Duration of side effects from Lyrica or other Anti Epileptics?

[gambles]

I have chronic, virtually daily migraines and a spinal injury among other things. I'm on a boatload of meds, but nothing makes me more than slightly less miserable.

In 1997, I tried Topomax and it just made me to stupid to function. At the time, I didn't have a spinal injury, so being that stupid was just plain dangerous.

Once before that and once after it I tried Neurontin. I had side effects with no relief.

Now my doctor started me on Lyrica. I tried to have a positive attitude, which is hard since I have way too much time to think. I got the shock of my past decade when the constant shooting pain down my left leg turned to a burning almost immediately. Then the numbness seemed to increase, but even the burning started to stop.

My problem/question is that now after only a week and a half, I have DEFINITE IMPROVEMENT in my back/leg pain, but my head is even more unbearable. In addition to the daily migraines, my head feels like it is going to explode and my eyesight is VERY blurry. The headaches might be exascerbated by the eyesight, but it is constant - including all night and when I awake and haven't been looking at anything.

Finally my question: Since the exploding head seems to be a side effect and I do actually have relief in my spine, DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY IDEA HOW LONG SIDE EFFECTS TYPICALLY LAST WITH ANTIEPILEPTICS?

Thanks very much for any info,
Suzanne

[Kathi49]

Suzanne,

I was just about ready to write a book. :) But I wanted to ask first where your spinal injury is and what other meds are you taking? If you don't mind sharing that is.

[BrokenBladder]

Suzanne,

I too have tried Neurontin and Lyrica. I personally didn't get relief from either, but I do remember the blurry eyes and h/a's.

I told me doctor what s/e I was having and she took me off of it. It seems alot of people aren't able to tolerate it.

In your situation you're actually getting some relief in areas that you were never able to in the past. Perhaps given time the blurry eyes and h/a will go away.

I would suggest talking with your doctor about your problems and concerns with this med and she what he/she says.

I'm glad you are getting relief in areas that you couldn't before, but I really hope you can get the headache and eye problem to go away.

I do remember my doctor saying that it takes this drug a few weeks to get to it's full effect. Maybe the side effects will go away in that time.

[houghchrst]

I just stopped taking Lyrica after 18 days of migraines. I couldn't stand it anymore and they seemed to be getting worse. Doc said to stop taking immediately. If I were you I would call and let doc know.

[Gymnast_Navy_Wife]

I've been on almost all the AED's on the market (epilepsy, and more recently nerve pain) and I've found the side effects, their duration, when they wear off, varies widely from med to med. Some meds can have side effects that tend to last the whole time you are on it; and there are other meds who's side effects quickly (meaning a few weeks) go away or greatly subside.

Also, like other meds AED's side effects can vary a lot from person to person.

I won't list them all here or go into tons of detail because there are so many out there, but please PM me (or even post here ) if you want to know in more detail about any specific ones......

:) GNW

[gambles]

Thanks for the replies and no, I definitely don't mind sharing. I spent another day lying in the dark and am sitting here in the dark struggling to write this. I am desperately trying to make it through these headaches with the hope they will go away or at least calm down. The responses don't bode well for that though.

My spinal injury is L5/S1 - surgery with hardware. My meds are many - enough to horrify most people!
Ms Contin 150 mg bid
Ms Ir 30 mg as needed - up to 255 per month
Fiorinal w Codeine - 120 per month
taken with Imitrex (as many as I can get:) )
Soma 350 mg tid though I skip it sometimes
Xanax 2 mg 30 per month for both panic and pain (taken w/ the Imitrex and Fiorinal - and that combo, until now, has actually given me the ability to lessen or get rid of a migraine for the first time in 20 years!!!)
Ambien as needed
Zofran 8 mg as needed
Aleve
Phenergan as needed -both pills and suppositories

I feel like I'm forgetting something, but those are the main ones. In the past five days, I have dropped off on the MS IR so much since my back is so much better that I am actually in a mini withdrawal to make this Lyrica experience even more fun! :eek:

The headaches feel like they aren't quite 24/7 today unlike the past 7 days, but I still can't move as they are very positional - and not consitently so. The painful position seems to change every few minutes. I am already very frustrated with pain and this is driving me insane, but I desperately don't want to stop the Lyrica if there is a chance the headaches will go away and I am finally getting some back relief!

The biggest problem of this right now is timing. My husband passed away, and my mother, in a desperate attempt to give me something to look forward to, has booked us on a Mississippi River Cruise. The getting there will take lots of meds and a layover for time to recoup, but my once there, I only have to lay in bed looking out the window! We go in about a week and a half. I obviously can't go at all with this kind of head pain, but again, I don't want to give up if there is hope.

That leads me to another question:

If I do stop taking the Lyrica, how long before the headaches stop??I know there is no set answer, but I need an idea of other people's experiences so I stop in time for the cruise.

Thanks again for the responses.

I used to be on this board A LOT, but when my computer died, I lost the link. I found it again earlier this year by doing a lot of searching, but I wasn't in the mindframe to participate. Now I guess I'm a newbie yet again. :)

Suzanne

[houghchrst]

I took my last Lyrica like on a Thursday morning and decided that I couldn't stand it any more so that was my last dose and on Friday I woke with no headache, now that is not to say that I didn't have any withdrawls but I was so relieved that the headaches were gone that they were a minor irritant. Mostly lethargy and an almost body flu like feeling. No cough or runny nose type thing just a yucky physical feeling. Tired but only lasted less than a week and that may have also been because as soon as I stopped the Lyrica I started a new med that didn't go so well for me. Good luck.

[spoiledbeth]

I was on Lyrica for almost a year, and the blurry eye side effect went away after about a month for me. I never had the headache issue though. You said that you had cut back on one of your pain meds, do you think your body might be reacting to that? It's a possiblity you need to consider, since our bodies do adjust to pain killers and get mad at us if we stop suddenly. We ended up changing my med because I gained a lot of weight on Lyrica, and at my height I sure couldn't afford to do that!

Good luck!

Beth in MO *butterfly2

[gambles]

Thanks very much for the information. The headaches are getting a little better, but I managed to fall in the middle of the night last night - kind of like snowboarding down the hallway! I'm just shocked that after so many years something is actually helping. My only hope for my regular migraines is menopause since I have tried EVERYTHING else.

Yes, I did consider what the cut back of morphine was doing also. I just getting shaky and extra nauseous when I try to cut back. It is possible some of the extra headpain is withdrawal and it is just hitting me differently this time. Hopefully some day I will be able to get off it all together.

Suzanne

[Gymnast_Navy_Wife]

Good Luck with the Lyrica ! i was not on that drug long enough to get to a dosage where I would see any pain relief or remember any side effects other than some weight loss and dizziness. I had a paradoxical (sp ?) to it and got off pretty quick--- no "wean", but again, I wasnt on it long enough to need to a gradual wean.....

I am now on its sister drug, Neurontin, for pain and experiencing some side effects--but I've only been on it 3 weeks and am hoping things will die down....

[debhun]

I can't take Lyrica. it made me loopy and gained weight and my eyes blurry Not myself I was some one else. I can't take any thing like that. So I try and stay away from any brain stimulate. I know my pain meds are to a point but not like AED's. I was on tramadal and I can't take that either. About killed me. No pun intended
If you can I would get off the Lyrica. But make sure you talk to your doc too about it.

Deb