[catsnhorses]

my doc suggested Lyrica (the other names are generics, i understand) for chronic pain. I said i wanted to go find out more, and she was cool with that. But i found out one of the side effects is weight gain

So I am really leery of trying it. Last thing I need is something that would make me gain weight.

Has anyone had any experience with this med??

[purpleorc]

I do not know if what little I can tell you of my own experiences will be of any help but I do hope they are. I have trigeminal neuralgia which I have had for the past 3 to 4 years. Last year my present drug regime was no longer keep in my pain at bay and I was in excruciating pain every day for hours at a time. My consultant neurologist gave me gabapentin which was the predecessor of Lyrica so is very similar in chemical makeup.

Gabapentin also has the side effect of weight gain which like you I need like a hole in the head. I steadily had to increase the dose until I was pain free so most days I take between 500mgs to 600mgs now. At first I was hungry but that soon subsided. I did gain a little weight but not much. But since I changed my diet to a more health option than I was when I gained the weight I have now lost weight steadily since March.

But if you are really bothered about the weight gain there is another anti convulsant drug which has the same properties and I am on that also. That is called carbamazapine or Epitol, Tegretol I think is the name in the US. If I remember right it does not have the weight gain side effect. I did find it quite sedating though at the beginning a really had to stick with it whilst I got to a level that killed the pain. I had to increase very very slowly with my doses as due to the sedating I found it difficult. I also have MS so fatigue plays a big part so anything that sedated me was not brilliant but I am so glad that I stuck with it because it held the pain a bay for a very long time. To be out of pain was bliss after the months of being in agony.

[kaplods]

My husband was given cymbalta and lyrica at the same time for diabetic neuropathy. He didn't have any weight gain, and actually lost a little weight from the combo temporarily, because for some reason food tasted "off" (from the side effect lit, it was probably from the cymbalta). The combo has helped him tremendously, along with nabumatone (an nsaid) and tramadol for pain.


I'm on tramadol, nabumetone, and amytriptiline (spelling may be off). The amytriptiline is new, as I had been on lexapro to help with sleep. I have fibromyalgia and being able to sleep is one of the big components of whether I have a flare of pain and fatigue (the other is dramatic changes in temperature and barometric pressure. I usually have a big flare the day before a big storm - whether or not I know that the storm is coming).

The amitryptiline is helping alot. It's main use is as an antidepressant, but my doctor prescribed it in a smaller dose about an hour before bedtime for pain and sleep (instead of three doses throughout the day, which is how I understand it would have been prescribed if I were prescribed it for depression). I wake up alot more rested and in less pain from my fibro and arthritis. The tramadol I am also taking for pain also affects serotonin, so there is a slight chance of interaction so if you're prone to seizures they might not prescribe tramadol with another serotonin affecting drug.

[kaplods]

Oh, and while lyrica is used both as an anti-seizure med and for pain (especially nerve pain) I've never heard of tegretol being used for pain, though asking couldn't hurt.

Cymbalta (also primarily an antidepressant) has a good success rate, but it's new and some insurances aren't covering it. There isn't a generic equivalent. Lyrica (the pregalabin) also doesn't have a generic, but the gabopentin is a similar class of drug, sort of a precurser. I think lyrica is easier on the kidneys (or maybe it was the liver), but if you don't have problems, the gabopentin would be very similar.

You might try checking out some of the chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia message board sites (like fibrohugs), because alot of people have experience with non-narcotic drugs used for pain, and can give you their experiences with weight loss/gain on the drugs.

[kaplods]

Oops, my mistake (and a big one). Rereading purpleorc's post, it is obviously being prescribed for pain. And a quick check, and it is commonly used for neuropathies. That's why I'm not very familiar with it. My husband hasn't been on his meds for very long, and I'm not very familiar with the treatment of neuropathy yet. It's actually wonderful to hear that there are a couple alternatives to the Lyrica, as when my husband's insurance coverage ends in November, we may need to find less expensive alternatives to the Cymbalta and the Lyrica.

[catsnhorses]

Thank you, ladies. I will check out some of the fibromyalgia forums too. I may or may not have fibro, I don;t have an "official" dx on that.

Yes, it's for pain, I have a lot of that... some from arthritis and some they can;t pin down but the usual pain meds don;t touch it (foot pain for 6+ years and no answers from anyone). and I am fed up of the narcotics. My family doc gave me morphine for a week before by surgery, b/c i couldn't take mobicox for a week before general anaesthetic, and the tylenol #3 (like paracetemol with codeine, for the Brits) wasn't helping at all. That really scared me, and I only took one. Toughed it out and that particular pain has eased up a little.

I;m scared of the sedative effects too... I live in the burbs and driving is a necessary evil!! But i think that wears off, if I understand Purpleorc right?? How long did it take to wear off??

I don;t want to rush into taking another drug, but if it will help with the minimum of side effects I am interested. I need to find out more. I am so tired of being in pain.

[purpleorc]

You were asking about the sedative effects of tegretol it took a few days each time that i increased the dosage. But with each person side effects such as sedation maybe less or more with each taker. But to lessen the effects discuss with your doctor about taking the dose initially at night time so that you may sleep the worst of this away. Also another tip maybe to increase only by 50mgs as opposed to 100mgs as I did in the beginning but then I had to increase by 50mgs as they made my walking for a while very uncoordinated like I'd had a few to many drinks