gambles
10-17-2007, 11:40 AM
I started on Lyrica last month at my PM appt. I actually asked for it since I had heard from some people who had luck with it. I was PETRIFIED because I had such horrible problems with Topomax and Nuerontin that I swore to myself I would NEVER try another Anti-epileptic.
I posted here some time last week when I was in agony with my head exploding. Every day my mother begged me to stop taking the Lyrica because I rarely left a blackout, quiet room the headaches were so bad and I was still dealing with my regular migraines to boot. Imitrex and Fiorinal, which usually help with the migraines, were useless. Even in the fog of pain, I was extremely aware that my leg had almost completely stopped "sparking" and the constant shooting pain was changed into a dull burning. I just couldn't give up. What if the side effects went away and after 10 years of being virtually homebound, I finally found a med that at least helped?
Well I stuck it out and after about 2 weeks the headaches have become more sporadic. They are positional, much worse if I fall asleep, and still present but there are definite periods where I actually feel NORMAL. I haven't felt normal in years. I actually drove around the block. That is huge for me.
As my body adjusts to my inital dose of Lyrica, I feel vast improvements in the pain. I also suddenly realized this morning that in addition to taking breakthrough meds much less often, I have gone a full week without Imitrex! I usually take is almost every day. Since it wasn't working on the exploding head, I stopped trying. Now I realized I haven't had an actual migraine all week either.
Could this drug actually help both my spinal injury and my migraines?? I had given up hope for my back and figured my only hope, after a 3 page/2 column list of meds that I have tried, for my migraines would be menopause. Lyrica is also actually approved now for Fibro which is something else I have but for me, pales in comparison to the pain of my spine and migraines.
I'm scared to hope that this might actually give me a chance at getting back a normal life. I decided a long time ago that hope is not always a good things since it just knocks you farther down each time it doesn't work out. I don't know how to be normal again.
How can I actually be scared that the pain will at least be more under control when that is all I have wanted for most of my life??? (migraines started at 15)I don't know how to live a normal life. My husband died, and I'm alone. I didn't know that this is where this post was going to go, but the truth just poured out of me.
I'm so excited, afraid to hope, and petrified at the same time.
Suzanne
Oh, the pharmacist said that he has had dozens of spinal pain patients that have had remarkable success with Lyrica if they can make it through the side effects and are one of the lucky ones that have them subside!
I posted here some time last week when I was in agony with my head exploding. Every day my mother begged me to stop taking the Lyrica because I rarely left a blackout, quiet room the headaches were so bad and I was still dealing with my regular migraines to boot. Imitrex and Fiorinal, which usually help with the migraines, were useless. Even in the fog of pain, I was extremely aware that my leg had almost completely stopped "sparking" and the constant shooting pain was changed into a dull burning. I just couldn't give up. What if the side effects went away and after 10 years of being virtually homebound, I finally found a med that at least helped?
Well I stuck it out and after about 2 weeks the headaches have become more sporadic. They are positional, much worse if I fall asleep, and still present but there are definite periods where I actually feel NORMAL. I haven't felt normal in years. I actually drove around the block. That is huge for me.
As my body adjusts to my inital dose of Lyrica, I feel vast improvements in the pain. I also suddenly realized this morning that in addition to taking breakthrough meds much less often, I have gone a full week without Imitrex! I usually take is almost every day. Since it wasn't working on the exploding head, I stopped trying. Now I realized I haven't had an actual migraine all week either.
Could this drug actually help both my spinal injury and my migraines?? I had given up hope for my back and figured my only hope, after a 3 page/2 column list of meds that I have tried, for my migraines would be menopause. Lyrica is also actually approved now for Fibro which is something else I have but for me, pales in comparison to the pain of my spine and migraines.
I'm scared to hope that this might actually give me a chance at getting back a normal life. I decided a long time ago that hope is not always a good things since it just knocks you farther down each time it doesn't work out. I don't know how to be normal again.
How can I actually be scared that the pain will at least be more under control when that is all I have wanted for most of my life??? (migraines started at 15)I don't know how to live a normal life. My husband died, and I'm alone. I didn't know that this is where this post was going to go, but the truth just poured out of me.
I'm so excited, afraid to hope, and petrified at the same time.
Suzanne
Oh, the pharmacist said that he has had dozens of spinal pain patients that have had remarkable success with Lyrica if they can make it through the side effects and are one of the lucky ones that have them subside!