Hello, I started on Lyrica (as a last resort) just prior to getting my Lyme Dx. Also started high doses of Vit D as I was very low. Then, after Dx I started 2 oral antibiotics which I have been on for about three months.
I have had a great deal of improvement in my pain but am wondering if the Lyrica is just masking it. I am a bit afraid to go off it as this has been the first pain free months in 15 years.
Is anybody else in this situation or had any experience with Lyrica?
Thanks, Babbs
Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
I took it at night for sleep. It was a huge help with my insomnia, and I noticed my pain was reduced in the morning (I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia by my LLMD, but we knew it was caused by Lyme).
Posted by RubyJ (Member # 28711) on :
I tried it once. I had a bad reaction to it. My legs, hands, and neck swelled up after just 2 pills and I had to stop taking it.
Posted by hopeforhealth (Member # 23673) on :
I took it before I got a Lyme diagnosis, it was the only thing that touched my nerve pain. Unfortunately within 10 weeks my hair started falling out and didn't stop for 2 years, even though I discontinued the meds 2 months after the hair loss started.
I have just started having regrowth now exactly 2 years later. It started a cycle of TE for me that was almost emotionally as hard to deal with as the Lyme. I'm not meaning to scare you I just wish I would have known before i ever took it. It was such a relief to find something to help my pain but I am since very wary of taking any meds, I try only to take my abx., supplements and a xanax at night for sleep. Are you noticing any side effects?
Posted by lyme in Putnam (Member # 11561) on :
Had. Bad reaction to it, but it's unfair to judge, I was in the middle of the rifampin herx from he'll. Was given to me for rested sleep, dream constantly and am exhausted. Good luck
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
What's TE?
Posted by back2game (Member # 23927) on :
I have been on it for 3 years. Gained 30 lbs., pain is now worse than ever and the withdrawals from it are insane.
When I decreased mg., ended up in E/R with complete numbness and paralysis of hands. Hand numbness and tingling present everyday.
Tongue swells to the point of being too uncomfortable to talk.
It's just awful, wish I never started it. There are no studies done on long term effects yet. Pfizer will not even return my phone calls.
Worse decision I ever made regarding choice of drugs. Sorry for all this but I'm passionate about spreading the word about this drug.
Worse withdrawals than vicodin.
Hope you can get off it now. Take care.
Posted by sammy (Member # 13952) on :
I take Lyrica at night to help me sleep. It reduces pain so that I don't wake up as much through the night and it is supposed to support deeper sleep. My LLMD insists that I take it. I was very hesitant to try it but must admit that it helps.
Posted by Babbs (Member # 27887) on :
Yes, what is TE?
It has helped my pain a great deal but, alas, it has started to break through on occasion. I have tried to decrease the dose several times and in fact missed a few days of meds and within a matter of hours all the pain came crashing in on me and I thought I was going to die. It took a few days to get it back in my system.
At this point I think I want to get off it, need to know if my Lyme treatment is working or not. I suspect that the Lyrica is just masking the pain. Thanks for your stories, despite them being bad experience.
I don�t want to lose my hair! I have dreads and have had them about 9 years now, down to my hips! (Hurt too much to brush my hair)
Thanks again, wish me luck on getting off it!
Posted by back2game (Member # 23927) on :
Just go extremely slow. I pray that you are successful and experience little additional pain through the process. Best wishes!
Posted by hopeforhealth (Member # 23673) on :
Sorry TE is just short for a type of hair loss.....Telogen Effluvium
Posted by sutherngrl (Member # 16270) on :
I took Lyrica for about a year and a half for severe shoulder, arm and hand pain. I took it 3x a day and it did dull the pain, but never came close to getting completely rid of it. It also made me feel a little loopy, which actually made me not care as much about the pain. So all in all I liked taking Lyrica.
Once the pain started to improve I stopped taking it. I backed off of the dosage with no problems whatsoever.
Posted by dogmom2 (Member # 23822) on :
Is there something better than lyrica for nerve pain?
Posted by dogmom2 (Member # 23822) on :
took my 1st lyrica, 75 mg yesterday, did help some with the mouth pain, but whew, what a headache. Not sure if I'll continue it.
Posted by Richard1062 (Member # 19233) on :
Well, Dogmom...does Cymbalta help with nerve pain?
Posted by Jacqi (Member # 6619) on :
I took Lyrica for a few months and I hated it. I felt like I was even in a worse fog than I was without it. Lost HUGE amounts of time. I know take Savella and I seem to be doing "better" with it. My pain is somewhat under control I don't take as much pain meds or muscle relaxers as I did before.