Lyrica/Pregabalin

Useful article on Lyrica.

 

http://irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/dopey-out-of-it-patients-share-their-painkiller-side-effects-1.2926355

 

 

Thanks Pris... just wish they add dosage and time on med with these things...

But its all better than nothing...

Cheers.

I thought it might interest you Cantfly. As you say there are no specifics on drug dose and timelines. I notice people had a varied experience of Lyrica which highlights how we are all different but I reckon that the longer you take Lyrica the more likely you might suffer issues of dependence. Funny how more women appear to report more adverse side events - perhaps more women are prescribed Lyrica but it would be interesting to know why that is the case. Anyways I wasn't prepared to accept memory loss/depression as the trade off for feeling less anxious.

I did pick up on that female point and wondered too, perhaps more regular hormone changes, -or even that women tend to b more intune with their bodies, and more likley to present to a dr with any issues... so many ways figures can get squed... -just ask the pharma companies...

If i didnt have nerve issues from the pelvis ooops.. lol, i wouldnt take it... but its either lyrica or gabapentin...  but only as needed... so hope i dont get bit... i wouldnt recomend it in most cases...

 

And how funny, -its the first time i have looked in the media forum!!! -so thanks again...

 

Thanks for sharing this article, pris. Very interesting. I took this medication many years ago and had a terrible time on it.

 

I like the fact that it shows the wide variation in reactions to a given substance. We are, indeed, all different. We metabolize medications differently. In the article, there's a mention of how Lyrica helped some people in the study, but then, so did the placebo. Very telling, isn't it? The placebo effect is very real. And so are the side effects from these meds.

 

 

Yes, Lapis it is very telling. The placebo effect has been noted in studies regarding antidepressants, this was certainly the case in the meta-analysis of 38 clinical trials conducted by Professor Irving Kirsch (Harvard Medical School). So the placebo effect cannot be underestimated.

 

As for the side effects of Lyrica I can testify to those. I can understand why you had a hard time on this drug! It felt like a miracle when I first took it in the middle of an antidepressant withdrawal, my anxiety miraculously disappeared but as time went on I descended into a really serious depression and the same time it seemed as if a huge eraser had been used on my memory, particularly name recall. Fast forward to my benzo withdrawal and I took Lyrica again - not very bright. This time I thought I'd suffered a stroke. So very glad I was able to get off this drug quickly and without too much bother because I am aware not everyone is so lucky. I think my brain was telling me no more psychoactive substances! I hope you managed to wean yourself off without too much hardship Lapis but I am happy to hear that you have ditched the Lyrica.

 

 

Hi pris,

Thanks for sharing your story. I'm really glad you're off it! For me, it was ages ago, and I don't think I took too much of it. I didn't like how I felt, and it didn't help with the problem I had at the time. Of course, I knew nothing about meds, and I just trusted the doctor at the time.

 

My (elderly) mother has mentioned that she has friends on this medication. I'll definitely be sharing the article with her so that she can forward it along to her friends. They're of an age where it's even more important to be careful with medications that can make you fall. Very dangerous! And elderly people metabolize medications more slowly too. There are just too many risks with these things.

 

Anyway, now that we're wiser (and older!), we won't be making such mistakes anymore. I think it's important to share the info with those who don't have any clue about the dangers lurking in their medications.

Hi Lapis,

 

I'm quite a bit older now myself - over the broad hill on crutches! -  since I begun this process of trying to get off antidepressants and then finally benzos. Whether I'm any wiser that's still up for debate given that my IQ has taken quite a hit in recent years but I am wiser about psychiatric drugs. I think you are right to be concerned for your elderly relatives, these poisons lessen life span especially in the older generation. All my best to you.  pris

 

PS  Forgot to mention some sites that might be of interest to you regarding prescribed drugs: https://rxisk.org/blog and the Nordic Cochrane Centre includes recent research on a whole host of treatments.

Thanks, pris. I've checked out the Nordic Cochrane Centre before, since I'm a big fan of Dr. Peter Goetzsche.

Me too.