Lyrica Terrible Side Effects (Top voted first)

Lyrica has ruined my life. It wasn't bad enough with the pain from my back injury. I only took Lyrica for 2 weeks. The weight gain was bad. I lost 1/3 of my hair in 4 months. I have had a rash for over 1 year now. I mean a bad rash. This was my first side effect. And they warn you of this. Get off Lyrica asap if you get a rash. I thought I was having a stroke the first week on Lyrica when they rushed me to the hospital. I had read on the internet of how many young people have died from strokes from taking Lyrica. My vision is so bad now. I can barely drive at night time and I have to were glasses to see the tv. The worst side effect I've had and still have is the terrible, terrible pain in all my joints. My knees are so bad and my hands and fingers & joints pound and throb 24-7. The swelling in my arms and hands was so bad at one time, I thought I would lose my limbs due to non circulation. The pain is so bad in my knees, I can barely walk everyday. I am self employed and I type and write all day. My hands hurt so bad. I can barely hold anything in the mornings to pin my hair up or put on my makeup. As bad as my pain was and is in my back and cyatic nerve the Lyrica did help. It was a miracle. But I only took it 2 weeks and after 1 year I still have all the terrible side effects. I've been looking on the internet for other peoples bad reactions and I was told by my doctor and the hospital, I had a very bad reaction to it. I've seen a lot of people say they have never got rid of the knee pain and joint pain. Very scary. I called the drug company that makes Lyrica. I told them the side effects that I was having and the first question they asked me was how was my eye sight. I had a fit. I told them the double vision and blurry vision was bad. They made the comment to me that Pifzer was doing a study on this side effect. I was in an automobile accident, that was bad enough, but this drug Lyrica has ruined my life and there is no cure. There are numerous law suits against this drug. I will never be the same again!

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I am very, very sorry to read about what you have been through.

You are correct, if you experienced all of this from Lyrica, especially that long after taking it, then you have experienced very rare and unusual complications.

These are, however, different than side effects. Side effects are considered to be transient symptoms that arise when you first start taking a medication. They taper off and get milder as your body gets used to the drug.

The normal ones that Lyrica causes are: nausea, drowsiness, dizziness and some minor visual problems.

https:/­/­rxchat.com/­wiki/­Lyrica/­

Are you currently seeing a doctor for help with your issues?

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Last yr I was prescribed Lyrica for Fibro pain, and took it for 15 days. I thot it was going to be THE med that would work for me.FINALLY! I usually have any side effects, etc right at the beginning of a new med, but I had NONE with this one, till the 15th day. My husband found me standing at the foot of our bed shaking all over, weeping uncontrollably and really just 'out of it'. I called the nurse in my MD's office and told her if she didn't help me get off this med NOW, I'd do it myself. She spoke with MD and got right back to me with instructions on how to titrate down off this 'med from He*#!. I was desperate. It made a CRAZY woman out of me. I wouldn't recommend this med to another living person !!! Since then I've read of many horror stories about it. I'm glad I got off it before any major damage was done to me !

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OM Goodness - I am so sorry to hear about the horrible problems that each & every one of you are having. I've been on Lyrica for over a year and have had only a few side effects. My dr increased my dosage to 150 mg 3 times a day, bjt my daughters said I couldn't remember what they said 5 min. ago, so I told the doc. He brought me down to twic a day, which is just fine. My only complaint I guess is the forgetfullness and weight gain.. I used to wear a size 4 and now a 14, that's depressing

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My mother in law shot herself in the head about 3 weeks ago. We did not know she was taking lyrica (along with about 5 other drugs) her dr. had her on. It was such a shock because she was always happy and laughing. There was no indication of her thinking about suicide - she just got off the couch one afternoon walked into the bedroom picked up a pistol that her husband kept beside the bed, knelt down on her knees, put the gun to her forehead and pulled the trigger. Our family has been devastated by this incident and firmly believe it was definitely related to Lyrica.

