IGX

Neurologist RXd Lyrica for my damaged spinal nerve. After two days, I'm amazed - level of nerve pain is way down, muscle spasms have disappeared, my shoulders feel great, and I just generally feel a lot better mentally and physically.

Gotta be a downside. Anybody know anything hands-on about this drug?

Hey Bob. When I got out of college a few years back I worked as an amazingly overpaid pharmacy clerk and just remember overhearing consults with some significant effects linked to lyrica.

My mom has fibromyalgia and has avoided it like the plague.

From what I remember it was like a supercharged gabapentin (iirc), which most of the patients said was incredible.

I don't have any direct experience, just some second hand knowledge, stories from regular patients etc.

Hopefully this will bump the thread to the top and get the IGX docs to take a look

Bob, I've taken Lyrica, Neurontin (Gabapentin), and Horizant. All similar drugs. I'm on Horizant right now. The only side effects I noticed from any of them were sleepiness and that I sweat a lot more when I work out. That's it. Good medicine. amarillo

Thanks Baffled and AP. Baffled, if I can ask, why does your mom avoid it? My understanding is that fibromyalgia is a real bitch to live with, and any relief is welcome?

I took GabaPentin for a while, and ended up with a couple sides I didn't like - pretty tired, and some linguistic / mental trickery that I couldn't live with. It did, however, deal with the nerve pain / other issues fairly well.

We decided to give the Lyrica a run because I'm just not happy with the progress I'm making with the radiculothapy (SP?) in the left side doing PT alone. I'm about a week in, and definitely noticing the fatigue. At the same time, other symptoms (spasms, pain) have decreased greatly.

AP - good to hear from you. It's been a while.

The general thing I've gathered is that it works for some, some of the time, over time it works less and less, until eventually the side effects catch up to people and then they feel pretty damn stuck.

Bob, have you ever tried methylcobalamin B12 injections?

What a duck says wrote:The general thing I've gathered is that it works for some, some of the time, over time it works less and less, until eventually the side effects catch up to people and then they feel pretty damn stuck.

Bob, have you ever tried methylcobalamin B12 injections?

Thanks. Any sides you've heard of other than fatigue?

I've tried B12 in the past, and noticed nothing. You think there might be some synergy with the Lyrica?

BobW wrote:

What a duck says wrote:The general thing I've gathered is that it works for some, some of the time, over time it works less and less, until eventually the side effects catch up to people and then they feel pretty damn stuck.

Bob, have you ever tried methylcobalamin B12 injections?

Thanks. Any sides you've heard of other than fatigue?

I've tried B12 in the past, and noticed nothing. You think there might be some synergy with the Lyrica?

Not just B12, but methylcobalamin injectable? Also, if you have had back surgery, have you ever had neural/scar therapy done to the surgical scar?

What a duck says wrote:

BobW wrote:

What a duck says wrote:The general thing I've gathered is that it works for some, some of the time, over time it works less and less, until eventually the side effects catch up to people and then they feel pretty damn stuck.

Bob, have you ever tried methylcobalamin B12 injections?

Thanks. Any sides you've heard of other than fatigue?

I've tried B12 in the past, and noticed nothing. You think there might be some synergy with the Lyrica?

Not just B12, but methylcobalamin injectable? Also, if you have had back surgery, have you ever had neural/scar therapy done to the surgical scar?

Yes, methylco injectable.

No back surgery. Decompression, laser, PT. Much better than I was a year ago, overall. Still not 100%.

BobW wrote:Thanks Baffled and AP. Baffled, if I can ask, why does your mom avoid it? My understanding is that fibromyalgia is a real bitch to live with, and any relief is welcome?

I took GabaPentin for a while, and ended up with a couple sides I didn't like - pretty tired, and some linguistic / mental trickery that I couldn't live with. It did, however, deal with the nerve pain / other issues fairly well.

