Re: Has Anyone Taken Lyrica?

wishmoon — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 00:28:53 GMT

I was given it for neuropathy. Was on it for a while but had weight gain and brain fog. Went off it on my own. I didn't miss it a bit.

I DID take it for shingles tho. I had horrible nerve attacks with the shingles, seconds long but blinding pain. I'd take several of them and it stopped it. This only happened about five times.

Re: Has Anyone Taken Lyrica?

RoughDraft — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 00:30:00 GMT

I have a very dear friend who has been using Lyrica for years with absolutely no side effects and has helped with the problem tremendously. That said, every person is physiologically different, so predicting what your reaction would be isn't fruitful.

I do know it's been on the market and used for years and probably takes less of a toll on one's health than NSAID.

Re: Has Anyone Taken Lyrica?

SilleeMee — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 00:37:14 GMT

It was prescribed to me for an idiopathic neuropathy issue I had with my cervical spine, I was told. It did not do anything for me because my problem was much more serious than that. I took it in hopes of getting pain relief but it did not work for me in my situation. It was like taking a placebo.

Re: Has Anyone Taken Lyrica?

AnikaBrodie — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 00:44:14 GMT

DH was prescribed Lyrica several years ago for peripheral neuropathy (no, he is not diabetic). A few weeks into the med he developed an allergic reaction to it with a serious case of cellulitis and was taken off of the med immediately. Just know that everyone is different, what didn't work for him may work for you.

Re: Has Anyone Taken Lyrica?

henderson — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 00:53:47 GMT

I've tried it before with no adverse side effects. I now take Gabapentin because it's generic. There is no generic Lyrica and it would cost me per month instead of me getting Gabapentin free.

Re: Has Anyone Taken Lyrica?

Libbylady — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 01:33:15 GMT

As with lovethedesert, my insurance doesn't cover Lyrica for free. I take Gabapentin instead also.

I took an NSAID for 6 months prior to having shoulder surgery and went off it 5 weeks following the surgery.

Suddenly I felt like someone had thrown scalding water on my chest and was rushed to the ER.

I had a perforated ulcer and a deflated lung. I had no idea that I had any ulcer at all! The doctor said it grew quickly from the Celebrex (NSAID) I had taken.

No NSAID's for me ever again. Too bad.... they work pretty well on pain. I guess it's better to live.

Re: Has Anyone Taken Lyrica?

michigangirl723 — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 01:47:45 GMT

I was prescribed it and ended up having to quit within a few days and had to go to Urgent Care to get checked out (which wasn't necessary looking back on it now, but it was over the weekend and my Neuro said I needed to). There isn't really a nice "proper" way to put it, but I lost the feeling of the need to urinate. I woke up and realized almost 4 hours later I hadn't gone to the bathroom yet, bc I didn't feel like I needed to. Basically, the Dr at Urgent Care told me to not take it again and set an alarm on my phone to go to the bathroom every few hours for the next day or two.

Re: Has Anyone Taken Lyrica?

Scooby Doo — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 02:01:30 GMT

I didn't take that one, but I took Cymbalta for Fibro...... one pill. That stuff made me horribly sick for three days. Depends, I think, how your own body reacts to meds. I'm super sensitive to drugs that don't bother other people.

Re: Has Anyone Taken Lyrica?

nikki48 — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 04:06:57 GMT

@Kachina624, I was on Lyrica for a while.. it didnt agree with me. I still have gaps in my memory during the time I was on it. My kids nicknamed it my "zombie" medicine and people would tell me I had a full conversation with them yet I didnt remember even seeing them.

The worst side effect was sleep driving. I was still taking it after my husband deployed meaning I had to drive again. I went to pick my daughter up after her band practice. I dont remember driving there, picking her up or starting to drive back. I do remember "waking up" while sitting at red light on base. My daughter was talking to me and I was really confused. I drove home freaked out but trying to remain calm. At home, I promptly flushed all of my Lyrica. I called my doctor the next day and told him I was done with it.

My advice, dont take it if you have to drive and have someone that can watch you for any differences or issues. I didnt know I was a "zombie" until my kids told me about it some time after I stopped taking it. It and other anticonvulsants are strong neurological medications, unfortunately they come with strong side effects for some of us.

Re: Has Anyone Taken Lyrica?

