My doctor prescribed Lyrica 75 mg/3 times a day for my osteoarthritis in my back (of course, it's also in my knees, hips, hands, elbows/...). I was willing to try anything. My back hurt so much I was turning into a grouch--I couldn't stand the pain!
Is Lyrica used for arthritis? How effective is it usually?
Hi Nancy,
Thank you for your question. As you may known, osteoarthritis is a condition that affects your joints and your bones. Lyrica is not approved by the FDA to treat osteoarthritis. Lyrica is approved to treat nerve pain (called neuropathy), not bone pain. If you find that the Lyrica is helping improve your condition and your quality of life, then by all means you can continue taking it. However, if you find that you're not doing any better with the Lyrica after a few weeks, you could ask your doctor why he chose to put you on this medication since it's not approved for treatment of osteoarthritis, and ask to try something else.
Best of luck,
Casey
Does Lyrica help relieve arthritis pain?
Actually, my rheumatologist prescribed Lyrica for my spinal osteoarthritis. She only prescribed it today, so I don't know yet if it will work. I've heard of others being prescribed Lyrica for osteoarthritis as well. It's an "off-label" use that's quite common.
I have been on Lyrica to treat my fibromyalgia. It has worked very well on that so far, however, my osteoarthitis has gotten much worse. I was searching for info to find out whether Lyrica might make those symptoms worse.
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