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Literally, the worst drug I've ever taken.  Took it for 3 wks. for fibromyalgia as part of a plan to step down from heavy corticosteroids (prednisone, for another AutoImmune disorder, Polymyalgia Rheumatica).  Within days, the side effects started.  By the time I came off the drug almost 4 wks. later, I'd had practically every ADR that didn't involve organ failure or death.  Seriously.  Nausea, vomiting, dizziness, disorientation (fell 5 times in first 3 days alone; nearly broke my leg when I lost my balance and took a header while walking down a sidewalk with a steep decline in Washington, DC about 2 days later), bruising, edema, dry mouth, blurred vision, weight gain, increased hunger, fever, increased fatigue, breathing problems--you name it, I probably had it.  I found the ADR table at RxList.com and printed it out, checked off the reactions I had, and handed it to my GP; you could count the number of unchecked reactions on 2 hands and have fingers left over.  To top it all off, it did NOTHING for my pain.  Nada.  Zip.  Zilch.  Two weeks after stopping the drug and returning to steroids, I'm still battling pain levels significantly higher than before I started.

Go online and check ANY health site with people discussing medications and adverse reactions.  The number of Lyrica posts are shocking, but even more shocking is the sheer uniformity of them.  They all tell the same story:  Took Lyrica for ____, had nothing but problems with it, never really did much for _____, came off Lyrica, still battling some of the side effects.  How this drug ever made it onto the market as a "treatment" for fibromyalgia is truly beyond me.  Pfizer should be ashamed of themselves for inflicting this on FM patients who are usually already almost at their wits' end dealing with the pain, stiffness, fatigue, etc.  The FDA needs a clue-by-four as a wakeup call--it's time to get strict with pharmaceutical manufacturers again and say, "Unless you can PROVE your medicine's benefits outweigh its risks, and unless you can PROVE your medication actually HELPS the condition it's purported to treat, you won't be allowed to bring it to market.  Gotta have proof, and lots of it."  Do we really need another Baycol situation, where a drug is known by the manufacturer to have deadly dangerous side effects and still the FDA does nothing until people start dying?  Another Crestor?  Another Fen-Phen?  Another Vioxx?

Rant over...for now.

Hi, this is my first post here... I have been on lyrica for almost 2 years.  75 mg. twice a day.  I had a stroke 5 years ago, it left me with sever peripheral neuropathy.  I also have sleep apnea, depression, seizure disorder, bulging discs, pinches nerves, lupus, restless leg syndrome, and rheumatoid arthritis....I am on Cymbalta 60 mg. once a day, the lyrica, trazodone 100mg. once a day and risperdal .25 mg once a day.... plus my thyroid meds and potassium and aspirin and lorazapam (only when having a panic attack)  so I am taking a LOT of meds! 

I have had sooooo many issues with lyrica!  MOST of the side effects listed, I have had, I tried going off of it, because it frankly scares the heck out of me... and I became very suicidal.  I retired from psychiatric nursing, so knew what was happening... I did decrease my dosage, but still had symptoms.  It is terrible stuff for me, but I can't seem to get off of it!  The cymbalta is also bad!  I have gained over 50 lbs. on these meds!  And guess what?  I STILL have intense pain!   I applied for disability 4 months ago, just got my "disapproved" letter, so now am getting a lawyer.  I think my problem is, that I have been TRYING to work!  I work a day or two a week, a couple hours.  I can't do any more than that.  And all I am doing now is sitting with my mother in law, I can't do anything else!  I have tried!

Any advice????  Its so depressing!