Drug Ratings for LYRICAAverage Rating: 2.8 (1072 Ratings)
Compare LYRICA with similar: |
Results are sorted by Date Rating Was Added Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.) Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 |
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR LYRICA | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
  | F M | | | | |||
| 4 | Fibromyalgia, peripheral neuropathy | Very sleepy and fog-brain in the morning. I find that if I have something to really focus on, this helps. Stumbled around first few days, then improved. Pain relief within the first week. Been able to wear a real bra for the first time in years without pain. Pain relief seems to have plateaued after about 2 weeks. Am now increasing it because some hip pain has returned. Breathing had been painful prior to Lyrica use. | So far I'm very pleased with Lyrica after giving it a trial period. One has to be patient to get past the initial sleepiness and fog brain. No painful respirations, sleeping better and waking better after 2 to 3 weeks. Glad I was on vacation from work when starting Lyrica. Try to exercise and/or stay active to help with sedation effects. It's changed my life for the better! | F | 62 | 20 days | 12/31/2007 | 3 | 2 Cervical Herniated Disks | I really wish everyone on here would do 3 things in their posts 1) dosage you are on 2) how LONG you have been taking Lyrica 3) What other meds you started around the same time (if any) THEN tell your experience. It doesn't help when someone says "I'm going bald" when we don't know if they are on an excessive dose, another med, or what. ----------- As for me, I have been on 75mg/twice a day of Lyrica for about 2 weeks now. I am also taking Tramadol, but had been on that for much longer, so feel confident about reporting changes since starting the Lyrica. | Initially I was so woozy it scared me. This only lasted the first couple of days, then it turned to just a generalized "functional tired" kind of feeling...not at all like the "drugged out" tired feeling...just a bit tired. My favorite side effect of this drug is that I sleep until 8:30 or so in the morning without interruption! This is HUGE for me. I don't even know how long I have gotten up several times a night, and not slept more than 2 more straight...and not be able to stay in bed past 5am. So, though I feel a bit tired during the day, I also feel refreshed, if that makes sense. As for the pain the combo of this and Tramadol (Ultram) makes me feel very little pain, and sometimes I falsely feel like I have been "cured". As soon as I let it wear off, though, I made painfully aware that the herniated disks in my neck have not gone "away. I will gladly put up with a slightly tired fgeeling during the day, rather than the pain and the ortho sugge | F | 37 | 15 days | 12/28/2007 | 1 | status migraine, daily headache | hallucinations I didn't remember, night terrors, screaming nightmares 3-4x nightly, slept only 3-4 hours *on* combos of sleep meds, muscle tics, racing thoughts, rapid onset depression, made OCD much worse, rapid mood cycling, believed I was being poisoned by meds | I started taking 75mg a night for a week. Then week 2 took 75mg in the AM & PM. That's when the problems started, and my headache was much worse, either due to lack of sleep or the med itself. By day 19 at 3 pills a day I started contemplating suicide and then knew it wasn't even *me* thinking that, I knew I had to get off this drug. I decided that night to wean myself off & placed an emergency call to my neuro that I was being poisoned by Lyrica. I wasn't even up to the full dose of 300mg I was supposed to get to. It took another 2 weeks to wean off it altogether. Getting off it was utter agony!! I've now been "clean" for 4 days and still feel like utter arse, but at least I'm sleeping again. RESEARCH ALL CONSUMER WEBSITES BEFORE TAKING MEDS, NOT JUST THIS ONE. | F | 38 | 32 days | 12/28/2007 | 3 | RLS | depression, fuzzy head, light head, didn't give a crap | worked for rls but stopped it after 1 mo. because of side effects. | F | 48 | 26 days | 12/26/2007 | 2 | nerve pain | sleepiness, forgetfulness, mild confusion | Hardly helps my nerve pain even at high doses. It can only make my 10/10 pain feel more like a 9/10 pain. I am looking for a medication to lower my pain to 5/10 or lower. | M | 35 | 9 months | 12/24/2007 | 4 | Fibromyalgia / Leg Pain | Could be a little fibro fog but I had that long before. I don't think I have any side effects at all from this medication. | I feel that it is helping me significantly. I understand the idiosyncratic natue of medication and believe other patient's reports , but I can only report positive results from this med, and I have tried them all. I am off all Rx Opiods now which was/is my ultimate goal. Now I am increasing my exercise and plan to taper this med if possible in the near future. | M | 54 | 90 days | 12/21/2007 | 5 | Post herpetic neuralgia | none | I have taken it once following severe scalp pain and headache in the distribution where I had shingles about a month before. In about 6 hours it began to work and by 12 hours I was pain free. I took it for about 5 days after