LYRICA/PREGABALIN for pain and depression.

[Inspector Lewis]

HI,

I've been prescribed LYRICA/PREGABALIN for pain and depression.

Does anybody have any experience or advice please.


Regards

Lewis

 

[notcharlotte]

Hi @Inspector Lewis, i hope you are doing well! i have avoided these meds because of the reported brain fog, so i'll be interested in responses. oddly enough, benzos work the best on my nerve pain, but everyone has different reactions. i have a same of pregabalin but have been afraid to try it.

 

[Inspector Lewis]

Hi, Long time no speak, hope you are well. as well as you can be with your pain probs. Many differing reports on this med so hope to get some original feedback that will be useful to both of us. Regards Lewis

 

[Gullible]

Its no good for long term use, I can tell you that. It may help a little but it sounds like your doc has been intimidated by the govt into not prescribing any pk's unless the person is terminal with cancer. Then maybe. Its a real shame, but read in the herbal forum and you may find some things that help more and are cheap

 

[Bawston]

@Inspector Lewis... I've not used Lyrica and based on the side effects that I've read and heard about from others, I won't even try it. The precursor to that one was Neurontin which I did try and had horrible side effects. I believe the chemistry of the 2 drugs is very similar. With Neurontin I had terrible brain fog - actually worse than brain fog...it wasn't just that in ouldnt remember things but that I couldn't figure out how to find the answers... like to simple things such as my phone number. Couldn't remember it although I'd had it for 25 years. But what was worse was that i couldn't even figure out that looking at the phone label itself (landline)' looking on the phone bill (had a stack of old bills), or looking it up in the phone book (still had them then) would give me the answer. I was on a call ordering something online when they asked and felt so stupid about not knowing the number that I just hung up.

Read the side effects carefully because many people feel high as a kite and it warns you not to drive.

I also recently read that it's only about 20% effect.

But hey, opioids - right?

 

[M77]

I have had both Neurontin and Lyrica, for neuropathy, and found no help from the Neurontin at all. With Lyrica, I thought it wasn’t helping, but I stopped it, first because my insurance wouldn’t pay for it, and later I reduced it because of short term memory issues. It was so bad that I could start a sentence and not remember what I was going to say, by the end. As soon as I reduced the amount I took daily, the memory stuff stopped, but my pain increased. So I take as little as possible to try and get some help from it, but not have the memory impairment. So far, so good, I think, I don’t remember! LOL just kidding. The rest of Post is true.

 

[smo1959]

I was recently prescribed Neurontin 600mg x3 per day for nerve pain due to spinal stenosis and herniated disc. This is after 6 months of pain and disability and 3 epidural steroid injections. I won’t bore you with the details because my situation is typical of so many people! I was unable to work for 5 weeks because I could barely shuffle around...the turning point and what got me back to work was the first epidural. I am still in pain but functioning better, able to work anyway. In all this time I was told to continue taking a prescribed NSAID and 3000mg Tylenol.

In frustration, I changed docs - of course I only get to see a PA. Oops. Doing what I said I wouldn’t. Started the Neurontin and it hasn’t helped with the pain, but it has had some positive effects. The “hard” pain in my back and legs is still there but I have some overall relief and a little more energy - chronic pain is exhausting. I am wondering if I am experiencing some of the anti depressive benefits of the drug rather than actual pain relief? I’m so grateful for a little relief but I have read how horrible the withdrawal from Gabapentin can be. That worries me. There is supposedly surgery in my future if I can get my BMI below 35. I don’t think the Gabapentin is good for weight loss in fact I’m gaining not losing.

- - - Updated - - -

Oh, one more thing...memory loss. Forgot to mention it! I was already foggy but now I have trouble finding words and sometimes can’t remember recent events without really trying... I have a very fast paced high stress job and sometimes I have no idea what people are talking about. It comes and goes. Other times I feel normal.

 

[evertking]

They work very good for my depression and anexiety. I had a good source but it's going downhill.

 

[Skiff]

What’s your overall health and BMI? You WILL gain weight, your brain will be foggy, and you will need to adjust, what is the dose 75mg BID? Because I wish I can talk to you in private it affects a lot a lot than you can just imagine. Topiramate could be much more effective.

 

[jayx]

Just a tip, I would advise against driving while on these meds, as even if they are taken in the morning, you will be incredibly tired all day unless you've built up a tolerance.

 

[M77]

I was recently prescribed Neurontin 600mg x3 per day for nerve pain due to spinal stenosis and herniated disc. This is after 6 months of pain and disability and 3 epidural steroid injections. I won’t bore you with the details because my situation is typical of so many people! I was unable to work for 5 weeks because I could barely shuffle around...the turning point and what got me back to work was the first epidural. I am still in pain but functioning better, able to work anyway. In all this time I was told to continue taking a prescribed NSAID and 3000mg Tylenol.

