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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by NikkiT2 on December 19, 2005, at 18:06:35
Hi,
heavens, its been so long since I've posted on plain old PB..
Anyway.. I've been prescribed Pregabalin for long term chronic nerve pain (CRPS is my diagnoses).. I'm desperate to ease the pain, but I've also just read the side effects..
I went through so many years of various psych meds and their side effects.. the side effects were just terrible for me - I seem very sensitive to them. Anyway, read the side effects for Pregabalin and I'm not sure I can face it all..
So I wondered if there were any personal experiences here.. Tha pain is pretty bad, and I desperately want it to stop.. but I also don't want to be messed around with side effects again..
Why is life never simple?!
Thanks guys
Nikki x
Posted by ed_uk on December 19, 2005, at 18:06:35
In reply to Pregabalin / Lyrica, posted by NikkiT2 on December 19, 2005, at 13:11:35
Hi Nikki
Have you ever taken gabapentin (Neurontin)? Pregabalin is similar.
Ed
Posted by NikkiT2 on December 19, 2005, at 18:06:35
In reply to Re: Pregabalin / Lyrica » NikkiT2, posted by ed_uk on December 19, 2005, at 13:42:37
never taken any of this class before..
I'm a little.. unsettled. I really did have such a hard time with meds, and have been doing so excellently since stopping them all.. I'm not sure the pain specialist would understand.. *sighing*
Thanks for replying,
Nikki x
Posted by Larry Hoover on December 20, 2005, at 0:56:07
In reply to Pregabalin / Lyrica, posted by NikkiT2 on December 19, 2005, at 13:11:35
> Hi,
>
> heavens, its been so long since I've posted on plain old PB..
>
> Anyway.. I've been prescribed Pregabalin for long term chronic nerve pain (CRPS is my diagnoses).. I'm desperate to ease the pain, but I've also just read the side effects..
>
> I went through so many years of various psych meds and their side effects.. the side effects were just terrible for me - I seem very sensitive to them. Anyway, read the side effects for Pregabalin and I'm not sure I can face it all..
>
> So I wondered if there were any personal experiences here.. Tha pain is pretty bad, and I desperately want it to stop.. but I also don't want to be messed around with side effects again..
>
> Why is life never simple?!
>
> Thanks guys
>
> Nikki xOkay, I made this list because I was having trouble with memory and speech production, and I probably was increasing the dose too fast for my sensitive body. Most of these have faded. But here's the list I made for my pain specialist to see (and he didn't even look at it):
LYRICA
Side Effects:
visual
-perception of movement when objects stationary.
-perception of depth, in 2-dimensional objects, e.g. text on computer screenperception of body moving, when it is stationary.
episodic mental dizziness (not like body dizziness), I'm going down, totally overwhelming
-three major episodes, the last one lasting four hoursinvoluntary muscle contractions
-twitching, when trying to sleep
-jerking movement, when stationary
-clasping movement in hands
-clumsiness
-tremorcognitive
-difficulty in managing complex thoughts/tasks, confusion
-recall problems, aphasia (finding right word, completing sentences/thoughts)
-stammering
emotional lability
-very susceptible to cryinginsomnia
weight gain (craving sweets)
with respect to pain:
-if pain was music, still just as loud, but the treble is gone (stabbing, lancinating pain)
-bass notes still just as loud as before (achiness)
Sorry, the formatting kind of got mangled, but you can figure it out.Most side effects have faded. I still have episodes of confusion, some memory problems, some problems getting thoughts out (even affects typing, a bit. I have to do good edits), physical clumsiness. It helps with the pain, somewhat, and may be having a slow overall dampening effect. It's early yet, but it might be working for the pain. I still take the same level of opiates I did before.
Lar
Posted by NikkiT2 on December 20, 2005, at 13:21:19
In reply to Re: Pregabalin / Lyrica » NikkiT2, posted by Larry Hoover on December 20, 2005, at 0:56:07
Thanks Larry - good to know I can find your excellent advice over here too.
I'm desperately trying to avoid opiates.. I know it might sound paranoid, but I have worked so so hard to get my mental health to where it is, I don't want to take anything that might affect it.
I spoke with my pdoc today and he isn't comfortable with me taking them, and he knows me better than any doc out there. I'm going to try and get hold of pain doc again tomorrow (didn't manage today) and discuss this with him.
Thanks.. you're a star as always
Nikki xx
Posted by cecilia on December 23, 2005, at 0:54:22
In reply to Re: Pregabalin / Lyrica » Larry Hoover, posted by NikkiT2 on December 20, 2005, at 13:21:19
Biochemically, how different is pregabalin from gabapentin? I take gabapentin for neuropathy-it has no side effects but I don't think it really has much benefit either. I'm quite certain my HMO wouldn't cover pregabalin. Is there any real difference? Cecilia
Posted by Larry Hoover on December 23, 2005, at 12:03:43
In reply to Re: Pregabalin / Lyrica, posted by cecilia on December 23, 2005, at 0:54:22
> Biochemically, how different is pregabalin from gabapentin? I take gabapentin for neuropathy-it has no side effects but I don't think it really has much benefit either. I'm quite certain my HMO wouldn't cover pregabalin. Is there any real difference? Cecilia
Well, it's a different molecule, so it's really hard to compare things, literally.
Neurontin has a non-linear dose-response curve. Doubling the dose from 600 to 1200 mg/day might only increase actual drug concentrations by 30 or 40%. Pregabalin is linear. Blood concentration is directly proportional to intake.
Pregabalin is not metabolized at all, so it really can't produce a drug interaction (in the classic sense).
Pregabalin was designed to hit a specific receptor which is thought to be integral to, if not responsible for, the chronic aspect of neuropathic pain.
My initial thought was "big deal", with regards to how it affected my pain. But, in a very reserved way, I almost am afraid to give it voice, it might be making the pain back off.
If pain was music, Lyrica killed the treble. The music was just as loud, and the bass notes (achiness and the like) were still right there, but the sharps were gone. And now, it's possible, but I'm not sure, maybe the bass notes are becoming muted. I still take the same dose of opiate. I still have bad days. But maybe in the lulls, maybe, it ain't so bad.
I've only been on it for 2 months? We'll just have to see.
Lar
This is the end of the thread.
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