We decided to give the Lyrica a run because I'm just not happy with the progress I'm making with the radiculothapy (SP?) in the left side doing PT alone. I'm about a week in, and definitely noticing the fatigue. At the same time, other symptoms (spasms, pain) have decreased greatly.

AP - good to hear from you. It's been a while.

She was on a very low dose of prednisone to help deal with some of the issues. It was an either/or thing and she figured that she had dodged the sides with prednisone so she wouldn't take the chance switching to something else. Low dose pain meds sporadically used when things got worse. Eventually went through a battery of tests to see if she was celiac (she's not) or if there were food allergies that she wasn't aware of (there are). Looks like a combination of allergies, leaky gut and likely candida combined to cause her issues.

As she's gotten rid of the problem foods and started to exercise more, her symptoms have begun to subside pretty substantially.

Quite a different situation it sounds like than the one you're in.

Lyrica (and other gaba analogues) - mucking around with your neurotransmitters. A big deal for some people (vertigo, lightheaded, nausea, fatigue), completely neutral for others (no effect, no side effect) and a complete win for others. Unfortunately, we are not to the point where we can predict who will respond in which way. Glad its working for you, don't sweat it until you have to. Don't look a gift Enumclaw horse in the mouth, and all that.

baffled wrote: She was on a very low dose of prednisone to help deal with some of the issues. It was an either/or thing and she figured that she had dodged the sides with prednisone so she wouldn't take the chance switching to something else. Low dose pain meds sporadically used when things got worse. Eventually went through a battery of tests to see if she was celiac (she's not) or if there were food allergies that she wasn't aware of (there are). Looks like a combination of allergies, leaky gut and likely candida combined to cause her issues.

As she's gotten rid of the problem foods and started to exercise more, her symptoms have begun to subside pretty substantially.

Quite a different situation it sounds like than the one you're in.

Ah, thanks - makes sense. I thought maybe she avoided the Lyrica because of horror stories, or an adverse reaction. I'm glad she's doing better, and has found the root cause(s) of her problems.

My primary motivation is a formerly severely pinched nerve in the lumbar region that just gives me an assload (literally) of pain as well as loss of muscle control every now and then. My shoulders would often get achy, which I just attributed to impingements, etc. The Lyrica has interestingly helped this as well, or at least has seemed to help. Could be coincidence or placebo.

Can you blow a line of lyrica for a buzz?

BobW wrote:

baffled wrote: She was on a very low dose of prednisone to help deal with some of the issues. It was an either/or thing and she figured that she had dodged the sides with prednisone so she wouldn't take the chance switching to something else. Low dose pain meds sporadically used when things got worse. Eventually went through a battery of tests to see if she was celiac (she's not) or if there were food allergies that she wasn't aware of (there are). Looks like a combination of allergies, leaky gut and likely candida combined to cause her issues.

As she's gotten rid of the problem foods and started to exercise more, her symptoms have begun to subside pretty substantially.

Quite a different situation it sounds like than the one you're in.

Ah, thanks - makes sense. I thought maybe she avoided the Lyrica because of horror stories, or an adverse reaction. I'm glad she's doing better, and has found the root cause(s) of her problems.

My primary motivation is a formerly severely pinched nerve in the lumbar region that just gives me an assload (literally) of pain as well as loss of muscle control every now and then. My shoulders would often get achy, which I just attributed to impingements, etc. The Lyrica has interestingly helped this as well, or at least has seemed to help. Could be coincidence or placebo.

Interesting about the shoulders. Her shoulders and the inside of her elbows were the biggest trouble spots. I seem to remember that the trouble spots could be different between fibromyalgia and polymyalgia (sp?).

She figured she dodged the sides on prednisone to that point, and lyrica had its own host of issues, so no reason to jump over.

I'm glad you're getting some relief. A placebo effect is still an effect, and a good one in this case. I'd be interested to see how you do in the longer term, but no pressure.

Fat Cat,
I'm pretty sure that someone has tried snorting it before, but I'd also be glad to read a report should you try it.