that and had no recurrence for about a two year period. I had no CNS side effects and could easily work with the medicine on board. | M | 54 | 5 days | 12/20/2007 | 1 | BE INFORMED! | Lyrica is very much like Neurontin/gabapentin. Beware you may experience same problems with Lyrica as with Neurontin. | Lyrica is not a miracle drug for fibromyalgia! | F | 35 | 2 days | 12/20/2007 | 4 | Fibromyalgia | Dizziness, Gastro-intestinal upset ( constipation, gas, belly pain, nausea ) Pain upon urination and vaginal pain. "Jaggy" and irritable | I take 50mg X 1 around 5 pm. On day 2, I noticed an incredible improvement in my dry eye syndrome. The relief of that pain alone is reason to take this drug. I sleep like a log, and rarely wake up in pain. I dream alot--but not bad dreams. My pain level has improved from a 10 to a 6. My job requires constant bending, lifting, moving and walking, so I will stay on this medication. Hopefully the side effects will diminish in time. If my Dr. wants to bump up the dose--I will refuse. God knows I can't be any more constipated. Ha Ha | F | 60 | 10 days | 12/19/2007 | 1 | firbromyalgia | extreme everything!! dizziness, nausea, itchiness, tiredness, nightmares, YUCK!! | I QUIT! | M | 46 | 45 days | 12/19/2007 | 4 | 7 herniated discs/fibromyalgia | blurry, double vision (two episodes), trouble w/memory-minor | Lyrica 1st dose 11/1/7 50mg twice/day. NOV28-07 increased to 75mg 3time/day...now having occassional blurry/double vision. EITHER Lyrica or Cymbalta has stopped the "sensation of hot nails piercing my skin to depth of one inch-#10pain,causes me to holler out-loud".Diagnosed with Fibromyalgia by pain specialist,will see Rhemotologist 1st visit very soon to verify FM diagnosis. Comments re:double vision/FM welcome. thanks rob | M | 54 | 6 weeks | 12/17/2007 | 4 | Fibromyalgia | Euphoria, weight loss, great sex, food tastes unbelievable, dizziness, no more Pepcid AC--acid reflux is gone, no more TMJ (teeth clinching), reduction of pain. | I started exercising a couple days before beginning Lyrica, and I've lost eight pounds in one week (and I've been unable to lose weight at all this past year--just gain). I have lived with so much progressively increasing pain that I forgot what life was like when I could actually feel something other than pain. My husband of 25 years loves this med. He said it's like the "awakening". As chronic pain sufferers, how much of our woes are due to pain--depression, social atrophy, weight gain, feeling of uselessness? The whole room spinned around about 20 times this morning--scary, but I'm still on board. | F | 47 | 1 weeks | 12/12/2007 | 1 | Neurological pain | Small improvement in pain from spinal cord injury. Fuzzy headed with memory lapses. Developed a stutter and incontinence. In 7th month gained 8 lbs. Additional 8 lb. gain in 8th mo. resulted in congestive heart failure, shortness of breath, extreme bone, joint and soft tissue pain from shoulders,chest, elbows, through hips to bottom of feet. Pain interrupted sleep for 2 months. Mattress pressure exacerbated ability to sleep with feet elevated. Diuretics were ineffective with side effects. Self-medicated with Advil for pain relief, but Advil further complicated my condition. After being off Lyrica 3 months I was prescribed Nurontin for pain treatment, but feet swelling and 3 lb. weight gain reinforced my inability to take this class of drug. | Blood, urine labs and cardiology exams supported fluid build up around my heart and kidney disfunction. Weight loss was slow as was improvement in pain syndrome and ability to sleep. My body healed itself over time. Mayo wanted to admit me to their Fibromyalgia Clinic however, I knew that was not my problem and did not wish to be labeled. At 10 months off Lyrica I rarely get shortness of breath when talking & multitasking. Left with trigger finger in both hands which developed during the full onset of symptoms. And what was minor osteoarthritis in thumbs is now so painful that injections are not effective and progressing to being a surgical candidate. The side effects of Lyrica leached my tenosynovial fluid. Other than my spine injury, I was otherwise healthy so, the sudden critical illness I experienced while on Lyrica was unexpected. I learned that my physicians should have been routinely monitoring my labs while I was on Lyrica. | F | 54 | 8 days | 12/12/2007 | 5 | fibromyalgia, foot pain | none yet | pain finally decreasing after 30 years. a little concerned about weight gain because of thyroid weight gain, but so far none. i like this stuff | F | 48 | 14 days | 12/11/2007 | 4 | Nerve pain in arms (neuropathy) | Kind of insidious side effects. Unpredictable emmotions at first. Had total nervous breakdown after about 10 days, but at the time it felt real, necessary, and actually healthy. Made me feel clairvoyant about my life. I thought it was ok for about 6 months after thatbut then I noticed significant hair loss. | I didn't know what was causing what at first because it was altering my perception. I conviced myself that I ws going through a phase of life. I had no idea what I was experiencing were side effects at first. I have been off lyrica for about a month