6/21/07 When the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved pregabalin (Lyrica) for the treatment of fibromyalgia, the vexing chronic pain condition got its first bona fide medicine. If you have fibromyalgia, Lyrica may be a drug worth considering.
Fibromyalgia, which affects up to 6 million Americans, causes not only pain around the joints, but also tenderness in muscles and nerves, as well as sleep problems that lead to symptoms of severe fatigue. The widespread pain and severe fatigue can disrupt the ability to function at full capacity on a daily basis. Altered function of the central nervous system is thought to be a possible cause.
The FDA approval of the new fibromyalgia drug was based on studies that showed Lyrica reduced pain and improved sleep. In two double-blind studies of 1,800 people with fibromyalgia, Lyrica produced rapid and sustained pain reduction for up to six months, compared with placebo. At the 2007 annual meeting of the European League Against Rheumatism in Barcelona, Spain, researchers showed that if Lyrica works for you initially, then it will keep on working for as long as eight months, and effects may last longer.
In a 2005 study led by Arthritis Today medical advisory board member and previously Arthritis Foundation-funded researcher Leslie Crofford, MD, a rheumatologist and women’s health specialist at the University of Kentucky, people taking 450 milligrams (mg) of Lyrica per day had a 48-percent reduction in pain, compared with a 27-percent pain reduction with placebo. Significant improvements in sleep quality, as well as quality of life, also were noted. When sleep problems are reduced, and sleep becomes more refreshing, musculoskeletal tissues are better able to heal, which reduces pain and improves the quality of life.
Along with the positive side effects of reducing pain and improving sleep, one of the major benefits of Lyrica's new fibromyalgia indication will likely be much-needed major education campaigns about fibromyalgia and its treatment, says Daniel Clauw, MD, professor of medicine at the University of Michigan and a leading researcher on fibromyalgia pain.
Just try it for a month or so and see how you do.
Trust me it's worth it if you suffer like I do.
I have been taking LYrica 120 mg daily and it does help with the pain.
I gained over 30lbs and experienced a noticeable decrease in vision. 20lbs of that weight dropped off the month after I stopped taking Lyrica. The lab running the study first tried to blame the weight gain on me, claiming that I must either be exercising less and/or eating more. Neither was true. They tried to mask the weight gain with water pills, but that had very little benefit in slowing the weight gain...
One of the possible side-effects is blurred vision. However what they don't tell you is that this is a permanent condition. Lyrica can cloud the lenses in your eyes, requiring expensive Cataract surgery to repair. I earned $18 per visit during the drug study but it will cost over $2300 per eye to repair the damage Lyrica caused. In addition, I noticed a hearing loss...
Based on my experience, I believe that Lyrica should never have been approved by the FDA. The red tag warnings should include a strong notice that your vision may be permanently diminished and that you are likely to gain a lot of weight in a short amount of time...
I was desperate to find something that would make a difference when I participated in the drug study, but if I were given a second chance, I would not take that risk again. The small amount of pain relief that you may find from Lyrica doesn't justify taking the other risks. I would not recommend Lyrica to anyone...
suffering with fm pain in my shoulders,upper
back, arm muscles, etc. Sometimes it feels
like it's everywhere in my upper body. I didn't realize it was my fm. I thought I had MS. I spoke with someone who had the same symptoms of pain that I have, and was taking
Lyrica. When I checked the side effects, I
knew I wouldn't take it. I've been taking
extra strength vicodin, But it hasn't helped
very much. I like the natural remedys that I have seen here and will research them. Thank
you all for your help. good luck and God Bless you all!
My scariest symtoms (just wrote cymbals) include saying the wrong words, word retrieveal, and foggy memory. This is without meds. I'm still on unemployment and think I'm blowing interviews with the whole "uh,uh,uh,uh,uh response to questions.
Does anyone else have this problem, not as a side-effect of some drug? Does it get worse?
I was terrified, mostly because a lot of the side effects were things I already suffered from, swelling, dizziness, weight gain (I'm already 220 lbs), headaches, memory loss, weakness, fatigue, joint pain and twitching...so I was really worried those would get worse. But I tried it anyway, desperate for any relief.
My fears were real. I've been on it 3 weeks, I've gained 10 lbs, don't know whether it's because I am eating more (I'm scared to eat actually so I'm probably starving myself) or because my legs are holding enough water to drown a horse. I'm exhausted all the time, but I can't sleep because I feel jittery, so I get 4-5 hrs a night and yawn all day at work. Walking up a flight of stairs makes me dizzy and tired, and the worst part is, there has been no pain relief. Zero. I was so hopeful, just like I am every time I try something new, and now I don't know where else to turn. I think I've officially tried everything, and I think my doctor has had quite enough of me.
So disappointed.
Well worth using for me that is, made a big difference in the quality of life for me.