Fat Cat wrote:Can you blow a line of lyrica for a buzz?

Haven't tried.

I will say that Lyrica has increased the efficacy of opioids quite nicely for me. 5mg of hydrocodone with Lyrica suddenly became as potent as 15mg of oxycodone by itself.

Honestly, the older I get the less any drug compares with a nice glass of whiskey. Even when I got nephritis and they gave me injections of morphine, I was like "eh".

BobW wrote:

Fat Cat wrote:Can you blow a line of lyrica for a buzz?

Haven't tried.

I will say that Lyrica has increased the efficacy of opioids quite nicely for me. 5mg of hydrocodone with Lyrica suddenly became as potent as 15mg of oxycodone by itself.

add 3-5mg of kratom in a nice sweet whiskey for potentiated awesome

Well, I've been struggling about writing this up publicly...but here goes.

I had a couple epidural injections in June and July, and they really helped with the nerve issue. In mid-August, based on how well I responded, my doc suggested upping my dose of Lyrica substantially.

Within 3-4 weeks, that helped immensely - like any nagging pain was completely gone. Foot control was greatly improved.

Concomitantly, I was going through a lot of financial and work-related stress. More than I ever have.

I started to get a bit depressed. Thought this was a reaction to the stress. Then I started to have suicidal ideation: this was quite bizarre. No other thoughts brought me pleasure, but fantasizing about taking my life brought me immense pleasure, almost a rush. I first noticed this in falling asleep at night; as I would drift into sleep, I'd be picturing my death, and taking great pleasure in this.

Nothing else made me feel good - training, sex, work, nothing brought the "good" feeling I normally get from accomplishment.

For a while, I kept thinking that this was me reacting to the stress. Then I had a consult with a surgeon about back surgery, and while talking with her, I broke down crying. That's pretty unlike me; I pretty much don't feel too badly about where I'm at healthwise, and have long ago accepted my lot in life.

Then it worsened, to the point where if I didn't have client appointments, I would spend all day in bed, and if I managed to drag my ass out, I would be crying for an hour at a time. I was exhausted, despite sleeping sometimes 18 hours/day. I remember one weekend in October where it was nice outside, sunny, mid-60's, just great weather: I didn't get out of bed. The following week, it was rainy and cold. I was at a client site talking with a friend, and she told me what a great weekend she'd had, outside doing various things.

I remember driving back from a client site and thinking "Something is wrong. I'm throwing my life away here." Of course, I made it home, and crawled into bed.

Later that day, I realized that this wasn't just me reacting to stress, called my doc, and he saw me the next day. My blood pressure was up to 210/165. He called in a psych consult, and after answering a lot of questions, I had to sign a contract stating that if I experienced any worsening of mood or any increase in suicidal ideation, I would get to the emergency room and have myself committed. He told me he was really torn about whether to commit on the spot or let me try to ride it out.

We started to cut the dose of Lyrica; I cut it initially by 50%, and within 72 hours the suicidal ideation stopped. It was like a switch was thrown. The depression eased up, the crying stopped. Over the next couple months, I weaned myself off completely. It was pretty hellish; a lot of pain, and I was just exhausted all the time.

So, that experiment is over, and didn't end well.

I guess part of the reason I'm posting this now is in reaction to the recent school shooting. For the first time in my life, I really felt like I had no control over my mind. It was terrifying.

I can't imagine what it would be like to have experienced this as young man still findind his way. I'm pretty sure that where I managed to stay one step from suicide, had this happened to me as a teenager, I would not only have killed myself, but taken out as many people as I could just for the fucking rush.

Holey moley sorry to hear all of this Bob. Can't imagine the torment you much have been going through. Glad that you're doing better now and hoping that things will continue to improve for you.

Thank you for sharing your story and hope that it helped you some and will help others as well.

BobW wrote:Well, I've been struggling about writing this up publicly...but here goes.