now and hair still seems to be getting worse but hair cycles are about 3 months long so it may take 6-9 months to return...if it does. Very depressing. Lyrica did help my peripheral neuropathy pain though and it has not increased since I stopped taking the drug. I still have pain but it is much more manageable now and seems like lyrica has re-trained my nerves. If I get my hair back I would say all and all it was a positive experience. | M | 30 | 7 months | 12/11/2007 | 3 | diabetic neuropathy | feeling extremely tired & headache | I've noticed a few times my legs feeling better, after ambien & other sleep aids that have no positive effect on my insomnia; I now sleep at night & only wake up twice vs every 30-1 1/2hrs!! also, unrelated to the reason I'm taking lyrica; I have a much lower urge to smoke!! | F | 35 | 4 months | 12/9/2007 | 4 | daily migraine preventative | loss of sex drive. any intoxication related side effects eventually went away with tolerance but the effect of preventing migraines was still there. like people have said it sucks if you miss a dose. | i am getting addition therapy for the migraines (botox) and it has mostly eliminated them. tapering off the lyrica is not enjoyable. i am taking it very slowly because i was taking it for so long. | M | 20 | 12 months | 12/8/2007 | 4 | RLS Restless Leg Syndrome | Dizziness, out of it, couldn't think of certain words...migraines at 50mg per night. | Took 75mg for 5 nights and experienced extreme dizziness and walking around like I a space cadet...really out of it......off balance etc. It works great for RLS but not sure I can continue with it..because of then other side effects. I have had 1 50mg capsule and had a terrible migraine with neck pain all day, could not go to work. Not sure whether to continue or not.... | F | 6 days | 12/5/2007 | 4 | fibromyalgia-nerve pain | I have gained 23 lbs. in 4 months. Also, my stool has changed (harder and more frequent), gas, and I am bloated especially by the end of the day. | However, the darn thing works! I take 75 mg./day and nerve pain is much better. I was taking 120 mg./day of oxycodone to mask this pain for a year. It was very hard to detox by myself. Lyrica allows me to exercise everyday and now I'm hoping I can drop some of this weight. This drug makes me very hungry, but I think it's leveling off. I don't want to, but I'll stop taking if weight does not come off...at least some of it. | F | 55 | 4 months | 12/1/2007 | 4 | un-dxed: severe joint & tissue pain | having some mild side effects, some are spooking me, but I think I just need to get used to the drug... nothing severe if I calm down and look at it sanely (I'm just not used to taking this sort of medication) | It's working - my pain is diminishing quickly. I'm still having problems when I get up in the morning. The breaking back sensation is still there, but I got up quicker than usual this morning, feet still very stiff and painful, but better. 3 days ago torso neuropathy was so bad that I couldn't stand to be touched and had trouble bending over. It's still there, but not at all as bad as it was. | F | 36 | 3 days | 12/1/2007 | 4 | Fybromyalgia | At increased dose after 30 days low dose 50mg Bid, then at 100mg Bid started to get vertigo that would last all morning. Dose dropped down to 100mg at night only and still after 4 days having some vertigo. Notice a fair amount of hair loss in recent weeks. | Initial dose of 50mg bid took effect in two days. Slept for 8 hours for the first time in years. At about the 4th week a major flair up of Fibro symptoms pain and not sleeping well. Then started a slow rising dose increase adding one capsule am and pm on 4 day intervals, but when we got to the 100mg bid interval on day 2 crashed with the vertigo problems. So backed it down tapering schedue to 100mg pm only. still sleeping well and no pain symptoms except for what might be mild"normal?" age related aches... My job unfortuantely involves lots of bending and reaching and the vertio symptoms are a danger issue in my work. Hopefuly these will subside in time. | F | 48 | 50 days | 11/30/2007 | 2 | Peripheral Neuropathy | "zoney", sleepy, tired, itchy, malaise, "buzzy" all over, shaking hands, increased heart rate, attitude changed to "I just don't give a sh*t, irritable, uncomfortable deadened feeling in feet. | Began taken 50mg Lyrica daily a month ago. Also taking 75mg of Cymbalta daily. The Lyrica added very little benefit in controlling nerve pain in feet and ankles, it just made my feet feel like the nerves were just fuzzing out and saying F*** it. My feet felt like someone had beaten them with a meat mallet. After putting up with this for four weeks, I stopped taking the Lyrica yesterday after discussing with my doctor. The negative side effects and little benefit for my neuropathy are just not worth it. I am disappointed with Lyrica. My doctor is now suggesting that I increase my Cymbalta. | M | 45 | 30 days | 11/29/2007 | 4 | RSD | Nausea, shakiness after first day on 75 mg (after 1 week of 50mg). I'm hoping I'll adjust. | Sympathetic nerve pain and buzzing subdued. Maybe this will turn off my new RSD pain. | F | 54 | 1 weeks | 11/20/2007 | 3 | Herniated Discs | Lite headache that went away soon after awakening and lessened with use; vivid dreams at first, but went away after a few days; sometimes forgetting a word right after saying it; pain dropped from a 10+ (lying on floor and crying out in pain when I moved) to about a 2 (some pain while walking that goes away when I lean forward); currently experiencing bladder spasm a week after taking 75 mg, making it feel like I have to go all the time even after urinating, not sure if it's the Lyrica or not since no one else has reported this; | Haven't experienced the "high" feeling that others have reported nor any other side effects. Dr wants to up the dosage, but I'm ok with the dosage right now (don't want to feel the other effects reported). I am going to get an epidural next week and go back to finish spinal decompression because I do not want the back surgery. | M | 43 | 7 days | 11/18/2007 | 3 | Headache/pain from Horners Syndrome | Grogginess at 75mg 2Xdaily. Reduced it to 50mg 2X daily and it seems to help. Can't find the word--have to wrack my brain for it! Forgetful. | I'm really afraid of gaining weight. I'm very heavy and lost 30 lbs a year ago and was just about to start dieting to lost at least 40 more. Now my appetite is up? Will I automatically gain weight on this or is due to the appetite increase. In other words, if I eat the right stuff can I still lose weight or is it a losing battle on this stuff? Anyone? | F | 43 | 2 weeks | 11/18/2007 | 1 | Chronic Fibromyalgia | Like a light switch at first. Pain just decreased on first dose. The side effects have been costly. I am so embarassed. My train of thought just stops in the middle of a sentence, not once but several times with the same person. Eating like I don't know what I am doing? Bouncing off the walls...total ADHD 10x more so! ! | F | 47 | 20 days | 11/17/2007 | 1 | Fibromylgia | Extreme Chest Pain, Tightness of Chest, Asthma Like Symptoms, Couldn't Breathe, (This happened gradually and worsened after the 3rd 75mg pill was added) NOT LISTED in Patient or Dr List of Symptoms, Only Listed in Test Group of Patient Trials | This did start helping my nerve pain but not at expense of adverse reaction. Was very upset this wasnt listed in patient / dr side effects, PDR, my prescription drug reaction forms, at the ER list of side effects. I ended up in ER, with expensive hospital bills. This all started gradually and worsened after 3rd 75mg pill was added and after about 6 to 7 weeks. Please be cautioned. This may not be the answer for everyone. | F | 31 | 7 weeks | 11/17/2007 | 4 | Fibromyalgia | spaced out, hard to think clearly sometimes, clumsiness | It's helped tremendously with my pain. I sleep better at night. the drug takes hours to kick in but once it does, I feel so much better. My neck pain is gone and my arm and hand pain has decreased. I'm very impressed with this drug so far and feel better than I have in years. | F | 26 | 20 days | 11/15/2007 | 4 | Fibromyalgia | Dizzy, Dizzy, Dizzy. At least right after I take the med. Heavy head feeling. | Have suffered for 13 years with fibro. Started taking 25mg before bed for 2 months, nothing. Increased to 50 mg before bed, slept better, but no pain relief. Just increased to 50mg twice a day and feel hardly any pain, about a 1. However, can't seem to walk down the hallway without bouncing off the wall. I hope this passes because the pain relief in unbelievable to me. I have been told from my doctor that the weight gain is usually found in people taking other meds along w/Lyrica. No weight gain for me yet, but we will see with the higher dosage. Trying to work to 50mg 3x a day, but if the dizziness doesn't go away, I don't see that happening. Affraid to drive. | F | 45 | 4 months | 11/15/2007 | 1 | Severe back pain, disc injury | Dizziness, headache, back pain got worse, stiffness, very drowsy, groggy, very sleepy, can't concentrate. Have to sit after taking it and not even thinking of driving... | Does not work for me at all; worse than before! | F | 50 | 3 weeks | 11/15/2007 | 1 | Oralfacial neuropathic pain | Constipation, dry mouth, severe short-term memory impairment, inability to concentrate, and overwhelming fatigue. Then I lost about half of my hair! | Please do not take this medicine for nerve pain. The hair loss side effect doesn't happen right away, so you might think that you will be safe from this really devastating side effect. But the "shock to your system" that is Lyrica can send your hair follicles into the "telogen" (or dormant/hibernating) stage. The condition is called "telogen effluvium." A few months or so after the shock to your system (i.e. Lyrica), you lose massive amounts of hair. The entire top of my head is bald. (Not a good look on a woman with long hair!) I will never swallow another anti-convulsant again to try to manage the constant nerve pain. Neurontin caused me to suffer from aphasia. I thought Lyrica would be better. But now I am um, sort of BALD! Will my hair grow back? I hope so... | F | 39 | | 11/14/2007 | 1 | Cervical and head nerve damage | My neurologist prescribed Lyrica for the nerve damage in my head and neck as a result of a work accident. I took it last night, at bedtime, as the directions say and when I woke this morning I feel as though I've had a couple of drinks and I'm very shakey. I wasn't able to drive to work this morning because of it. | I did call the pharmacy when I woke up this morning and they stated it was a common reaction. 