Lyrica Anyone??????

[BrokenBladder]

Hi Everyone!! I haven't posted since BT came back up but I have been doing my normal reading. I need some help and I know this is the place to go.
Can anyone share their experiences with me in taking Lyrica? I'm currently taking Oxycontin BID 80mgs and Vicoden every 4 hours for B/T. I just went back to my rhuemy and now she wants to start me on Lyrica. Since I don't know anything about it I wanted to post here before I even get it filled.
The co payments on my meds are around $300.00 a month already and I don't have the money to start on something that won't work.

[Spiney]

As you already know, there are no promises. Lyrica does tend to come with it's side effects. Extreme drowsiness is the one that I read the most about. Some complain about weight gain.

I have been taking it for about nine months now and it has reduced my nerve pain. There has been no weight gain. As a matter of fact, I am intentionally losing about two pounds per month. For the first few months, I had a real problem with severe drowziness after taking it. I took it twice a day initially and had to time it at bedtime and when I could take a nap durring the day or I was in trouble. This side effect lasted maybe two months. I am glad to be taking it. Best wishes.

[BrokenBladder]

Thanks Spiney for your input. I'm on so many meds already that I hesitate to add another one. It sounds like you're having good luck with this so maybe I should give it a try.
Is it expensive? I have insurance but some of the co payments kill my budget, lol, I guess we all deal with that.

[Spiney]

It isn't cheap, that's for sure. I have a great Medicare D and only have a $2.00 co-pay. I take 50 mg three times a day now and I think it runs around $150.00 per month. Best wishes in finding the right med. mix to get that pain under control.

[sleepyk]

I took Lyrica for a short time around the first of the year for stinging pains I was having in my arms and legs and the neurologist was trying to figure out what was causing it. It really did help the stinging pains , I was also having muscle weakness and for some reason he stopped it , I assume he thought it wasn't going to help the whole problem but once again I am having the stinging pains again. I don't remember having any side effects while taking it. I was already having problems with severe fatigue so I probley wouldn't have noticed if it made that worse, I was barely moving off the chair as it was ..lol Good luck with it, hope it helps you if you decide to use it...K

[BrokenBladder]

for your honest answers. I just don't want to start yet another medication and be disappointed by the outcome and have to pay the money for it. At the same time I don't want to live as a zombie, but I can't make it with the pain levels I'm experiencing now. I know all of you understand my dilema.

[Spiney]

Bless your heart. I know that desperate tone in your "voice". I am wondering if it is possible for the doc to get you samples for a trial. Yes, it is expensive if you do not have a decent ins. plan and you already are paying for other meds. Many of us had a prolonged period of severe drowsiness. I am lucky that I am at home and could work around it until it passed. Get real honest with the doc about what you are facing and see if he can be of some help in that area. Lyrica just might be part of your answer. Best wishes.

[suede]

HI BB,
I have tried lyrica and so many of the other meds in this family.
My PM dr first rx'ed it when it first became available here and I just wasn't willing to give it a try I had been through so many side effects and have a small pharmacy going on with just the meds I haven't been able to endure.
After my PM then PCP and then rhuemy all tried for me to take it and the pain just kept getting worse I did and have to say that it helped my nerve pain but made me very groggy, which was already a problem for me and there was other side effects such as dizziness and swelling and so on.
After a short time though we had to tirate up as it wasn't working as well and the more I triated up the worse the side effects though some became better the swelling was so bad I couldn't stand it any longer so had to stop.
I have to say that it seems to me that the responses I have seen have been pretty much even.
Best of luck.
Linda

[Spiney]

Linda, I think that it seems to work best for those of us who only need a small dose. I have a feeling that I am very lucky.

[SuzeFMS]

According to my Internist, Neurontin, which I've been taking for sometime, is just the cheaper version of Lyrica. A few people feel that Lyrica works some better, I found absolutely no difference at all, and the $ is significant...brand vs. generic. If your Dr. knows that you don't have insurance I'm curious why they rx'd the Lyrica instead of Neurontin. Just to give you an idea, you might want to try calling your local pharmacy and asking them the price difference....I can assure you it's considerable....and the medications are the SAME.

Hope this helps.
Hugs,
Suze