Does Anyone Taking Lyrica Have Memory Loss? (Page 21)
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I have been on Lyrica for about 8 months now and I am having fantastic results. My dr is trying to increase my dosage and I have been doing it in 50 mg increments. I am up 100 more now in a month, for a total dosage of 400mg. I find that I have very bad recall and loss of my vocabulary during conversation. It eventually goes away, but I was wondering if anyone else has this? If it keeps up, I just may have to drop back down 50mg until I get used to it? That seemed to work that last time I had to raise it.BTW, I have nerve pain in my ribcage. (not caused by shingles)

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Ecira,

I understand that my comments may have come off as harsh, but I have worked with persons with psychiatric disorders before and have witnessed them scare people away from a new medication because of their own problems with side effects. With that population, you have to be very careful not to give them ANY reason to avoid taking their meds as directed. When the meds kick in and they start to feel better, some will stop their meds thinking they are "cured."

My comment wasn't necessarily about your experience with memory problems on Lyrica, but was directed toward those with fibromyalgia as a means to help them better understand the disease "normal". Your post was simply the springboard for my well-intentioned "word vomit" ;-)

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Dear Ericka Calahan,
FYI, since you don't know, my problems stem from spine injuries, and not something like what you have (fibromyalgia or some ailment that compromises one's brain function). I'm just telling the truth. Like I've said before, I'm glad it has helped others... The "name" of this "Discussion Thread" is indeed, "Does Anyone Taking Lyrica Have Memory Loss ?" It is not, "Isn't Lryica a wonderful thing!" I am not trying to alarm anyone, just sharing with others (who are mostly already quite alarmed) my own personal story. I am glad your pain has subsided. I wish we could all just get our brains back. Best of luck to you.

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Go to: drugs.com/sfx/lyrica-side-effects.html

Scroll down to read the "Lyrica Side Effects - for the Professional." Keep scrolling and scrolling and you will see all kinds of bad reactions... You will no doubt have to look up the meanings of some of the medical terminology to understand it, but I saw most of your husband's symptoms listed.

I'm so saddened to keep hearing how so many have suffered because of this drug, am especially saddened for your husband.

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my husband took lyrica for 2 years after his 2nd cervival surgery. dr. prescribed it for neurothopy. He stopped taking lyrica a year and half ago and it's all been downhill since then. He stopped taking it because of shortness of breath and thought the drug may be causing that. at this point we are unable to find out what his problem is. shortness of breath is worse, finding the correct words?..next to impossible, severe weakness, trouble walking, talking. He has no control over constant blinking of his eyes. He can hardly see anymore. he is a mess!!!! neurologists want to blame this on anxiety and depression. of course he is depressed at this point, who wouldn't be. anyone else having these types of symptoms after stopping lyrica?

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Ecira,

I know you probably mentioned in a previous post what you were prescribed Lyrica for (and I am too lazy to look). I have similar word grasping issues as you do. It seems like the everyday words like up or down are the ones that get lost. I can recall large words & concepts easily, but can barely string together the thoughts because I can't form those basic transitions.

It is difficult for me to figure out if these word lapses are from Lyrica or from the fibromyalgia for which it was prescribed. Would I like my basic vocabulary back? Yes. Would I stop taking Lyrica when no other medication has helped with the past as well as it does? Not a chance in hell. Everybody has different body chemistry and you shouldn't tell others to refuse Lyrica based on your own adverse history. I realize you are trying to help, but how you word things when telling others is what counts. Share your story and your opinion, but please do not scare people away from a drug that may benefit them greatly.

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Hi Karel,
I still can't find simple words during conversation - many months after stopping Lyrica. Organizing my fingers and thoughts to type this is difficult (I an even reversing letters when typing words...). And, I am still constantly reversing meaning, as in saying "up" in stead of "down," etc.

