Anyone take Lyrica?

[cookiebaby 0]

I take this medication for Fibromyalgia. Prior to taking it, I had lost 65 pounds on my own. I started taking the medication and gained back 30.

I wanted to keep taking Lyrica because it helps huge amounts with my pain. However, I have done a few experiments and if I don't take it one day, my hunger is in check but I feel terrible. I haven't taken it for two days after stalling at 15 pounds and guess what - 2 pounds came off.

Just wondered if anyone else has been successful at losing weight while taking this medicine? Anyone know any other medications that can help as much as it did?

[jms462001 9]

Lyrica causes horrible cravings for carbs and uncontrollable hunger. i don't know how anyone could be successful losing weight while taking Lyrica. I gained 40 pounds while on it less than a year. People who have never had a weight problem in their life have gained 20 pounds quickly on lyrica. Try googling lyrica side effects and search for the sights that have stories after stories of peoples experiences with Lyrica. Sorry!!

[cookiebaby 0]

Believe me, I know about all the side effects. I've googled 'til my hands are raw. At first, I didn't read side effects because I've tried so many meds that I wanted to let my body decide. One week later, I was eating everything in sight and had to stop and think what was different - Lyrica. Here's the problem - anyone that has Fibro so bad that they can't function would probably take something that made them turn green if it helped with the pain. I could stop taking Lyrica and I might look really good lying in my bed and a pretty corpse in a few years. The benefit is too great for me.

It is HUGE struggle but until I find something that helps me to function like this, I keep struggling. I have tried just about every single drug out there - the list is very long.

A friend in my class was only on it a week and her psychologist told her to stop taking it. However, she is still able to work. Not quite as desperate as I was to get out of bed.

I'm looking for anyone that takes the drug and was banded. I'm playing around with when I take the dosages, etc. Just looking for any support. So far, I haven't gotten any responses so I'm thinking there aren't any others who take it on this board?

[jms462001 9]

I hear ya. I was desperate too and did not read anything for many months nor would I believe the weight gain was due to the Lyrica. It did help with my pain until the excess weight caused severe arthritis in my knees get so bad that I got baker cysts behind both kneecaps, swelling and severe pain in the knees to the point that all I could do was lay in bed. It was worse than my spinal problems. My knee surgeon said weight loss was the best bet as I was too young for knee replacement and he refused with the weight issue anyway. That was after I already had quit the lyrica and dropped 15 of the pounds, but we all know how difficult it is to take off the weight once we put it on. I hope you can be successful losing weight taking it, since you have the band, if it helps you that much with your pain. And, I bet there are people on this board who take it. Keep bumping this thread up and eventually those people will see it and perhaps they can help you with suggestions on how to take it and lose weight too!! Good luck to you!

Edited March 5, 2009 by jms462001
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[Dzynr30 0]

I have Fibromyalgia also and I must admit; being in so much pain for so long I stopped taking all medication because it didn't seem to ease the pain. It all made me very sleepy and depressed. The only time I didnt hurt is when I was asleep. I did realize that while taking Lyrica I gained alot of weight really fast. It was a personal decision for me to stop taking Lyrica a couple of months prior to having surgery and when I did in all of 2 weeks maybe I lost 20 pounds. My husband has Neuropathy and he takes it because it is supposed to ease the pain in his nerve endings....but it made him gain weight as well and quite franlky the weight is worse than the actual disease because your adding more stress to the joints and muscles. Since being banded on December 31st 2009 I have no pain. I do however still have the irritable bowel and bladder symptoms.....when I feel a little stiff I go to the hot tub and do a little stretching. that seems to do the trick.:cursing:

[cookiebaby 0]

Do you mind telling me how old you are? I have to schedule my knee replacement for this summer. I am 45. I figure I will have to get it replaced at least two more times in my life. Three times if I live as long as Grandma - 104.

[wingnut49421 0]

i gained 40lbs taking lyrica...30 of it in the first 3 weeks..it also caused me to swell adding Water weight in which i then had to take a prescribed water pill...i had to weigh the pros and cons of the medication...i continue to use it because nothing else (which i was a pharamacy before) seems to work as well for my pain...so i live with weight i never had before and severly declined vision.. i choice i had to make...i never had a lap band but i would caution someone who has..it may become another weight issue for you....just my own thoughts...wingnut49421

[koinoi 0]

I have been taking lyrica for almost a week now for meralgia paresthetica and so far i havent noticed any difference in my eating habits but i also havent noticed any help with the pain either. What other medicine do you use instead of lyrica?

[jms462001 9]

Do you mind telling me how old you are? I have to schedule my knee replacement for this summer. I am 45. I figure I will have to get it replaced at least two more times in my life. Three times if I live as long as Grandma - 104.

I'm 54 and the surgeon said I was headed for total knee replacement surgery, but like I said he did not wish to do it because of my age and also because of the weight. He said that it would not last my lifetime (I guess he's counting on me living a long life!) and that the second time is never as successful as the first replacement. I must say that most of my pain is gone and all of the swelling with just the weight I have lost so far. I am still stiff, but the difference is amazing!

[jms462001 9]

I have been taking lyrica for almost a week now for meralgia paresthetica and so far i havent noticed any difference in my eating habits but i also havent noticed any help with the pain either. What other medicine do you use instead of lyrica?

I'm taking topomax now which is also prescribed for nerve pain. I'm really not sure how much it is helping with my sciatica or spinal pain, but my Migraines are practically non-existant. And, topomax has been found to have weight loss as a side effect!

[jms462001 9]

Do you mind telling me how old you are? I have to schedule my knee replacement for this summer. I am 45. I figure I will have to get it replaced at least two more times in my life. Three times if I live as long as Grandma - 104.

Also, maybe you should wait until you have lost more weight before you decide to go through with the surgery. You just might be able to put it off. The arthritis won't go away, but often the pain associated with it does!

[cookiebaby 0]

Lyrica is what finally made my decision to get the lap band. I'm a little more hopeful now - I believe I can get to my goal weight even with the Lyrica. The bottom line is that it is what we put in our mouth that makes us gain the weight. The Lyrica may make the crave things and be very hungry but I've got to do things to getting over that somehow.

[ShrinkyDink 0]

I just started taking Lyrica about 2 months ago, slowly building up the dose. At 75 mg per day I felt no benefit but also no side effects. At 150 mg per day I still felt no improvement in pain but my sleep was quite a bit improved. Trouble was, my weight loss stopped. Strange thing was I really wasn't having cravings or eating more, I just stopped losing. My doc's goal dose was 450 mg per day and I couldn't imagine how much trouble I'd have if I kept bumping it up so I decided to stop taking it for now. I figure I will lose the weight first and then maybe I can handle the effects of it when I'm only trying to maintain my weight, not lose. I was very hopeful that it would help my pain but for now I'm going for thin and in pain instead of fat and pain free. I'll give it another shot when I reach my goal.

[Carolina Mom 0]

I took Lyrica for fibromyalgia and arthritis. I gained weight too. Since having the band done January 27 I am now off all meds. Blood Pressure, Lyrica, etc. I do still take Cymbalta it has helped me more than Lyrica and I did not gain weight. Try Cymbalta.