Lyrica and Dizziness: What Users Say (Page 3)

• Thu...
• November 3, 2009

For Fibromyalgia "What a nightmare! Diagnosed with fibro 2 months ago. Was put on Cymbalta, which did nothing for me at all. Doctor switched me over to Lyrica, and the nightmare began. Three hours after the first dose, I was dizzy, nauseous, shaky, and started having trouble with my balance. I decided to try and stick it out since I had heard such great things about the medication. By the 4th day and 4th dose, I couldn't function. I couldn't walk without holding on to something (like the couch or a wall). I was so nauseous I couldn't hold down food, my head wouldn't stop spinning, and I was suicidal! When I finally realized, I quit the medicine!"

• Anonymous
• October 17, 2011

For Peripheral Neuropathy "I have been using Lyrica for about ten weeks. I increased my dose gradually until the majority of my pain is gone. I am now at 150 mg at bedtime and 75 mg in the morning. I have found the side effects to be minimal, the most noticeable are mid-afternoon drowsiness and a bit of vertigo. This medicine has also helped calm the need for frequent urination. Who knew?"

• Anonymous
• September 12, 2009

For Pain "I have severe pain in my legs and chronic fatigue. Been going to doctors for over a year, have had 3 MRIs, and gallons of blood taken and tested. Yet, nobody knows the source of these symptoms. Due for a muscle biopsy soon. While taking tramadol and hydrocodone, had great results for energy and pain, I became dependent. I was prescribed Lyrica 50 mg about 2 months ago and felt a little relief. Doctor raised the dosage, and now I take 150 mg 3 times a day, and the results are amazing. I'm alert, energetic, and pain-free. Have a little dizziness now and then, but this medicine is great."

• Che...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 10, 2016

For Neuropathic Pain "I had a triple arthrodesis (triple fusion in my foot), and because so many nerves had to be cut, my foot was on fire. I was originally given Neurontin, which I took, and it bottomed out my blood pressure. I was rushed to the ER unconscious and kept there until I was okay. Needless to say, I discontinued it and was given Lyrica... but that made me nervous as well. With my pain over a 10 and the inability to sleep, I decided to try it. I slept well, my pain is decreased some, but isn't gone. I'm only at day 3, and I'm pretty dizzy, sick to my stomach, and sleepy, but that's all so far. I do hope it helps my pain a little more, it's about an 8 now, so we shall see! I'm glad to hear some good stories."

• ach...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 3, 2021

For Neuropathic Pain "Took for one month and had dizziness and memory issues. Provider thought I should take more, I think this is a dangerous drug, and it definitely does not work for pain. Should not be on the market from my experience."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 29, 2012

For Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome "I've found this medication to be helpful in calming down the sharp pains I feel throughout my body. I notice that at the site of my initial injury (foot), I still have constant pain, but the pain has decreased. I also notice that if I'm stressed, the medication seems to not work as well, so I don't know if I need the dosage increased, but there is a major difference in how much pain I feel. I do not like the side effects, but which would I rather have - sharp pains or side effects? For me, they're headaches, drowsiness, dizziness, fatigue, odd stomach upsets initially after taking the medication, unfocused attention, euphoria, and that 'high' feeling. I don't get all of these side effects each time I take it, but it can be any of them."

• mal...
• September 25, 2009

For Fibromyalgia "Just started Lyrica 75 mg twice a day yesterday. My first dose, I felt extremely drunk and could not function. I took my second dose at bedtime and slept through the night and woke up refreshed! I had no aches or pain. My third dose, this morning, again feeling a little drunk and off balance, but again, I feel good. I can actually sit still at work without having to move around and try to be comfortable. I am going to stick with this medication and hope that the side effects go away in a couple of days."

• Sci...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 28, 2021

For Neuropathic Pain "I got shingles on my right side, starting at my ribs and wrapping around to my back. My doctor gave me pregabalin to take 2x a day. I had to stop taking it today. The dizziness is unbearable, and I feel hungover. Having to work a 4 am shift doesn't help. I wish there were a better drug for this pain. I will have to stick with Aleve."