Kachina624 — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 04:15:34 GMT

@Nikki48 Wow, you really had a disagreeable experience. The literature mentions "brain fog" as being a possible side effect. I live alone and don't have a "custodian". I don't drive much. I'm usually not much affected by drugs but just had a reaction to Tramadol so now I'm paranoid. I I'll watch myself... thanks for sharing your experience.

Re: Has Anyone Taken Lyrica?

INDIANA BONES — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 04:22:24 GMT

@Kachina624 wrote:
I just received a 90 day supply of Lyrica my doctor wants me to try so I can get off the NSAID I've taken for years. I just read all the medical data that the pharmacy sent and I'm not sure I want to try it. It sounds as though every possible side-effect known to mankind is possible with this drug.

If you've taken it, it is did you have any reaction? Did it seem to be effective?

It seems that people tollerate it well or have side effects. I would just ensure that the first few days you take it, you do so with someone at home with you. I personally always start new meds when I know someone will be in my home in case I have an reacrion and need medical attention. Honestly I doubt there are many meds (if any) thjat we would take if we were aware of all potential side affects. Good luck !

Re: Has Anyone Taken Lyrica?

Moonchilde — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 04:59:35 GMT

@Kachina624, when both it and Lyrica were brand new on the market, I was given Neurontin (chemically very similar) for a post-surgical neuropathy I developed. I only took it for 4-5 days, because I developed one of the common side effects - swelling of the hands and feet. The doctor then prescribed Lyrica.

At this point, although I filled the Rx, before I took it, I read up on everything that was on the internet about it, plus read extensively on several discussion forums consisting of discussion by people taking it. Many of them detailed horror stories about what they went through in trying to stop taking it.

I worked in healthcare for 45+ years and what I read scared the kwap outta me. Google “Lyrica brain zap” for more info on another aspect, as well as people being essentially non-functional while taking it - somnolent (sleepy) to the point of being a zombie, very mentally fuzzy, and in many cases unable to function at their job. Since I had a high pressure gogogo job where I had to be on my toes at all times, that would not work for me. I never took a single pill. After what I’d read, I couldn’t risk losing my job over it.

This link will give you first hand accounts:

https://www.healthrising.org/forums/threads/side-effects-after-taking-lyrica-for-years.3111/

I think it’s worth trying for those with something like a severely painful neuropathy where you’re in horrible pain 24/7 and nothing else has worked, or post-shingles ongoing neuropathy, but for anything less - just me but I wouldn’t.

Re: Has Anyone Taken Lyrica?

Kachina624 — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 05:16:16 GMT

I'm going to read those references tomorrow. Tired tonight. I've got to find something for my array of aches and pains. Took me forever to find a NSAID that was effective but it's starting to affect kidney function. I had a really bad reaction to Tramadol a couple weeks ago which included nausea and severe chest pain. There really aren't that many drugs for pain which aren't narcotics or NSAIDs.

Re: Has Anyone Taken Lyrica?

Toppers3 — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 08:06:45 GMT

@Kachina624 wrote:
I just received a 90 day supply of Lyrica my doctor wants me to try so I can get off the NSAID I've taken for years. I just read all the medical data that the pharmacy sent and I'm not sure I want to try it. It sounds as though every possible side-effect known to mankind is possible with this drug.

If you've taken it, it is did you have any reaction? Did it seem to be effective?

I did pretty well on it for quite some time.

I did have some weight gain on it, too.

The main problem for me with it finally became the cost, too.

I finally ended up switching to a different dose of another medication instead, due to that.

Re: Has Anyone Taken Lyrica?

NickNack — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 12:18:42 GMT

I took it for quite a while and got no relief from pain. My doctor kept increasing the dose but still no relief. My friend takes a fairly low dose and gets great relief. NSAID's do help me somewhat, but I know I shouldn't take them and try not to.

Re: Has Anyone Taken Lyrica?

Winkk — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 13:01:37 GMT

While I was in the hospital for my knee replacement 3 months ago they gave it to me. It made me feel like I was sea sick. My stomach was queasy and I had a headache. They only gave it to me that one time but I won't take it anymore. I was told that my reaction was common.

Re: Has Anyone Taken Lyrica?

Shelbelle — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 13:18:24 GMT

I know a friend who took it and stopped, she said all it did for her was put her to sleep.

Re: Has Anyone Taken Lyrica?

esmeraldagooch — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 14:04:30 GMT

My husband's doctor put him on Gabapentin because it has less side effects than Lyrica. Cheaper too. His Optipical Neuralgia is gone and he hasn't had a migraine in the 15 months he's been on it.