United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

DH finally started on Lyrica yesterday. I know it's different for everyone, but for those of you who have taken this drug and found it useful, how long did it take to start feeling results? The brochures says a week plus, but the brochure came with a 1 week free trial and I'm think that may not be a coincidence. So, I'm just wondering what other's experiences have been. TIA

I am taking lyrica and it was less than a week but they told me i could adjust th dose slowly until i found what works.I am 5' 9'' tall and way 280lbs and i take it 3 times a day at 150mg I really think this works good and i dont feel any real side affects good luck and God bless

I think it was less than a week for me as well. If I remember correctly is was within a few days I noticed a difference. I started out with a small dose and worked my way up to 300 mg daily.

Hope it works!

Took a few days for me too, though I was switching from Neurontin to Lyrica and I use it for neuro pain from a spinal cord injury not for my LOBPI, but still same type of neuro pain..
Marieke (31, LOBPI and Transverse Myelitis)

i am tring to switch to lyrica from neurontin. I have been on 2100 mg of neurontin for about 6 months. I had to almost force my doc to give it to me and his instructions were to take one 75 mg lyrica twice a day and cut out 600 mg of my neurontin. does anyone find this strang? Has anyone else made this switch? also those were his only instructions i only see him once a month. so how is this going to help with my exhaustion. I want to get off the neurontin not add another drug to make me tired.

Any suggestions? how did you guys switch? can i continue to decrease the neurontin and try and ween off it? My DOCTOR sucks i am looking for a new one but in the meantime i have to be productive.

I was on 1600mg of Neurontin a day, 400mg x4. My doctor told me to take 200mg x4 a day and add 75mg Lyrica at night for 2 weeks, then take 75mg Lyrica morning and another 75mg at night. If I needed more I was to call her and she would re-adjust the dose. I am actually fine on 150mg a day.

So yes, what your MD told you to do does make sense. Give it a try, the Lyrica has a tendency to have less side effects in any case, therefor less fatigue. Already cutting 600mg of Neurontin will decrease your fatigue. Yes, you can decrease slowly over 3 weeks, many meds are done that way.

Good Luck!
Marieke (31, LOBPI and TM)
3rd yr RN student who feels like a walking pharmacy!

marieke,

Did you finally stop the neurontin completely or are you still on a combination? Thanks for responding i feel a little better now.

No, I stopped it after the 2 weeks of switching over...
Marieke (31, LOBPI)

Thank you for the info. I have already been able to see some of the decrease in side effects. (Which is GREAT!!) my pain levels have increased and so has my anxiety levels, but it has only been one week, so i will continue on and see how things go. thanks for all the info.

I'm not clear as to what the side effects are for Lyrica. I am not on it and actually have not heard of it. Reading the comments about makes me think it is an alternate to Neurontin. Should I mention it to my doctor(s)? I find that I'm getting tired more than I did a month ago. I am on 800mg of Neurontin every 6 hrs. Methadone 10mg every 8 hours and 30mg Nortriptyline once a day. I just started 800mg Skelaxin every 8 hrs. (I have been getting internal spasms for the past week & a half.)

I have been getting pain that is kind of like feeling the whole arm is asleep, crushing, tingling, pulsing and twitching. The pain has been waking me up during the night. This has been going on for about 5 days. I feel very tired.

I'm supposed to start going back to work part-time next Tues. It will be for 4 hour, Tues, Wed, & Thurs. I have an hour drive to & from work. Mon & Fri I have therapy.

I don't know if I am on the right drugs. I was experiencing severe pain in Aug and started with a pain specialist. He has done wonders for me. What I'm having now is nowhere near what I was having. I'm just concerned that the pain is increasing again and I'm more tired.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I see my PCP tomorrow & my Pain Specialist on the 16th. I'm on his cancellation list if someone cancels.

Thank you all so much. You help me understand what is going on with me. You let me know what to expect & what is normal. Your help in invaluable.

Janelle