Does Lyrica Mess Up Your Liver? (Page 3)

I started taking Lyrica for 3 weeks now for my Chronic Facial Pain. I had taken all the chronic pain meds and nothing work. I was diagnos with this illness since I had a root canal done, I even got 2 teeth extracted though the pain would go away. Anyway, I am now having some reaction, my feet and legs feels fat. However, my pain is about 4 in a scale of 10 being very painful. I take Lyrica 3x a day with 50 mg each along with oxycodon (if pain does not go away) and motrin 800 mg for head aches. I been on norcotic medicines for 2 years and now with Lyrica and etc. I am just wondering if the chronic pain actually go away? I am tired of taking all these medicine and scared that I will not have a liver left..............

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Neurontin is not a controlled substance and is not a uphoric medicine like lyrica is. Lyrica also causes serious weight gain - it makes a person obsessed with food. I like neurontin better because I don't feel any high like I did with lyrica and im not eating everything in sight anymore. Neurontin makes ALL of my symptoms & nerve pain disappear.

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Thanks Nat. I was started on Neurontin but did not take it as prescribed as I was a bit too scared at the time, so I near ever really experienced its potential for pain relief for me. Another doctor prescribed Lyrica for me and I have stayed on it for years now. I think weight gain is only caused by being more sedentary as a result of the drug, not because it causes you to eat more? Now I am wishing I was on Neurontin, it is all too hard.

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John if liver enzymes were not elevated before Lyrica and are after taking lyrica, it's probably due to the lyrica

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Noticing my blood pressure levels since starting Lyrica are sky high. 180/110 etc, day and night. Moderate relief for my Fibro, but sure don't want to risk a stroke. Been on it now 4 wks and gained 5 lbs.

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I'm glad I don't have the problems the other people have with Lyrica. I already had high liver functions when I started taking it, that aren't any higher after starting it. I have fatty liver from having a large BMI. They tell me if I can lose weight I can get over the fatty liver. Before taking it I was hurting so horribly I could barely move. The first week of taking it I felt like a different person, no pain at all. I have been on it for 2 or 3 years but the pain relief isn't as good as when I first starting taking it. I feel like sometimes it is not helping so I miss it for 1 day, I wake up the next morning and can't get out of bed because I am in to much pain to move. I take 1 75mg a day. I wish I could afford to take more a day but at least that takes the edge off the pain. I also take tramadol. I did have swelling in my ankles and legs at first but haven't had that for some time. I have fibro, bulging disks, arthritis, bursitis and rotator cuff tendinitis.

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Sienna, your post is the most sensible one I have read here so far. I am in my first week of taking Lyrics and it has already helped th lower my pain. Yes, I have cravings..in fact I've noticed a marked increase in appetite but I either get busy to distract myself or I munch on some raw veggies like celery and carrots. One of the GOOD hunger side effects is that I am really enjoying eating the healthy foods I had long neglected. Lyrics is NOT a narcotic to my knowledge. Last time I checked, narcotics could not be called in to the pharmacy. The reason why I cam to this site is because a friend and fellow HCV sufferer told me his team of doctors advised against it fie to liver dangers. I have not seen anything but mass hysteria until the post I mentioned at the beginning. When you post about a side effect you have experienced, one should not advise everyone to decline the use of a drug. We are are different and react differently to medications. I would hats to see someone who could see marked improvement scared away by these witch hunt like posts. Yes there are side effects and possible dangers with this and any drug. That is why they are controlled by requiring prescriptions. Most pharmacies give information sheets on possible side effects and dangers and are available for questions. Talk to your pharmacists or physician. Don't play the telephone gossip game when it comes to your health. Every post I've seen in this thread has been off topic and I would still like to see some INTELLIGENT responses about possible LFT elevations. Hopefully I will find some posts here about experiences with ACTUAL liver test result while on Lyrics here.

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Hi. I realize you posted this a long time ago, but many hear are complaining about having the facial pain after dental work. I had a root canal- and after this, I started having shooting pain on the left side of my face(same side as root canal), my neck hurt, other teeth hurt-- I could NOT function and wanted to die. The dental work caused a condition called TRIGEMINAL NEURALGIA-- I got it from DENTAL WORK. If you keep having these symptoms, please ask your family doctor about this. You can take Gabapentin, Lyrica, Tegretol-- to STOP THE NERVE PAIN. You see a neurologist and usually, they try these drugs- and though I cannot take tegretol nor Gabapentin - I am trying the Lyrica though it is making my clinical depression very dark---. There are other options for trigeminal neuralgia- if you have facial pain - that is sharp, also in the ear, jaw- etc... Check with your doctor about this disease. GOOD LUCK!

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I too have suffered from chronic facial nerve pain (also due to dental work and chronic sinusitis). Today, I am pain free. I took Nortryptiline for 2 years which totally eradicated the pain immediately. After 2 years (with my doctor's guidance I gradually weaned myself off of the drug). It's been 10 years and no pain.