1 day of this is enough for me! | F | 51 | 1 days | 11/14/2007 | 4 | Fibromyalgia | slight headache, slight dizziness, fatigue | I have only been on the drug since yesterday. But I woke up inless pain and able to move sooner. Usually I wake to severe pain and takes a couple hours to be able to move around alot. Side effects so far aren't to much to handle. I am a registered nurse and have had a lot of patients on this med and they never complained of side effects. As far as the fatigue, I have had chronic fatigue from the FMS anyway, Just worried about if I will be able to work efficiently and safely. Still have bad knee pain, but this is due to ligaments and not nerves. I am hoping the Lyrica will help. Also hoing to be able to cut down on my narcotic pain medicine. Worried about weight gain. I had gained 60 pounds from Paxil before I switched back to Cymbalta. Only lost 10 of it so far. I am worried I will gain it back. | F | 34 | 2 days | 11/13/2007 | 4 | Fibromyalgia, PN and Pinched Nerve | At 75 mgs I was getting dizziness and dry mouth symptoms. Raised to 100 mg and also got edema in hands and feet | I have had to take narcotics for sever back and leg pain for about 10 years. Have been considering surgery for back which would include fusion of spine and about 3 months of recuperation and rehabilitation. This would be difficult since I care my my ailing father. Lyrica has greatly reduced my pain levels in many ways. I have not had any Fibromyalgia pain symptoms since beginning Lyrica treatment. I have also been able to greatly reduce pain meds for my chronic back and leg pain. For years I have had trouble standing for any length of time, but have noticed now that I can stand for hours with no pain problems. My gait is smoother and bouncier as well. In the last 3 years I have gained 50 or more pounds due to inactivity. Since beginning Lyrica I have actually lost 4 pounds dispite feeling hungrier than normal. I think this is due to my ability to be more active than I have for years. I am currently putting my back surgery on hold and I will be interested in seeing what the f | F | 54 | 1 days | 11/12/2007 | 4 | fibromyalgia | dizziness, drowsinness | effective pain relief at 75-150mg/day; at first, I only noticed side effects, and I completely went off the drug after only one 75 mg dose, then again after only two doses; pains were worse than before I started. I tried again for a few days at 75mg twice per day, noticing significant pain relief and less side effects. | F | 58 | 7 days | 11/11/2007 | 3 | PN, fibromyalgia, restless legs | sleepy during the day, some memory problems, gastric distress | Started with 75 mg in morning and at bedtime. It worked great for restless legs symptoms but not for pain. It did relieve the tingling and burning sensations in my hands and feet. My doctor had me gradually increase dosage and I found 375 mg daily really helped the pain but started to experience stomach and abdominal pains. Had a problem with my insurance and did not have medication for two days. The pain returned in my legs and arms at the same level as before i started Lyrica and have had some mild restless legs symptoms almost every night. I have experienced a lot of "senior moments" which did not happen before taking Lyrica. I have pressure and pain in my stomach daily. What started with a lot of promise has definitely turned into a disappointment. | M | 54 | 3 months | 11/10/2007 | 5 | diabetic neuropathy | None | This drug has been a godsend! I took Neurontin for several years, and was grateful for the relief it gave me; Lyrica has eased my pain at least tenfold. | F | 49 | 3 years | 11/8/2007 | 5 | Interstitial Cystitis w severe pain | Minimal side effects -- mostly noticed tremors in legs and arms -- annoying but not problematic. Haven't gained weight (yet), but even while sticking to my restricted calorie program, I have not lost any (sigh). Was already having short term memory problems and confusion, and it may be a little worse but not much. Slight moodiness, and one uncharacteristic online shopping spree. One of the first days I did feel "stoned" (in an unpleasant way) for a few hours. Overall, not much to complain about at all, especially since I found out that this was what was causing the tremors (and not some new scary ailment), so I stopped worrying about them. One mixed blessing -- I can sleep for many hours at a time now (which is GREAT -- I couldn't do that for decades), but can't make it to the bathroom quite in time when I wake up. Only a little urine leakage, a small price to pay for a good night's sleep! | Have had IC (interstitial Cystitis-- with severe bladder pain) 20 yrs. Been on narcotics, Xanax, sleep meds + everything else for the last 10. This yr pain increased dramatically -- narcotics just not enough. At same time developed SEVERE chronic fatigue (sleeping up to 18 hrs per day, still awoke