Hello,
I dont mean to scare anyone or maybe I do, But Lyrica caused me to gain weight, Go back to using drugs after 7 yrs Clean & Sober & the worst yet....I Tried to kill myself and almost succeeded after 3 days in ICU and on a ventilator they were able to save me!!!
I know it was the Lyrica because since I have stopped using it my mind is so much clearer & I can think Rationally....
Yes, it worked for a short time & I know someone else on it and it helps her (maybe)...I have permanent memory loss too...
But its not worth your Life !!!!!!
I caution Everyone on this Drug....Please be careful!!!! The suicide attempt came out of no where @ 46 yrs old and have a Great Family..and I thank God he was there to help me survive..No, I'm not suing so this is not one of those warnings..Just one persons experience with this Horrible Drug...
My Advice would be Talk to your Dr. and try something else PLEASE!!
Good luck and e-mail me if you need to ask any questions.. :)

i took it for 4 years; the fifty pound i gained was not neat.

the drug stopped working as well as it used to; my depression started; i went of it gradually.

i would not go on it again, unless there was nothing left to take.

lorrie

I've been in it for 3 months 75mg twice daily for neuropathic pain post laminectomy and have had no side effects, no weight gain, no blood pressure problems (in fact my hypertension has never been so well controlled) and it has good effect on the pain ... however its only been 3 months

The article Melancholycat mentions I think is

Neurontin and Lyrica are a Death Sentence for New Brain Synapses
Wednesday, October 14, 2009 - Byron J. Richards, CCN

and that is in the first link I posted.

Hugs & Prayers,
Mary

I personally tried it about 2-3 years ago and the two days I was on it, I couldn't remember anything and got very sick. I was out of work those days too.

I don't take any medications for it because things that they deem safe, they end up finding that it causes some other condition or side effect years later and then it requires another medication to fix what the first one caused... then you're stuck taking a second medication and you're hooked on the first one too.

I choose to wait out my bad flare ups and use heating pads, hot baths and prayer. When I have a bad flare up in my arms (that's usually the worst), I can be stuck in bed on and off for a couple days.

That's just my personal thoughts and reasons why I don't take it.

I threw up each time and became severely "drunk" dizzy every time I tried to take Lyrica and 3 different docs demanded I "retry" it. However, everyone is different. If you are neither dizzy nor vomiting, perhaps it is okay for you.

I have short series of journal entries on my experience, if you'd like to check it out.

I took Lyrica for several months and it worked well for me. I have neuropathy and fibro, osteo and RA. BUT - I gained weight and retained a lot of fluid in my feet and ankles. Pain doc switch me to Neurontin, whch works as well if not better and no side effects. If it helps and side effects are bearable, stick with it. It's not as though we have a lot of effective meds to choose from.I take all of them - Cymbalta, Xanaflex, and Ultram for pain, plus methotrexate and prednisone for RA. I don't have complete relief - don't believe that's possible for me - but I'm functional. If you're worried about the horror stories, check with your doctor, read the literature that comes with your RX, go to reputable medical web sites. There have been no serious warnings about this drug, as there are for others, and no attempts to withdraw it. Trust your doctor.

I take 150 mg of Lyrica 3x/day and it helps me a lot. If I had to make a choice I'd take it over the pain meds any day but everybody's bodies react differently. Once I got used to it I don't notice it but if I miss I definitely notice it. You just have to figure out what works for you. Hope this helps some.

My experience was fantastic at first. I had so much energy it was like a miracle! I even lost weight on it, which most people don't, but the increase in activity made possible by the drug must have been the reason. Over the next 8 months or so it began to dwindle down to the point where you find yourself today--asking "is it really doing anything for me anymore?" So I went off of it for that reason.

That's all I know about it.

Mizroze

I am so against it because I took it one time and the negative effects it had on me that one time far outweighed any benefit it could ever give me.

wow, thank you for the responses! I didn't take offense to any response.

I guess this is something I need to think about and revisit with my doctor during my check up. I have been lucky (knock on wood) that I haven't had any side effects to date. Lots and lots of information from some great people here!!! thnak you all again!

I have been taking a low dose(75mg) of Lyrica at night for over 3 years. It helps me alot. I went off for two months and was back to unbearable pain. I did that just to see if it was doing anything for me...I tend to forget how bad fibro used to be. I find it really cuts the level of pain and amount of pain that I feel. It is now very unusual for me to cry from the pain. I don't tend to cry from pain anyway unless it is severe so obviously it is making a big difference for myself. I don't notice any side effects. My worst side effects are the fibro. ones. This is my opinion of it. I've had fibro. for over 20 yrs and nothing else does a thing for me. Well...heating pads...does that count? ;)