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WOW!!! I have been in pain for years now, sent to this docor and that doctor, prescription after prescription, I finally go see a neuroligist, and he puts me on Lyrica... I was hoping he would actually do a MRI of my neck and back.. but NO.. I have been taking it for 15 days now.. in the beginnning I thought it was helping.. No headache, but still had back and neck pain. I was sleeping good too. BUT the last few nights I feel like I can not sleep. Started to get a headache today.. I have felt pain in my arms here and there, it hurts then goes away... same as my knees.. Because I have had pain all over my body I don't know if it is a side effect or not.... I will say I am scared crapless after reading these posts... Should I tell my doctor to take me off???!!!!!

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I wanted to repeat some info: Monavie active is the juice I was drinking that helped my joints, u can get online for around 120.00 for 4 large bottles (wine size) u only drink one shot n th morning & one shot n th evening. I felt releif in my joint pain in a week. one bottle last a week. Its kinda expensive, but it worked. I couldnt afford it so then I started acai berry, greentea, vitaminE, & chronium picolinate, all natural suplements from walmart. Nature Valley brand. It has really helped my joints and the water and weight gain from the Lyrica. hope this helps anyone.

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Side effects from Lyrica were terrible and coming off of it was hell too. I had fever, chills, awful night sweats, crawling skin as if ants were on me, really bad headaches, to name a few. Please be aware if/ when someone comes off this to be prepared to potentially go through hell. However, I am happy to be off of this drug!!!!

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Are all you guys in the US? I'm in Australia and, apparently, the government and doctors think this is THE wonder drug to cure all ails! I was prescribed it for nerve pain (which it did assist with, and my restless leg) after the "doctor" broke my finger while trying to realign a dislocation. They gave it to help with physio that wasn't helping because of the breakage. I stopped taking lyrica after a while because not only was i quite ill and had done a little reading on it, but i also felt it was no longer helping with the pain. When i was sent to the pain clinic, i was asked how much i lyrica i was taking and told them i'd stopped and why. I was asked if i had nausea, headaches or dizziness on taking the medication, and when i said no, i was told i was not taking enough if i wasn't experiencing side effects. The "doctor" there told me to try 4 lyrica pills twice daily and take 1 or 2 more if i was still not having side effects. I told them about the problems that had started after commencing lyrica - the painful joints, loss of muscle tone, excessive weight gain, swollen joints, fluid retention, mini strokes, vision impairment, intolerable migraines, shakiness, speech impediments, hair loss, memory loss, problems with walking, teeth problems, bouts of amnesia, suicidal thoughts, and the list goes on. I was told, in no uncertain terms, that it was in my imagination. Aside from trying to get me to take more of the lyrica, they wanted me to go on an anti-psychotic and an anti-depressant to "cope with the problems caused by the pain of my finger/s and hands". [My finger was dislocated after my hands were squeezed so tightly that my finger popped out of alignment.] I did not take any more lyrica, and i knew what i was feeling and experiencing was not in my head. Doctors i have seen in trying to get to the bottom of all these not-had-before problems have tried to put me back on lyrica as they claim it is a wonder drug and "has very few side effects". I was given a printed page someone had found for me about the effects of lyrica and i took it with me to some doctors to show them the dangers associated with this medication. I was totally dismissed and fobbed off. I was laughed at. I was even offered more to try and help with what it had done to me. I was only on this drug for a short while and yet it has completely changed my body. It has completely changed my life. This drug is a death sentence to some and a life (of hell) sentence to others. DO NOT TAKE LYRICA. AVOID IT AT ALL COSTS. Even a short amount of time on this medication can...and will...cause more damage and pain than you could anticipate. I feel for all who have been through hell and back, and are still there to varying degrees; and although this may seem a little cold to some extent, it is a small relief to know that it really isn't all in my head as they tried to make me believe because others have experienced the hell of lyrica, too. Thank you all for posting. I hope you are feeling better and have found treatments that help without the harm.