In frustration, I changed docs - of course I only get to see a PA. Oops. Doing what I said I wouldn’t. Started the Neurontin and it hasn’t helped with the pain, but it has had some positive effects. The “hard” pain in my back and legs is still there but I have some overall relief and a little more energy - chronic pain is exhausting. I am wondering if I am experiencing some of the anti depressive benefits of the drug rather than actual pain relief? I’m so grateful for a little relief but I have read how horrible the withdrawal from Gabapentin can be. That worries me. There is supposedly surgery in my future if I can get my BMI below 35. I don’t think the Gabapentin is good for weight loss in fact I’m gaining not losing.

- - - Updated - - -

Oh, one more thing...memory loss. Forgot to mention it! I was already foggy but now I have trouble finding words and sometimes can’t remember recent events without really trying... I have a very fast paced high stress job and sometimes I have no idea what people are talking about. It comes and goes. Other times I feel normal.

@smo1959
If you found ANY relief from Neurontin, the Lyrica works much better. Of course, everyone’s body chemistry is different, but I know at least 10 people that found thr same thing. The Lyrica becomes a real problem with memory, much worse than Neurontin.

I have tried taking it only at night, but it doesn’t work that way. You need to have a constant amount in your body for it to work. I’m not saying you won’t get any relief, but the point is to get it up to a certain level in your body chemistry, and keep it there.

I can’t believe I am stuck between either taking it all day, and have the memory problems, or take it just at night, and have it not really work. I can be on a telephone conversation, and forget what I was going to say, before I finish the sentence. Or, I can be rude, and ask the person I am taking to, to please not interrupt me, or I will forget what I was saying. That goes over really well. I have a few family members that know about the Lyrica, and they even get annoyed, if I ask them to please let me finish what I was trying to say.

Hopefully, there will be a new medication that comes out, with the benefits of Lyrica, but less memory interruption. Then we can look forward to years of patent protection before they will let us even try it. I had another med that my insurance wouldn’t pay for, but was important, so while they were fighting with my doctor to get it approved, I said enough of this BS. I will just pay for it! How much is it? It was $8,000 for 60 tablets!!!

 

[Bawston]

@smo1959...I think the memory loss is a significant problem for many people who've tried it. As a matter of fact my own primary care doctor has a back issue and took it with the same results. I'd been trying to tell her this every time she brought it up but now she finally believes me.

 

[Kessa]

Just a warning for anyone thinking of taking Lyrica. I took it for a couple of months. After about two weeks I started feeling compelled to hang myself. This was out of the blue. I have and still deal with depression. This thought started to consume me. I even thought I would use my robe tie and attach it to the doornob and just lean on it to the point where it would shut down my oxygen to my brain so it would not be painful. I was getting concerned and scared.

Thn I read it causes suicide Ideation. I used to think that a drug could not maked you commit suicide, but it can. I never would have done that in my right mind. It would crush my kids and husband. I stopped taking it asap and was back to normal in a few days.

So if you try it and start thinking that way stop taking it immediately.

 

[Skiff]

I have had both Neurontin and Lyrica, for neuropathy, and found no help from the Neurontin at all. With Lyrica, I thought it wasn’t helping, but I stopped it, first because my insurance wouldn’t pay for it, and later I reduced it because of short term memory issues. It was so bad that I could start a sentence and not remember what I was going to say, by the end. As soon as I reduced the amount I took daily, the memory stuff stopped, but my pain increased. So I take as little as possible to try and get some help from it, but not have the memory impairment. So far, so good, I think, I don’t remember! LOL just kidding. The rest of Post is true.

THC can actually cause short term memory loss as well as Topamax and all GABA seizure drugs. But THC for sure unless it’s in the Vape form lol you know what I mean, to bad it’s not legal in every state.

 

[medi1]

Someone close to me gets pregabalin for pain and I've tried a couple a few times and they give a heavy stone, like I'm a little drunk.
I wouldn't recommend for anxiety, but maybe for pain if you're not driving or using dangerous machinery as they make you kind of clumsy/dosey.

 

[Bawston]

Just a warning for anyone thinking of taking Lyrica. I took it for a couple of months. After about two weeks I started feeling compelled to hang myself. This was out of the blue. I have and still deal with depression. This thought started to consume me. I even thought I would use my robe tie and attach it to the doornob and just lean on it to the point where it would shut down my oxygen to my brain so it would not be painful. I was getting concerned and scared.

Thn I read it causes suicide Ideation. I used to think that a drug could not maked you commit suicide, but it can. I never would have done that in my right mind. It would crush my kids and husband. I stopped taking it asap and was back to normal in a few days.

So if you try it and start thinking that way stop taking it immediately.

