Lyrica??

Snoopy1

Ive just been pescribed this for nerve pain. It cost me 112 euro for 2 weeks supply. Can i ask the doctor for a generic version as theres no way i can afford this all the time.

Has anyone else been on it?

Tropheus

Yes, I'm on it and find it good for treating Fibromyalgia. I'm not aware of a generic version as yet.

As far as Fibro goes, I've read mixed reviews. Some find it useful and others find it does nothing for them.

Kurtosis

Lyrica (pregabalin) is still on patent so unfortunately there are no generic versions available.

What may be of interest to you is the Drugs Payment Scheme which caps the cost of a months supply of medication for a household at €132. To avail of it you must go to the same pharmacy before the end of the calendar month and bring your PPS number with you and you can register for it there and then.

byhookorbycrook

Are you eligible for the long term illness scheme?I used to take it for neuropathic pain due to my MS, but had to change to gabapentin, due to drug interactions.

Snoopy1

penguin88 wrote: »

Lyrica (pregabalin) is still on patent so unfortunately there are no generic versions available.

What may be of interest to you is the Drugs Payment Scheme which caps the cost of a months supply of medication for a household at €132. To avail of it you must go to the same pharmacy before the end of the calendar month and bring your PPS number with you and you can register for it there and then.

Does it matter if i go to a chain of pharmacies, or do i have to go to exactly the same pharmacy. The reason i ask, is i got these tablets in one chemist, which is part of a chain. I usually go to one nearer my house, which is part of the same chain.

So do i just ask to register for Drugs Payment Scheme??
Sorry i am clueless about these things.

emzolita

i was on it 600mg a day for Epilepsy, I was lucky to get it on the Long Term Illness Scheme though. if youre gonna be on it longterm, try get the LTI book. be careful when weaning off it tough, awful drug for withdrawls. x

RubyGirl

Snoopy1 wrote: »

Does it matter if i go to a chain of pharmacies, or do i have to go to exactly the same pharmacy. The reason i ask, is i got these tablets in one chemist, which is part of a chain. I usually go to one nearer my house, which is part of the same chain.

So do i just ask to register for Drugs Payment Scheme??
Sorry i am clueless about these things.

Snoppy1 you'll have to go to the same chemist for the month, and then you can move to the one closer to home. Does'nt matter if it's a chain I think.

Apply for a card here: http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/Find_a_Service/entitlements/Forms/Drugs_Payment_Scheme/Drugs_Payment_Scheme_Application_Form.pdf

Kurtosis

Snoopy1 wrote: »

Does it matter if i go to a chain of pharmacies, or do i have to go to exactly the same pharmacy. The reason i ask, is i got these tablets in one chemist, which is part of a chain. I usually go to one nearer my house, which is part of the same chain.

So do i just ask to register for Drugs Payment Scheme??
Sorry i am clueless about these things.

You have to stick to the exact same pharmacy within a calendar month. After the end of the month you can move between pharmacies.

If you ask in the pharmacy to register for the Drugs Payment Scheme as you will spend over the monthly threshold of €132, they will provide you with an emergency registration form and will set you up on the spot. If you apply through the HSE online or by post, you will need to wait until your card is issued (~4 weeks) before you can avail of the scheme.

Snoopy1

Thanks guys, I will go to chemist tomorrow and register.
I'm a bit worried about the withdrawal effects you all mentioned.
My consultant only perscribed me 2 weeks worth, and said he was writing to my doctor. Do I have to go to doctor even if I want to come off it?
Oh by the way I'm taking 50mg 3 times a day, is that a high dose?

Eseram

Hi everyone,
I took Lyrica for 6 years and after my second Disectomy on L4/L5 i finally weaned myself from 300mg a day to 75mg and then switched to Nerontin/ Gabepenton.
When i was weaning myself off i would allow 2 weeks per 25mg decrease.Even at this rate i had terrible withdrawal symptoms.These ranged from headaches,depression and just well feeling off!.
Lyrica is an excellent drug for Nerve pain but the drawbacks are significant weight gain too.Also your memory is affected ,that it's hard to recall simple everyday words!.
Google Lyrica and most results back are people complaining of weight gain.
To sum up Lyrica helped with other med's to get me through a very hard time.
If you have a prescription for 2 weeks i wouldn't think you need worry about withdrawal.I am just giving you an idea of the long term effect.
Hope you get sorted and feel better very soon.

Snoopy1

It sound really shallow to say this but I hope I don't put weight on. I've Already put quite bit on from not being able to exercise because ofmy injuries and I don't want to put anymore on.
I'm also suffering from depression and anxiety and I don't. Want it to get worse.

byhookorbycrook

Never had any withdrawal issues, to be honest.

sam34

just a reminder folks- side effects and tolerability vary from individual to individual, so don't assume everyone will experience every side effect

Snoopy1

Well ive definitely put on weight since ive been on it, and its totally affected my mood also

RubyGirl

Has anyone suffered from skin breakout's while on lyrica?

emzolita

If you mean a rash, by te word "breakout" you should ring your specialist nurse and tell them. Rashes can be a serious side affect.