Mediacal Aids over do not pay it though.
However worth the money spent.
I take 75mg's twice daily, a higher dose does not agree with my stomach though.
But still worth it.
Regards,
Marc.O
You guys should be seeing Physiatrist not, Rheumatologist. It took 3 years without a diagnosis and now with a diagnosis of Fibro and chronic myofascial pain. I am being treated with 300mg of Lyrica stretching and Trigger Point dry needle injections to relieve muscle spasm. The burning has calmed down and in 6 months improved 50 Percent. I Believe that there is something going on in all of us that these meds only supress. There will be a cure for our problem--It just has not been discovered yet. Until then, lets take solace that we are not going to die anyday soon even though we feel like it sometimes. LOL
so after hearing abou t this lyrica i dont think i want to lose my mind because my daughter is having a baby girl in dec so i want to be there to see her and remeber her . ok so i say godbye for now. thank you sue
Lyrica does help relief during the day but the numbness,stiffness and pain is sill there when you wakes up in the morning but the side effects included dizziness, forgetfulness,memory problems, finding words.
I take a short trip to the kitchen and i have to stand there thinking hard what was i there for and of course searching for my car in the car park. I have gained 12 lbs and is still gaining although i exercised alot.
I have ean excruciating ankle pain now and have reduced my daily morning walks to alternate days as walk and exercise i must to avoid the muscles from tightening. I too wish there is a miracle cure for FM.
I also have had fibromyalgia for many years since 1996, then into remission for about seven years, it struck me again in 2004, and now seems to have gone into remission again for the past two years.
I always manage mine with diet and other things. Eat no carbs at all, no refined sugars, and almost no dairy products except for low-fat plain yogurt with live cultures. Avoid the nightshade veggies as well, tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant. I do allow onions however.
I also take something called d-ribose. It is a totally natural sugar that is made in the body. When you get older or have a chronic illness, less of it is made. I order it over the internet from a certain company. No prescription needed. My clinical nutritionist told me about it. If you don't have a clinical nutritionist, get one. The d-ribose took away 90% of my pain and increased my energy. Whenever I forget my diet and start to eat more carbs, my energy level drops and I stay in bed too much.
I don't take anything specific for the fibro except for Elavil and Trazadone. I've been taking those a long time to help the sleep. I sleep like a rock. I rarely experience any pain.
I work out a bit at the YMCA, nothing excessive, just the stationary bike and some walking and the elliptical. I also do the Cybex equipment when I want to. I've visited the physical therapist every so often (maybe every other year) if I strained or injured my tendons or ligaments. You will need to find a good one, not your run of the mill.
You can e-mail me at mfalkowitz@yahoo.com if you want more info.
Yes, I got lazy and the brain fog got worse, but it did make some of the pain subside.
I believe the weight gain on this product, is the fact that it appears to increase appitite in a "high" sort of manner.
Currently not taking it.
Don't reccommend it for anyone who has to drive...as one may become spacy.
Triazolam for sleep has similar effects, and I just read an article that states FM causes decrease in gray brain matter.
Geez, we're all screwed.
Anyone on Trazadone?
Moderate exercise on a regular basis seems to be helpful is alieviating the pain the muscles etc. By moderate I mean just going outside and casually working in the garden or yard and doing the normal (moderated) daily chores in the household. Some days it is just taking care of myself.
It always helps to eat a diet of good healthy foods. Junk foods seem to make my condition worse. I watch the salt and sugar as well as spices, etc. Always eating in moderation is helpful.
I do feel wimpy if I compare myself with the suffering that others are undergoing with fibro. It helps to know that others have similar experiences and handle it in different ways. What works for one may not work for another for we are all different.
Memory loss and forgetfulness are part and parcel of the FM. If you relax and forget about the subject/name/incident. you will find that it will return to you quickly. I find that if I get frustrated and try harder to remember all I get is continued frustration. Keeping your mind active and doing puzzles, memory games, etc. you will find it doesn't happen quite so much, besides the games are fun and help you face your daily planning with more energy rather than a chore.
I TAKE IT BEFORE BED BECAUSE I ALSO HAVE THE RESTLESS LEG. IS THERE REALLY A GENERIC COMING OUT SOON??????? AND IS THAT THE REAL NAME? I THINK IT IS A LIFE SAVER!
My name is Merilyn, I am 33 years old with four children. I come upon these sites where everyone talks about how Lyrica helps them feel better....NOOOOOO it does not I have had Fibromyalgia for many years now and have tried many medicines for pain includind what I'm currently on now (Lyrica)I must say it does absolutely nothing for my pain. I just wish someone would come up with an miracle pill and make all this darn pain go away.. I just can't take living like this huge ball of nothing but pain,discomfort and fatigue. It's a really horrible way of life for us suffering with this debilitating discomfort..I wouldn't wish for anyone to have this.
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