Does Anyone Taking Lyrica Have Memory Loss? (Page 3) (Top voted first)

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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NIck, I have no doubt you are right, and I deeply feel for you and your son. I am from Australia, so the problem is not just in the US. ... I was on Lyrica for only 6 months for nerve pain associated with a neck injury and disk prolapses. It really (and quite immediately) helped with the pain - where everything else had failed. However, correspondingly, I began to realize that I was genuinely losing my mental faculties. Although I have been off it now for over a year, I am still much slower mentally than I was. I cannot stress enough my sincere advice to all others now on this drug, or considering using it: get off it asap, don't touch it (unless you happen to be a terminally ill patient), no matter what level of pain you may be suffering. Severe pain, though so very nasty, is still preferable to the frustration of an increasing loss of brainpower. Please: DON'T TOUCH LYRICA.

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Been taking lyrics 200mg 3 times a day for at least a year. I'm at maximum dose you can take for nerve pain along with other narcotics. Still I carry pain around all day everyday but I have tried other drugs like gabapentin and tramadol but found lyrics was the best. But now I have absolutely no memory almost to the point my head feels empty of any process. It's like it's blank, nothing is computing! I have to pause to find words mid sentence and I can't remember anything. But in my job which I lost 5 years ago due to the pain I had to remember lists, meetings, appointments but now nothing. I have to write everything down and I mean everything else I have no clue! Been to the doctor and waiting for blood results to see if there is an issue but I've already taken myself off lyric but fear after reading everyone's comments that's my brain has been messed up.

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I also experienced memory loss, confusion about where I put things, constantly reaching for a word that wouldn't come to me, sometimes for days before I would remember a common word like spatula, I had so much difficulty following doctors instructions or remembering anything at all a doctor may have told me during a visit. I wrote down as much as I could in a notebook I used daily and dated the page. I had a separate one for dr visits, but even with that, I was having serious difficulty dealing with my life. Did I already take my meds? Did I feed the cats? Where are my keys? My husband complained,"You are repeating yourself over & over! You are going around in circles as if you can't digest or settle an issue once you've talked it over 10 times already!" I had difficulty articulating a thought, difficulty formulating a sentence, with many false starts and prefacing and re-prefacing & forgetting altogether what I was going to say, and my words would drop off until I completely gave up trying to say what I was thinking. I had no recall of things I had done, such as emptying a past season plant pot, and where is the pot? Where did I dump it? I don't recall anything about doing it.
I thought it was Alzheimer's. I read up on it. I was 62. My symptoms matched all the symptom of Mild Cognitive Dysfunction (MCD), a precursor to Alzheimers. I read on. The symptoms lined up exactly with estrogen deficiency. I went out of net, found a Gyn who prescribed estrodial patch and progesterone. Like magic, gone was 97% of my symptoms and my fright about Alzheimers. I performed very well on an Alheimers test which ruled out Alzheimers. What a relief! I was diagnosed with estrogen deficiency and severe atrophic vaginitis.(I had shrunk, irreversibly.) ther were many other associated symptoms that I had been seeing my primary dr about that she completely missed, went over her head. I'm just saying all this so others may know it might not be Lyrica or aging causing your memory problems. Who's to say that the MCD I had resulting from estrogen deficiency wouldn't lead to Alzheimers? My doctors said "a link hasn't been proven." The symptoms were identical all the way down the checklist. I'm not waiting for "proof!"

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Hi Nick,

I can really sympathise. Early on in my recovery, a nurse colleague even said to me that I seemed to have post-stroke symptoms, without actually having a stroke!

The effect of the Lyrica was easy to observe shortly after I took each dose. The pain would disappear, but so too would my speech. It was as apparent to me as it was to those around me.

I will find a quiet moment to put together a list of some books on brain health and some OTC supplements that I've found helpful, that your son might also find of use in his recovery. I'll post them here. X

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I agree. If doctors prescribe Lyrica and notice these symptoms, then take the patient off and put them on something else. Doctors must be educated with the possible dangers of the side effects of this drug and if they come up, then, please put the person on another drug that can still relieve the pain without the dangerous side effects of Lyrica.

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To Nick and all else who follow this site, with its painful drama of life: specifically here: the dreadful Lyrica issue—that which continues to disturb me—even though I am free of the stuff.

Lyrica pain relief hit me quickly, positively, at first. I felt an almost instant reduction to the level of my pain (which is largely due to cervical spine damage and disc compression & degeneration). For some time, though, I actually doubted that this drug was also the cause of my quite sudden loss of what has been a normally strong cognitive function.

