topic Re: LYRICA users......... in Wellness

LYRICA users.........

KateinOK — Tue, 30 Dec 2014 09:54:45 GMT

Fourteen months ago I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. I lived daily with migraine headaches, deep and intense pain in the cheekbones, shoulder blades, lower back, hips and thighs. I grew so weak that I couldn't climb our stairs to the second floor and constantly felt like my legs were going to give out underneath me. I lay awake all night in pain because it hurt to lay on the mattress. My neurologist prescribed Lyrica for me, and while it's helped with the pain and weakness, I've gained twenty pounds and the scale continues to creep up.The Lyrica also makes me excessively sleepy. I'm trying to decide whether to continue this medication and would like to know if anyone else has experienced these side effects. I'm having a very difficult time getting the weight off and the sleepiness hasn't lessoned over time. I cannot imagine going back and living with that pain again. I wouldn't feel so alone if I knew others experienced the weight gain, and I'd like to know if you had similar side effects and chose to stay on this medication.

Re: LYRICA users.........

151949 — Tue, 30 Dec 2014 15:38:28 GMT

My DH started to take this drug for his diabetic neuropathy and he too gained weight with it. The sleepiness got less as he adjusted to it but he still seems to take a nap every afternoon, and he is in bed by about 9PM every night - sound asleep. Anyway - he started to exercise more and especially ride his bike every day and was able to drop the weight he gained plus a few pounds.

Re: LYRICA users.........

Suziepeach — Tue, 30 Dec 2014 17:16:16 GMT

On 12/30/2014 KateInOK said: Fourteen months ago I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. I lived daily with migraine headaches, deep and intense pain in the cheekbones, shoulder blades, lower back, hips and thighs. I grew so weak that I couldn't climb our stairs to the second floor and constantly felt like my legs were going to give out underneath me. I lay awake all night in pain because it hurt to lay on the mattress. My neurologist prescribed Lyrica for me, and while it's helped with the pain and weakness, I've gained twenty pounds and the scale continues to creep up.The Lyrica also makes me excessively sleepy. I'm trying to decide whether to continue this medication and would like to know if anyone else has experienced these side effects. I'm having a very difficult time getting the weight off and the sleepiness hasn't lessoned over time. I cannot imagine going back and living with that pain again. I wouldn't feel so alone if I knew others experienced the weight gain, and I'd like to know if you had similar side effects and chose to stay on this medication.

Kate, I have Fibromyalgia as well- there are several others on our board that do too.. Hoping they'll find this thread & chime in.. Great bunch of ladies & very, very helpful and supportive. I, myself, have been on the fence about taking Lyrica. This doesn't work for everyone & it's controversial for fibro patients but I take 600-1200 mg of Mucinex per day for the guaifenesin which helps with my pain but with this cooler, damp weather I have been a bundle of pain- you know exactly how that feels. Redoing my bed today as my legs and hips feel like I've run a 1,000 mile race in a couple hours. Please speak to your neurologist about your rapid weight gain, which sorry to say is a side effect. Gosh I wish they'd come up with something for all us fibro patients that would work but all of us are so different with our symptoms yet alike... Please hang in there, you aren't alone in this... check out this website, it's very informative... and again, your neurologist is always there for you too... I've a fantastic PCP and she has been a rock for me... There are days all I can do is cry & it comes out of nowhere.. Unless someone has walked in our shoes, they don't have a clue as to how fibromyalgia affects each and everyone of us...

http://www.fibromyalgia-symptoms.org/

Re: LYRICA users.........

KippyK3 — Tue, 30 Dec 2014 19:51:25 GMT

Hi Kate. I'm so sorry that you have FM and are going through this. Please know that you are not alone. There are others here that understand and care.

I was diagnosed with Fibro about 4 years ago. I have severe allergies to many medications, so treatment for me has been difficult. I can't take Lyrica. I had severe facial swelling after just one dose. I do know a couple people that take it, both with weight gain, that wouldn't function without it. It works really well for my aunt, Lyrica and mild exercise keep her walking. In my experience, sleepiness is a side effect of any of the prescription options. A small cup of coffee or tea in the morning and afternoon help me with this. Also B complex vitamins. I would hate for you to stop taking it if it's helping you and you are getting relief. Talk to your doctor about your concerns. There may be another RX that you could try. Cymbalta? Or Pain Management? Although, it seems that they are all controversial. What works for one, does not work for another. Hang in there!

