Lyrica-Somebody explain this to me..Help me!

I have been given Lyrica by my Neuro.  I have been going up slowly on the dosage for three weeks.  I am now at 150 mgs. twice a day.  I feel terrible.  I am dizzy, my brain is in a complete fog.  I am having typing simple sentences.  I am running into walls, I feel like I have to lay down.  This stuff is making me sick as you know what.

Please give me some advice.  This can't be normal.  It sure isn't helping the pain.  Is this going to go away with more time or what is going on.  I feel that I am moving in slow motion.

I am not one to ask for help like this, but I really feel bad.  I feel so bad that I know that this is my last dose of 150 mg.  I am starting to go down on the dose starting tomorrow and wean mself off.

Soomeone with some experience with Lyrica please give me some advice.  It's so hard to type this.  I wish I could tell you have weird I feel.

Thank you,
Heather

[mokibear]

Oh sweetie, I'm so sorry you are feeling so bad. I don't know anything about the meds but can you call your neuro or the hospital to see if they know what is going on. I'm worried about you my friend. You have been through so much already, I do hope this all calms down soon for you.

Prayers and Hugs
Mok

[monotreme]

heather,
  I looked up Lyrica in my nursing drug book,. Here are some of the major side effects:  : ataxia, blurred vision, confusion, incoordination, dizziness and abnormal thinking.

Also, vertigo, abnormal gait, anxiety , nervousness, tremor and twitching, and of all things, neuropathy.  That's ridiculous since this is a drug for neuropathy.

Do not stop the drug abruptly.  I would lower the dose for tomorrow and call the doctor who prescribed it  on Monday.

So sorry to hear of your troubles as you try to get pain relief.
Elaine

[Deb61]

I'm concerned as well.  I think you should seek help at an urgent care center, since it's the weekend.  At the very least, contact your neurologist first thing on Monday.  Your symptoms don't sound right.  

I'm not taking Lyrica.  I was supposed to start on it a few weeks ago, for severe pain in my feet, but never did.  

I'm sorry you're feeling this way.  I hope you start feeling better, soon.

Take care, dear heart--

Deb



  


See the web site below for a list of serious side effects:
http://www.drugs.com/cdi/lyrica.html

[Heather3418]

As the time is passing since I took the 150 mgs. I am slightly better.  I am having small tremors and twitching, guess that will subside as the drug starts to wear off.

No more of this Lyrica.  I will start on the lower dose tomorrow and continue to wean myself off.  This drug is definitely NOT for me.  It was prescribed for pain, but I have had absolutely no pain relief from it.  So, back to square one for the Neuro.  Somehow, someway, I will try to find something that will help with this daily pain.  I would love to NOT have to take prescription drugs to do it.

Thank you all for your concern.  I am going to go to bed and sleep off the rest of the Lyrica.  Thank you again...I rarely ask for help, but I'll tell ya, I was getting pretty worried there for awhile.  I have never felt like this before.

Rena takes 300 mgs. of Lyrica a day, I wonder if she has any side-effects like this.  Rena if you are out there, I would love to hear your experiences.  Do you give this drug more time or is this a sign that I cannot take this high of a dose?

Big Hugs,
Heather  

[Rena705]

Like I said...after 5 doses the last time I had vertical double vision, jerking and twitching and I couldn't speak at all...I called the pharmacist and he said to stop it right away and call the dr. on Monday...that was with the bonehead...

This time I started at 75mg/dayX1week then 150mg/X1week now on 300mg/day and I don't feel well but I feel as though I have been thrown to the lions...the pain is unbelievable and if feels like it did in Oct. 2006!  Now my doc has flown off to Mexico for two weeks...I may end up back  in emerg yet.
  
I have built up to 300mgs/day and I have twitching, speaking difficulties, cog fog you name it but the doc knows this and said to stay on this dosage till she gets back from Mexico!  She didn't bother to ask what the pain level was come to think of it...but it has gone from about 3 to about 8 on a 1-10 scale since Wednesday.

Send me a pm in the a.m. and we can discuss it if you want...