I searched widely and passionately online nevertheless, first regarding other people who thought that memory loss might be linked to taking Lyrica. (What a powerful drug! I was lucky to learn, early, that my memory problems WERE, albeit from an anecdotal perspective, CAUSED by the taking of Lyrica. (I noticed I became worse in the brain as the dose increased—whilst the pain (so sweetly in all other ways) decreased! I stopped taking it—to my doctor's surprise (a fine doctor though, I must add: never did he push any drugs, or doses of same, as being any kind of solution. However, he had observed the lessening of my physical pain symptoms during the 6 months I had been taking Lyrica ... (many of you know the rest about the cost to our brains!)

Concluding, and firstly, to Nick—who has lost so much of his life only because of Lyrica's destruction (upon his obviously very bright son's capacity and future life—I just hope, mate, that time may yet, still, in your favour ultimately; time MAY slowly but truly help your boy to be well again. I (think) my brain power is again normal, enough for my age, 61, at least.

But I must finish ... although there is much more I could say about this topic. I just Keep strong everyone; we need to feel the sweetness of distant empathy. Perhaps we need to unite to stop this sickening drug ...and the damn company that makes millions and millions of dollars from it.

I also wish to thank the moderators of this very site for keeping it so alive and allowing it to grow. It represents, nay... it delivers... hope for all of us who suffer ongoing pain, as well as those whose suffering is almost as hard: those whose loved ones have to witness, and deal with too our challenges, our, pain, our drugs.

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Was on lyrics 600mg per day for 2 years but took myself off just over 6 months ago due to speech issues, memory loss and hyper activity. Found it excellent for the nerve damage down the back of both legs and even better for getting everything done at super fast speed but on the down side I have memory loss. When asked "do you remember when?" Or just general things to remember on a daily basis you can forget it even after 6 months without lyrics.

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Really glad to be of help and sad to hear you are finding out the same way I did about lyrica. I was a restaurant manager until I was hit by a car and ended up with nerve damage to my legs. I was put on a very low dose to start with and increased up to 600mg, which I was told by the doctor that was the max. Lyrica worked amazing well and took away the pain along with other drugs that I had been on for a while helped me to maintain a normal pain free ish life. But I started to find I was slurring my words, not finding the right word mid sentence or totally forgetting what I was talking about. I felt frustrated because it was simple things and I was beginning to feel slightly stupid so I would keep quite while out. Then during conversations family and friends would be like "do you remember when?" I would just laugh it off and say yeah but I knew I couldn't. I also live in a small bungalow but I would move room to room and forget what I was doing. I went to the doctors and he had wanted me to do a few memory evaluations which I couldn't do. Had to say the months of the year backwards and count backwards and just couldn't do it. He took bloods to check for certain levels of some chemical in my brain but that was all fine. So why did I feel like my brain had been wiped clean?! I read all the information leaflets which came with my pills and lyrica states can "cause memory loss". So I started to research lyrica and found this website which opened my eyes greatly. I wouldn't recommend doing what I did but I went cold turkey and came straight off the lyrica. Battled through the dreadful side effects and became clean from it. My speech has improved greatly but my memory just feels like it's been removed. I'm now treating myself by researching natural alternatives, stopping and taking true care of myself knowing when to stop, rest and not over do things. I've battled with the UK benefit system and finally receive personal independence payments and employment and support benefit for my degenerative disc disease which at least takes the financial worry away and helps me to concentrate on looking after myself on a daily basis. I have also received 12 sessions of cognitive behaviour therapy which I have learnt so much from and has allowed me to learn how to take better care of myself which sounds mad at the age of 40 but I'm in a lot of pain all day but was still doing a lot for others and not accepting help back. I was worrying that if I accepted help then it was like admitting I was ill. I have done a lot of research over the past 6 years to find the best paths to take and I know for me lyrica, tramadol and gabapentin were all drugs I have tried and hated. I wouldn't recommend stopping them like I did but I would recommend talking to your doctor about it and seeking help. I have found comfort in treating myself with natural alternatives, mind over matter and taking good care of myself even with 2 active kids a house to run and a husband who is self employed and I deal with all his paperwork. Please feel free to ask any questions, happy to chat with any one xx

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Jennifer -
Well Italy- you are not alone. You did the right thing. It's to bad you can't see the same Doctor. Make sure you document what is going on when it happens. I am in South Dakota and MS is prevelant in the Midwest so I am being tested for that first. I have to mention this- they are going to do an scan of my brain and check for MS. I personally believe- like everyone here- it's the lyrica. Are you tired all the time or take really hard naps for 3 or more hours? There is a lot things that are affected but you are on the right track. Visit with your husband and make sure you tell him everything. I can keep you informed as I go through this right before you. I literally just told my family on Christmas- now instead of pointing out my short comings- everyone is more than willing to help out- especially when you lose track of what your saying in the middle of a sentence.
Anyway- I'm happy to help you in any way I can!