I forget so many things so many times everyday, as in constantly, it has become my new "norm." It is difficult to complete simple daily tasks without forgetting what I am doing, i.e., cooking: I will get out the vegies to chop for soup, and end up washing out the coffee pot, reading old mail... I'll glance into the bedroom and end up changing the bedding... Then, I glance into the kitchen and remember that I was going to make soup, so I look in the fridge for the vegies, and think I am going nuts, because I don't have the vegies in the crisper that I thought I had. Then I look around in bewilderment and discover I have already gotten the vegies out... I am leaving pots cooking on the stove when I am sure I cut the burners off. What I realize now, is that what I am doing, is thinking about cutting the burners off, and visualized doing it, but failing. That's just a simple example of what my life has become. (For examples of other of my many confusing moments, insert another daily life scenario, and that describes what is going on...)

I'll often go to the store to pick up one item, and forget why I am there.

I am in my 50s, with no family history of "dementia," or such, so it is not "old age." All this came on suddenly and severely after taking Lyrica.

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I am amazed at the number of people who have similar symptoms to myself after taking lyrica, (eg-STML) i must say this medication (3x150 daily + tramadol) has relieved the constant nuerological pain i was suffering in my left leg which nearly drove me mad, but i have had to start writing down the time when i take my medication, because five minutes after taking the tablets, i cannot remember taking them, i now do a lot of thinking about all thoughts of things, i am glad i came across this site and i will now keep popping back.
Warm Regards, Stephen

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I am so saddened by the news of your son's impairment. I hope a solution for recovery can be found.

My pharmacist told me (when I recounted my problems to her a couple of days ago {I tell everyone I can about its bad affect Lyrica has had on my mind}), told me that my doc should have perhaps started me off on a much lower dose. I was started at 75 mg twice a day. She said 25 mg is a good dose to start with, increasing gradually as needed.

Too late. Damage done. I pray it is not permanent, but seems to be. I saw a neurologist (not the doc that prescribed it), and he got quite upset (he could not conceal it) when I told him all the bad problems I have as a direct result of Lyrica. He had no suggestions to help me.

I want to know the exact reason why that part of my brain is damaged. How it can trash perfectly great brain function in such a short period of time?

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I am experiencing memory issues after taking Lyrica, but I only took 50 mg for a few months. The doctor who gave it to me kept coming on to me sexually. After I rejected him OVER AND OVER AGAIN, then he tired desperately with pointing out that I made him erect, his last attempt. He conveniently suggested the Lyrica. I used it off label (the FDA has not approved its usage) for debilitating chronic daily migraines. He even lied on the insurance forms to get the approval I was in so much pain I just took it so I had a medication to relieve the pain while I got a new doctor.
He later called my new Neuro and trashed me (how he found out who it was is still puzzling) and still have to get a new Neuro. Bastard, he's Married and he gets mad at me for rejecting him. I have no interest in him and I don't sleep with another women's man, I was like leave me alone, your wife who is probably a good women, who thinks you a good man, and he is a piece of dog poo. This medication should be taken off the market, how convent of him to give me a medication that makes migraines worse and causes memory loss.

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I was at 200 mg. X 3 pills daily, I lost over 3 years worth of memories and that just wasn't worth the pain relief. The only thing we as indiviuals can do is email every friend on your list and give them your warning and include this website so they know that it isn't just you that has this problem. WORD OF MOUTH. That is how you make the rest of the country aware of this and maybe enough voices can be obtained to actually make a difference. You can't just hit the ignore button on this one and hope that things will change. Action on your part is needed. The drug company will hide any minor or 1 in 10 side effects so they can make money peddling their snake oil so every one here needs to take action or just bend over and take it. I for one am more worried about the next guy down the line. I will pass it along so that they don't have to go through what we have. I have an obligation to those that follow in my footsteps.

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I am so concerned about this. It has been months since stopping. I couldn't remember how long I took Lyrica, and reread my previous posts just now. (I only took it 2 and 1/2 weeks). My short term memory is still wretched, too. I am not the same person I was before taking Lyrica, and fear I will never recover. THIS DRUG NEEDS TO BE BANNED!!!!!!! What can we do? Has anyone been able to get help? Recovered?

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I have been on lyrica for about 5months now and am going to get off of this asap. It hasnt helped with my pain and i feel that i have more prolems now then before. I cant remember names, words, or have jumbled thoughts. I cant sleep and have awful pain in my feet that i want to cut them off. I was prescribed this without even being diagnosed and I now am questioning why after reading all these posts. i constantly am saying that i want my mind and life back!!!