Rena

[LLWB]

Hummmmmmmmm a pm in the am.is that code....LOL...Heather, I am up to 200 mg of Lyrica this time so far, and it's not touching the pain in my feet or legs like it did last summer. I have been having cog issues, fatigue, and other sx the past couple of weeks. Dumb me, didn't think to relate it to the Lyrica.But, from past experience, don't just stop it, it's another one of those drungs you have to taper off from.  
Rena, If you are at an 8 and your dr is in Mexico, maybe a good time to switch docs! Feel better soon.Maggie

[Heather3418]

As far as I can tell, Lyrica doesn't do squat for pain.  After all, it's an anti-seizuere meidcation as far as I know.  Like Neurontin.  I did not do well on that drug either and was up to 3,500 mgs a day with no pain relief.  I try to tell the Neuro that this isn't NERVE pain, it's pain from continual spasms with burning and aching in my legs, 24 hours a day.  

I believe that the symptoms you are describing CAN be attriuted to Lyrica side effects.  Fatigue is pretty great within an hour or so after taking it.  That's one thing I noticed right away.

Starting tomorrow, doctor's approval or no doctor's approval, I am going to start reducing the dosage gradually, so I can come off of it safely.  Any drug, in my opinion that needs you to titrate up or down with the dosage is a drug that worries me a bit.  It screams SIDE-EFFECTS...big time..  At least that is this one woman's experience.

Hope you feel better Maggie,
Heather

[Heather3418]

Forgive the typos...brain fog

[gollie]

Hi Heather

Im comming in late on this, but I know they say to taper, But if this
turns out to an allergic reaction to a drug, the norm is to stop right away.

Are you having any skin rashes or skin reactions?  Are you having any tightness
in your throat.     If so call pharmacist  or on call doc now!!!    

I read your other symptoms  and the side effect post from monotrem (very informative)

I also wonder, just how much our docs know, about perscribing us new
drugs and the effect it may have with the other drugs we are already taking.
I know there is a norm, but every one reacts different!!!!! another avenue to explore.
                                 Heather  Please let us know how you make out!

                                                 Gollie

[Heather3418]

I am not having any allergic reaction.  I have been on a titrated dose of Lyrica for three weeks.  It's only when I took the maximum dose that my doctor wanted me on, that I became kinda ill.  Never experienced anything quite like it and glad that it's over.

The Lyrica I believe, is extremely over-rated as a good drug for Nerve pain.  I have not heard anyone, as yet, tell me that this is a Miracle drug for pain.  Just the opposite as a matter of fact.

Thanks for your care and concern,
Heather

[Freespirit24]

Hi heather I am on Lyrica to for nerve pain, i am only just on 75 mg for a week and he said phone after 2 weeks let him know if it is helping. I have been tired and a bit disconnected but otherwise fine. The pain is still there though but i am only on the lowest does so far. It is very expensive so I am wanting to know if anyone is having success with it?

[Quixotic1]

Hi, Guys, Lyrica and Neurontin do help many people with nerve pain, but not everyone.  

Heather it does sound like you are not tolerating the med and need to go back down.  

It makes sense that anti-seizure meds would work on neuropathic pain.  They calm down excitable and spazzy nerves in seizures, nerve pain is likewise caused by nerves that ae sending out spasms of inappropriate signals of pain.  But, not everyone can tolerate them.  Sometimes, you just need to work up more slowly.  This is something you should be working closely with you doctor on.  

For my trigeminal neuralgia I was put on Tegretol (carbamazepine) which has been the first line drug for it - forever.  It began to work as soon as I got the level up a bit.  I had one day of boozle-brain then it was okay.  It had my face pain totally under control before the fractured molar/extraction debacle.

I don't know why everyone is jumping immediately to the newest and most expensive drug.  (Well, yes, we do know, don't we?)  For those of you who can't tolerate Neurontin or Lyrica, or for whom they don't work, ask your doc about Tegretol.

Heather, I don't know that this will help today, but it's all the two cents I had.  I haven't been on the forum much because of pain.  I hope you feel better soon.  If you take it twice a day I think I would skip tonight's dose.  You could also call a 24 pharmacist.

((HUGS))

Quix