exhausted). At same time diagnosed w sleep disorder (no surprise). Also dev. other new symptoms -- hypoxia (lack of oxygen), short-term memory loss, confusion, headaches -- you name it. Dr talked me into anti-depressants-- improved mood but nothing else. Finally given Lyrica (tho' very leary of more chemicals). Started w 50 mg per day & worked up to 300 in just a week (150 am & 150 pm). Since then have had SO much less pain 'tis hard to believe. Sometimes even forget to take pain meds (unthinkable before). Also sleep MUCH better, longer at a time, & deeper - helping fatigue much! Lyrica's a great blessing for me, truly I never expected a medication could even do this much good. | F | 57 | 14 days | 11/8/2007 | 5 | Fibromyalgia | dizziness, feeling tired, nauseous the first week. | I don't have any pain once it kicks in. It takes hours to kick in. | M | 30 | 3 weeks | 11/5/2007 | 5 | fibromyalgia pain | Am on day 5. Am trying to deal with the drunk feeling. Very tired all the time but my pain has dropped from a 10 on the pain scale to a 2 and that's amazing. | After one year on a combination of Plaquenil, Celebrex, Elavil and Cymbalta I decided to make a switch because of a 30 pound weight gain. My doctor says Cymbalta is the culprit. After slowing weening off the Elavil and Cymbalta over the last 18 days, I have lost 10 pounds! Now that tells you something considering I could not lose a pound previously. Hopefully the side effects will diminish over time. My doctor also told me about the need for additional blood work to monitor my platlet count as Lyrica can affect it. Lots of stuff to look out for, but worth the effort if the pain is relieved. | F | 45 | 5 days | 11/2/2007 | 5 | Trigeminal Neuralgia | Only slight - Can't always think of "that word" and I now remember my dreams. They are not disturbing in any way. | My pain has gone from a 10 to a zero. I have tried every kind of non invasive treatment and a couple of invasive ones (botox (wonderful but too expensive!) and acupunture (didn't help). I've tried every drug my doctors could think of and have had to be on narcotics most of the time. I am now pain free and going off the pain meds! I'm hoping it is the Lyrica and not a remission of the TN which happens sometimes. Good luck to all. | F | 63 | 6 weeks | 11/1/2007 | 4 | Multiple Sclerosis | Brittle hair, disoriented, light headed, | I am in instense pain in my arms and hands. This is the first med I have found that will help me manage the pain while allowing me to work. | F | 47 | | 10/31/2007 | 5 | Fybro | My greatest side effect is a lack of pain! I can excercise and live life versus survive life. I do have some water gain and weight gain. | This drug has saved me. | F | 43 | 4 months | 10/30/2007 | 3 | Peripheral neuropathy | Memory loss:diffulty with word retrieval, daily misplacing objects, some balance problems, extremely vivid dreams, insomnia,euphoria,inability to follow through on work or personal projects,inital edema of feet, with puffy feeling:This went away. I was prescribed 100 mg twice decided to take it only once for the first 6 months, as I got relief with minimal side effects. However, I no longer received benefit from the tingling and "rocks in shoe feeling", so I went up to the prescribed dosage of 1 100 mg capsule twice daily. That is when the more severe mental side effects, now that I know about them, seemed to begin. I also had sudden drops in blood pressure this summer and experienced a 4-day bout of double vision that doctors were not able to diagnose the cause. I do get some relief from pain from Lyrica, but I do not know if I will stay on it. I may try to go back to a lower dose of Neurontin . | Initially,I did get a reduction of the tingling and mild pain, but I have recently noticed a sudden onset of severe deep aching and occassionally shooting pain in the side of one leg upon arising.Sometimes the Lyrica helps, and sometimes it doesn't. I do not like the mental side effects and the balance issues. I am VERY sensnitive to all drugs that effect the nervous system. I got off of Neurontin becuase although I was pain and "tingle" -free, I was so sleepy I wold sometimes lose alertness while driving. (Scary) I do not like the mental confusion. I have always been a "chatterbox" and a little disorganized, but I am so constantly losing things, am unable to focus on the most pressing issue, and continously procrastinating that I really do not know if I will stay on this drug. It is affecting my job performance and ability to perform daily household tasks. I am a type 1 diabetic for 40 years, have used an Insulin pump for 4 years, and I am in good contr | F | 52 | 1 years | 10/28/2007 | 2 | Fybromyalgia | Weight gain,wired, loud, blured vision,constipated. After I lost 15lbs, I went on Lyrica hoping for pain med. with no side effect. overweight add to depression and pain, also brand name med. too expensive | F | 53 | 40 days | 10/28/2007 | 5 | Neuropathy in feet | None | I had previously taken Neurontin which did nothing for my foot pain and discomfort. Then I took Carbamazapine which helped some, but when I switched to Lyrica, most of my foot pain and discomfort has disappeared. | F | 68 | 10 