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No I am not seeing a doctor, I have to now see numerous specialists, for example a neuologist, cardiologist, nephrologist, infectious disease doctor, hematologist, neuro-opthamologist, dermatologist, podiatrist, and the list just keeps getting bigger.This drug is wicked, I have been off it for a week now, I can not control the tremors, or seizures, my kidneys are screaming in pain. I was once just Hypertensive, but from the lyrica my BP doesn't know what to do anymore, from one extreme to another. My migranes are back but on a daily basis full blown. I can't eat, I haven't gotten decent sleep in years now. Had a sleep study done, I am getting 3 mins of REM in a 6 hr window of sleep on a good night. An there is people that actually believe that this drug is safe, and these rare side effects or reactions are ok with them.I don't understand.

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Is there a law suit againast this drug Lyrica. I have read all of your stories and I too have been ruined by it and I dont think I will ever recover. Who do we get in contact with about the lawsuits going on with Lyrica. I am not sure but I think I was put on it right after it became available 2005 900 mg. What is happening to me from this drug I dont know about . Memory loss, teeth loss twisted words confusion, I cant drive anymore because I cant remember if I should stop on green or go. I am scared. Who represents us now!

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i was prescribed lyrica to try and heal nerve damage that was cause during a breast biopsy. this is absolutely the worst drug ever i took if for a bit over 6 months. i sufffer from the most intense joint pain, blured vision, speech problems, i see tracers which keeps me from being able to drive at night or watch any movement that is to fast. it did nothing for the pain in my breast but now i have no insurance and a s**t load of side affects that are going to haunt me for the rest of my life. thanks so much to the maker of this drug, being a single mom with breast tumors has just been made so much easier due to your lyrica. and yes that was sarcasim big time

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I was recently given a sample of Lyrica by my Dr. to try. I am super-sensitive to meds so I approach all with a great deal of caution. I took one 50mg cap one night at bedtime for sleep. I had 71/2 hrs. of sleep but when I woke up the nightmare began. I could not walk straight, dizzy, blurred vision, headache, joint pain, tingling and burning feeling over entire body and my mouth felt like I had chewed a jumping cactus. Lord what a trip as I felt like I had been on a 3 week drunk. Will never take it again. For you people that have been bankrupted by the cost but still choose to take it, you can get the generic (Pregabalin) in Canada for about $28 per 100- 50 mg. caps. Hard to believe one cap could do this!!!

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Dito on all your side effects, and I had the stroke, and many more TIA's, seizures, paralysis of my facial muscles,permanent damage to my digestive system, my kidneys do not work properly. I already had enough medical issues without the added ones from Lyrica, I took it for 2 yrs 3mths too long. I just got off of it last week so I don't know what damage is going to be permanent and what isn't, having nerve testing done on eyes this week. I am not a sue happy person, but after dealing with Neurontin, and that bull crap. An than to turn around and have the same company manufacture a sister drug, and not inform the consumer that it doesn't even stop the advance of Neuropathy it just masks the pain. Plus it destroyed what I have fought so hard to retain since getting sick, my independence, and ability to keep fighting. Lyrica just took the air right out of my sails, and than some.

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im the one that started the discussion on the side effects of lyrica. ***update***, as i stated the effects of lyrica to me and i was only on it 2 weeks. i have been off lyrica 1 year and 5 mths. i am just feeling better from the effects. i have most of my haie back, my knees are 50% better, my joints still hurt. my eye sight is better, i dont see double any more. but my eye strenght is not as good as it was. my fingers joints are better, i can right again. my kidneys never recovered. i had major weight gain. im trying to get it off now. I stopped taking my hydrocodiene and soma cold turkey. it was a hard week to be in so much pain. but i feel better now. my medicine was changed to a non narcotic with an additive for a pain blocker. i feel better now. i read on the internet somewhere. that if u had the bad nerve pain reaction from taking lyrica that the hydrocodine magnified this effect. when my hycodine would were off after 3-4 hours, i hurt worse than before. i dont have that effect anymore by changing medicines. my back injury is cured. but taking lyrica needs to be aware of the risks that your doctor dosent bother to tell you. i appreciate the replys. this has been a tough 2 yrs for me. please wish me luck on getting the 40 lbs back off...