• Anonymous
• December 15, 2009

For Fibromyalgia "I was unable to continue taking this past the 10th day due to the side effects: extreme sweating, dizziness, nausea, and just feeling sick. I wasn't able to take it long enough to know if it works for pain."

• Anonymous
• August 19, 2009

For Epilepsy "Worked wonders at the start. Was up to 600 mg a day. I don't eat the best, but I do think this did make me gain weight. I live in the great white north, but I struggled with balance, fell often, and also had trouble putting my thoughts into words. These side effects are now gone now that I'm off this. Balance and communication much better now that I'm off."

• cur...
• October 2, 2010

For Fibromyalgia "The side effects were too hard to tolerate for me to continue to take it for more than a couple of months. Nausea, dizziness, headache, upset stomach, and a terrible skin reaction that left many scars on my entire body are in addition to the mental slowness, confusion, and increased depression suffered while taking Lyrica."

• Daz...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 5, 2018

For Neuropathic Pain "I have only taken Lyrica for 5 days now. Didn't notice anything at all until today. I was sitting at my desk working, and I started feeling sleepy but didn't fall asleep. I would just stare at the computer. While doing so, I noticed I could not remember how to do my job. I literally sat there for 40 minutes looking at one project and could not figure out what to do. Upon standing, I felt off balance, and my head felt clouded. While speaking to my boss, I couldn't seem to find the right words to say. I went home and went right to sleep. Slept like a baby for 2 solid hours. When I awoke, I felt groggy with a little of the cloudy head feeling. The memory loss is what scared me the most. No matter what I did, I could not figure out what to do. I only read one other post about the memory loss. This must not be a common side effect. I did take Gabapentin one time, and it had a similar effect."

• nur...
• November 20, 2008

For Pain "Started 75 mg twice daily yesterday for nerve pain in my legs and fibromyalgia after back surgery two months ago. While it almost eradicates my pain, the dizziness and high feeling are limiting what I can do."

• CHE...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 20, 2016

For Neuropathic Pain "I'm only taking 50 mg at night for my leg sciatica pain, and I feel dizzy at times. I'm also using Dr. Ho's TENS machine on my lower back for 40 minutes to scramble the signal pain. I think both are helping right now. I was on a higher dose, over 300 mg, a few years ago, and my hands and feet swelled up, and I gained 30 pounds I can't get rid of now even with water pills, so I had to stop the medication. I've had shingles right when I turned 50, before I could get the shingles vaccine, which I recommend to everyone as shingles is painful! I took only Lyrica 25 mg two or three times a day to stop the shingles pain, a low dose due to side effects from a larger dose."

• Ale...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 14, 2016

For Neuropathic Pain "Started taking 75 mg twice a day for 1 month. Maybe had a little reduced pain. Noticed a slight tremor in hands/coordination. Trembling. I ignored this. Had an immediate huge increase in appetite. Already overweight at 210 lbs. Gained 12 lbs. in 3 weeks. My doctor increased my dose to 150 mg twice a day. Sent me a second bottle 4 days after I had received the last bottle. I started taking two 75 mg capsules twice a day as prescribed. WOW. Almost immediately I had much more trembling/uncoordinated in legs, arms, hands, and difficulty controlling my mouth during speech. While sitting, these issues are very slight but still present. Typing on a keyboard is difficult. BUT when I go to stand up and walk like I normally do without a problem...WOW..."

• coc...
• July 6, 2010

For Pain "I have been taking Lyrica for 3 months. I started at 50 mg x 3. Increased to 150 x 3 times a day a month later. I have had almost no pain since starting. The side effects have been extreme dizziness, edema in the feet, weight gain (about 15 lbs). At my last appointment, the doctor adjusted the dose to 50 mg x 4 times a day. The dizziness comes and goes. This is a great medicine for me. I can handle dizziness at this level."

