I couldn’t take Gabapentin, even though it worked, because of fun house side effects. One time I felt AWFUL (like my brain was going to explode) when it was within 1 hour of my last dose of the day. So I started Lyrica, it seems to be helping a little (I have PHTN). However, yesterday (my third day of 50 mg 3X/day), about an hour before my last dose of the day, I had something similar happen. All of a sudden I felt VERY WEAK, felt like all the blood was draining out of my body, and then all my nerves all over my body felt as if I had 20 cups of coffee. This feeling didn’t go away for 6 hours (coincidentally, the amount of time the medicine was in my body). If this something you guys have experienced, having the timing of the last dose of the day need to be sooner than scheduled because the body needs to keep the level of medicine up? I’m desperate to get rid of the horrendous eye pain! Thanks everyone!
Sue, the sensations you report do not appear among side effects attributed to Lyrica. I suggest that you read up in the third tab button at the top of this page: http://www.rxlist.com/lyrica-drug.htm. You seem to be getting the recommended initial dose rate. It is entirely possible that your body will acclimate to this drug over a few days. So my suggestion would be to give it time.
Regards and best,
Red
Thanks Red, I took my first dose 1-1/2 hours ago, am OK so far. Will try taking my third pill with dinner around 7:30 instead of taking at 9 p.m. Will you be at the conference in September? Would love to meet you. I am so looking forward to going, the problem is I tend to give myself occipital headaches when I get upset or really excited about something. On my birthday, I worried so much about getting bad eye pain and a headache that I gave myself a headache that lasted on and off for three days. I took Midrin, it helped some but it kept coming back. I would like new eyeballs, new face and new lymph nodes please. I hope I don’t get myself into knots over the drive, we will be going south and west the whole way. Time for cold washcloth and lots of shade stops.
Sue, I wonder if you might learn useful things about stress control from a few weeks in a Yoga class at the local Y or a community center. When we use terms such as "I gave myself a headache", there is an interesting correlation: we can very often ALSO learn to give ourselves a quiet center in a busy world, within which headaches are no longer a frequent expectation.
Worth a thought, at any rate.
Regards, Red
Yes, I am a very emotional and high strung person. I also went through hell at work before I retired so probably have some post-traumatic stress. I do want to do yoga or something like that, but with my eye pain I can’t take flourescent lights, which are all over stores and classes. That’s why I have such hope for Lyrica, so I can start doing things and enjoying my retirement.
Richard A. “Red” Lawhern said:
Sue, I wonder if you might learn useful things about stress control from a few weeks in a Yoga class at the local Y or a community center. When we use terms such as "I gave myself a headache", there is an interesting correlation: we can very often ALSO learn to give ourselves a quiet center in a busy world, within which headaches are no longer a frequent expectation.
Worth a thought, at any rate.
Regards, Red
To deal with bright lights, you might try a pair of cross-country snow glasses. They are sold at sports stores in the Fall months. They basically narrow down your field of view to a horizontal slit, reducing light input without affecting visual acuity.
Regards, Red
You might want to call around. Some Yoga classes might be in rooms with limited lighted if the class is geared towards stress relief vs. fitness.
I couldn't take Gabapentin, even though it worked, because of fun house side effects
My goodness I've been searching for words to explain how Gabapentin makes me feel and you've hit the nail on the head. I was food shopping at the weekend and all of a sudden felt as if I were suffering from swirling tunnel vision, I was so panicked by it I spent £115 on food and couldn't remember buying half of it when I got home!
Oh yeah.... had to get off gabapentin because I was dizzzzy..... next med up was Lyrica - Back in the days of Cheech and Chong in my teenage years ...... that's what it reminded me of.... I was forced to leave my job because I couldn't stop laughing, could not concentrate and the job found my whole personality changed since I had just started there ! OH and as far as yoga, I got on amazon.com and read many reviews on stress-less easy yoga dvds.... I do them in my home, set my laptop anywhere and dim the lights!