Posted , 3 users are following.
im desperate. in a lot of pain with small fiber neuropathy. I've been in pain prior with this but it hasnt been this bad in 30 years. i currently take a immipramine and cymbalta but its not currently helping. Please lmk if its helped anyone here or will i just get worse with the side effects.
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elizabeth85938 changejobs
Posted
Oh dear, this is so difficult to answer. You are already on Cymbalta which is also notorious for side effects and its withdrawals I truly hesitate to advise you to add Pregabalin/Lyrica into the mix. I can only relate my own personal experience of Lyrica which is that after upping the dose to 200mg daily (one third of the 600mg dose allowed daily) my severely inflamed and trapped sciatic nerve did become painfree over 3 months of taking it. However, I suffered severe memory loss, brain fog, weight gain (42 lbs) eye issues, waking and sleeping nightmares, mood swings and many more side effects. I was so afraid of the pain coming back I stayed on this drug for 15 months before trying to come off it. Then I found out that you cannot just come off it - it changes your brain chemistry, blocks your pain receptors, and my central nervous system had become completely dependent on it. Stopping cold turkey can cause Seizures (the actual purpose of this drug was originally as an anti Convulsant). So I tried to cut down and the withdrawals were terrible. I found a closed group of people who all had the same problems as me and learned how to taper slowly and carefully off which was a tremendous support to me. It took me a total of 17 months to be finally become Lyrica free.
Please do all the research that you can before you embark on taking this drug - I know how desperate you are believe me but without knowledge you cannot make an informed choice for yourself. Obviously every patient is different and some do not have the same problems as me. Some say it is all that works for them and their side effects are small compared to mine. I just hesitate to advise anyone to 'try it out' to see as it changes your brain chemistry within 2 weeks of taking it and the body can become very dependent on it very quickly. One thing I learned in Group was that those who were on Cymbalta and Lyrica had a terrible time because they had 2 hard hitting drugs to contend with and attempt to taper off. I can only leave it with you to make a fully informed choice before you embark on this and wish you all the best whatever decision you make for yourself.
changejobs elizabeth85938
Posted
thank you for your detailed reply.
im not sure how much pain you were in when you did it, but the level i am is past 100%. im trying nit to but realize i cant hold out much longer.
what drug would have you went on if you could have.
im only on 20 cymbalta and have cone off in the past. however i realize its like making a pact with the devil.
elizabeth85938 changejobs
Posted
My pain was all consuming - 10 months of 24/7 pain, I couldn't move a single inch without yelping like a wounded puppy. My lower 3 vertabrae had crumbled due to Osteoporosis and this caused the sciatic nerve to be badly trapped by the Piriformis muscle in my left buttock. It felt like a pneumatic drill was at work on the very inflamed nerve ending constantly. I couldn't sit, stand or lie down without squealing in pain. First they tried Amitriptyline and that caused an emergency situation with my eye pressure (sudden onset Acute Angle narrow closure Glaucoma) I was just hours away from going blind when I had emergency laser eye surgery which saved my sight TG. Then came Gabapentin which I reacted badly to followed by Lyrica. I was desperate! Pregabalin gave me the break I needed for the inflammation of the nerve ending to die down but I stayed on it too long out of fear. The rest of my story you know. Even if this happens to me again I would not put myself through having to take it again - I won't make that pact with the Devil again.
I do hope you can find another way but if not and you feel you have to try taking it just be very mindful of the dosage and length of time you are on it. The higher the dose and the longer you take it just adds up to sheer hell in my opinion. All the very best
changejobs elizabeth85938
Posted
i have held off taking it but it getting tough. what are you taking now for your pain ?