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I have a 70% fatty liver, I've been taking oxycodone 5 mg and merperidine for the past five years. It worked on my lower back pain and joint pain. Noe a pain pharmiscist wants to chage it by puttin stopping the merperidine and use liryca. Not sure which is worst?

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Hello Siberschamps
I have be taking Lyrica for many years now and do not notice any of the side effects people talk about. I did increase weight but I think that was more due to my lifestyle at the time, and my reaction to the onset of the facial pain.
I asked my doctor about Liver damage from Lyrica, he told me straight out that it does not go through the liver, so I was very relieved.
I also read here where people are complaining of teeth falling out, he told me this is not so.
I agree with you, it is not right to frighten people of the medication when the alternative is not good.

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P.S. I am dieting now as I want to get off the extra kilos, I am having no trouble getting it to drop off.
Lyrica does not cause the weight gain, giving in to cravings does, and not exercising contributes.

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Thank you gig, but I think there may be some misinformation here. Medicines pass through your liver to be filtered, so I can't see how any one drug could bypass this natural function. Thanks for trying to help. I am now taking Lyrica, and had a few minor side effects at first, but nothing more now. the worst of it was being sleepy for the first week or so. The hunger problem wasn't bad at all, and so far, I haven't gained any weight at all. I do appreciate your answer. Thank you very much!

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Hi Sighberscamp. I think you might find that I am correct. The drug does not assimilate in the liver, it is filtered by the kidneys. Maybe you could research this yourself and let me know if you find this is the case. I have no reason not to believe what my Specialist tells me.

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Thank you once again gig! I stand corrected! I did as you suggested and researched a little further. I found that you are 100% correct. Please forgive me for questioning you, and thank you for your patience with me. I learned quite a lot here, and feel much better. I am now no longer worried about a problem with my liver from taking Lyrica. It has been a great help to me so far. The increased appetite didn't last too long, and I am happy to say that I did not gain a single pound while taking it. Thanks again for your help! :)

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HI Siberscamp,

Thanks for replying, good to know we can all feel liver healthy!

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Well, at least as far as Lyrica goes anyway. I worked in the medical field and at some point was exposed to HepC. luckily, all I have so far is the antibody so I am carefully guarding my liver. That's what brought me to this forum. I wish you continued good health and happiness. :)

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Hi Karona....I too suffer from severe facial pain. I do not know what started it, although it could have been when my back two teeth were removed. I have had facial pain start slowly about six years ago. Now, it is so bad, I do not want to get out of bed. I am taking clonzopan but I do not want to take any more medicine. I have seen so many doctors I have lost hope. My husband keeps me thinking positive, but it is hard!! Please e mail me back if you have found any other form of relief other than the meds you are taking. Thanks, Mene'

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i am taking valcade for kemo of multiaple myeloma i aso had liver cirrohsis at one time now its coming back i think so i am back on viread which with kemo it lowers my platelettes the kemo therapy is working so far already i am worried about pain medicines because of possiable bleeding inside. my platelettes are now only 45,000 any ideas/

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Short message. I have been on lyrica for about two months after spinal fusion and laminectomy. Really bad sciatic pain after operation. The lyrica helps to ease this, hopefully while the nerve is settling down. No bad effects, a couple of days of fluidy legs and feet, other than that nothing. My physio has warned me not to stay on this drug for too long as it is hard for the liver to metabolize he said. I dont drink and eat in a healthy manner. Also, thank goodness for someone who can spell! I cant believe how many people in this forum, and others who cannot spell. How do they know what is and what isn't good for them when they appear to be almost illiterate! Thanks for your input.

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I would like to personally thank you for your note on the difference between 'dependence' and 'addiction'. I have attempted to write on the subject for over 20 years, having found myself in a medical situation that I, unfortunately, do require help with permanent pain. I finally gave in to describe it in simple terms: "If I was in severe and permanent pain, whereby my pain sensors ceased to work either somewhat or completely for the strain of 24 / 7 relief, and you gave me an apple, which relieved that pain. I would be dependent on that apple forevermore to function each day. However, I would not go stealing bushels of them because they made me 'high'!" For medical conditions, it does not matter WHAT the drug is for us. It only matters that whatever it is, enables us to keep on living a 'somewhat' normal life. Having said this, do not ever imagine we are pain free, as we are not. We are prescribed the dose that works for our particular bodies, but not in order to get 'high'. Street addicts on other hand, who have pain sensors that work quite well, are providing their bodies with many, many times above the natural opiate production of their body, as well as provide themselves with as much as their body will physically and mentally tolerate, without causing death. The addict calls this 'getting high' and really it is, as the body is taken to the extreme level of toleration, thus causing inability for other body functions to work as well as they otherwise would. THESE are they who have made things very difficult for those of us who do need some form of relief just to get through life, as I say, somewhat functional.

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