Lyrica and Memory Loss: What Users Say (Page 3)

• che...
• April 14, 2012

For Fibromyalgia "Like most others, I've tried everything possible for fibromyalgia over the past several years. I also have 3 herniated discs and chronic back pain. I tried Lyrica in the past, and it did not help. Two years later, I tried it again and, in fact, am still on 300 mg/day in combination with Flexeril 10 mg at night. It helped to take the edge off for about a month, then suddenly stopped working. As I am going on a vacation soon, I am not beginning to wean off yet as I will wait until we return. Perhaps increasing the dosage would help? We will see. So far, all I had was a month with a little less pain and am having a hard time maintaining my weight. My memory loss and grasping for words has also noticeably increased (and I am young)."

• JC...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 17, 2016

For Neuropathic Pain "I have herpes zoster, and my Dr. prescribes Lyrica for the nerve endings. I took the capsules 1 day (2 days ago), and after I woke up the next morning, I was completely disoriented, nauseous, and vomiting, sleepy, drowsy, forgetful, having uncontrollable shakes in hands and fingers. I thought it would get better soon if I did not take it again. My husband took me to work, where I slept the whole time. I had a dry nose and mouth, couldn't eat or drink, muscle stiffness, drunk feeling, and walked abnormally. I stopped taking it and feel better today. Could have a shake for breakfast."

• 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."

• Iki...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 4, 2016

"With the recent changes to pain medication guidelines, I was reduced from opiates and given Lyrica to try. RUN, don't walk away from this medicine. My memory got fuzzy, I stumbled and fell, injuring my back. It keeps new synapses from forming in your brain (i.e., brain damage long term). I have rashes, etc. Most importantly, I started having thoughts of death. All of this on 50 mg at bedtime. In a few years, I'm sure TV lawyers will be soliciting patients for lawsuits. This is a strong chemical to introduce into an already weak person's system."

• Kdi...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 16, 2018

For Neuropathic Pain "I have back pain from facet joint synovial cyst thoracic spine. I had an injury a year ago. Tried everything, and nothing helped. Neurosurgeon suggested surgery (endoscopic). I have nerve pain and also bone pain. I had been on Lyrica 150 for two months, which I know is not a huge dose, but for me, it is because I am really skinny. It helped a little for nerve pain and nothing for bone pain, back pain, only this radiating pain, but it made me depressed, and when I was on it, I was like a zombie with memory loss. It didn't do much for me."

• pwr...
• January 1, 2018

For Neuropathic Pain "Been on Lyrica plus Savella for about 7-8 years now, dose is 150 mg 3 x day. While I get some relief of my peripheral neuropathy (PN), fibro, etc. with Lyrica, I've put on 50 lbs over that time, leg/feet swelling and can't seem to get it off no matter how little I eat, mostly water weight gain. After 7-8 years I have become physically tolerant of these meds, need a change, but nothing better out there that I have not tried with little success. Some days, between the pain and tiredness, it has become difficult. Losing some memory too. Anyway, we all need to make choices, take the meds and suffer with side effects or deal with the original pain, which in my case is degenerative."

• Anonymous
• May 23, 2009

For Pain "I have suffered with severe pain from neurofibromatosis. After the first day of taking Lyrica, I felt wonderful. A bit sleepy and forgetful. I have not noticed an increase in appetite, but I have noticed food tastes better. I am also sleeping harder, and it is hard to wake up. After 4 days, I am so happy to have found this."

• JMa...
• February 5, 2018

For Neuropathic Pain "I suffer from Complex Regional Pain Syndrome after I rolled an ATV and crushed my right leg. I have significant nerve damage from the accident. I started taking Lyrica ($350/mo) and started to notice a decrease in my constant leg pain. About 6 months after starting Lyrica, I started to get restless leg syndrome in both legs (literally, my legs were jumping off of the bed) and my hands began to twitch. My memory was slowly fading, and my vision became blurry. I stopped taking Lyrica when I found out that the symptoms could become permanent. Lyrica withdrawal is awful. It's like having the flu x 1000. Nasty stuff."

• Abo...
• January 31, 2017

For Neuropathic Pain "Initially, this medicine was a godsend. Burning pain finally fizzled away. Muscle pains didn't help as much. Still got numb and weak as well. The real problem came months later when I realized I was having memory problems. Had to wean off it. Memory loss was permanent. Chunks of time just gone. I still think because of the state of pain I was in I would do it over. Maybe the pain made me block out the time. I wish I would have just risked stopping it sooner to see if the nerve had healed. I still take them when I am desperate for relief. But just one, maybe two, until the zingers stop. Oh yeah, nerves were damaged from electricity. Hand to my neck and face."

• Abo...
• January 31, 2017

For Neuropathic Pain "Initially, this medicine was a godsend. Burning pain finally fizzled away. Muscle pains didn't help as much. Still got numb and weak as well. The real problem came months later when I realized I was having memory problems. Had to wean off it. Memory loss was permanent. Chunks of time just gone. I still think because of the state of pain I was in I would do it over. Maybe the pain made me block out the time. I wish I would have just risked stopping it sooner to see if the nerve had healed. I still take them when I am desperate for relief. But just one, maybe two, until the zingers stop. Oh yeah, nerves were damaged from electricity. Hand to my neck and face."

• Dek...
• December 17, 2017

For Neuropathic Pain "I have tried Lyrica off and on for over 10 years. I have peripheral neuropathy and can safely say that Lyrica has not worked at all after trying it off and on several times. The maximum I have tried is 200 mg 2x daily the last time I took it. The only thing I got out of Lyrica was a scrambled brain, my memory (short term) was terrible. FYI, I tried gabapentin to no avail also."

• Sco...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 29, 2022

For Epilepsy "I started Lyrica in June of 2021. 75 mg twice a day. 7 months later, I quit taking it. In that time, I was having auras two to three times a day. A couple led to tonic-clonic seizures. That was not the case before being prescribed the med. I did not have daily events prior to taking Lyrica. Since its discontinuation, the daily auras have stopped. Now I took the med 15 years ago, and it helped my seizures a lot. But your body changes over time. Other side effects were bad hunger cravings and memory issues. Both returned to normal after its discontinuation."

• For...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 3, 2021

For Neuropathic Pain "It's been working great for me so far. I tried gabapentin and found the irritability, hostility, and memory loss a major problem. Halfway through sentences, I was forgetting the word I wanted, and it was impacting my work. I went another 2-3 years in constant pain, afraid to try Lyrica. I wish I hadn't waited. I have cervical and lumbar stenosis, arthritis, and nerve impingement from bulging disks. I can actually work a shift now without pain, I'm not awake all through the night feeling like fire is trickling all over me. I'm taking 100 mg in the morning, 50 mg midday, and 50 mg before bed. So far no side effects like pregabalin, and I feel like I did 10 years ago (and that's a good thing!)"

• Lou...
• December 12, 2013

For Fibromyalgia "It turned me into a walking zombie. I couldn't remember anything & I would be in the middle of a sentence and start saying crazy stuff. It wasn't for me."

• Lou...
• December 12, 2013

For Fibromyalgia "It turned me into a walking zombie. I couldn't remember anything & I would be in the middle of a sentence and start saying crazy stuff. It wasn't for me."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 23, 2015

For Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy "Edema in ankles and feet, cellulitis in shin and calf, 6 days in hospital, memory loss, dizziness, lethargy."