Lyrica for Fibromyalgia User Reviews (Page 4)

• Worki...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 9, 2013

"I was taking only 75mg per day of Lyrica for fibromyalgia pain. I found it to be very helpful to me and helped me to get much needed rest at night. I took my dosage at night 2-3 hours before bed. My only issue with it was there were occasions where I felt a little 'spacy' but overall, the pain left, and I was able to carry out most of my day without significant pain. It was a very low dosage, so a lot of the side effects that some people experience could be from taking a much larger dosage. I am no longer taking it because I lost my insurance and can't afford the cost. However, I was told about Neurontin, will be starting it tomorrow and hoping to get some similar relief."

• MEGAGS
• May 5, 2008

"I just started with this medication. I took one 75 mg pill in the late evening before going to sleep. When I took it, I said to myself, 'Yeah, right, this little tiny pill will somehow give my life back to me.' The next morning when I awoke, to my surprise, I felt like I did years ago. I could walk and stand without the aching and hurting. I was not as tired nor as sore in my muscles. What a wonderful little miracle this little pill is!"

• Gypsy...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 25, 2017

"I have spinal stenosis, my spine is cracked on both sides of my spine, as well as a bulging disc pushing on the cracks, fibromyalgia, and some form of arthritis. Lyrica packed on the pounds, blurred vision, constantly tired, my body aches more when I take Lyrica. I use cannabis oil CBD form, it helps with inflammation, it sure helps considerably better with no side effects! The CBD form does NOT get you ‘stoned, high, or buzzed’, it removes the pain. I am extremely grateful for my cannabis oil, the effects last longer than Lyrica too! I can enjoy my grandkids again!"

• 6110...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 31, 2019

"I had surgery on my thumb, and all the nerves are messed up or something. Started to get shooting, stabbing pain from thumb to palm area. Doctor prescribed 75 mg day/night, and it doesn't seem to be working. I'm gonna try maybe 150 mg next time I see him, and yes, I've tried 2x75 mg, and it works so well. My pain is gone, and no more waking up from the pain. I am aware it's a weight-gaining medication and have changed what I eat, and definitely 1-2 hrs riding/exercising, and I am losing the weight I gained. Plus, it's only $5 a script, yeah boiiii Tommy 2thumbs."

• Juwa
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 9, 2016

"I was just diagnosed with fibromyalgia. After taking the first dose, my hands and feet swelled up, and I couldn't bend my fingers. If I tried, the pain was intense. Then I started to stagger. I wobbled when I tried to stand still. My mind fogged up. I felt drunk and hungry. I got a sandwich, and it slipped off of my plate to the floor, and I picked it up and continued to eat, at least a couple of times. Everything I ate that night tasted so good. I was so sleepy. When I got up in the morning, there were things in places that should never have been. (i.e., TV remote in the bathroom, food on the floor near my bed, and other things misplaced.) I felt like I had a hangover. NEVER AGAIN. I had the same experience with gabapentin. Just say no!"

• Norwe...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 10, 2018

"Lyrica has been life-changing for me. I've had severe pain every day for years. Both neuropathic pain and FM. The last couple of years, I've been bedridden most of the time. I got Lyrica one week ago, and I can't remember the last time I felt this good. I can do the dishes, make dinner, and walk the dog and still feel good. That is huge for me. My muscular spasms are also gone. I use 75 mg twice a day. Now I just hope I don't get any severe side effects. But they will have to be close to life-threatening for me to stop taking this medication. Lyrica may not be for everyone, but it can be worth a try (despite all the warnings online) - so far it has given me a new life."

• MO-Mom
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 25, 2017

"Blurred vision while driving 70, nightmares, terrible balance, falling in the shower (took 30 min to get back up) my 4 & 6-year-old kids had to 'rescue' me and turn off the water, restless legs keeping me awake until all hours of the morning. 1 eye has twitched for 3 days now. Just to name a few of the side effects. This medicine needs to be an absolute last resort, with doctors warning patients about all of these awful side effects prior to prescribing. I am a former licensed practical nurse, and this is unacceptable as far as side effects go."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 21, 2012

"I was put on Lyrica by my anesthetist for postoperative pain control following a revision of a Dupuy metal-on-metal hip. It has certainly helped the pain in this and the other hip and reduced the muscle spasms I was experiencing. However, side effects have increased with use, and I have severe visual disturbance, foggy mind, and forgetfulness. I was on 150mg three times a day and tried to stop. Big mistake - severe cold turkey with shaking, nausea, and panic attacks. Now trying to come off slowly but really struggling with the side effects."

• Dogre...
• January 20, 2008

"I started on Lyrica 5 weeks ago at 150mg daily, and felt no different. I started 100mg 3 times a day four days ago and gee what a difference it has made in my fibromyalgia and chronic neck and back pain and spinal arthritis. I already had dizziness and confusion, but it has not gotten worse. My hands are a little swollen and stiff in the mornings but it goes away soon. Loving it so far."

