Lyrica now approved for Fibro

**verdicries** · 06-22-2007, 01:20 AM

i just read that Lyrica has now been fda approved for fibro pain...interesting. and now a lot of other big labs are working on pain meds as well. i wish they'd put their money into figuring out what CAUSES it! if we can find the underlying CAUSE, we can maybe erradicate it?? or at least TREAT it better! don't just blindly throw drugs at us...grrrrrrrrr.

here's the article:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070621/...L7pR7DLILVJRIF

anyways, i've never tried lyrica...maybe i will?

**sunshine_77us** · 06-22-2007, 05:07 AM

What other medicines are supposed to help with Fibro? My dr. said the Cymbalta would help me but he has never increased it from the 30 mg. I think it probably needs to be increased.

**ICNJess** · 06-22-2007, 05:25 AM

They were talking, for awhile, that Neurontin would be approved for Fibro. I don't know if it ever happened. I think Neurontin and Lyrica are cousins, right? Same drug family I believe. Yeah a cause would be nice. I like Lyrica, though...at least it's something in the Fibro fight.

**humpieumpumkin** · 06-22-2007, 05:41 AM

I personally think it is a huge conspiricy. Why would the drug companies want to find cures when they can make so much money "treating" the problem rather than fixing it all together. I don't know, maybe i'm just paranoid. I think this is certanally a matter of ethics.

Erika

**verdicries** · 06-22-2007, 09:54 AM

i'm with you erika. why CURE anything when there are millions to be made "treating" stuff? i've thought that for years.

as far as i know there are no other officially approved fibro meds. ultram/ultracet is prescribed a lot (i was on it for years), as are a lot of full-out opiates.

anyone tried lyrica/neurontin with success? what were the side effects?

**Kara29** · 06-22-2007, 11:37 AM

I have some pretty nice results for some of my pain from Lyrica. 150mg 2-3 times a day. I've been on it for a year. I still have some very bad days, but the good days have been happening more often. For myself, Lyrica lasts longer in the system than Neurontin. These two meds are both in the Anticonvulsant Class of Drugs.

Here's a Lyrica Link: http://www.lyrica.com/content/dpn_assess_pain.jsp?source=google&HBX_PK=s_diabetic+neuropathy+symptom &HBX_OU=50&o=%25epid!|%25eaid!|%25erid!

Here's a Neurontin Link:http://www.neurontin.com/

I think they are both used for all sorts of pain disorders.
Side effects can vary from one person to another. I don't have any side effects from it.

I hope you have a good weekend!

Kara

**Roxie2007** · 06-22-2007, 04:02 PM

I like Lyrica, except for the main side effect......rapid weight gain! It just sucks that when you find something that helps with nerve pain and then it has such a dreadful side effect! Roxie

**verdicries** · 06-23-2007, 02:37 AM

thanks girls. i may ask my otherwise useless urogyn about lyrica or neurontin monday. i need some serious pain relief NOW (i also need surgery but can't seem to find anyone competent to do this...).

some weight gain wouldn't be a bad thing for me, roxie....i weigh just 81 lbs, can't eat much cause i can't evacuate my bowels properly due to rectocele. blech. but i do understand about loving the med/hating the side effects!

has anyone found they suffered urinary retention with either lyrica or neurontin? i'm hesitant about all pain meds as they usually cause this and it always happens to me!

tracy

**PenguinK** · 07-03-2007, 02:20 PM

I was on Lyrica for a few months last year. It took away the pain, but I went off of it due to the side effects. I gained 15 lbs in 1 month and could not stop eating. It gives you an enormous appetite. I have never been this heavy, even at the birth of my son! I could not get "full".

Other people I know who take it said the same thing, but didn't have the other side effects like the brain fog and trouble concentrating, dizziness, and tiredness I experienced. Everyone is different, though. I would probably recomend someone giving it a try to see how they react.

I think maybe it could work if they played with your dosages, but I just went off and tried on my own. Now that I am sure I have Fibro, I am looking for some pain relief. I use flexiril some evenings and find that I wake up in a little less pain, but I am going to a new Chiropractor's clinic that deals with fibro and hopefully I will get some relief. There is a Chiro, a Physical therapist, and a medical doctor who all work together with you. I had to explain IC to the one that did the initial screening appointment. He looked shocked. I hope the MD has heard of it. I don't think it is very well known around me. We really need some awareness here.

KK

**Roxie2007** · 07-03-2007, 03:57 PM

Tracy, this drug may be great for you. It really helps with nerve pain it just has the weight gain side effect. I haven't had any of the other side effects. I hope you find something that helps you! Roxie

**verdicries** · 07-05-2007, 01:49 AM

i will be starting neurontin after surgery (well, not RIGHT after...but maybe a month or so). i'm nervous but would like some pain relief!!

btw roxie...i will be posting my shaving experiences later in the vulvodynia board lol.

**aprilmae** · 07-05-2007, 01:59 AM

I am on Neurontin and I can tell it helps. I forgot a dose the other day - out running errands - and I could tell it. Shortly after I took it the pain level went down. However I am noticing that I am always tired, my short term memory is not at all what it used to be and I sometimes am "out of it". I am going to talk to the doc at my next appointment and see what we can do. I like the fact that it helps the pain but with school starting back up next month I can't be like this all the time. I have gained about 5-10 pounds with it.