Side effects from Lyrica

Posted by westcom @westcom, Aug 13, 2023

Has anyone experienced balance issues as s side effect of Lyrica? I just increased dose to 100 mg 3x/day and suddenly feel weak and unbalanced.

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@deajay

I take 75 mg twice daily

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Do you take it at night also? Is it prescribed according to our weight? I take 100 mg at night only because it made me so ditsy If l take it during the day but my legs really hurt some days

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Had to stop using Lyrica and Gabapentin. Both caused my feet & legs to swell.

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@beenow Gabapentin did that exact thing to me but Lyrica does not. Another med that has helped tremendously with my pain is the anti-depressant Cymbalta. But be advised: you have to have a doctors help to discontinue it which I am doing now and am down to 30 mg, about to go to 20mg. I am trying to get off b/c of the weight gain it caused for me, but everyone is different. I have a new spinal cord stimulator and am trying to eliminate my nerve pain drugs one at a time. Lyrica is next!

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@bunnybear

@beenow Gabapentin did that exact thing to me but Lyrica does not. Another med that has helped tremendously with my pain is the anti-depressant Cymbalta. But be advised: you have to have a doctors help to discontinue it which I am doing now and am down to 30 mg, about to go to 20mg. I am trying to get off b/c of the weight gain it caused for me, but everyone is different. I have a new spinal cord stimulator and am trying to eliminate my nerve pain drugs one at a time. Lyrica is next!

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Wow! Did the SCS help your pain? I am doing the Saluda trial right now. So far, no great results. Which one did you have implanted? Did insurance pay for yours? If not, how much did it cost-I still haven't heard a figure yet.

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@bunnybear

@beenow Gabapentin did that exact thing to me but Lyrica does not. Another med that has helped tremendously with my pain is the anti-depressant Cymbalta. But be advised: you have to have a doctors help to discontinue it which I am doing now and am down to 30 mg, about to go to 20mg. I am trying to get off b/c of the weight gain it caused for me, but everyone is different. I have a new spinal cord stimulator and am trying to eliminate my nerve pain drugs one at a time. Lyrica is next!

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I read all these comments about Lyrica bc I want to see if anyone else on it has had a consistent increase in nerve pain after taking it. Been on it 12 Yrs. The first 7 Yrs it worked well and gave me great functionality. But 5 Yrs it has worsened nerve pain. So now I’m faced with having to decide whether to fly to Calif or Colorado to enter a residential drug rehab facility who will allow me to use Meducal Cannabis for pain control while I’m getting off of Lyrica. I’ve read online that it is a brutal withdrawal process. Comments anyone? Advice for me?

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@irr4et

I read all these comments about Lyrica bc I want to see if anyone else on it has had a consistent increase in nerve pain after taking it. Been on it 12 Yrs. The first 7 Yrs it worked well and gave me great functionality. But 5 Yrs it has worsened nerve pain. So now I’m faced with having to decide whether to fly to Calif or Colorado to enter a residential drug rehab facility who will allow me to use Meducal Cannabis for pain control while I’m getting off of Lyrica. I’ve read online that it is a brutal withdrawal process. Comments anyone? Advice for me?

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Good evening @irr4et.......This is sort of amazing.....I am doing the very same process to get off of gabapentin which has affected by brain function and given me numerous memory issues. I have been using gabapentin since 2013......10 years. I also have found medical cannabis tinctures and topicals very helpful for neuropathic pain.

So.....we shall see what happens. I am choosing brain over pain, so to speak. My PCP and I came to a shared decision and I will keep only 200 mg of gabapentin taken at night. I started way up there like 2400 mg a day.

The issue with medical cannabis after choosing the product is the application, dosage, and frequency. I never knew about the drug rehab program. Thank you.

May you be safe, protected, and free of inner and outer harm.
Chris

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@irr4et

I read all these comments about Lyrica bc I want to see if anyone else on it has had a consistent increase in nerve pain after taking it. Been on it 12 Yrs. The first 7 Yrs it worked well and gave me great functionality. But 5 Yrs it has worsened nerve pain. So now I’m faced with having to decide whether to fly to Calif or Colorado to enter a residential drug rehab facility who will allow me to use Meducal Cannabis for pain control while I’m getting off of Lyrica. I’ve read online that it is a brutal withdrawal process. Comments anyone? Advice for me?

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Thanks for the heads up. I am weaning off Cymbalta first (down to 20 mg/day) . Lyrica is next. I now have a spinal cord stimulator that helps a lot and I want to either get off these meds or be on the lowest dose possible. Best of luck to you in finding the right solution for yourself.

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@bettyg81pain

Wow! Did the SCS help your pain? I am doing the Saluda trial right now. So far, no great results. Which one did you have implanted? Did insurance pay for yours? If not, how much did it cost-I still haven't heard a figure yet.

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@bettyg81pain. Hi! Yes my SCS has helped a great deal but there seems to be a wide span of results for people. For me, the big difference came when I calmed down and started following tech support’s instructions to a Tee. That means waiting for 48 hours after every small change you make. This gives your brain and body time to adjust. Sometimes I also have to go in for an appointment so they can adjust their basic settings. I hope things change for you and you get some relief!

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@greeneagle

I been taking Lyrica for 25 years and my insurance covers it.

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Could you tell me how much lyrics ( mg) You take and how often. Do you take it at night and during the day. Does it help witn your pain??

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@irr4et

I read all these comments about Lyrica bc I want to see if anyone else on it has had a consistent increase in nerve pain after taking it. Been on it 12 Yrs. The first 7 Yrs it worked well and gave me great functionality. But 5 Yrs it has worsened nerve pain. So now I’m faced with having to decide whether to fly to Calif or Colorado to enter a residential drug rehab facility who will allow me to use Meducal Cannabis for pain control while I’m getting off of Lyrica. I’ve read online that it is a brutal withdrawal process. Comments anyone? Advice for me?

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I was taking Lyrica for seven years and decided to quit seven months ago because I developed osteoporosis. The primary cause of my osteoporosis was the drug letrozole, which I took for five years for my breast cancer. I knew the risk of shutting off all estrogen, but I felt I didn’t have a choice. What I didn’t know was that Lyrica, and also statins, which I was also taking, are very hard on bones. As a long-term diabetic, I cannot stop taking statins; my cholesterol will go through the roof. But I did give up the Lyrica. In the past, if my prescription ran out before I got my mail order, my symptoms of PN were back in four or five days. When I decided to give it up for good, I went to see a holistic chiropractor to help me manage non-drug approaches to my various health concerns, which often require conflicting therapies. The first thing he did was to prescribe these two supplements. Now, I’m not saying they are the reason I have been symptomless for seven months, because I have maintained good blood sugar control, and I don’t smoke, and maybe Lyrica “repaired” my nerves over time. I don’t know. What I do know is I have no symptoms of neuropathy and have not for seven months.

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