Lyrica vs. Neurontin (Gabapentin)

I've been taking neurontin for "peripheral neuropathy" for a year now, but one of the side effects is "mild confusion" which basically makes me lose focus.  I just saw my neurologist again and we're now trying Lyrica, typically prescribed for fibromyalgia.

I've only been on it two days, with a much lower dosage (was taking 1200mg gabapentin/day versus 75mg Lyrica once at night!) and much much much better results (I only take one or two 300mg gapabentins a day).  The only down side is that it makes me sleepy, but I'm sure that will wear off a bit or completely once I'm used to it.

The other thing is that while it makes me sleepy, it does not entirely combat my chronic insomnia, but it does make it easier to cope.

Just wondering if anyone else has taken or is taking this?

[ambrosiawind]

Treebranches,

I took a very high dose of Lyrica ( 450mg) a day I found that i had more energy well at least i was able to get up in the morning as opposed to when i first started nortriptyline. anyway the only time the tiredness caught up with me was when i would stop doing anything and sit down then i would begin to nod off. i took this for a couple of months and found that it did not change much. Lyrica was not for me it didnt entirely eradictate my pain hopefully it works for you and i hope that the sleepy side effect wears off

[treebranches]

Thanks for the reply.  It's worth a shot I guess and we'll see how it goes!

[Fluffysmom]

I switched from about 900 mg. a day of nerontin to 150 mg. of Lyrica (50 mg. 3 times a day), then added a fourth Lyrica when some nerve pain got worse.  I had started on these meds for Restless Leg Syndrome, but have found they do help my nerve pain.

When I increased the dose, it made me more sleepy at bedtime for a couple of days, and then I adjusted.  

I have trouble getting quality sleep, and find that 5 mg. of Ambien helps some with that.

I had switched to the Lyrica for several months when I started having neurological symptoms that gave me extreme fatigue and some brain fog, but I don't think the unfocused brain and fatigue are related to the Lyrica in my case.

Don't know if this helps any, but its another person's story.  Good luck with the sleep; good quality sleep is good for a lot of what ails us!

Kathy

[treebranches]

I appreciate the feedback!  Knowing that you take less Lyrica than you were taking of gabapentin makes me feel better.  This sort of thing does very person to person so I like to hear as many stories as possible.

[uk2]

Hi

I was on lyrica for year and an half from 75mg to 600 mg. I have fibromyalgia and took it for that but i put two stone on with it and since i've been off it lost a stone and a half since then in 6 mths, at its lower dose it makes you tired the higher the dose the more i found it kept me awke and fight my fatiuge, it helped with my muscle spsams and nerve pain but i had the worst time ever coming off it it took me 6 mths to come off it as before i tried to come off it in a month and ended up having an awfull experience but i was tring out a parkinson drug at the time which i had to come off as well.I'm now on requip and fentanal patches 100 and clonazapam and find that works better then the lyrica for me, i also got aggressive and agitated on the higher dose, i find its a drug that works well at a low dose but as you are on long term your body gets used to that and you go up and thats when the side effects like weight gain and aninxty, but the weight gain was the worst for me, i feel more foggy off it and less with it but then i've been dx with meniere's disease and suffering from vertigo so that could be combined to that.

Im glad the lyrica is working for you. can i ask what dose of the gabapentin you started on and how long it took you to get to the dose you were on?

I started on 75mg and at the end of the year i was 2 st heavier and on 600mg of lyrica which then took 6 mth to get off and lose a stone and a half.

let me now how it goes.

sam

[treebranches]

Great feedback, I appreciate it; I have muscle spasms allegedly not related to my nerve pain and kept getting told I have RLS for the longest time until I found the neuro I'm at now.

I started taking gabapentin January 2008 300mg thrice a day for 900mg a day; while it was helping, it wasn't helping as much as it could have so I get bumped up to the 300mg four times a day for 1200mg/day total in March 2008 and I've been futzing around at that since then.  

I'm starting 75mg a day of Lyrica for two weeks, then doing 75/mg twice a day; in the meantime, I'm weaning off of gabapentin by doing 900mg/day for this week, 600mg/day the week after and 300mg/day the week after that until it's done.  Once I'm off of it, we'll see how the Lyrica does on its own--my neurologist mentioned being able to bump up Lyrica past two 75mg doses a day and/or do Lyrica and gabapentin in a combo.  The other solution was to try Cymbalta.