months | 10/23/2007 | 4 | Fibro | I have lived with pain at 10+ for a good 3 years. Doctors perscribed an array of Narcotic pain relievers which took my pain away and me with it! Wanted to and had to stop taking Narcotics, was given Lyrica - now at 200mg 2x day - taking medication for 60 days now. Pain is at a 2 - I am thrilled but do experience some side effects - edema in feet (noticing relief from edema after 40 days), confusion, tough choosing right word(s), sometimes choosing wrong words (like plane for train), weight gain and hunger (also lessening). Life is much better for me, even with these side effects. I will continue to take Lyrica. | To those needing pain relief: Don't give up if in week 1-2 with Lyrica - talk to your Dr. - change dosage if necessary. I started at 200mg per day and pain was a six, now at 400 per day pain at a 2 or lower. Side effects are same for me at either dosage. | F | 46 | 60 days | 10/23/2007 | 2 | Migraines | "Fuzzy" Out there completely unsure of my surroundings. | Unable to tell if it has helped. It has made me very disoriented and restless. First week on the medication I was up all night and day. Average sleep was less than 2 hrs a day. Migraines are still an issue. | F | 34 | 1 days | 10/23/2007 | 1 | seizures and fibromyalgia | sleepiness, dry mouth, swelling of feet, loss of balance trouble concentrating--some confusion to dates. desire for sweets. After discontinueing by Dr. all disappeared. | F | 70 | 1 months | 10/23/2007 | 4 | degenerative disc cronic neuropathy | feeling high, memory loss,cognitive problems,intense dreams | I am currently taking 225mg per day lyrica for chronic back and leg pain.have already had 3 failed surgeries, epidurals, cortisone,pt etc.although there are side effects(for 2 weeks I felt totally out of it) my pain has so dramatically decreased that it is worth it for the time being so it is positive for me but I feel very drugged up-may be a combination of all the medication I take though.good luck nothing else has come close but I also have spinal traction and wear a back brace too | F | 35 | 3 months | 10/21/2007 | 3 | Pain from Shingles | None that were really that bad at first, only some slight lightheadedness, and now I am losing hair at a phenomenal rate, and will be seeking other cures for this, because there is a great notice in hair loss. | I would say it works ok, but not working at night when the tingling in my ears is at it's worse. | F | 26 | 5 weeks | 10/21/2007 | 3 | Degenerative disc disease/fibromyal | feeling high/outside of myself,trouble concentrating, memory loss, bad leg pain-swollen knees, trouble sleeping, starting urination difficult, blurred & double vision at times | Started Lyrica 75mg 2x per day- great relief from fibro symptoms not back pain- had side effects including high sensation and light headedness. Was put on oxycontin for pain in lower back and hip, and increased Lyrica to 150 mg 2x per day- all other symptoms started then. Giving it chance for symptoms to subside- worth trying to rid fibromyalgic pain- though co-workers are concerned about my look and concentration issues | F | 39 | 28 days | 10/19/2007 | 3 | jaw pain | weight gain...some fatigue | M | 40 | 1 years | 10/17/2007 | 3 | intermittent head pain | "high" sensation after two doses at 75mg, headache upon awakening. Too soon to tell much else. | Doctor prescribed this for intermittent pulsing head pain at the top of my head. I was worried about the pressure I was feeling and the fact that it could be a symptom of a brain tumor, aneurysm, or abcess. But she said it was probably just nerve damage and prescribed 2x75mg Lyrica a day. After the first does, I slept nearly all day. About four hours after my second dose, I felt higher than a kite! It wasn't an unpleasant effect, and fortunately it came on after I had just taught a class. Otherwise, I could not have functioned. I slept well but awoke with the worst headache I'd had in ages. I'm going to keep up with it for a while, but I won't take the morning dose if I have any appointments or commitments during the day. The pulsing pain in my head continues, and on a scale of 1-10, it's only around a 2. Not sure that it warrants this drug. I have spondylosis, nerve damage and numbness in my arm, and had the disk surgery a year and a half ago, which did more to alleviate pain than any | F | 52 | 1 days | 10/16/2007 | 3 | Fibromyalgia | Dizziness, internal buzzing, shakiness, feel like I'm on amphetamine, sleeplessness, irritability, mood swings | I've suffered severe pain and symptoms as long as I can remember. I have been through many drugs. However, like someone else here said, I am extremely sensitive to meds. I am at 150 mg. doing 50 at 3X@day. I feel jittery, dizzy and unlike others, have lost my appetite. My doc wanted me to try Lyrica because she doesn't want me to stay on opioids. I AM getting significant relief of pain with Lyrica, but am now thinking whether it is worth it - I never felt so jittery or wired on the opioids and got the same relief. This is very vexing to me. Also? I'd gotten off Ambien with the opioid, now I need it to sleep again. | F | 54 | 2 weeks | 10/13/2007 | 5 | Intense itching