Please do not read others stories on social media about what their experince is. Deverlop a relationship with your local pharmacist and ask them about your fears. I am not a doctor and so I cannot advise you about these things. I have been on Pregabilyn which is generic Lyrica, for more than 15 years. i would not have survived this severe pain, for more than 25 years, without Lyrica and Cymbalta and a low dose of pain medicine. I am monitored by a pain doctor [not a shady pain doctor] every month and by a rheumatologist every six months. Every person is first given a very low dose of Lyrica. You must try it at least one month before deciding its not for you. It usually takes about 3 weeks before it begins to help. It is not an instant pain pill. You then go back to the doctor to tell them it did not help or it did help. The doctor then determines if you get an increase in the dose. I am on a high does of Lyrica, because I have needed that over the 15+years I have taken Lyrica. If you are not willing to commit to reporting to the doctor as they advise you, don't start any medicine
this is a support group. It is not meant to answer these questions.

I am sorry if that sounds harsh. I was diagnosed with Fibro 24 years ago. I had fears I guess, about the medicine I was offered way back then, but I was DESPERATE for help. There are only a few meds for Fibro. this is what we are offered. You may not feel desperate yet.
For me, Quality of Life, is more important than worrying about what happens down the road. I am still standing and I have been on the meds I previously wrote, for 15+ years. I am not overweight or any other of the problems people talk about with Lyrica and Cymbalta side effects. Every person has different outcomes for almost every medicine on the market. The best advice I have is , if you try Lyrica, commit to couple of months of journaling every day to determine how you feel. You will have that to refer back to, with the doctor and with yourself. And make friends with your local pharmacist. They go to school almost as long as a doctor. Feel better Ripley.