Hi PeachySue!

Re: LYRICA users.........

Gooday — Tue, 30 Dec 2014 20:24:41 GMT

DH has episodes of post herpatic pain from shingles. He has neuropathy from his upper neck radiating into his finger tips. He barely has feeling in his fingers. Anyway, he was prescribed Lyrica and it helps him tremendously. He takes it as needed so, he has not really had any side effects. However, he takes many medications including a low dose of Prednisone as part of his anti rejection regimen.

Again, although he takes it intermittently, it helps him a lot.

You could also try Neurontin.

Re: LYRICA users.........

KippyK3 — Tue, 30 Dec 2014 22:30:45 GMT

Kate, there is another Fibro thread that contains a lot of great info., support and discussions regarding medications. Maybe you can sift through it and find something helpful, if you haven't done so already. We haven't posted there in awhile, so I'm going to find it and bump it up for you.

We are here for you (or anyone else) anytime. Wishing you comfort and rest.

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Shelbelle — Tue, 30 Dec 2014 22:35:12 GMT

Friend of mine was taking it for numbness in her legs, all it did was put her to sleep, stopped it.

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MerriSherri — Wed, 31 Dec 2014 01:15:45 GMT

I'm sorry to hear that you have fibromyalgia. I've lived with it for 26 1/2 years. The older I get the worse I feel. My doctor prescribed Lyrica earlier this year. I quit taking it regularly after I gained about 12 pounds. It helped tremendously to relieve the pain so what I do now is take it periodically when I'm in severe pain. I take Ultram every day which is just enough to knock off the edge of pain but the Lyrica is awesome. I just hate that I can't take it every day since it causes weight gain. I'm hoping that one day there will be a cure for this horrible illness that so many don't seem to understand. In the meantime, I know my limits of what I can and cannot do and try to live each day to the fullest. Blessings to you and everyone else on here that suffers from fibromyalgia.

Re: LYRICA users.........

KateinOK — Wed, 31 Dec 2014 12:13:44 GMT

Thanks to you all for your kind words and suggestions. I will look for the fibro thread. I think people with fibro and some other issues feel alone as we tend to ""hibernate"" or seclude ourselves in our homes. It's hard to put on the public ""mask"" of happiness and to act to others as though we're coping and functioning right along with everyone else when inside we're screaming with pain and frustration and guilt. I am going to start walking and try my very best to eat right. Reaching out to the women on this forum and receiving your empathy and advice means so much. Thank you.

Re: LYRICA users.........

wishmoon — Wed, 31 Dec 2014 13:12:03 GMT

I have peripheral neuropathy and take Lyrica. I had weight gain and decided to take less. I spoke with my doctor about it and since it wasn't helping a lot anyhow, she agreed to give me less. I'm so sorry you have Fibro, I wish more scientists would work on these diseases to come up with medications that have an effect on us without putting us "out."

Re: LYRICA users.........

Toppers — Fri, 02 Jan 2015 03:13:33 GMT

I have taken it for Fibro. pain, and it really helped me. I didn't really notice a lot of weight gain from it. It did make me tired, but I was also taking it just once a day at bedtime.

The only reason that I stopped it though, was due to expense. I am taking a higher dose of Topamax instead.

Re: LYRICA users.........

lizzief — Fri, 02 Jan 2015 03:36:30 GMT

I have chronic neck pain - 3 operations so far - and I have tried Lyrica. It did make me want to eat everything in sight! It also gave me a bit of a "high" which was ok, since being in pain is so depressing. There is no generic, so my insurance wouldn't pay for it. Now I take Percocet for the pain, but wish I could find something that was not narcotic (Ultram gives me nightmares!), or even better, a diagnosis and cure! Nerve pain of all kinds is so frustrating because they can't "see" it on an MRI. I guess you have to decide whether the pain relief is worth the weight gain. As one who has struggled with weight since menopause, that's a tough choice, for sure!

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feline groovy — Fri, 02 Jan 2015 08:14:17 GMT

Lyrica is the only RX that I've ever taken to cause weight gain. That would be over the last 30 years and many daily meds. for chronic health challenges.

Although I do try to treat things holistically as much as possible; you should as well.

So, I had the rheumatologist switch me to Cymbalta (30 mg twice daily), which is the standard dosage for managing fibro.

