I was taking Lyrica and was still in pain, my doctor switched me to Gabapentin and at first I thought it was better. But a year and a half later I feel like the side effects are worse than the cure. What are your experiences with these drugs?
Lyrica vs. gabapentin. What are your thoughts?
Question posted by Savannity cats on 16 May 2014
Last updated on 1 March 2024
57 Answers
masso
1 March 2024
I am aware this is an old post, I do not have FM, nor have I tried these medications.
Here is a full comparison between Lyrica and Gabapentin for future reference, just click on the link:
jammark
1 March 2024
I have fibromyalgia, and my doctor did prescribe Lyrica for me at one point. However, it did nothing whatsoever to relieve any of my different types of pain. Gabapentin, on the other hand, which I have been on now for several months, immediately made a marked improvement in my nerve pain, specifically peripheral neuropathy, but also nerve pain from other causes unknown. Were I to recommend one of these drugs to someone suffering from some form of nerve pain, I would recommend the Gabapentin. I am taking three 300 mg doses per day, and do not experience any side effects. I suspect that you are probably on a higher dose. I am certain that if I were to raise my dose, and thankfully I don't think I will need to, that I would most definitely experience extreme drowsiness, a very unwelcome side effect. On the 300 mg three times a day I do not experience any drowsiness at all.
That's my recommendation, but we are all different and unique in our bodies and our body chemistry, what drugs work for us and what don't, as well as the side effects we can tolerate or not. As always, with any drug, weigh the benefits versus the negatives. Then decide with your doctor whether that drug is really good for you. I always seek the highest quality of life. If a drug is having a significant adverse impact upon my quality of life, I will stop that drug and try something else.
FedUpMommaBear
1 March 2024
Lyrica has so far been a godsend to combat peripheral neroprathy and Fibromyalgia. I've been on 300mg/day for over a year now and it's beginning to not be effective as it once was. It's confusing that the max dose for some conditions range from 300-600 mg/ per day! Why the disparity? I began to use pre-workout gummies on days I knew I'd be more active and have added post workout gummies to my nightly routine. Releasing the built up lactic acid has made a huge difference with my Fibromyalgia and my flares are easier to cope with.
We MUST be our own advocates and do research on our own because the overworked Drs treating us just don't have the time to stay up to date on all the newest recommendations for each disease they treat, PCP & pain management Drs included!
jammark
1 March 2024
This is very odd. 300 mg is once a day! For the same things that I have! I am starting at 300 mg three times a day, and my doctor said at our next appointment we will increase the dose if this is too low. So I am at a loss as to why you are just getting 300 mg once a day. I don't know where you're located but I am in the United States. Perhaps you are in another country? If you are in the United States, it sounds to me like your doctor is using his own guidelines.
jammark
1 March 2024
I've known people, including myself, who have been on 1800 mg a day. For me, that was decades ago, but for a friend of mine that is what he is on now. Personally, that much Gabapentin would make me way too drowsy. But for my neuropathy, as I said in my previous post, my doctor started out just a couple months ago with me taking 300 mg three times a day. So you should be able to go higher. I'll check the FDA recommendation again, but I feel that without even looking their Max dose for neuropathy is much higher than what you, or rather your doctor, is prescribing.
jammark
11 Oct 2023
Neither of these drugs helped with my fibromyalgia.
WildcatVet
11 Oct 2023
Just for the sake of it you might look over these User Reviews for both medications:
https://www.drugs.com/comments/pregabalin/lyrica.html
https://www.drugs.com/comments/pregabalin/
https://www.drugs.com/comments/gabapentin/
Wildcat
Jane Fergie
10 Oct 2023
I am referring to all discussions here in relation to management of nerve pain associated with neuropathy of any form. I am Australian and all medical professionals I have sought professional advice from have been Australian. I say this because one thing I am not aware of is if their professional knowledge and advice is based on any studies and/or research in other countries or their medical training here in Australia BUT I have noticed no reference to two other medications that I was recommended initially for peripheral neuropathy prior to Lyrica. Initially I was prescribed Sifrol. This medication is used to treat Parkinson’s disease and has proven for me to Bev extremely effective in treating restless legs (early stages of neuropathy) and increased neuropathic pain during the night.