[uk2]

I was going to come off my anti-depressant and try cymbalta as its ment to be a great anti-depressant and great for controlling nerve pain, i ased my dr but she said she had another ladie on it that had reacted badly and thought it best i didnt try it.

I worry you are coming off the gabapentin quite fast as well as going up on the lyrica but i guess your neuro knows what his doing saying that mine had me come off my lyrica in 3 weeks while going onto a parkinson medicine and i ended up having a pyscotic episode but i was on many other drugs at the time so it could of been anyone of the drugs that caused it.

just be aware of carb cravings on lyrica it makes some people like me feel really hungry and you crave carbs all the time like you are pregnant lol i was not aware of this so eat too much, it does casue slight weight gain on its own too only at the higher dose. I found the best dose was 150 mg as i was coming down it was enough to keep you alert and took the dge off the pain but as you go higher you get abit manic on them. They suited me for a while but i am gladi am off them.

Is your only sx restless leg sydrome? as the requip that i am on is great for that.

I do notice since i've been off lyrica more jerking of my limbs foggy head again and muscle spasms but although my nerve pain was awfull for 3 weeks after stopping i have to say its almost gone now.

[treebranches]

Thanks for the info.  I love to eat bread but I'll be sure to keep an eye on how much I eat and keep doing my regular workouts.

I don't actually have RLS, it was a misdiagnosis because that was the trendy thing to diagnos at the time, you know?  I have peripheral neuropathy.

Right now, Lyrica is working like a miracle drug on me so I'm super happy about it.

[Heather3418]

As Quix and a Pain Management doctor said....whenever starting new medications, start on them very slowly.  There is less chances of side-effects that way.  Alot of doctor's don't take their time raising the doses of Lyrica (as my PCP did) and I had side-effects that I couldn't deal with.

Lyrica can be a good drug, as long as you can tolerate some of the beginning symptoms.  Sleepiness is one of them.  In my humble opinion, it's best to stay on a low dose for a least 2-3 weeks, before going up on the dosage.  Another 2-3 weeks on that schedule, before another increase in dosage.

Since I started taking Quix's advice about new medications, I have had few if any problems.  Our bodies do need time to adjust to new medications.  Better to do it that way, than start on higher doses, only to have to give up on the drugs, because of side-effects.

The best of luck on Lyrica.  I hope it helps you, more than the Neurontin.  I was up to 3,500 mgs a day of Neurontin, when it suddenly stopped working for me.  It was good while it lasted though.  Now I take Baclofen at night (for nightime leg spasms) and a dose of Klonopin at night to help with Restless Limb Syndrome.  (RLS usually runs in family's and as I understand it, gets more pronounced as we age)  I tried the Requip but my body apparently does not like the dopamaine in the drug.  I had high hopes for that drug, because RLS is really something that interferes with your sleep.

My Neuro tells me that they now call it Restless "Limb" Syndrome, since it also seems to affect the arms as well as the legs, as the syndrome progresses.

Big Hugs,
Heather

[treebranches]

Thanks for the advice!

[uk2]

heather

I sure agree with that advise i went straight up on my lyrica very fast and got alot of sx then i came off it in 3 weeks on the advise of my rheumy then had bad effects so was put back on it quickly so my poor body did not know where it was and had a pyscotic episode so if i had listend to my body and not the consultant i would of been ok, my gp has realised the importance of that and when i went on requip i did it slowley i still struggled but it was better. I tried to come off clonazapam quickly as was only on 4 mg but as i got to 1 mg i had terrible spasm so had to go back on it.

i' m happy with the fentanal patches 100 and the requip and clonazpam for now that helps the fibro noway takes the pain away or stops the flares, i just wish i could conrol the vertigo.

anyway nice to hear from you on here heather hope your o.k?

sam

[fortywhat2]

I have been on cymbalta... was wonderful except for the excessive sweating, it worked great for the pain... I am currently on Neurontin 600, 600 & 900mg (2100mg daily), celebrex 200mg twice a day, it's not as good as the cymbalta but after a year I couldn't handle the sweating anymore. I have fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis along with PPMS.  Haven't tried Lyrica... afraid of the weight gain I'm currently at weight watchers and would prefer something that causes weight lose. :)  

[jason80]

It seems Lyrica is prescribed mainly for Fybro, whereas Nuerontin is mainly prescribed for neuro-pain. Obviously they are related.

Doe anyone know why the two drugs are bifurcated this way. Is there data that supports that these drugs offer more pain relief for their respective problems?

Sorry for hijacking thread, sort of.