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Sorry I forgot my main Lyrica problem, I had all of the short term memory problems described by most of you including the loss or fumbling for names and common words. I also sat down to watch a movie one night with my wife and she said that we watched it a few months before. I rewatched the movie with her and could not recall it at all so some of the memory gaps a huge, BEWARE of the Lyrica, It did wonders for the l-5 s-1 pain I had but it wasn't worth 4 years of memory.

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I took Lyrica for 3 or 4 years and suffered a great deal of short term memory loss. I was at 3X200 mgs when I got off of it and while it helped my short term memory to get off of it my recovery from the drug wasn't and isn't complete, I also suffered from dry mouth, this condition causes a reduction in the level of saliva that is produced in the mouth and saliva is essential in not only keeping the mouth wet but there are good bacteria in the saliva that helps prevent tooth decay by killing that bad bacteria that eats at the enamal on your teeth. Don't be fooled by the oral rinses on the market now for dry mouth as they cannot replace the saliva and its germ fighting ability. My dry mouth was so subtle that my teeth were all beyond help by the time I discovered the problem. If you suspect the condition of dry mouth you need to double or triple your tooth care regime and definitely need to speak to your dentist about it. I lost like 6 teeth over 3 years before being diagnosed with dry mouth. I had the remaining top 12 teeth pulled all at once and will lose another two on the bottom leaving me 5 total. It shows itself along the gum line so take that as a key indicator. Let me know when the lawsuits begin.

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Best of luck. I only took it a few weeks, and had awful side effects (you may be able to look back on my previous post). NOw, months later, I start to do something, i.e., as in go to get something, then forget what I was about to do/get. I'm not talking about the rare "ever now and then," but rather many times a day. I am really concerned.

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I suffered nerve damage in my groin after an Inguinal Orchidectomy and started taking Lyrica a few months later. Since then i have noticed a dulling of the senses and an amount of memory loss that must make me appear stupid to others. It has got to the stage that in the midle of a debate with my partner i couldn't remember what had been said or why we were arguing. I have now decided to come off Lyrica to see if i can get my brain back.

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Ive been on Lyrica for about 6 weeks now for fibromyalgia ..... first of all I thought how brilliant it took my pain away. But as time goes on I am feeling like a zombie with memory loss .... I am on 75mg a day ! I want to stop, so do I just stop ? as 75mg is not much !

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HI, yes the mid sentence forget the word thing happens with this drug alot.. I had it, I don't take it anymore and still feel like I have it. I have a hard time forming thoughts all the time. I used to be very successful and now I am afraid to go back to work after taking this drug(i got let go 3 days after starting this and I know it was the reason) I suffer from fibromyalgia and have now tried everything. The only one that helped alot and I felt like it was a mirical (see I cant even spell now) was savella. But you can't take this if you have anxiety because it will make it worse, beyond that I felt good in just three days, the arm pain that nothing helps, my hand pain that they say maybe from carpel tunnel, back pain all went away. It was sooo great. Also any side effects I had stopped in about 24 hrs instead of this one carrying on for months now.
Besh wishes everyone ... do your research before even taking one pill. Thats all it took for me to be a wreck enough to lose my job.

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Shelly, I 'm sorry you have been having problems for so long after stopping Lyrica. I hope your Neuro doc visit went well today. How did the it go? Let us know. Any new plan of action from him/her for you? I hope my brain gets its "edge" back (I only took it a few weeks, and have never been the same).

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Has any of our memory probs gone away I'm a mess I can rember crap I go threw periods where I'm just so confussed and don't know what's goin on like that high feeling when I was takin lyrica and I have been off it almost a yr 2day it a bad day norm ill b confussed for awhile then it goses away its random and so scared right now I've been confused sicne 1pm and its now 630pm I hope it goses away soon I have alredy missed 2day work this week do2pain i m sacred if I miss 1more day this week ill loos my job are u fine now or dose it only get worse?I go see a neruo dr2marrow I'm just a mess

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