I have been taking Sifrol for over 15 years with no side effects, no withdrawals and the ability to increase my dose depending on the level of pain I feel before bed. It wasn’t until the neuropathy became unbearable during the day that I sourced alternative treatments. This lead to Duloxetine starting 30mg tablet once a day. Also extremely effective for two years before increasing to 60mg tablet once a day. Then came Lyrica. Long story short RE Lyrica, I have experienced almost every side effect from the most common to rare. Weight gain, swelling of the feet and ankles, toes turning dark purple, heart racing, hot sweats just to name a few then most recently and most severely, skin allergies from head to toe to the point of scratching myself to the point of bleeding and my hands looking like I had dunked them in a bucket of acid. 3 occasions of what was described by the emergency department at my local hospital as anaphylaxis reactions where my throat closed over, tongue swelled, bloodshot eyes, red itchy eyelids and uncontrollable coughing that resulted in complete loss of bladder control. Scary stuff. I have a whole new respect for people with anaphylaxis. I carry an asthma pump and epi-pen now. I’m 48! Never happened before. I have done so much research since then and this is where I’m at now. No more Lyrica. Yes, against all professional medical advice, I went cold turkey. Yes I suffered horrible withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, headaches, diarrhea and honestly feeling quite depressed, not suicidal though, not at all. The hardest and most enduring symptoms being mood swings and awful nausea. Like morning sickness nausea that lasts all day! Won’t lie, it’s shit, but, I have not had one episode of the side effects since. What I also stumbled across was this which takes about half an hour of your time but extremely worth it - link for you https://rumble.com/vwf711-peripheral-neuropathy-causes-and-cures-2021.html Now I am not a conspiracy theorist by any stretch but I strongly believe against all advice so far that you absolutely can repair nerve damage because I am doing it! I am in the initial stages of the dietary changes focusing on the increase of particular vitamins, specifically B’s and it is making a difference. No more Lyrica, no more Duloxetine, pain still present but decreasing slowly with each day. Still take the Sifrol but I’m ok with that. Still nauseous every day and it’s been two weeks but am hopeful that will ease. This has been a long post, but I won’t post again. Just want you to discuss Sifrol and duloxetine with your practitioners and watch the link. Take from that what you want to and I wish for you all some relief.
Missy1315
19 May 2022
Lyrica made my heart race horribly. I was sitting in bed and my heart was racing at 140bpm after taking only 25mg of Lyrica. With Gabapentin I do get mild heart racing whenever I raise my dose, but it’s manageable compared to what I experienced on Lyrica.
The Gabapentin helps with the nerve pain, but I take it together with Tramadol. I take Tramadol 50mg and Gabapentin 400mg 3 times a day. Then I have an extra dose of Tramadol 50mg to take at bedtime if the pain is really bugging me a lot. This schedule is working pretty well for me, I feel like I have a decent quality of life now. Both of these medications are in the preferred treatments for neuropathy - Gabapentin is tier 1 and Tramadol is tier 2.
Allaug
21 Jan 2022
Hi!
I'm new here and I have a pressing question regarding how to switch from Neurontin to Lyrica. I have been on Neurontin for severe peripheral nerve pain since 2001. Now the side effects are so bad - especially the "Brain Fog" and myalgia (muscle pain) that my pain specialist doctor wants me to switch from Neurontin to Lyrica. He says I have to gradually go off Neurontin before starting with Lyrica, but after 20 years I REALLY know that if I forget my 600mg pill one of the three times a day I take it, the pain becomes unbearable till the next pill has been in my body for a few hours. Have any of you gone directly from Neurontin to Lyrica from one day to the next without tapering? I underdstand that if you use these medications for epilesy it can be dangerous to go directly from full doses of one to full doses of the other, - but for nerve pain? I wonder if it is a problem in any way. Have any of you experiences to share regarding this?
