Lyrica And A Fat Belly (Top voted first)

I have been taking Lyrica 150 mg twice a day with 100mg sustained release tramadok (ultram) I have severe post hepetic neuralgia in my left thigh following an attack of shingles. This combination of meds has reduced pain by 59% allowing me to function, Then I noticed I was slowly and stadily gaining weight - about 30 lb. The interesting thing is it is all (nearly) belly weight - my waist has now completely dissapeared. The first side effect (i didn;t really notice the weight gain at first) was I was unsteady and my balance degenerated quite a bit. The I noticed typing I would mix up similar words like their and there and sea and see. The wiuld always be the wrong way round. At first the memory loss seemed an extention of aging but in the last minth it has got alarming. Today I was following a man across a busy hll to get change of $20 and forgot zI was following him. Also recently for the first time ZI can;t find words, get lost 1/2 way through a sentance and I have to type really slowy or it is a mes. My thinking has slowed so between all that and a fat belly I somehow have to get off. I an switching the night dose to 75mg tablets and 2 ibuprofin. Lyrica works well for nerve pain - combined with ultram it is brilliand but rvrn pfiezer say they don;t know how it works,I think it is slowly destroying my mind and bybody, I want out. Did anybody with PHN manage to get off it. What else can we take for nerve pain?

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On Lyrica side effects: I suffered severe back pain from spinal stenosis in my cervical(neck) region, also lumbar (low back) region. I was so crippled and frazzled from pain, I went to the Stanford Hospital Pain Clinic: I was given a script for gabapentin/Neurontin, aTENS unit, and prescribed steroid injections to nerve roots exiting spinal canal (didn't help). I was too afraid to take gabapentin when I read the pamphlet (it's used for seizures??? Dosage must be titrated?? Yuck, not me) so I suffered & suffered. I saw neurosurgeons, had several rounds of Physical Therapy(PT), 20 acupuncture appointments. Over 200 various appointments in one year. I was referred to a physiatrist who prescribed Lyrica (75 mg 3x/day), and it knocked me out- I slept for most of the 1st 3 days, balance issues, but it relieved my suffering, so many of my back symptoms, like sciatica, deep tissue ache in legs, muscle cramps , spasms, neck, head, arms, there was no place I didn't hurt before the Lyrica. I was euphoric! I could get out of bed more easily, could finally sleep, and could drive (I couldn't turn my head to back out.) and I was no longer in bed half my life wth the TENS unit, Colpac, and nonstop opiates and muscle relaxants.

I gained nearly 40 lbs, albeit, I was underweight from being sick at the start. So I can attribute at least 32 lbs, mostly to my big fat belly, 10" to waist, but elsewhere too, upper arms. My clothes no longer fit. I tried cutting back Lyrica just down 1 75mg dose out of the 4, and too much nerve pain came back, after I had recovered from triple laminectomy back surgery, which was also a miracle.

Q: has any one ever succeeded in reducing the dosage or in getting off completely?
And does the belly reduce in size or is it permanent?

Possum, your memory issues sound exactly like mine, only I had a few others as well, like loss of verbal fluency, repeating myself.....it turned out to be estrogen DEFICIENCY. Not normal post menopausal low estrogen, but I had been deficient for 30 yrs. I'm 65. If you are a woman, look into it. I had to go outside my usual providers and find someone who understood estrogen deficiency.

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I have M.S. and have been on Neurotin for over 8 years and weigh 105lbs. so don't think that it causes weight gain. When I had shingles last year, worse pain ever in my opinion, they put me on Lyrica, had bad reaction, swollen ankles, weight gain. Next they put me on Methadone and it worked wonders for the pain with no bad side effects. Good Luck.

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The thought problems could be senility....i'm kidding.
I am only lower 40's so hopefully won't have those problems,I just spent a day in a Crisis center because of a soon to be ex wife who believes cops are the answer to M.S.
I started with 900mg per day of Nuerontin,now i'm at 1600 and love it, course my younger drug days might have something to do with it, but, the pain is now a memory, Codiene helped a little, but control became an issue,i'm going to try LYRICA because everyone is different and who knows, it may work for me.