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I was placed on Lyrica sometime in 2006. I don't remember the dosage. At the time I worked in a hospital and Lyrica was given to me for back pain. Prior to that I was on davocet which managed my pain fairly well with little side effects. Then the US government had darvocet and darvon taken off the market. The doctor put me on Lyrica because a salesman said it helps pain, hurrah the new aspirin kills the pain along with the brain. I had terrible side effects, I acted like a drunk. The hospital tested me during my working hours with a blood alcohol test, which of course was negative. I stopped Lyrica cold turkey and another pain doctor put me on Tylenol #3 which helped. Some of my memories have come back and I am not falling off a chair but I still have trouble with finding the right words to say and still have problems with short term memory and it has been 10 YEARS!!! Anyway the hospital laid me off in 2007 after failing monthly evaluations and I had worked for them 29 years. I credit Lyrica for causing me to lose my job.

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Certainly hope not! I only took it for a few weeks but stopped because I couldn't handle the side effects. It is not a safe drug. It's not just forgetfulness. For me, it was getting lost, losing bits of time almost like a black out, leaving things on the stove etc... I don't see howit is still on the mmarket. Memory loss isn't even listed as a side effect that I could find. Hope things look up for your son. I'm much better since I stopped taking it but as I mentioned I still lose my train of thought occasionally.

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I agree with all of your comments, except one that does not concern Lyrica and that is politics. Politics does not belong here. Find a blog that does. We are all here to offer our help and a shoulder and to cry on.

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Hi,
I was in Lyrica for a year, got up to 200 mg three times a day. My symptoms were horrible,I couldn't speak in full sentences. I was /am a 4.0 student. My eyesight got blurry. I had to take my husband with me everywhere,I would forget where I was,what went on, why I was doing what I was doing. The scary part is, my doctor was going to increase the dose even more,against what the pharmaceutical company reccomended. I was suppose to have the worse case of fibro in south Florida. I fired the doctor. I quit cold turkey, don't do it ,its very dangerous. I should have done it under medical supervision. I have to say I had two weeks of the worse withdraw. Here it is 6 months, I have had no meds. I can think somewhat, not 100 percent back to normal. I hurt some,nothing like I did. I can live now. Ithink that when were on meds ,we need to realize what good and what bad are they doing. I wish you luck. There is no way , I'm getting on medicines again where they just keep increasing them. I want to live my life not as a zombie.

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I believe DHA would help regenerate brain damage from Lyrica. I've decreased my Lyrica by 50% and have been on DHA (Fish Oil is DHA and EPA fat the brain must have to be healthy but it needs more DHA than EPA), and I'm slowly seeing great improvements. I'm reading a dictionary and encyclopedia is renew my brain memory database. I also do math in my head.

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Thank you for your message I too have been on lyrica for terrible Fibro pain for years. I have trouble w/ word recall and it affects my memory. I cannot come off it I've tried over and over because my pain is so terrible. I also take toprimate for migraines. I know it affects my memory too. Thank you for your post. It's embarrassing to be mid conversation and I can't recall names or words.

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The doctors who prescribe Lyrica should TELL as well as provide in writing the possible side effect of cognitive impairment that COULD BE PERMANENT and to follow the patient to ensure that this isn't occurring. I'm afraid that many people who are prescribed this drug for pain are mentally and physically exhausted to the point that they fail to read all of the side effects that might occur...however, even if they DO read the info, they will find that one of the more common side effects of "trouble concentrating" is never said to risk the impairment becoming permanent, long after the medication is stopped. Obviously, this permanent impairment is not a rare occurance, and I'm sure that there are many more people who have yet to realize that their decreasing mental status is due to their Lyrica, especially if they stopped taking the medication, and the "trouble concentrating" continues. I know that I'm the sort that if I get a rash after starting a medication, then stop it, and the rash doesn't improve--I think that the medication wasn't the cause...and I've been a nurse for 25yrs! I imagine that soon we'll be seeing the attorney commercials "Have you lost mental function after taking Lyrica?" But until this happens, PLEASE educate your physicians about these horrendous side effects. Please listen out for others who might be taking Lyrica and warn them about the possible serious potentially PERMANENT cognitive effects, and urge them to closely monitor for short term memory loss, increased difficulty concentrating, etc. Lyrica is dangerous!!!