She also gave me Tramadol/Ultram. (50 mg. up to three times daily, as needed for pain)

Since the lowest effective dose of any med should be taken, I try to take just half a tab whenever necessary. But it's there if I need to increase the strength.

HTH & gentle hugs to you 8-)

Re: LYRICA users.........

poregirl — Fri, 02 Jan 2015 09:03:09 GMT

Savella is a newer med. It may help you

Re: LYRICA users.........

ThinkOutsidetheBox — Fri, 02 Jan 2015 09:09:38 GMT

KateInOK...I am not a big fan of drugs of any kind, and I have nasty effects from almost all of them. But, sometimes they are needed. In my case, Lyrica helped immensely, but I did gain some weight. Not a lot, but then again, I was taking a tiny dose compared to what everyone else takes, because I cannot handle the doses normally prescribed of anything by docs.

Anyway, the Lyrica was not working well enough for my particular nerve pain symptoms, although it was working on other symptoms very well, so my pain specialist recommended trying Topamax instead (I will only take one prescription med at a time). The Topamax works very well on my nerve and back pain, and has the added bonus of cutting your appetite waaayyy down. The only problem, or I should say the main problem, is that it makes many people as dumb as a box of rocks. This is my third time trying this drug, because I get so stupid that I cannot handle it. If you can handle that side effect (and do look up the others) perhaps you could ask your doc to try that.

The use of Topamax for pain and Fibro symptoms is an off-label use, so a family doc will not likely be aware of this. Also, I am taking a 100 mg tablet, cutting it into quarters, and taking one of those quarters each day. For your pain levels, you will likely take more, but it never hurts to start much lower at first. For that matter, perhaps you need to be on half the dose of Lyrica that you are on to minimize the side effects? We ladies do not need the same dosages that have been standardized by the drug companies during trials for the men I hear.

Re: LYRICA users.........

poregirl — Fri, 02 Jan 2015 21:48:25 GMT

Learn about the most common side effects of Savella.

The most common side effect associated with Savella treatment is nausea. In clinical trials, patients experiencing nausea described it as mild to moderate. Approximately 6% of those taking Savella discontinued due to nausea versus 0.6% for those taking a sugar pill (placebo). You may find taking Savella more tolerable if you take it with a meal.

Other common side effects are headache, constipation, dizziness, insomnia, hot flush, hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating), vomiting, palpitations, increased heart rate, dry mouth, and hypertension.

In clinical trials, Savella was not shown to be associated with weight gain or weight loss. Patients in clinical trials who took Savella had an average weight loss of 1.76 lbs. compared to patients in the placebo group who lost an average of .44 lbs.

Re: LYRICA users.........

KippyK3 — Fri, 02 Jan 2015 22:50:46 GMT

On 1/2/2015 poregirl said:
Savella is a newer med. It may help you

Hi. I saw your post and was just reading about this when you posted the possible side effects. How long have you been taking it? Have you had any of these? Do they go away after a couple weeks?

I am really sensitive to meds and have bad allergic reactions to so many that my treatment is very limited. I can't even take NSAIDS due to bleeding and chest pains/tightness. I did try Cymbalta for a few days but it completely floored me! I could barely move I was so high, and had nausea, and terrible dreams. It did help the awful pain and I was happy, too. Lol. I've been flaring so bad that I'm ready to take one again. My doc retired, and my next appointment with the new doc is in 3 wks. I was wondering if you could offer anymore insight to this, and I will discuss it at my upcoming appt. Thanks.

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poregirl — Fri, 02 Jan 2015 23:07:49 GMT

On 1/2/2015 KippyK3 said:
On 1/2/2015 poregirl said:
Savella is a newer med. It may help you

Hi. I saw your post and was just reading about this when you posted the possible side effects. How long have you been taking it? Have you had any of these? Do they go away after a couple weeks?

I don't take it. just sharing

Re: LYRICA users.........

KippyK3 — Fri, 02 Jan 2015 23:16:13 GMT

On 1/2/2015 poregirl said:
On 1/2/2015 KippyK3 said:
On 1/2/2015 poregirl said:
Savella is a newer med. It may help you

Hi. I saw your post and was just reading about this when you posted the possible side effects. How long have you been taking it? Have you had any of these? Do they go away after a couple weeks?

I don't take it. just sharing

Sorry, I shouldn't have assumed. But, thanks for the info.