Wednesday, August 05, 2009
I have found in reading posts and paying attention at my Rheumy's office that it seems Lyrica is being prescribed to almost everyone. He has a real nice Lyrica clock hanging in his office along with notepads and of course pens. I will admit it helps some with my nerve pain associated with inflammation due to RA but, do they really know the "long" term affects of this drug? I have a problem with docs pushing these newer medications and not offering alternatives. What happened to the old pain meds...are the doctors, pharmacies, and FDA not getting kick-backs for prescribing them??
I was on Lyrica for about a year. It did help alleviate my pain - nerves, fybromalgia, etc. But the side effects were so awful that I decided to risk the pain - which for an RA patient - means the side effects were really awful. Unbearable headaches, nausea and worst of all, my brain wouldn't function - it affected my thinking ability and my memory - which is critical to my job. So I had to stand up to my doctor and say, no more Lyrica. However, I do know that it works for some people for short courses.
Thanks for your input!