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I was taking Lyrica for paraformis syndrome and started having problems with not thinking clearly and noted voice changes. Now the ENT has said I have spasmotic Dysphonia. Has anyone else has speech problems after taking Lyrica. I stopped taking it when these symptoms started but the SD is getting worse. I am a teacher and am to the point that it has effected my lecture abilities.

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WOW... shocking stories. My daughter suffers from gastroparesis, the doctors believe in response to a virus she rec'd when she was 7 (now 17 1/2 yrs old), About a year ago she was close to death - had lost over 40 lbs - couldn't even hold down water. Two years prior, a noted Children's Hospital had switched her treatment from meds to a pain management regime, which was amazingly effective in that it allowed her to cope with the escalating symptoms rather than treat them – to the point where an endoscopy showed her stomach was mostly dark and covered with white lesions, with her throat about the same and about 40% closed. So the cycle began again… new doctors, new gastroenterologist, new drugs. Started off with Elavil, then later switched to nortriptyline to try and jumpstart peristalsis ( in addition to Reglan, Zofran, promethazine, and a proton acid blocker). Daughter started having side effects related to the Nortriptyline – the worst of which were night tremors and suicidal thoughts. We brought this to the attention of her gastroenterologist who took her off the Nortriptyline and prescribed Lyrica. Three days later she flipped out – threatened to take ALL of her many prescribed meds at once, then ran out of the house and jumped in the ocean to, as she put it, end the terrible thoughts. Got the daughter back home safely and called the gastroenterologist who advised us to immediately stop the Lyrica and take her to the ER to have her checked out, which we did. Unfortunately, the hospital has no Psychologist on staff and the ER physician signed a 51/50, meaning they took custody of her and some 23 ½ hrs later, transferred her to a behavioral mental hospital 6 hrs away where she was held for the next 6 days. I stayed at a nearby motel and was only able to see her during very limited visiting hours. The place was a lock down, grungy, scary place. To make it worse, in the 3 day detox period to clear the Lyrica from her system, the nausea and pain in her stomach once again got very extreme to the point where she was constantly nauseaus,throwing up, with pain migrating into her back.
Interestingly enough, some 17 ½ hrs after going to the ER, the hospital brought in a “sitter” to watch our daughter and took away her bag of stomach meds. Prior to that, she was stashed in an examination room, behind a curtain with all of her meds, which I pointed out to the ER physician, while they searched for a mental facility to ship her to. In fact, we videoed the room which had 6 inch catheter needles in a drawer, all sorts of cords, cables tubing, etc right next to her behind a closed curtain – and they wouldn’t let me take her to different hospital because as the ER MD stated, this “suicide attempt” happened on my watch.

The staff psychologist at this “behavioral hospital” they transferred her to did work with our daughter's gastroenterologist and prescribed Remeron and daughter’s stomach is doing okay (been on for about 9 days now)… not great but she can eat and function. Clearly this “episode” was a side effect of the Nortriptaline and/or Lyrica. Our family has no history of mental illness and our daughter has never exhibited any behavioral issues other than a slightly shortened temper soon after starting the Nortriptyline. On one hand, she (we) feel like the meds saved her life – on the other, it almost cost her life. Of coarse our insurance is poor for “mental health coverage” even though this is clearly a medical problem… side effects of the “off label” use of drugs to treat her chronic stomach problem. So now we are several K$$ more in debt and will have to fight the insurance company, in addition to caring for our daughter and praying that they can come up with a fix that won’t kill her. The poor kid just needs a break.

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I have been off Lyrica for a week after 3 months of decreasing the dosage. It was a wonder drug for Sciatica pain for about 9 months. During this time l endured side effects such as increased weight, cognitive impairment, lack of balance, dry eye syndrome and manic like energy. I decided to discontinue Lyrica due to the side effects. I titrated off slowly over three months because of threads l had read concerning wicked withdrawal from this drug. I experienced serious depression, lack of appetite, lack off energy and painful joints, Even though l had taken a low dose and did a slow withdrawal it was beyond tough. Lyrica's benefits were never worth the side effects or pain of withdrawal.

