Lyrica lunacy

[Hawkgirl]

Okay, I am on 100 mg/three times a day of Lyrica, and I have found that--as it warns on the drug info--it makes you high. So on the morning of my mother's birthday lunch, I decided I needed a haircut. I couldn't even explain why I would think that. But I went to the mall and got a haircut. I told the girl I wanted a cut that I could wear my hair straight or curly (I am naturally curly), and also that I could wear in a ponytail. And she thought my hair is so thick and it would be better in layers. Now here is where the non-high me would've screamed "WARNING! WARNING!" I have spent 10 years of my life growing out layers and getting a one-length bob.

But the Lyrica-high me thought that was a great idea, and that joining in the conversation of the lady in the neighboring chair, who was complaining about the new speed bumps in her area, was a great idea. And talking the ear off the hairdresser was a great idea.

Meanwhile the clock is ticking and I start to realize I'm going to be late for my mother's birthday lunch. And as the lady keeps cutting and cutting, I realize I'm going to be VERY late for my mother's birthday lunch.

So when she was done, I looked hideous. You know how frizzy and frazzed out curls look when you comb them. But I was so late, I had no time to do anything about it, except rush home, grab the family, and get to the restaurant. I felt like the world's biggest jerk, because I was 45 minutes late for my mother's birthday celebration. AND, my hair looks terrible.

It looks terrible straight (the layers are completely obvious because my hair is too thick and coarse to "blend" them). It looks terrible curly. And it is too short to wear in a ponytail. ACK! Now I have to wait another 10 years to grow it back to the shoulder length bob that I had and liked pretty well.

Lesson: do not make decisions when on a Lyrica high!

[Hawkgirl]

I still hate my hair. I made a slideshow of my hair through the years, and I see that when I was a youngster of 30 living in Dallas, I had short curly hair and wore glasses. The glasses were baffling; I don't remember ever wearing glasses. But DH and DM say that I did.

Then I had longer curly hair. It was HUGE. I don't know how I fit through doorways with that enormous head of curly hair.

Then I moved to Oklahoma and had the CHI hair straightening treatment. So then I had shorter straight hair. And then I had longer straight hair. And then I had really long straight hair. And then I had slightly shorter straight hair: the long bob which was exactly what I liked.

And now I have the same awkward hair I had in the first picture. It would be curly if I left it curly. When I straighten it, the layers are completely obvious. You can count them. They don't blend at all. It's so ugly.

Plus I'm getting this weird fat belly. Almost like I'm pregnant. I don't know if I'm retaining water or just fat. I look in the mirror and just hate what I see. I have never liked my face or my teeth, but I was always reasonably satisfied with my body and my hair. Now it's all bad. I have to do something. What will I do, what will I do?

[chalknpens]

Low Dose Lyrica?

Hi Hawkgirl,
I must be on a much lower dose of lyrica ... I'd have to read the bottle to let you know ... I'll do that before I send this post ... Lyrica has helped the pain a bit (I'll check the dose) but if anything it makes me more sleep ...sleepy ... maybe we should meet somewhere in the middle of our doses.

I'll go check that dose now... have to find the bottle. .. I might stop and fill the day boxes before I come back ... but I'll come back.

50 mg, morning and night = 100 mg/day. I already forget what you said your dose was ... scrolling down to read again...

Oh yikes - 300/day? And I was thinking of asking to increase it to three pills a day (of 50 ...)

Could it be because I'm over sixty?

[Hawkgirl]

I don't know! I started on 50 a day for a week, then 75 a day for a week, then 75 three times a day. This was not making even a dent in my pain, which was agonizing. So she upped me to 100 three times a day, and I woke up the next morning (after taking a 100 mg pill the evening before) completely pain free. It was the first morning in almost two years I have not had pain.

Unfortunately my body is adjusting to this medication, and I can feel the pain, just under the surface, waiting to leap back out and nail me. So I wonder if 300 mg a day is enough for me. I don't get that high anymore, either. Or maybe I do but I don't realize it. It's clear that I view myself quite differently from the people around me. But DH (and I make that "D" with reservations) did confirm that I am getting a fat belly. What a sweet, tactful man.

Even the low dose of Lyrica did not make me sleepy. Almost nothing that is supposed to make me sleepy actually makes me sleepy. Even Ambien doesn't work for me unless I take what I think of as a "kicker," like Benedryl or a Valium. Something to "kick" the Ambien into gear.

But we were discussing my hair, weren't we? UGH. My DH (again, the "D" is questionable) has told me I have to choose between the CHI treatment (which would be in the $400 range) and new carpeting. Well, duh. I'm going with the carpet, which we seriously need and everyone will enjoy and will last for many many years. So I will have to live with this stupid mess on my head. Oh well, people will stop staring eventually.

[Hawkgirl]

My hair is still so ugly. I don't like flat when I straighten it. I'm going to have to let it be curly for God only knows how many years. I am so angry at myself for doing this to myself. A haircut from the MALL?! I would've done better at Supercuts or the hobo who walks the streets here.

I can't complain about this anymore at home. My hubby is sick of it and just gets mad now when I complain. So I'm going to have to dump it on you guys. It is so ugly. I feel like I'm back in high school with my ugly, awkwardly cut hair and my stupid face. Except now I'm fat too. At least back then I was skinny, although at the time I just found being so skinny embarrassing. Isn't it crazy?

BTW, think long and hard about adding your hubby as a friend on Facebook. Then the things you think are semi-private, like self-pity-parties where you just want your "friends" to pat you on the back and say everything will be okay, turns into a mega-brawl at home when your hubby throws everything but the kitchen sink at you, about how good and easy your life is, while he has to support 3 kids and a sick wife, and he never knows whether he'll come home to chaos or not, blah blah.

We all love our husbands, but sometimes mine is a real ****.

[chalknpens]

This is why people buy wigs...

[Hawkgirl]

chalknpens, you don't understand the power of my hair. It would sprout out of my head and eject that wig like the eject seat of a fighter plane. My hair is an entity. It is like this awful dog that the whole family hates, but none of us has the nerve or will to dump it at the pound. So you just put up with it.

DH told me "Girlfriend, you just *own* it." And I guess I have to, because there is nothing else to be done. So when you see that lady at Wal-Mart with the insanely large hair that looks like a total frizzy mess, just smile and nod sadly with understanding. It might be me.

[Hawkgirl]

P.S. I may also have a poop stain on my backside. That happened to me on Sunday. I am going to have to wear more encompassing pads. I refuse to wear diapers. I just do the maxi-pads, and after Sunday, position them more carefully.