RubyGirl

emzolita wrote: »

If you mean a rash, by te word "breakout" you should ring your specialist nurse and tell them. Rashes can be a serious side affect.

Acne that's not acne, going in tomorrow to see if I can change tables's or come off lyrica altoghter. Thanks.

Mollydin

Definately weight gain, like 2 and a half stone and still rising. On my

palmcut

Lyrica is coming down in price next month.

flutered

Eseram wrote: »

Hi everyone,
I took Lyrica for 6 years and after my second Disectomy on L4/L5 i finally weaned myself from 300mg a day to 75mg and then switched to Nerontin/ Gabepenton.
When i was weaning myself off i would allow 2 weeks per 25mg decrease.Even at this rate i had terrible withdrawal symptoms.These ranged from headaches,depression and just well feeling off!.
Lyrica is an excellent drug for Nerve pain but the drawbacks are significant weight gain too.Also your memory is affected ,that it's hard to recall simple everyday words!.
Google Lyrica and most results back are people complaining of weight gain.
To sum up Lyrica helped with other med's to get me through a very hard time.
If you have a prescription for 2 weeks i wouldn't think you need worry about withdrawal.I am just giving you an idea of the long term effect.
Hope you get sorted and feel better very soon.

you are quite correct on the weight gain and the memory loss, i use it, 100 ml x 2 daily.

zef

I find Lyrica to be a better painkiller than the nsaids or opiate type painkillers for my complaint (frozen shoulder). It also helps my mood and anxiety quite a bit.
Glad to read its coming down in price!
I notice I forget words on it - 'The thing, you know, the thing on top of the ... thing!' . Not yet noticed any weight gain after 3 weeks, but my appetite is better which is probably a good thing.

keira143

I am on Lyrica 300 per day for herniated disc that is pressed on the sciatica nerve causing severe pain. I have actually lost about 2 stone but that may be because of the severity of pain I am in and finding it hard to cope. I hope it works for you. Also I was told by my pain management team that there is no need to be weened off them but all the nurses in the hospital told me it was very important to be taken off them properly. I guess it just depends on your dose and period of time on them.

kowloon

RubyGirl wrote: »

Acne that's not acne, going in tomorrow to see if I can change tables's or come off lyrica altoghter. Thanks.

I have had breakouts. It gets really itchy. I'm not entirely sure whether the itchiness is caused by the Lyrica and the scratching is causing the breakouts or if it's the other way around.

apache

i was on lyrica after a discectomy when my disc reherniated again. i was only on it for a month because it did nothing for my pain and made me eat like a horse and the last thing i needed was to put on weight. i am now on liorescal (baclofen) with other drugs the past week after a spinal fusion which i find helps a lot but again i have an awful appetite which is causing me concern

my other side effects are urinating constantly which is a pain especially at night when its difficult to get in and out of bed. i wake up every 2 hours if indeed i get asleep needing to pee desperately. very thirsty too. and very confused sometimes forgetting every day words. i get frustrated sometimes trying to remember what i am trying to say.

dannyo666

Was on lyrica for years when it first came out-Wonder drug for me personally..........stopped taking them to see if pain(which at the time i had no idea of what it was)was gone or if drug was just masking pain ...Lyrica never worked again for me even at 600mg per day...something about pain gates i was told by a consultant...morlae of the story-dont come off them or cut down without professional advice...if your GP says so then do what he says

Weight gain was a side affect but less pain=more appetite in my opinion so there ya go......

zef

I am after taking this drug for 6 months for nerve pain primarily (2 frozen shoulders), and anxiety as a benefit, and the only thing i had been worried about was the memory and recall dulling as I am hoping to return to college this Autumn.
This morning I had an appt, and never collected the Lyrica at the chemist until 1pm. My last dose was yesterday around 3pm, as I had somehow lost a tablet when "Spring cleaning" my room. But I thought nothing of it, I mean it's not like I am "addicted" to them or anything!
Today I knew something was really 'wrong'. Everywhere hurt. And felt like extremes of hot and cold water were being poured on my skin. I could not wear my denture to collect the script as it hurt my mouth too much, and I am wearing it 3 years.
I said it to the pharmacist, about the pain and the denture. "Oh, we've had quite a few people with side effects like that. It burns your nerve endings".
I was horrified, absolutely sick to my stomach. I told him I would be tapering off it asap. He advised me to do it with my dr.
I am angry this side effect- or indeed any side effect except 'absent-mindedness' was not mentioned in any consultation with my GP or psych- it was the pharmacist who told me about that.
I had gotten up to 250mg - 125x2 daily.
I was 50/50 on it anyway, as a terrible memory and inability to think of words normally in my vocab would be a hindrance to college, and had been thinking of tapering off. Now this has given me a fright.
Apparantly it's mechanism of action is not known.
At 1st I did think it a good choice for pain management, now I'm finding the side effects , for me, are the deal breaker.
Another thing to worry about is I am fortunate enough to hold a medical card. I could not afford to pay for this drug myself.