I had a couple epidural injections in June and July, and they really helped with the nerve issue. In mid-August, based on how well I responded, my doc suggested upping my dose of Lyrica substantially.

Within 3-4 weeks, that helped immensely - like any nagging pain was completely gone. Foot control was greatly improved.

Concomitantly, I was going through a lot of financial and work-related stress. More than I ever have.

I started to get a bit depressed. Thought this was a reaction to the stress. Then I started to have suicidal ideation: this was quite bizarre. No other thoughts brought me pleasure, but fantasizing about taking my life brought me immense pleasure, almost a rush. I first noticed this in falling asleep at night; as I would drift into sleep, I'd be picturing my death, and taking great pleasure in this.

Nothing else made me feel good - training, sex, work, nothing brought the "good" feeling I normally get from accomplishment.

For a while, I kept thinking that this was me reacting to the stress. Then I had a consult with a surgeon about back surgery, and while talking with her, I broke down crying. That's pretty unlike me; I pretty much don't feel too badly about where I'm at healthwise, and have long ago accepted my lot in life.

Then it worsened, to the point where if I didn't have client appointments, I would spend all day in bed, and if I managed to drag my ass out, I would be crying for an hour at a time. I was exhausted, despite sleeping sometimes 18 hours/day. I remember one weekend in October where it was nice outside, sunny, mid-60's, just great weather: I didn't get out of bed. The following week, it was rainy and cold. I was at a client site talking with a friend, and she told me what a great weekend she'd had, outside doing various things.

I remember driving back from a client site and thinking "Something is wrong. I'm throwing my life away here." Of course, I made it home, and crawled into bed.

Later that day, I realized that this wasn't just me reacting to stress, called my doc, and he saw me the next day. My blood pressure was up to 210/165. He called in a psych consult, and after answering a lot of questions, I had to sign a contract stating that if I experienced any worsening of mood or any increase in suicidal ideation, I would get to the emergency room and have myself committed. He told me he was really torn about whether to commit on the spot or let me try to ride it out.

We started to cut the dose of Lyrica; I cut it initially by 50%, and within 72 hours the suicidal ideation stopped. It was like a switch was thrown. The depression eased up, the crying stopped. Over the next couple months, I weaned myself off completely. It was pretty hellish; a lot of pain, and I was just exhausted all the time.

So, that experiment is over, and didn't end well.

I guess part of the reason I'm posting this now is in reaction to the recent school shooting. For the first time in my life, I really felt like I had no control over my mind. It was terrifying.

I can't imagine what it would be like to have experienced this as young man still findind his way. I'm pretty sure that where I managed to stay one step from suicide, had this happened to me as a teenager, I would not only have killed myself, but taken out as many people as I could just for the fucking rush.

Shows a lot of strength to try something, and more to admit that it didn't work out the way you planned. I've always considered myself kind of lucky that I learned young just how dangerous drugs can be.

Sometimes putting private self on display serves a greater purpose. Thanks for the enlightenment.

I thought the title was about your experience with Lycra so it took me a moment to get my head out of the anticipated gutter.

I swear I will never shove another tablet of lyrica up my ass after reading this. This time I mean it.

Damn Bob ! I for one have always admired how you have handled life, enjoyed your writing and training insights. Pretty brave putting that out there but I am glad you came through. Our best thoughts for you, and I am curious, what next?

Bob, thanks for being so honest about a personal situation. I really appreciate the insights in that. Hope you're feeling better now. Life is precious for sure.

I thought that this would be about tights and stockings - not so much fun, in actuality.

The world would be a far better place if people could talk as openly about such issues as Bob did.

Fat Cat wrote:I swear I will never shove another tablet of lyrica up my ass after reading this. This time I mean it.

Where'd you find someone to do the shoving for you? Any luck on craigslist?

Bob,
In all honesty, I really am glad you posted this, but I'm not happy you had to go through it. I'm more glad (gladder?) that you seem to have made it through relatively unscathed.