@Kessa... I looked back on my records and seems like I had that same issue with depression. It's interesting because my doctor at the time was great and she got me off that one as soon as we figured out it was causing more problems than helping.

I've also found the same thing with antidepressants. I absolutely can't touch them.

Sometimes I wonder if it's not just everyone's body chemistry but also what the problem being treated is. In my case it was widespread body pain due to fibromyalgia.

 

[M77]

THC can actually cause short term memory loss as well as Topamax and all GABA seizure drugs. But THC for sure unless it’s in the Vape form lol you know what I mean, to bad it’s not legal in every state.

@Skiff

I’m still waiting. In wonder how many “blunts” my state’s reps and senators have smoked while they think about it. “You mean a plant from nature that might hurt our million dollar donors? We have to divvy up all the patents first.”

I am in a medical only state, which is pretty shocking, because if you took two fingers and tried to count the two most liberal states there are, I would be in one of them. I qualify for the medical card but one of the terms of my employment is that I wont apply for one. I hope I live to see a “real” pod at the store.

 

[Skiff]

@Skiff

I’m still waiting. In wonder how many “blunts” my state’s reps and senators have smoked while they think about it. “You mean a plant from nature that might hurt our million dollar donors? We have to divvy up all the patents first.”

I am in a medical only state, which is pretty shocking, because if you took two fingers and tried to count the two most liberal states there are, I would be in one of them. I qualify for the medical card but one of the terms of my employment is that I wont apply for one. I hope I live to see a “real” pod at the store.

@M77 ohh dear, I feel ya, you know if MJ is approved in I don’t know what state you are exactly let say New York or Florida for medical reasons (there are 33 States that allow smoking for ingrown toenails or whatever) at least we in LA know why we have that famous smog it’s actually smoke lol, but if authorities of 43 states agreed that weed has health benefits all those healed infant seizures and other miracles I mean why not? Trump said he doesn’t drink NEITHER DO I, did he ever say I DONT SMOKE WEED. NOPE HE NEVER DID, so maybe by Christmas we can have a gift, seriously if Trump legalize Weed on the national level I would vote for him & I don’t care what he does in his ‘situation room’ with his UN Ambassador Heather Nauert, but I would be doing the same thing . God is good younlet me to be in White Housebevery room will become “Situation” room hehe .

43 States agreed on one issue that makes it a national issue and weed is getting moved to C-II (I would love to see it before I die ehh... and it’s being moved along with Molly, heroin and some cactuses), so I can go clubbing again, not sure how bad my wife will whoop my old butt, but I wouldn't mind), and what’s most pathetic all these strict fathers (who only beat their wives and kids on weekends and at church every Sunday) senators and Reps. of my age we were one high doped up nation. I smoked in High School (and I read the rules so I do not promote nor saying it’s right to do it, I am just telling my story, so if you know that group of morons run out of drugs in 1973 and came up with CS act, that’s too bad to be them.

Those SOBs spoiled life for this generation who goes on K trips (thanks lord it’s approved now, the Ketamine I meant) and never come back, or buy heroin and it’s full of fentanyl and if you opioid naive you dead. I don’t recall any riots due to weed, anybody fighting on weed, like I said high school I was full on with a nick name “blunt”, so you can figure out what I did, Undergrad, med school, residency, fellowships god damn I smoked probably 50 lb in my lifetime not including last weekend (it was a special occasion lol), and look I have money, health, my urinary tract extension still gets excited once in a while, so I sure hope your state joins our lovely West Coast Blunt Society and people in the land of the free will do what they should - BE FREE!

 

[M77]

@Skiff
We are close in age. So our thoughts are very similar. The stupid stuff has been “de facto” legal for 50 years. Why isn’t it completely legal, as in walk in the smoke shop legal? They waited too long and missed the way to squeeze all the cash out of it.

They keep it jammed up, except for the 10 states that fully legalized it, so they can pump revenue out of catching kids with it, and squeezing them for bigger fish. That’s the only reason, IMHO.

 

[smo1959]

@M77 I am just getting to a reply from a couple of weeks ago... Lyrica scares me. That is definitely an option for me. Dr wanted to prescribe that first but said insurance companies insist on Neurontin as a first try. If you listen to the commercials on television about side effects of Lyrica...suicidal thoughts,etc...just not something I want to try. I have struggled with depression for many years and I know I am very sensitive to these types of drugs...well anything really. My brain fog is worse but tolerable I suppose.

On the THC topic...I have access since I live with an avid fan. With the advent of medical MJ, it is possible to get all sorts of different types and amounts of THC...it’s very much like a pharmaceutical in certain states. I haven’t done any serious studies on THC and pain because I had a few bad experiences back in the day...panic attacks, anxiety. Etc. I have no idea what would be a good therapeutic dose for my issues.