I figure I'll take the lyrica the neurologist gave me until I get the cause of the neuro pricklies treated. Lyrica patient info, the website and I even called the number and talked to Pfizer....they all swear that lyrica causes sleepiness. NOT WITH ME! I didn't sleep till 230 am the first night. Apparently, I am the only one who has had this reaction.
ANYONE OUT THERE HAD THE OPPOSITE OF SLEEPINESS?
I do feel happy on it. But that is fine with me. With the return of neuro symptoms after being symptom free for several years....my natural happiness is sucked into a black hole a few timnes a day. Even the ren and stimpy happy helmet happiness is good enough yes i think it is helping a bit. If i can only get the ok to take more than 50mg once a day, i'll be better
Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
up for input for BB
Posted by Jillybean (Member # 8071) on :
I was taking 600mg of Lyrica per day for neuropathic pain (peripheral neuropathy), now neuro has me down to 225 mg a day.
Sorry, but still sleepy. I am on my feet all day and keep very busy with my job, so am not sleepy at all. But if I sit down, the sleepiness sets in.
I would call my neuro if I were you, it doesn't sound right to me (and I am by no means a medical specialist). I have a phobia about reactions to drugs as it was the Flagyl that gave me the peripheral neuropathy, as well as wiped out my taste buds.
Good luck! Jill
Posted by BugBarb (Member # 210) on :
I put in a call to the neuro, but the staff was in training. I called the manufacturer and they want all my info 'cause nobody else has the awake reaction. I haven't called the neuro back, because I think the lyrica takes the edge off the "needles" and makes me not worry about what I do feel. Also, I have been waiting to see my old lyme doc for his opinion. Saw him friday and he did a bunch of blood work, fed-exed it to New Jersey, from Los Angeles area. I see him again the week befor my next scheduled neuro visit. I like the awake effect of lyrica. Unless, I forget to take my benadryl, then I wonder why I am happy and awake at midnight.... I like the side effect of it making me feel happy. I took the mile hike to my cabin (I lived in when I got infected) today. It is wonderful. I can see why lyrica is used for social anxiety disorder. I stayed past dark and hiked back up the trail with no fear at all. I had an absolutely wonderful afternoon/evening. Reminded me of when I lived there. Don't worry, I have my neuro, my lyme doc and my therapist all watching out for me. The therapist keeps close tabs on me and helps me keep myself in line.
Posted by BugBarb (Member # 210) on :
Months later, still on lyrica, and the doc didn't seem surprised that it didn't make me sleepy. He did have a hard time understanding that it wouldn't let me sleep but at the same time relaxed me, made me stupid and stoned sort of. He equated not sleeping with being alert.
Posted by MommaK (Member # 10376) on :
Hi Bug Barb!
My daughter just started lyrica a couple of weeks ago. Her dose is 200mg/day now. She thinks it has helped some with the pain.
She has been having similar wakefulness symptoms, but they started before the lyrica. The lyrica didn't make her any sleepier though.
She was taking all her major muscle relaxers, pain meds and sleep meds at night. She explains it as they all make her feel better than she does all day. A little less pain, more alert and awake.
This is when she is able to concentrate on school work. Not much help getting her to school though when she finally falls asleep about 5 am which is when the meds have probably worn off!
Have tried three sleep meds, still can't go to sleep. Wonder if a higher dose of lyrica would help or make her more awake? Neuro wanted to add cymbalta also, but didn't want to make too man additions or changes at the same time.
MommaK
Posted by canbravelyme (Member # 9785) on :
Hi Bug Barb and MommaK,
Guess what! Lyrica has been keeping me up as well! Can't sleep now, 2 nights in a row.
Only difference is that I stopped the Tylenol. Re-introducing it now.
Had some strange dreams leading up to not being able to sleep. Didn't sleep before 2:30AM a few nights early on, but that resolved - I thought. Didn't worry about it initially, bc I figured I was just so happy to have less pain and seizures, I was up late.
I'll contact Pfizer so that Barb isn't considered alone.
How are things going with the sleep issues?
With best wishes,
CBL.
Posted by CatWoman (Member # 10900) on :
I couldn't sleep on Lyrica either but I have major unrelenting insomnia issues so it might not have been the Lyrica (not a helpful reply I know! sorry).
Do you have to taper off gabapentin? I don't know what to do for my sleep so in desperation I have been taking (a lot) of gabapentin and also in addition to sleep meds. I did manage to get some sleep but I'm not sure if you have to taper off gabapentin. My doctor says no.
Anyone know? Sorry don't want to digress from your topic..!
~catwoman
Posted by trails (Member # 1620) on :
Anything more than 75 mgs of Lyrica made me insane. So cloudy thinking, suicidal, really unable to interpret reality, hardly able to speak and did not bring down pain.
I now take 75 mgs at night and I am not sure it helps with nueropathic pain or not, but does help me sleep. So I didnt have the opposite reaction, but it doesnt surprise me. many folks have opposite reactions with sleepy and wakeful side effects on drugs.
AS far as tapering off gabapentin--what i read was yes--taper, but you may still get withdrawal symptoms.
good luck!
Posted by lymeHerx001 (Member # 6215) on :
Trails I had the first reaction that you did on about 10 mg.
Now I take it almost every night. It helps thought I do have strange dreams at night.
I do feel somewhat BRAIN DEAD from it though.
Its a weird brain dead detatched feeling , kind of depressed too.
Posted by Skyler (Member # 11549) on :
I am one who is very sensitive to meds like this. For me, Lycra made me SO drugged up i could bairly function.
Any anti-anxiety/depression meds that are also good with nerve pain make me flip out. I do not suffer from any kind of anxiety or depression luckly. But I become very nervous, shaky, and it makes it impossable to sleep when i take meds like that.
It does not suprise me that you reacted this way with any kind of med like that. Some people just do not do well with meds like this. I know I am one of those people.
Posted by CatWoman (Member # 10900) on :
what kind of withdrawal symptoms can you get from gabapentin??