All the best to every one of you from me in Norway!
Dylan P
12 March 2022
You don't need to go off gradually, it's really the same Drug just better.I was on the max of gabapentin and switch to the equivalent of Lyrica same day no problem.
Bennydav
10 Dec 2021
The opposite, gabapentin for around 10 years then I was switched to Lyrica.I find it smoother now.Less stomach issues , no more gabapentin bubble guts.
Ddnm82
21 Aug 2021
I have been over taking gabapentin for years and now I can’t stop taking them as I am ill forever it never goes away I am so scared and just want off of it completely there is no help just ‘weaning off’ I am scared I will have a seizure if I stop I run out all the time and I get very nervous, here I am looking for a magical cure, the five minute miracle if you will and there just isn’t one. Anyone considering taking gabs just don’t, exercise, eat well and live with the pain cus it definitely doesn’t go away with gabs and then you’re just stuck in a loop of taking them forever
Kmjohnston74
18 Aug 2021
Was diagnosed with neuropathy and prescribed Gabapentin about 4 years ago. Despite increasing the dosage—it never worked for me. Lyrica has saved my quality of life tremendously! I am on 150 mg twice a day if anyone is interested! Also, I didn’t have any side effects that I noticed with Gabapentin, but possibly memory loss with Lyrica? Gonna talk to my Dr about it at my next visit.
HitByACar
9 Dec 2020
I'm taking 300mg Gabapentin 3x a day for sciatica and i feel as much pain as when I was taking nothing. I'm nowhere near the max, yet, though. I haven't noticed anything. No side effects, no positives.
Candice 1
30 Sep 2020
I've been on gabapentin for over 5 years now. I have not had any side affects . It helps with my pain.
patriciaskri
29 Sep 2020
I am responding to question regarding slowly introducing gabapentin, say 100 mg per dosage. I have lupus, fibromyalgia,
peripheral nerve disorder, osteoporosis, cancer survivor twice, now shingles... I always start increasing gradually. I was also told in order for it to work, you must keep some in your bloodstream. I don't like to be "foggy" from the med. I also don't want to drive with the med in my system. I was told at 110 lb, 3600 mg per day was max. At one pt I had 300 mg dosage, but prefer the 100's so I can take 100 or 200 mg if I am out and about, and keep the 300 mg for late afternoon & evening, and late night. I have just started with the nerve pain in my feet & the intense ITCHING ALL OVER. It's hard to know what causes what. Raynaud's syndrome from autoimmune also causes black fingers and toes & tingling, sensitivity to temp.
Just remember every pill you put in your mouth has a side effect to something somewhere, and sometimes you may take a drug for a decade and find out it is bad for this or that & we as consumers suffer consequences. Herbal supplements for inflammation like turmeric helps when added. All of these rx drugs seem to constipating. Stay hydrated & add alot of fiber. Amitriptyline with melatonin helps me sleep better. All the best-
Anyone know what could cause intense itching?
Candice 1
30 Sep 2020
I'm just guessing but my husband had shingles and was itching all the time , very pain stuff for him. May God bless you for everything you are going through.
Brooksmom04
18 Sep 2019
I’ve had sciatica pain for almost 2 yrs and have been taking gabapentin for 9 mths. It helped me at first but in the past couple of mths it has been causing me to get this real bitter taste in my mouth. As far as I know this is not listed as a side effect but should be. My Dr. advised me just this week to stop taking it but I quit taking it a couple weeks ago and have almost gotten the bitter taste gone. I was researching other medications and saw that Lyrica was an option. Does anyone know if that helps too?
Related topics
lyrica, pain, fibromyalgia, gabapentin, side effect, neuropathic pain
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