Have you tried Lyrica (Pregabalin) for your fibromyalgia?

Hi I have been on Lyrica for 2 years now only on 75 mg a day just now but have been on double that dose before. I have been in a lot more pain recently and going to doctors this morning. I think he will tell me to up the dose again. I am not sure about side effects as so many other long term issues going on with my gut.

Nervous about going to doctors this morning the GAD will kick in badly and I will start rambling.

Have a good day everyone

I was prescribed pregabalin over 10 years ago but I couldnt take it :( I have severe side effects to a lot of medications that Ive tried for pain and can only tolerate co-codamol and tramadol. Im not sure if its because I have asthma? I am always in pain which has made me quite depressed but cant take medication for that either

Hope noone else has had to experience long term pain with little help xx

Think I answered this already but if not ... I tried a few months on both Lyrica & Amitriptyline I gave them a fair go as Consultant rheumatologist & neurologist suggested Well I never felt so ill and people thought I was roaring drunk My head pounded and the chronic fatigue was overwhelming My research & discussions with uninvolved medical experts where these are 2 anti-psychotic meds that are of no use to Fibromyalgia and Myalgic Encephalomylitis (ME) sufferers Indeed even for those with psychosis should be careful

The only official recommendations and papers in support of both drugs was;  that people with shingles got relief from nerve pain but what has that to do with Fibro & ME mystifies me 

My recommendation is not good for Fibro & ME patients Does not suit many sufferers Be careful and go on and off meds with strict medical GP or Consultant supervision 

@Suzhannah I am surprised you managed to take for so long if you had such an adverse reaction. I too was given amitriptyline for pain but only took half a tablet and knocked me out completely for 3 days. When I mentioned to Dr they told me to take half a tablet and had to explain that if I try something new I always take less than Im told to as I have had a lot of experience of bad reactions to drugs.

Mostly the reactions are to knock me out or send me to sleep for extended periods which when you are young are not possible alongside other responsibilities or they trigger my asthma. I apparently have a long list on my medical records of medication that I cant be given! But I have heard that some people have found them helpful. Ive always believed that everyones body chemistry is unique so what works for one person may not work for someone else. Ive spent 35 years trying to find a 'helpful' drug but not found anything yet!

Hiya Em 

Wasnt my choice Am same as you and react badly to most oral meds that's why I went into Fentanyl pain patches but that's for my disc degeneration not my Fibro or ME 

This was about 15 yrs ago and same as you First amatrip nearly flawed me...long story was pressed to do a reasonable time So did month with Ama and 2 and half months with Lyrica Just terrible drugs with absolutely no effect on fibromyalgia or ME 

What we go thru eh 

Regards Suz 

When I was diagnosed back in the early 2000s I was prescribed Lyrica.  I was not really happy to be on a controlled drug as, having been a nurse  for some 20 years, I had seen the results of addictive drugs.  But, what made up my mind was that it never actually worked to stop my pain fully.  I discussed it with a rheumatologist and he told me I was making the right decision to come off it.  He said many patients ended up with a problem of addiction as well as suffering from the Fibromyalgia.  He said to try and stick to over the counter pain killers.

Over the years I have adapted to the pain and rarely take anything at all.  I eat healthily, exercise and try to stop myself from overdoing things!  If I get fatigue I force myself to accept it and relax.  Others have tried things like acupuncture and it seems to help them.  Its worth trying any alternative type treatments and try to avoid over medication.

I have Polycystic Ovarian syndrome too and had huge problems with weight for decades.  I would diet and lose say 3 stone then put back 4!  I yo yo'd up and down and finally decided I needed to find a way of living that I could live with.  Strict diets and strenuous exercise could never be part of life on a continuous basis. So, I changed my diet to a very healthy one, with odd treats but one that never left me hungry.  I did a lot of swimming and water aerobics which I always enjoyed and my weight began to slowly drop on a continuous basis.  After the menopause I have continued to lose. Basically, over a decade I have lost 5 stone and am still slowly going down.  My diet/ exercise regime has also insured my diabetic control is the best it ever has been.

What I am saying overall is that you should examine all the options available to you and find a pattern of eating , exercise that you can live with on a long term basis without the discomfort and disappointments of short term solutions and faddy diets. And with pain find a way that you can live with in terms of medication and alternative therapies.  There is never one solution that fits everyone - you can find your own.

Here Here Mariam

We all know our own bodies best 

Best regards Suzy 

I’ve been taking Pregabalin, 200 mg three times a day, for around twelve years for Fibromyalgia.    It’s my miracle drug, within a month of starting taking it the massive muscle spasms that I had in the upper back, especially around the shoulder blades, reduced in severity & frequency.   By the time I started taking Pregabalin the muscles in my upper back, neck & across the top of the shoulders were constantly rock hard.   As time wore on those muscles started to loosen up & while they haven’t loosened up to the point where they should be & muscle spasms haven’t stopped completely I am able to function reasonably.    Before taking Pregabalin, plus Clonazepam for nighttime leg & foot muscle spasms, I was near enough housebound, I do not want to go back to that state.    My advice when being offered a new drug is to stick at it, precisely as the prescription says, for at least four weeks.   Most drugs have side effects but I’ve found over the years that as the body gets used to the drug those side effects will go away.   For the first few weeks of taking Pregabalin it actually made the muscle spasms worse, through researching the ins & outs of the drug I found that is a common, temporary, side effect.   Anyone with access to the internet can look up full details of a drug they are being offered.  
On the matter of addiction it has been common knowledge for some years now that taking a drug for the purpose it is intended does not cause phycological addiction.   They can cause physiological addiction but that just means that when coming off certain drugs it has to be done slowly & under supervision of a doctor.   As an example I have also been taking Tramadol, 50mg x 2 four times a day, for the last twelve years for pain relief from Fibromyalgia & Degenerative Disc Disease.   Over the last few years there efficacy has waned.   I have recently come off Tramadol by 100mg per week for six weeks, during that time & since then I have had no phycological feeling that I need to start taking it again, I have two box fulls of Tramadol here & ive no desire to take any.   If it’s of any help to anyone my Tramadol has been replaced by Buprenorphine patches which you change once a week, the patch releases its active ingredient 24 hours a day which means that on waking in the morning I no longer have to spend the first two hours of the day waiting for pain relief to kick in.   
So, after all that waffle, I think Pregabalin is a wonderful drug for muscle spasms, new drugs should be tried for at least four weeks before dismissing them & the evidence is widely known that drugs taken for there proper purpose will not turn you into a drug addict.