I would like to find out if the side effect of tiredness with Lyrica decreases over time . I’ve been on 2 x 75 mg for 3 weeks and feel very sedated . Has anyone got any experience with this ?
Yes,I had the same problem. Hopefully it will get better for you.
I have MS and secondary EM. I was bothered by Flares and leg spasms. My Neuro. rx’d Gabapentin ( which is Lyica) 300 mg 1 or 2 capsules at night. Even taking just 1 made me foggy until about noon the next day. I told him I could live with the flares if I didn’t have the spasms so he rx’d Requip, 25 mg 1 or 2 at night as needed. I finally had to go back to the Gabapentin with the Requip, just 1 of each at night.
The flares have almost stopped and the spasms are rare and mild. I am not groggy the next day. In fact I have been without flares for over a week. I am tempted to stop the Gab., as I really would like to live without it as the one side effect I could do without is weight gain!!
Hi,
I actually had a bad reaction to Lyrica. A few days in I was just a completely sad and delressed person. It was like things got really bad very quickly. I didn’t recognize myself!
Called my doc and was told to stop it immediately.
I still taking Gabapentin daily tho. I agree, doesn’t do much for my EM but when I tried to get off of it my skin would itch like crazy every morning for hours! My husband found out online that this was a common side effect, Boo,
Good luck with the Lyrica. Seems to work for some. Just not got myself.
Be well,
Pesto
Gabapentin is not the same drug as Lyrica. Gabapentin is the generic form of neurotin. Lyrica is now a controlled substance in the US. I have been on Lyrica for several years and have had really no side effects. At first it did make me sleepy, but it stopped doing that after awhile. The drug companies are working on a generic form of Lyrica but it has not been approved yet.
Hello
I have mild EM and polyneuropathy. When first prescribed Lyrica, I started at a much lower dosage than you and increased over a few weeks; however, it caused me to have cold sores and I had to stop. I have been taking gabapentin for several years (first for neck pain and later for the poly and EM). About 18 months ago, my neuro prescribed Graslise (five 600 mg after dinner). Gralise is simply a time release gabapentin but I find I'm not "chasing" the poly and EM as much. Occasionally, I will have to take a 300mg regular gabepentin as a supplement when I feel tingling or heat but overall am pleased with Gralise. It has allowed me to start walking with my husband again.
I am in my late 60s, very active and in good overall health and can't help wondering -- why did I get this now? However, after reading this board, I consider myself very fortunate that my symptoms are mild and - knock on wood - hope to continue to carry on a somewhat normal lifestyle.
Hi sweatpea. I have recently been diagnosed with MS, had the secondary EM diagnoses in 2008. I used to take 10 x 300mg gabapentin for a while but it just completely sedated me. Gabapentin is similar to Lyrica but not the same. My sister didn't get on with Gabapentin but found Lyrica helped her, she didn't get many side effects on it.I hope the tiredness decreases for you soon Tizzy...
sweetpea said:
Yes,I had the same problem. Hopefully it will get better for you.
I have MS and secondary EM. I was bothered by Flares and leg spasms. My Neuro. rx’d Gabapentin ( which is Lyica) 300 mg 1 or 2 capsules at night. Even taking just 1 made me foggy until about noon the next day. I told him I could live with the flares if I didn’t have the spasms so he rx’d Requip, 25 mg 1 or 2 at night as needed. I finally had to go back to the Gabapentin with the Requip, just 1 of each at night.
The flares have almost stopped and the spasms are rare and mild. I am not groggy the next day. In fact I have been without flares for over a week. I am tempted to stop the Gab., as I really would like to live without it as the one side effect I could do without is weight gain!!
So glad that you are finding the replies useful. I guess I was lucky in the fact my gp researched EM and also had a colleague who’d treated it before (it was a conversation between them over dinner one evening that led to my diagnosis). My dr would ask on all visits if there was anything else I had learnt from talking to other patients on here and would be happy to try medications other patients had recommended.! That being said it still took over a year of drs, hospital visits and lots of testing to rule out anything else.
If we all find a dr willing to listen and learn then half the battle has already been won.!