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I too was on lyrica in 2008 till 2009. At first did not notice weight gain..but seeing pics now...my face was swollen..I had trouble swallowing..my belly was getting bigger and I suddenly noticed cellulite. ..I had gained so much weight so gradually..despite exercising w seniors 2 times a week..my hands were so swollen..I had to have my wedding band cut from my finger...this was very disturbing..I was gaining. feeling so tired..pain still... could not think straight.. I could not lose this excess weight.. I had been 145 since menopause now I was up in the 170-180 and expressed concern about going off lyrica due to weight gain and excessive bloating..he told me to eat less and exercise more..so I started yoga too..exhausted myself and started to get funny pangs of sharp pain in my legs...Dr told me to stop yoga...said weight gain not due to lyrica...I begged to differ and ever so gradually weaned myself from it...I still am plagued with excess belly fat that I can't shake even if I eat nothing and exercise...nothing budged. I went from being prepared diabetic to full diabetic taking metformin even though I had a great diet... mostly plant based..I have been looking for a Canadian place that started litigation against the makers of lyrica but I haven't found one yet....I now have lymphoma. ...I was technically only diagnosed 2015 but have read u.s. sites that stated lyrica can cause lymphoma...now I know why my neck looked like a tree trunk and everything was swollen...I had trouble with stomach pain in 2009 after going off it and haven't been the same since....anyone out there know of a legal case for these horrible people?

{edited for privacy}

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You know I thought at first it was inactivety but I can walk now and I garden actively - so I can't ride a bike or do a circuit class. I have read so many posts on Lyrica and fat belly and memory. Neurontin is the older form of the same drug. It is well known for weight gain. I don't know about memory. probably the older you are the more you notice the memory stuff. I have cut my night dose in half. When I get used to that I will try the morning one too. I am a herbalist and this time I have decided to give herbs 8 weeks to make a difference. I have mixed tinctures of valerian, skullcap, St Johns Wort and oat straw with a dash of ginger - taking 5 ml 3 times a day - tastes disgusting but no side effects and no risk. Evening primrose oil is supposed to help with nerve inflammation and fish oil about 6-8 capsules a day can put MS into permanent remission. I've seen it - check the internet for more info. I will let everyone no if the herbs can stop my nerves firing inapropriatly

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I take the same dosage of lyrica as you.i have MS. I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS AS YOU DO . Today I am weening off it .i will take only 150mg at night for 1 week then 1 week of 75 mg then stop . I can't say if it works for me or not .i am now taking Tumeric ,royal jelly,evening primrose oil,fish oil + multi vitamins and I feel much better ? will reply in 2 weeks as to how this works.good luck

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My family is always filling in words for me, as I can't think fast enough. I have been taking lyrica for a very long time for trigeminal neuralgia. I've tried virtually everything else. I've gained a whole lot of weight in the last almost 20 yrs I have been dealing with this. No choice in the matter. I can't live with the pain, that's for sure. My ankles swell, my fingers look like sausages, and I look like I am pregnant, and in fact, weigh more than I did when I was 9 months prego.

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The chances of the memory issues being cause by either one of these medications is very slim, they usually do not cause that type of effect.

Have you talked to your doctor about this, yet?

The weight gain can happen on the Lyrica if you are on a high dose for a long period of time, in addition, when you are suffering from pain, you are not usually very active, which can also contribute to the weight gain.

https:/­/­rxchat.com/­wiki/­Lyrica/­

https:/­/­rxchat.com/­wiki/­Ultram/­

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don't know if this will help,but here is my story.
I have Multiple Sclerosis, SEVERE NERVE DAMAGE/PAIN,I have tried everything,Migraines,back pain,leg spasms with pain,all nerve related.
the only thing that has worked on me so far,and I am one month into it is GABAPENTIN/NEURONTIN.
is is unknown what exactly is is or does, t just works, it is FDA approved.
Good luck.

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Myself I have noticed no problems with thought,but I have not been on nuerontin very long,tramadol was no help at all,it caused anger problems after a year of use,my balance sucks because of my exposure to radiaton...or my so called M.S.I weigh 150 and really only eat when I am starving,I don't really like food anyway,so that is probably more habit,if I ate I might gain weight.anyway.....my thoughts.

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Your soon to be ex sounds like a monster hon. Prayers up

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Re: Verwon (# 1)

I too mix up letters and numbers when typing. I have gained 30 lbs since on it. 290 mg twice daily.( mostly upper stomach. It does cause this type of side effect. I forgot what I say or do sometimes almost instantly. Sorry to hear that your in the same boat.

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Re: Josie (# 6)

Wait until you end up hooked on it as it is like opiates.

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I'm on tramadol 1 in the morning. 200ML of lyrics 2a day I have peripheral neuropathy and it just mask the symptoms my weight has gone to 72kg124kg I've been suffering for 4years doctors don't know what there doing we're just a bunch of hi no pigs.

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i was taking nnexito plus bt now it even doesnot wrk .doctor has prescried me provanol 60 mg..........i jst cut down my dependence on medicines......can i quit slowly coz i m only 21..i have a long way to go

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