Lyrica Side Effects

Lyrica is supposed to be one of the newer wonder drugs in helping patients with pain from peripheral (legs, arms, and/or hands) neuropathy. Leg and peripheral pain is generally a side effect of diabetes or after having a case of adult onset shingles. I do not have or have had either.

One of the side benefits of Lyrica is for someone that has had or has a seizure disorder and Lyrica can and is used as an adjunct medication with other anticonvulsant medications. I have been on Lyrica for about 3 months at this writing.

I took a popular anticonvulive medication called Dilantin for over 35 years with little to no side effects. Somewhere in time, my body began to reject this medication plus we found Dilantin had caused some nerve damage in my legs. After some extensive blood tests and nerve tests on my legs, another drug called Neurontin slowly replaced Dilantin.

The Neurontin did fine for a few months, almost a year then the leg pain and cramps reappeared and became so bad that we had to investigate for another drug. This is where Lyrica comes into the picture.

Now it is 3 months later and I am totally off Neurontin and my neuro doctor is secure with the Lyrica therapy, or was up until now. I began with only 50mg/day and over the weeks and months graduted to the believed therputhic level I needed of 300mg/day.

Some of the side effects of Lyrica are something you just have to live through and some do diminish with time. Dizziness and an uneven gait are one of the most common symptoms but if you take the larger dose at night, these symptoms are reduced! I did this as recommended and I have been able to function reasonably normal until now!

Leg cramps! 10 Days ago I began to experience some mild cramping both in my upper and lower leg like I had played basketball all afternoon. I tried resting my legs and elevating my legs and taking some tylenol for relief. This helped for a time or made the onset less painful but each passing day, the pain and cramps seemed to become worse.

Wednesday I found I could hardly get out of bed. I needed to do laundry and that is climbing and descending 15 steps into the lower floor. Impossible! The cramps and stinging in my upper and lower leg had become almost umbearable. I know you have had a 'Charlie horse' before where you cannot sit or lie still, making you jump up to stretch that offending muscle to make the pain go away. Now how about a 'Charlie horse' in both legs and no relief in sight.....That is or was my situation last Wednesday and Thursday.

I first had a physical by my GP doctor Wednesday afternoon and everything was OK. Even my clolesterol was down 30 plus points now well under the 200 mark. My BP was 117/72 and pulse 62, perfect he said. But no explaination for the leg pain and cramps. He said to call or see my neuro doctor.

I called and left my number for a return phone call. His nurse practicioner called me after talking to him about my symptons. Reduce the doseage by 1/3 over the next 2 weeks but I should get 'some' relief right away. She said the drug has a life of only 6 1/2 hours and that is the reason it is spread over the 16 to 18 hours you are awake. It is now 48 hours later and yes, I am better.

300 mg/day is too much for this 210 lb. male patient. I have done laundry today and climbed stairs with little to no pain. I write this as to cronicle the painful events over the last 2 weeks and to find this simple solution is amazing. I guess it bears out the adage that 'more is NOT always better'! I just hope the rest of the day continues and it has started....Jeff