Pregabalin and Memory Loss: What Users Say (Page 4)

• Abo...
• January 31, 2017

Pregabalin 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

Pregabalin 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."

• Flo...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• August 24, 2018

For Postherpetic Neuralgia "I had shingles around 8 years ago - extremely bad - rash slow to develop. Severe pain but not diagnosed. I diagnosed myself - showed GP again and was put on antivirals - too late to help. I have had PHN (postherpetic neuralgia) ever since. I take 150 mg of Lyrica morning and evening plus Tramadol. I get breakthrough pain but I've tried extra medication, but I am falling down drunk and can sleep and sleep. Now I stick to my dose exactly, no matter what. Well, my memory is bad and getting worse. I even forget the names of things. I am slowly reducing the Lyrica. I have read about it and memory and cognition problems. I have only just realized that is what's wrong. I have several friends my age - 78, and my memory is the worst. I thought it was age. Now I am sure the Lyrica is aging my brain. Occasionally I will get actual holes in my memory and forget days, and I can't focus. It is great for pain but not worth it. Goodbye Lyrica!"

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

Pregabalin 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

Pregabalin 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!)"

• Vii...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 15, 2019

For Neuropathic Pain "I was bitten by my cat on my right hand in 2017; it led to sepsis. I had 16 operations to rid the infection. I developed a condition called CRPS (chronic regional pain syndrome); a condition involving the misfiring of nerves; rated the most painful medical condition on record. I have no function or mobility of my right hand and am now disabled. The debilitating pain is 24/7. I also have major depression, GAD, PTSD, a rare painful skin condition (HS), migraines, and POS. I take/use Fentanyl, Morphine, Sertraline, Pizotifen, Omeprazole, Trazodone, and Pregabalin. All of these medications give me unwanted side effects: memory loss, constipation, weight gain, blurry vision, dizziness, foggy-headedness, disconnection, confusion, insomnia, and twitching. Any side effect to me is worth having to receive a bit of respite from agonizing pain."

• Goi...
• May 9, 2017

For Neuropathic Pain "I have a cyst growing between my 4L and 5L, sitting on a bundle of nerves. Found after an MRI. I also have degenerative arthritis in my spine. I started with 25 mg three times a day, it didn't do much at all. Then I was put on 75 mg at bedtime, again not much relief. Now I'm on 75 mg twice daily and 25 mg as needed. I also take 2 extra-strength Tylenol three times daily. Needless to say, I'm in La-La Land. My speech is slurred, I'm tired all the time, and my memory sucks. I have the shakes if I wait too long to take my medication. I have some jerking movements and blurred vision. I'm afraid to cut back on my meds, and I'm having back surgery next month. So I will get back to you on my results with that. Surgery is my last-ditch effort."

• Joh...
• November 4, 2016

For Fibromyalgia "I've suffered with widespread pain my whole life, along with extreme difficulty sleeping. Took Lyrica (300 mg/day) for 3 years, and it worked initially to calm the aching but became less effective after a few months. It helped me get restful sleep and calmed my anxiety, but I couldn't think, had very poor memory, and felt very depressed (got worse over time). When I stopped taking it, I had the worst withdrawal symptoms imaginable (way worse than benzos). I literally felt worse than dying, and all I could think of was when the hellish experience would stop. It took about a month to start feeling better and several months to really feel better. Doctors say that Lyrica doesn't have withdrawal (or it should be minor), but that's rubbish. Withdrawal eventually passes."

• Lou...
• December 12, 2013

Pregabalin 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

Pregabalin 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."

• Chr...
• September 4, 2019

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "You will have memory loss and a little bit less emotion, other than that, pregabalin fixes my pain and most of my anxiety."

• Ech...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 21, 2015

For Pain "In rather high doses, 300 mg two times daily, it works okay, but gives memory and concentration problems."

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

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