from pinched nerves | My biggest complaint is constipation. I thought I had no other side effects until my husband told me that my personality had changed! He says I'm "wired" when he gets home. I talk non-stop and I'm TOO upbeat. I take 75 mg in the a.m. and 75 at dinner. Strange, if I'm wired, why do I sleep better than I ever have? Will these side effects go away? I can try to control the chattyness, but not the constipation. | After having daily intense itching in one or both upper arms,starting 8 years ago and getting much worse every year, thought to be caused by pinched nerves, this drug helped me after one day. Almost 3 weeks now and I have not had one itch! I was going mad with it before this. I hope the side effects go away though. | F | 55 | 18 days | 10/12/2007 | 1 | Shingles / PHN | Major - Major side effects! I started taking it six weeks ago and thought it was a miracle drug. I'd been living with unpredictable, intense tingling burning pain in face and on my left arm. I had a two bad cases of shingles 10 years ago. My doctor no I were never able to find any kind of pain relief until starting Lyrica. Too good to be true? That's putting it mildly. At first the side effects didn't seem like much. A little movement awkwardness which I'd already been living with due to my neuropathy. But in the past week it got worse...much worse. I would mistep while walking, stumble forward or off to the sides. Even standing still takes concentration and effort because I lose my balance. Last week when this all started getting really bad I decided to stop the medication cold turkey. That lasted two days because the pain immediately returned -- with a vengeance. I decided I couldn't handle the pain again so I resumed taking it. Relief wasn't immediate but eventually I | It's frightening to see how many people have posted here describing some incredibly bad side effects of this drug. Sure, it has provided some relief from really intense pain people are feeling but is it worth taking if your life becomes this negatively impacted? I think they should take it off the market until it can be made safer for the patient. | M | 46 | 36 days | 10/10/2007 | 5 | fibromyalgia | barely any! i'm not drowsy, at night i sleep "like a million bucks", as opposed to the past several years when i was in so much pain sometimes i wouldn't sleep for days. the only side effect: i have gained approx 5 lbs in the past 2 months. i'm unsure if i can attribute that to the drug. | i no longer have to take any pain medication or muscle relaxers [no ultram, soma, tylenol, anything!]. there isn't any amount of money i wouldn't pay for this medication, because it has cured me. i suffered with the debilitating pain of fibro for 10 years, and this is the first and only drug that has worked for me. i also have PTSD and depression, and since i have been taking lyrica and have not been in pain, i've found that my mood and outlook on life has improved. i have hope now. | F | 60 | 45 days | 10/7/2007 | 1 | RSD AND FIBROMYALGIA, | blurred vision, chest pains,neuropathy, insomnia,strange dreams Too sleepy to function, tightness & pain in chest (angina), unable to breathe, frequent painful urination, increased pain in feet and arms,memory lost, unable to hold a pencil or type. | Suggest that noone really take this medicine until they research it completely. Lyrica is not for everyone and should NOT be taken for every reason. The side effect causes more problems to your health than it is worth. Special Note** I am surprised this medication is approved by the FDA and prescribed by MDs. Listen to your own body and NOT LET a doctor convience you that this drug is the best choice for the 21st century. Being alive and hurting is better than being dead and gone. Think about it and God Bless us ALL. | F | 52 | 14 days | 10/7/2007 | 5 | disk degeneration, neuropathy, etc, | Feel very "high", dizzy, sometimes sleepy, loss of acuity at times, weight gain (really don't like that, have weight issues from non movement anyway-maybe I can exercise now that Lyrica has me walking again!). I would recommend a severe warning to patients that the dizziness is pervasive, I almost fell in shower and don't know how this would address broken hip pain! My patient info wasn't strident enough, doctor didn't warn at all, nor did pharmacy, and this exceeds normal dizziness levels with even narcotic pain meds, in my opinion. | Debilitating pain greatly reduced, I can walk better than I have in over a year. Pain from shingles almost gone in an amazingly short period. The side effects put me in a great mood, LOL, are really worth the pain reduction. Started on 75 mg twice a day and recently increased to 100 twice a day, however, I initially found after a few days the side effects were considerably less and am hopeful I will adjust to new dosage as well. Can't say enough about positive effect on my quality of life as far as pain reduction and movement. Am menopausal and sleeping better than I have in a few years. Hope it remains a positive experience/treatment option w/o serious side effects long term. Lyrica gives me some hope towards a future with manageable pain. | F | 48 | 3 weeks | 10/4/2007 |