Lyrica?

[Hawkgirl]

Anyone familiar with this one? It has helped my pain immensely. I got confused on the doctor's instructions on how and when to take it. Is it supposed to make you drowsy? I'm not drowsy. But I'm really shaking. My hands are super shakey in the morning.

Anybody have experience with Lyrica?

[sexygatubela]

Anyone familiar with this one? It has helped my pain immensely. I got confused on the doctor's instructions on how and when to take it. Is it supposed to make you drowsy? I'm not drowsy. But I'm really shaking. My hands are super shakey in the morning.

Anybody have experience with Lyrica?

Hi Hawkgirl:

I was prescribed this week with Lyrica. I have to go pick it up at the pharmacy. My doctor told me to take one in the A.M. the first week and one in the A.M. and one in the P.M.

I hope it relieves my pain as well. I'll let you know if I have any negative side effects.

Hope your hands calm down soon.

[RoyalOne]

Lyrica OK


Hi Hawkgirl,

I take 50 mg of Lyrica twice a day for nerve pain. Had been taking more but dosage was reduced as it was determined that higher dosages did not offer any additional benefit. It helps and I get no side effects.

[Hawkgirl]

It's helping!

The Lyrica is really helping with this terrible pain! It is surreal and heavenly to wake up in the morning with no pain, and have a couple of hours where I feel more normal. Then it wears off and I'm in pain again.

I think the doc is stepping me up, because I'm supposed to take 50 mg before bed for X days (can't remember), then take 75 mg before bed for X days, and then I have a prescription for 75 mg that I can take three times a day.

I am so grateful for the relief from pain. I had forgotten what it was like to not be in pain all the time. Where all I thought all day was "God take away my pain; God take away my pain." Thank goodness He heard my prayers!

[Hawkgirl]

Whoops, spoke too soon. Pain is back as bad as ever. Nothing is helping. Zanaflex only knocks me out, Lyrica makes me feel like I'm jumping out of my skin, Nortriptyline who knows, Zoloft maybe keeping me from hurting myself.

I should take another Lyrica at lunch but I already feel so wired up and shakey! I don't know if I should give this a chance for a week or call my doctor. I guess I'd better call.

[RoyalOne]

Hi Hawkgirl,

When I said before that Lyrica is OK, it is, but its not perfect. I still get the nerve pain but the pain is muted. I also take Cymbalta. The two together really helps.

[Jaspie]

Hi Hawkgirl,
I was taking amitriptyline for the nerve pain. It really helped me out. There of course was some bad days, I would take baclofen on those days and that helped usually with the extra pain I would get. Hope your pain gets better soon.

[Hawkgirl]

Better day today. Not as shaky. Maybe I am getting used to it.

[Hawkgirl]

Called the doc and she is upping the Lyrica to 100 mg three times a day. I think I will be bouncing around like Daffy Duck! Woo hoo ha hoo! My hubby is actually a little scared of me when I'm on my Lyrica high. So we'll see what happens.

[dmcmtk]

Lyrica + Alpha Lipoic Acid

I have been taking Lyrica since Dec 2010 for fairly severe pain. At the worst 450mg a day. For me the worst side effect was an increased unsteadiness on my feet, which MS already causes on its own. I have been able to steadily been able to decrease to 225mg a day. Recently I have been taking 1200mg of alpha lipoic acid a day and the results of the combination have been VERY positive. ALA is sold as a supplement and is available at your local CVS. I have posted about this on other threads, take a look. I hope this information is useful, when I first started the combination I was frankly, amazed. Godspeed. Dave.

[Hawkgirl]

I have an appointment coming up and I'll ask the doctor about alpha lipoic acid. She has upped my Lyrica to 100 mg three times a day. I think it is helping now.

Has anyone noticed a change in their BMs with the Lyrica?

[rickalex2]

I've heard that Lyrica works great for some people, but for my son and I it caused weakness in the legs (on top of our already weak legs) and dizziness. And we assumed it was the illness and increased the dosage! Then I realized it might be the Lyrica! Checked the fine print that I try never to read and it is one of the more noticed symptoms. So just be careful. Especially if you increase the dosage.

[Hawkgirl]

Well, I'm on day 2 of 300 mg a day, and today I had no MS hug pain. So it is working for me. It does make my vision blurred. It also makes me a little high. Okay, a lot high.

But I think it's also affecting my BMs. I don't know if it's from the Lyrica or if I'm just declining and my incontinence is now including a little poop. I have found a little chunk of poop in my underwear more than once. (Sorry this is so gross.) I was wondering if Lyrica changes affects your BMs or if I'm just getting even more incontinent. Or DH thinks the Lyrica may be relaxing me to the point that *too* much is relaxing, causing these little accidents. I just hope it is a rare, isolated incident, because I do not want to be wearing Depends at the age of 39.

[Hawkgirl]

Doesn't anyone want to discuss my poops with me?

Oh well. I think the Lyrica has changed my poops, but I can handle it. I'm getting accustomed to 300 mg a day, and the MS hug has really de-intensified. It's still there, but not as severe, so I feel much much better. And I don't feel so shakey in the mornings so I think I have gotten used to it.

[Hawkgirl]

Okay this is a serious call out to anyone who's been on Lyrica for a while. My appt. is coming up and I need to know what to ask about.

First, Lyrica seems to have changed my incontinence problems from minor leaking to full-out bladder emptying and even an occasional poop sneaking out. Is this from the Lyrica? Is anyone on Lyrica having this side effect?

Second, is Lyrica causing "abdominal distension" for you? I read in the patient info that it can cause "abdominal distension." And I have developed this big pot belly. Like I'm four months pregnant. Now, I know my appetite has picked up (which is okay because I was way too thin), but I am walking around with this large pot belly. Is this the "abdominal distension" or am I just getting fat?

I am at 450 mg a day and the MS hug still grabs me on some days. Other days it is at its low level, which has come to feel like "normal" to me. The shakiness is still present, and my vision is blurred. These are also listed as side effects. But I really want to know from someone who's been taking Lyrica for a while, did you suddenly inflate with a big pot belly? Did you lose control over your bladder and bowel?