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Hey guys,

I'm on lyrica 200mg twice a day, since last october when i had a seizure, then the doc said i have borderline lumbago!!! I work in a warehouse and I have to lie to fellow employees saying that i have a speech therapist due to nerves, purely coz i forget
my words in every sentence! P.s they do help my pain and my social anxiety had improved. My doc says it can lead to long term permanent memory loss! Now i;m scared and tried to come off them, but f***, people don't go cold turkey on them.
Suicide was my first feeling, then not leaving my room with fear, sweat and panic attacks! Stay safe and don't run out please!

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I've been on Lyrica for 5 years for my Fibromyalgia and it works very well for this kind of all over pain. It doesn't work as well for my pinched nerve pain in my lumbar spine, for that I take Gabapentin. I never gained weight on Lyrica but I've gained almost 40 pounds since I started Gabapentin so I'm planning on cutting down my doses to 2 600mg pills a day instead of 3 and yes you can take both Lyrica and Gabapentin together.

Many Chronic Pain Patients are prescribed Gabapentin at night to help them sleep. Everyone reacts differently to medications, that's why I hope that everyone here has a wonderful doctor who they see on a regular basis for their pain issues and general health. A good Doctor makes all of the difference in the world but they are getting harder and harder to come by and have less time to spend with their patients.

The Doctors that I know really want to be able to spend more time with their patients but the healthcare changes and mandates has them seeing twice as many patients and care has ultimately suffered in many offices, you're lucky to see a doctor for more than 5-10 minutes, it used to be 15-30 minutes. You can't hardly be an effective doctor when you have to end your visit with your patient after only 5-10 minutes, it's a big concern.

Many good Doctors that I know have retired early in their forties and fifties, this seems really young to me but they aren't happy and didn't want to spend the money to become compliant. More people are insured now which is a good thing but the level of service and quality of that office visit has certainly suffered. It is my hope that this is improved soon.

My short term memory wasn't good before I was on any medications because of my Fibro Fog and my Ehlers Danlos (EDS) diagnosis. So I can't say that Lyrica made it any worse. I own and manage a very successful company and I have found that writing stuff down helps me a lot. Sometimes I lose words mid-sentence and I have to pause longer than I want to, I forget where I'm going.... but again I was doing all of those things from Fibro Fog before all of these medication were being taken and I can't say my memory is any worse, I take three 100mg Lyrica per day. Maybe at higher doses it would be worse.

I'm on what I call a Chronic Pain Cocktail for the rest of my life, however I've been on the same dose of Narcotics/Muscle Relaxants for almost 7 years. I don't have an addictive personality or issues with addiction which helps but I also do "Drug Free Holidays" each month and I really think this has helped me, I don't take Narcotics on the weekends which helps to reset my pain receptors. I take 2-3 days off together from Narcotics, these are the days that I supplement with herbal Kratom, which has been a great green alternative to pain meds, not a cure all but it helps with anxiety issues, pain and low energy.

Anyways, that's just my take on Lyrica, I personally like Lyrica but it's not for everyone. Please remember that most people that are happy/satisfied with a medication are usually not on this type of chat board raving about how good it works, they just don't think about it because it works for them. So this chat website that we all love is skewed more towards the people that aren't happy with a medication, as long as you know that then you can look at each complaint and medication objectively.

I have seen so many lives greatly improved from Lyrica and just a few who couldn't tolerate taking Lyrica and one person who was allergic to Lyrica. I personally wouldn't be scared of it, the people that we see that have a slight loss of short term memory that discontinue Lyrica, their memory improves as long as they're treating their Fibromyalgia with something else. Narcotics and muscle relaxers can also give you short term memory loss so sometimes it's not Lyrica by itself but the combination of all of the meds that you're taking. Gotta go!

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I was taking Lyrica for 7 years and while it helped with Fibromyalgia pain, it definitely rewires the nervous system and brain in an undesirable way. Memory loss, anxiety, sleeping problems, etc. are a big problem. It has taken me six months to taper off the drug and I am currently experiencing lethargy, lack of motivation and anxiety. I would seek IV Ketamine treatments (worked for me) and natural substances or Low Dose Naltrexone with a gluten free diet and meditation, low impact exercise, etc. instead.

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yes i too am experiencing memory loss so bad from lyrica that i thought i was gettin alzheimers. seriously, ive only been on it about 6 mo as well and i went from 50 mg twucw a day to 100 mg twice a day and it isnt heloing my pain or neuropthy at all. i need a doc who will see me as a sufferer not a seeker. my body is my prison

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