• tcart...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 5, 2013

"I was having terrible back pain and chronic all-over pain when I started Lyrica. It has helped me a lot, but I still have the occasional flare-up. I also take Neurontin with Lyrica, and this combination does a pretty decent job of helping with my pain. I have tried Cymbalta and had a horrible three days of dizziness that almost caused me to hit a parked car. I was trying to suck it up and go to work but ended up on the couch the entire time because every time I sat up, the world spun, and I felt so disoriented and off-balance, like I had been drinking. I am very skeptical to try anything else because of the Cymbalta episode."

• lauren
• August 24, 2016

"I will start off by saying it did cause weight gain. My clothes fit the same, but the number on the scale went up about 7-10 pounds depending on the day. I cannot say this is solely because of the drug, I think I can safely say that this is because my pain has improved so drastically that I have an appetite again. I can keep the weight off if I really want to, but I am not overweight, and I am content with my appetite finally being back after years of struggles that I don't think it's a problem. Regardless, I have been on Lyrica for almost a year now. It has drastically improved my nerve pain, joint stiffness, and swelling (along with a gallon of water a day), appetite, energy, and sleep. I am not pain-free, but no fibromyalgia patient truly ever is pain-free, my pain has gone from an average of 8-9 down to a 4-5 on my good days. My flare-ups are far less frequent, and I only experience them once every two or so months, which is a huge improvement over every other week. The length of the flare-ups is also shortened from 3-5 days down to 2 days maximum. At the beginning of taking the medicine, I was slightly drowsy, but nothing dangerous. I only take it once a day, and I am trying to keep it that way to avoid moving up to 2 doses a day. Lyrica is my miracle drug and has definitely given me my life back. My biggest complaint is the cost and insurance, but it could be worse. It costs me $2 a day to feel normal again."

• Kelly...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 16, 2017

"I have been on Lyrica almost 2 1/2 years. When I first started it, I was really skinny, so weight gain didn't bother me, but now I have gained over 25 lbs, which is not good at all. I am going to go back to Gabapentin, which helped me get off morphine. My eyes are dry and blurry. I fart all the time, and I am fat! I was off of it the beginning of the year, and I was hurting, but side effects are too much."

• Anonymous
• October 4, 2015

"I've had fibromyalgia for ten years now, along with other health problems, and up until a week ago, I was using Flexeril and Cataflam to help with the pain and discomfort. Until last week, I was under a lot of stress at work, mind you, I teach infants and toddlers up to age 3, and I woke up one morning in pain. Pain over my entire body. Pain I have never felt before. I felt like I had a suped-up version of the flu. I went to work in tears and left in tears and headed straight to my doctor. I began Lyrica that day, and I was pretty out of it the first night and especially the next day when I took the next dose. I slept most of the first day, and the second day I was a little dizzy-headed and off balance. So far, Lyrica is working well."

• Buddy...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 15, 2016

"Terrible med! Years after taking for a few weeks, I still have seriously blurry vision. Seems to be permanent. Everything about this drug was far worse than the problems it was supposed to address. Do not take this toxic garbage. My Dr. insisted I had to give it time to work... Any more time and I'd likely be dead or blind! Avoid like the plague and/or carefully read of myriad side effects and hope you can stop in time to avoid permanent problems from side effects. IMO, this med should be taken off the market!"

• Lucky...
• August 18, 2013

"I was prescribed Lyrica for fibromyalgia. The first hour after I took Lyrica, I felt better, and at night, I slept like a dream. I was on it for a total of two weeks, in which time I started feeling bloated and put on weight. I am a heart patient, and I started getting angina. My blood pressure started to rise. I started getting headaches. My only wish was that I could have continued taking Lyrica, as the fibromyalgia pain was gone. But I'll just have to keep looking."

• littl...
• August 19, 2015

"I've been on Lyrica for a month now. 150 mg 2x a day. It works wonders for the awful muscle spasms and fibromyalgia pain, but I do have side effects. I have to do everything from chores to running errands before I take it. Once I take it, I become unbalanced, forget words, and become extremely tired. I sleep a lot and very heavily and usually can't remember the previous day. I definitely cannot function after I take it. I don't care for the side effects, but so far it has been the only thing that has worked for me. I tried Cymbalta, Neurontin, Zanaflex, Flexeril, lots of things. To me, it's worth taking the Lyrica as those terrible rib and back spasms keep at bay, and after two years of dealing with those, I don't ever want to again. By the way, it does kill my appetite."

• Deps
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 23, 2022

"I wasn't on it long enough to experience anything. I did have what's called an anaphylactoid reaction (precursor to anaphylactic reaction), which was a swollen tongue and uvula. I had to stop taking it right away because of that. I don't know if that's common, just my experience."

