Lyrica if you take it please read.

[peaceplease]

I just started on Lyrica. I am also on 45mg of Elavil at bedtime. I tried Lyrica once before many months ago, but it really flared my bladder. Now I am trying it again. I am just taking 50mg at bedtime with the hope to work up to 150mg per day.
Two Questions:

(1) What dosage do you take per day, and at what time of day.

(2) I am finding the last few days I have blurred vision. Like reading my computer screen right now is difficult as the words are blurred. I recently had a comprehensive Opthomology exam and my vision is fine (I do not wear glasses.) I read on the Lyrica site that blurred vision can be a side effect.

Have any of you had blurred vision while taking this drug and if so, did it go away?
Thanks!:pray:

[turnaround]

I had a very bad reaction to Lyrica.
After 24 hours I felt tight. I don't know how else to describe it. I felt like I had a band around my head and my eyes were blurry as well. I went to Doc and my normally very low blood pressure--90/60 was 200/100. It was scary to say the least. After 24 hours off the Lyrica, my bp was back to normal. I know a lot of people are helped by Lyrica, but it cause hypertension in my case. If I were you, I would at least get your bp checked.

[TerryW]

Hi , I've been taking Lyrica for about 7 months and it has helped me tremendously. I did have some blurred vision, and tiredness for awhile. I just take 50 mg twice a day.

Also, don't take Lyrica too close to bedtime. Sometimes it interferes with you sleep. I take it at breakfast and dinner.

Good luck to you.


Terry

[mouse]

I was taking lyrica for a while. 75 mg in the morning and 75 at night. For dosing you should really consult your doctor. i had some pretty bad side affects in the begining...drowsiness,loss of balance,blured vision and an overall feeling of being high but I adjusted to it fairly quickly. It wasn't till they increased my dosage that I just couldn't adjust and had to discontinue. Also I couldn't stand the weight gain and my inability to feel satiated. If I wasn't constantly eating I would get the shakes.....Good Luck

[peaceplease]

Well, I have been on Lyrcia now for about a month or more and I was at 150mg per day and now am back down to 100mg per day as I find that at 100mg I can get the desired effect.
The blurred vision is gone and I feel a little more tired in the morning, but it quickly wears off. I am not any more hungry and I don't know if I have gained weight, but I am thin naturally so if I do gain some it won't be the end of the world.

I am also on Elavil 50 mg at bedtime and the two medications combined so far have truly been amazing. My IC has never been this under control, I still have minor flares here or there, but so far, so good. The combo of these two medications has been pretty wonderful so far :)

[Sally939]

I have not tried Lyrica but want to say your post was inspiring. It is wonderful to hear you stuck with a med and found success (hopefully you stuck with it while letting your doc know of side effects to be on the safe side). If I hit a bad place and need to move my meds around I will remember your post and discuss it with my doc. It is always wonderful to hear others success especially after a rocky start. And great to hear about other options that have helped a fellow ICer. It allows me to know there are always more options and that I will not just be out of options. I hope it continues to work for a long time.

[sphinx]

I recently started on Lyrica for fibromyalgia pain.....kind of a last ditch effort for me, as I had to stop one of my mood stabilizers to get on it. I currently take 50MG three times a day, and the only side effects were when I started the morning dose (started with afternoon dose, then tapered up adding a bedtime dose, then morning)......I was so tired and the balance problems. I felt totally loopy! I am adjusting now, and have a little bit of uncoordination, but basically ok. So far no weight gain, but it's not a huge dose, plus I am already very over weight.

Anyhoo, I am taking it for the fibro, and was pleasantly surprised it helped the IC! I started to notice my frequency decrease, and consequently peeing more each time. Also, it's helped with the hesitance I sometimes get when I start to go.....

I hope I continue to do ok, without much side effects, and hope you are doing well!

[Katrina]

Yes I have had this side effect on Lyrica and for me it seemed to only happen when my body was in a weakened state and my body was still adjusting to the med or dose. I take 150 mg morning and night (10) and at 4 pm take 100 mg.

For me although it has had times when it wasn't easy I no longer notice this side effect even when sick and tired which is when it was the type of things that would make me notice it in the past.

I was underweight when I started Lyrica...I gained weight and kept going beyond my goal...which I wanted to change and didn't have a problem too and at this point I am stable and no longer gaining ..or underweight anymore.

[Smokey]

question for terry w, you said that taking lyrica at bedtime can interfere with your sleep i thought lyrica was supposed to make you drowsy and sleepy?

[some_guy]

I took Lyrica for a short while. I woke up with hefty headaches much like a hangover. After telling doctor about side effects and trying for little while longer it was stopped because the side effects did not fade as was hoped.

[tigger_gal]

Lyrica made me swell.

[katjonez]

Hi :hi:,
I've been on Lyrica for about 1 year now. They started me low and every couple months they would up the dose. Now I am on 150 mg 3 times a day for a total of 450 mg a day. Every time they upped the dose my vision would go blurry for a while then even out. I also have severe dry eye, have for many years, it is always a little hard to tell why it's blurry. I use hot compresses and a gel to help clear up my vision. After about 6-8 weeks on it my husband and I noticed that I was walking better. After months on it they talked me into going OFF of all my pain meds !!! the whole idea was scary but I did it slowly. I had been on 500 mg of Morphine and Soma. I worked my way down until the last of the Morphine Those last 3 to 4 days were horrid !!
I flailed all over my bed for the entire time. Rubbed my legs RAW !! But I am so glad to be off of all those meeds that make my head fuzzy.
I have had REALLY REALLY good luck with Lyrica but I know there are some side effects that I watch for. Good luck and God bless. I hope you find some help soon.

[Trishann]

I was given Lyrica for a polyneuropathy problems but notice it did helped my bladder tremdously. Don't know why my bladder doctor did not put me on this medication.

I take a low dose of 50mg, 2 a twice. I do still have some blurred vision and tiredness with it at times. I don't think I could ever go on a higher dose of it, I would be afraid too, but everyone is different and medicine is hard on me. I don't have the spasms constantly with taking Lycria. For me it is worth of some side effects then the spasms.

Sometimes I tried to get off of it because of the side effects just to go back to those severe spasms, then I think the medicince is a blessing.

[Snowden1]

Katherine,
So the Lyrica helped your bladder too or was your pain coming from your fibro?

[katjonez]

Teresa,
It really helped with my pain and spasms and ended up helping the frequency that I had at night. I don't have firbro but I think they gave it to me for Pelvic Floor Dysfunction. The Dr. said the muscle was so tight that it was creating a hostile environment for the organs held within. I know after going on Lyrica is when I started to move a bit easier and the spasms slowed. I did have weight gain too. I like Katrina was under weight and have now gone 5 lb. over what I would like to weigh. I am trying hard to stop this now. I still ca't run or do arobic exercise with out starting spasms. But my worst day today is still much much better than my best day a year ago. I am so grateful to Lyrica and I pray that we do not find out horrid things about it later in the years to come.

[Melanie526]

I take Lyrica only when I have pain...so I might go a few days without it, and then I might have to take 1 or 2 pills a day (75 mg each)...my doctors want me to take it daily (so I will have a consistent amount in my system)...just haven't done that yet.
Blurry vision is a side effect...I didn't have that problem...at first it made me a little sleepy and I got headaches, but now I have no problems at all...and it really helps my IC pain and other abominal pain (endo and adhesions).