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I can`t express how truely grateful I am to you all for taking the time to document your stories. I too am struggling with the side effects of taking Lyrica for the past few years. I had surgery for carpel tunnel syndrome & believe I suffered nerve damage as I later developed a strange itching problem in both arms between my wrists & elbows. There was no rash or outward sign but the itch would sometimes wake me out of a sound sleep & I would scratch so hard, there would be blood on the sheets. After several years of trying everything from lotions to allergy medication, I was prescribed Lyrica. It was a miracle !! Or so I thought.
I started with 150mg per day & the doctor increased it to to 600mg over 2.5 years. Now I am in the process of weaning myself off of it, even though the doctor doesn`t understand why !!!! I`ll tell you why - because I can`t afford to buy any new clothes - the weight gain has been unreal & way too fast - I feel like I gain weight by breathing !! I`m 48 & was in good health but now I hobble like an old old lady - knee & joint pain, swelling all over - I feel puffy all over my body, tingly fingers & arms, very blurry vision and ringing in my ears. The chubbiness & swelling across my back is really disturbing to me. When I ran out of my prescription a few months back, I went to the doctor & cried like a baby - I asked her what`s wrong with me - I didn`t sleep for days, had cramping, suicidal thoughts & she said it sounded like menopause. Then she wrote the prescription for the Lyrica. Within minutes I felt better and that`s when I knew something wasn`t right. I went on line & have no doubt that I was going through serious withdrawl - not menopause at the time.
So I am weaning myself by decreasing 100mgs for the first few weeks & then to 50mgs until done. My hope is to be off this stuff by end of August.

I would greatly appreciate knowing:
1. Did the weight come off
2. Did the puffiness & water retention stop
3. I know insomnia & resless legs will be an issue but does it get better
I will keep you informed every week of my weaning progress if you want, but would still appreciate learning as much as possible from your experiences.
I`m in Canada & wonder if there will ever be legal action taken. Thank you all so very very much.

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You are not the only one I have short term memory lost, The burred vision is on and off. I went into withdrawal when I stopped it, and its not even a narcotic. I have short term memory loss. My balance is so bad that in the last three years I have fallen multiple times but three of them led to serious injuries. One was a concussion, and one was a fx 5th metatarsal of the left foot that has never healed. Let me know if there is anything we can do. I heard that we will not get any help because this RX company has been sued so many times they are paying off people. I am so sorry for you I will pray for you. I don't know if we can do anything about it but I pray for your health.

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Hi All

I sent my last post on May 30th, 2012 and decided to wean myself from almost 600mg a day. By August - I was Lyrica free !!
I cut the dose in half for a week - 150 in the morning & 150 at night. This worked. The following weeks I reduced by 50mgs to 100 & then 50 & then stopped. It was nothing like the cold turkey / withdrawl I went through in the past when I didn't know what the hell was wrong with me. I am so much more educated and feel almost normal again !! The joint pain - especially my knees is almost gone, no more swollen joints, the weight is coming off slowly - oh and my hair is looking better than ever !! It's stopped falling out !! People at work are commenting on my skin & overall appearance - looking brighter & healthier. The emotional difference is huge - no more crying jags & I'm not having nearly as many "blue" days. I now understand I was definitely going through menopause & didn't need to take this medication in the first place !! The only issue I have now is insomnia but have resorted to zoplacone in a low dose which is working fabulously - very gentle / normal sleep. Melatonin / exercise wasn't helping at all, so after almost a week without sleep, I had to see the doc and no regrets.

PLEASE !!! GET OFF THE LYRICA !!! IT'S SOOO DANGEROUS & WE WILL NEVER KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE PERMANENT DAMAGE OR HAVE RESORTED TO SUICIDE.

You can do it !! I did it & believe me - I was the worst wreck for a long time. Hugs to you all & I will be in the front row if this issue ever gets recognized in Vancouver Canada as a cause for court action.

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