Hi, I’ve been trialling Lyrica for 4 weeks now. The first week I was on the dose prescribed by Dr S 50x3 a day. At first they zonked me out but my brain adjusted and the dizzies seeped through, so I upped the dose. Each time the symptoms have broken through so I upped the dose and am now at 200 mg at night then 100 x2 day . The dizziness is now seeping through again. I get the sense that the sedation is just masking it. I’ve kept going because the sedation allows me to go out and about. The problem is it’s clearly not switching off the MAV and cruicially my mind is so zonked I can’t concentrate. I try to write and just can’t think. This didn’t happen when I tried them before.
My question is should I come off them? I think I know the answer. I need to be able to think but I do so love going out. I just wonder what lies underneath the drugs…how rough I am going to feel . I simply can’t keep upping the dosage. As it is I’m on 450mg. Sorry for the ramble . I’m just so zonked out.
Hi Fiona,
I am sorry that you are so frustrated by your situation with Lyrica. From what you have written it seems as though Lyrica may have partially treated your MAV? I know the general consensus on the forum is to wait a few months to really see if a med will work but I am not sure I entirely agree that waiting that long proves fruitful for everyone. I guess you have a few options in my humble opinion :
you could back the dose down to 300 mg or the dose that does not cause you any side effects and wait longer.
since Lyrica might have given you a partial effect, you could add another MAV med.
maybe Lyrica is sorta the right med, but not just the right one in the class, so you could consider switching to another med in the class. I know Neurontin has a tremendous amount of literature support for it’s efficacy in migraine headaches and will also give you the sedation and maybe hit the receptors just a little differently to get you the full MAV killing effect.
you could scrap this med, taper off and start another class.
Is your doc available to give you guidance on which direction to go?
Please keep us posted and let me know your thoughts on the above.
thanks for your response. I thinlkthe main issue is that I keep having to up the amount because there is no dose that stops the symptoms dead. My other concern is that they are a chemical cosh. I simply can’t think or importantly for me write . I can achieve no high order thinking which means I am not good for much. I’m tapering them down to Dr S’s dose of 3 x50 for a while simply to see if my cognitive ability returns. There’s no point knocking the MAV on the head if I’m drugged up all the time.
Hey Fiona,
That makes sense given that a cognitive side effect is good enough reason to lower or discontinue a med. Ugh… I am sorry. Keep us posted on your next move.
Good luck!
Lisa