• Jes...
• January 25, 2018

For Neuropathic Pain "I’ve been taking 900 mg/day for about 18 months now for chronic lower back pain, and after 8 years of ongoing agony, I can honestly say that Lyrica is the only thing that has kept it under control. I stupidly weaned off it a few months ago after being without pain for so long and have recently had the most agonizing time without it. I am currently starting back on it at 300 mg each morning and night and am experiencing some dizziness and a ‘high’ feeling as my body readjusts, but I know that this is the only thing that’s going to keep the pain under control."

• Anonymous
• July 1, 2009

For Pain "I have been having pain for 5 months now after a bad dental experience. I thought it was my teeth that were causing all of my pain. I felt hopeless with no other options left. No dentists knew what to do. I went to my doctor and said I possibly have nerve damage from the numbing shot (I have permanent numbness too). This medicine has taken away my tingling feeling from the numbing (although it's still numb, it's not annoying). The shooting pain through my jaw is gone, and my throbbing is gone too. WONDERFUL. I do feel a little dizzy and loopy, but I'm so happy."

• dan...
• December 9, 2019

"My last doctor put me on Lyrica for Restless Leg Syndrome. I started on 75 mg, but the side effects were really bad, like dizziness and headaches. She then dropped the dose to 25 mg. They helped with the RLS, but the side effects are terrible, even though she insisted I keep taking it. I now see a much better doctor, and he was horrified I was even prescribed them. I now take Sifrol (pramipexole), and the side effects are not as bad, but they make me feel nauseous. I guess RLS is hard to treat."

• Anonymous
• February 26, 2011

For Fibromyalgia "I was prescribed Lyrica for my fibromyalgia. The first pill made me very dizzy and nauseous. The second pill woke me up at 3 a.m. (I took it at 9:30 p.m.) with a terrible headache. I will not be taking any more. The irony is all of my pain is gone. I cannot live with the side effects though."

• Anonymous
• October 27, 2011

For Peripheral Neuropathy "75 mg made me uncoordinated, cross-eyed, and VERY sleepy. Did help the neuropathy but went back to gabapentin, on which I have no side effects at 200 mg x 3 a day. It doesn't completely take the tingling away, but enough so that I can work."

• Dus...
• November 19, 2010

For Fibromyalgia "I have been taking Lyrica for about 4 months now. While it does help with the pain, I feel like I'm walking on pillows. I'm constantly hungry, sleepy, dizzy, and I feel like I'm drunk. I worked VERY hard to lose the weight that I gained when I was pregnant, and since I've been on this medication, I've put it all back on and then some (40 lbs). It's hard to say if the pain is better or if I'm so caught up with the side effects that I don't care. I'm being weaned off of it right now and being put on a different medicine. I'd rather go back to the opiates and itch like crazy."

• Anonymous
• November 2, 2009

For Fibromyalgia "Been on Lyrica for 6 months now. 100 mg 2x daily. Has worked great for pain relief. Side effects for me include dizziness and blurred vision. Have tried to change to Savella to see if the same relief would happen without side effects, but after 3 days off Lyrica, I started to feel really bad. No weight gain, but I do stay very active."

• Jor...
• December 28, 2015

For Neuralgia "Started on a low dosage of 50 mg morning and afternoon and 300 mg at night, but not enough relief at night, so increased dosage to 600 mg at night. Finding myself to be a little more tired now and also feeling dizzy."

• Jim...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 29, 2018

For Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy "What I've read so far is confusing. One said Lyrica can cause peripheral neuropathy, another said Lyrica was prescribed for it! I have diabetic peripheral neuropathy. I'm no longer a diabetic. I'm taking 100 mg of Lyrica twice a day, not sure it's really helping me. Some days and nights are so bad, I sleep sitting up on my couch. Don't like the dry mouth, dizziness, weight gain. I'm watching what I eat, some days certain foods bother me, other days the same food doesn't bother me, very frustrating!! I don't want to gain any more weight, afraid my diabetes will come back. I have had one treatment of Botox, it helped so the pain is not as severe. The doctor gave me very little medicine to start off with. My next appointment will be after 90 days, and I will ask for more of the medicine, hoping to get off Lyrica after this next treatment!"