• mauic...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 10, 2017

"My doctor just put me on Lyrica 25 mg tablets twice a day. The first day I took one dose around lunch and the other before bedtime, and I got sleepy in the day. Anyway, I emailed the doctor, and he said to only take the one at night, but I decided to take both at night and feel great! I have suffered for years with fibromyalgia, and Cymbalta was not working for the fibromyalgia, but I also take Cymbalta for depression, so I'm still on that. Added the Lyrica and feel that the great pain is so much less, my knees and ankle pain, burning sensation all down, and I finally get a good sleep without all the leg pain. I am thankful for this drug and finally can get my life back on track and finally see light at the end of my long tunnel of dealing with this horrible condition."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 10, 2017

"Where to start with this drug? I refer to it as 'The Devil's drug.' It was horrible, could not function, swelling of my hands, legs, and feet. My cognitive thinking was nonexistent, voice slurred, sounded drunk. Could not function at all and could not get off this stuff fast enough. Just listen to the commercial on TV and all the side effects they throw in at the end. I would never take this again."

• Sunny...
• October 20, 2016

"I was prescribed Lyrica 4 days ago to help with my fibromyalgia. I am to take 1 pill at bedtime for 5 days, then increase my dose to 1 in the morning as well. I've been taking it at night and experienced involuntary tremors, muscle spasms, twitching of my fingers, arms, and legs. The twitching is scary! It's involuntary, I have no control of my body when this happens. My leg started twitching, and it stuck straight up, waking me from a deep sleep! The twitching and tremors linger all day. Lyrica caused severe swelling in my feet, ankles, and legs. It's very uncomfortable. I also experienced loss of balance, dizziness, blurred vision, and ulcer sores on my tongue and in my mouth. I felt far better before taking this medicine. Needless to say, I'm no longer taking it."

• 1st T...
• June 29, 2015

"I took Lyrica for a couple of months. It helped with some of the fibro pain, and I felt tired and a little dizzy, along with having a dry mouth, which I expected as common side effects. What surprised me was I got new pains in new places-my big toe felt like it was on fire, and my lower back hurt badly. I started weaning off of Lyrica, and the new pains went away. I also had insomnia from the weaning process. I think it does work to dull the fibro pain, but not sure if it's worth it if there are new pains."

• the...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 25, 2015

"I've had fibromyalgia for about 30 years - I am 43. Endometriosis from ages 13-36, (a hysterectomy 'fixed' that); clinical depression from about 16, (break down at 28); anxiety disorder; insomnia and/or severely disturbed sleep cycles for 15-20 years. AND I've needed a cane to walk for the last 2-3 years. FMS and depression compete for the title of 'most debilitating.' I've tried almost everything, (Cymbalta was useless.) The last 2 months I've been taking slowly increased doses of Lyrica. Currently on 150 mg a day, (2× 75 mg,) with a view to 300-400 mg. I've had zero relief from pain, BUT nasty side effects. Almost no sleep. Worsened depression and anxiety. Terrible FMS type 'fog.' Flatulence! Cannot see this continuing or improving. (Available on PBS in Australia.)"

• Khano
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 2, 2019

"I’m a mess. I have several issues medically: CRPS (Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome) in my left limbs. My arm, wrist, and fingers are nonfunctional due to a carpal tunnel procedure, it went untreated, so it spread to my leg and foot, Fibro, as well as degenerative disc disease. My mobility is 200 ft, it is the furthest I can walk. I have a new PCP. I’m on a Fentanyl transdermal patch, 25 mcg, for the last 4 years. I just started Lyrica. My issue is gaining weight. It’s already a struggle to walk, and I can’t carry extra weight, else, I won’t be able to walk. I’m prescribed 50 mg, 3x a day. I just wanted to know about weight gain. I appreciate any feedback."

• Trinity
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 14, 2022

"This medication is HORRIBLE! I wish I had never taken it. My doctor prescribed it for me a few years ago but I never picked it up. Recently, he prescribed it to me again for fibromyalgia and I reluctantly decided to try it. It only helped a tad bit with my chronic pain. The first couple weeks on it, I had really bad headaches daily. I got urinary retention. The worst part is that I’m already diagnosed with depression, anxiety, bipolar 2 and borderline personality disorder. Lyrica made all of these worse. I have suicidal ideation daily. I’ve only been on these pills for about a month and a half but trying to get off them is hard. I’ve been through really bad Tramadol withdrawal but Lyrica is way worse because your body becomes dependent on it so quickly. Also, it made my vision blurry and my cognitive functions are a mess. I’m always forgetting things and have no sense of time. I’ve never been like this before. I feel so stupid and in a fog."

• Lital...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 12, 2016

"I was just diagnosed with fibromyalgia earlier this year. My old doctor prescribed me Cymbalta, and it didn't work. I was off from work for 2 months because of the pain. All I did was lay in bed suffering. Seemed like I would never have my normal life back. I went to another doctor, and he prescribed me Lyrica, it lessened the pain within a day or two. Now I have some of my life back. I still have a little pain, but Lyrica has helped me and changed my life."