Safety of Lyrica for SCI recovery

[Mize]

This rather alarmist link popped up in my Facebook news feed. It claims that Lyrica prevents formation of new brain synapses. It doesn't mention spinal cord nerves, buy that is my concern.

Can Lyrica impede nerve repair?
If so, are there alternatives to Lyrica and gabapentin that are not problematic?

I'm taking Lyrica for paresthesia and it's working far better than gabapentin.

[Oddity]

I had to stop taking that stuff, years ago. It put me in such a fog. Not very noticeable just "existing", but as a musician it REALLY affected my ability to memorize new pieces, and as a teacher it was terrible trying to integrate and coherently share new information with my students. A month or so after ditching it I was back to "normal". Everyone close to me noticed a difference, too. I became less withdrawn and much more engaged with even simple things. Lyrica = zombie drug for me.

[scimike]

I was on sleeping pill and muscle relaxer and when I stopped them I noticed a huge difference on endurance and strength. I never took Lyrica but try not to take any drugs if you can because they do something to you. I stopped those drugs after I read that Dr Wise said some of these drugs make the muscles flaccid.

[Mize]

I have bad paresthesia which is why I went Lyrica. Any alternatives?
Also, I have significant spasticity so in on baclofen and looking for alternatives.

[scimike]

I wish you the best. I do not have anything else. Hope a good doctor can help

[DaDutchman]

I'm on Lyrica, 200 mg/day and also on Baclofen, 80 mg/day. With respect to the Baclofen I was up to 120 mg/day early on after the accident and was a definite zombie. I would quite often fall asleep mid-sentence. Almost narcoleptic like. Felt much better since I've reduced it to 80 mg/day and have been at this level for quite a few years. I'd like to reduce it or get off of it all together, but I'm still having some spasms that seem to be under control when I take 0.5 mg of Suboxen. I'll elaborate on this in a separate thread because it's weird.

As for the Lyrica, I was completely off of it a couple of years ago, but went back to it to help ease nerve pain in my hand and then to try and ease the pain in my right shoulder blade area. It doesn't seem to help too much with the shoulder blade pain and I would like to get off of it, but right now I have so many other things going on that I'll have to wait on this one.

UGH!!

[Art454]

Lyrica 50 mg about killed me. After about 3 hours woke up bladder was on fire.....uti. I was drunk as a skunk on this. After 8 hours finally got sober. After 12 hours took another was so dam drunk was getting out of bed to pee did a face plant right on the floor. Took me 2 hours to get back in bed and in my chair to pee. Took me 12 hours to sober. Called doctor and she don't take any more.....no chit......lol

[Art454]

Seems like all these so called new drugs are so good I disagree. Give me something that's been around 20 years or so or forget it.....side effects on this new shit will kill you.

[Art454]

I took this for shoulder pain last year. Don't know about the the pain I was so drunk I could barely take care of myself after just 2 pills. And Doc said this was a low dose.....lmao....I be pushing daisy's if I took 200 mg.

[sacbil]

Ask your doc if you can take 'Milnacipran'. It is a drug that used to treat fibromyalgia, I am not sure whether it is used in SCI or not. But it is not available everywhere, in few countries it is not available and it also comes wit its own side effects.

[JamesMcM]

This rather alarmist link popped up in my Facebook news feed. It claims that Lyrica prevents formation of new brain synapses. It doesn't mention spinal cord nerves, buy that is my concern.

Can Lyrica impede nerve repair?
If so, are there alternatives to Lyrica and gabapentin that are not problematic?

I'm taking Lyrica for paresthesia and it's working far better than gabapentin.

Yes Lyrica will hindered your recovery,actually read that long-term use of it can actually atrophy parts of the brain! Baclofen may also affect recovery, in fact I almost guarantee it does from my own experience. Most of these new clinical trials don't want you on either, as they inhibit or block signals! I've got Lyrica is nerve pain is just pain, never ending, relentless constant pain but it still just pain I could tolerate it, spasms although painful have a much larger impact, especially most of your body is paralyzed and affected by them ( not just legs ) and have low bone density. You're going to learn right quic that there is no such thing as an alternative to these problems, that don't offer the same or similar side effects or worse. There may be a slight hope with marijuana, but I highly doubt it

[Mize]

Yay.

[DaDutchman]

Yes Lyrica will hindered your recovery,actually read that long-term use of it can actually atrophy parts of the brain! Baclofen may also affect recovery, in fact I almost guarantee it does from my own experience. Most of these new clinical trials don't want you on either, as they inhibit or block signals!

Could you provide information on where the above information to be true? Considering I'm using both right now and have been on Baclofen almost since the time of my accident, I'm a little concerned.

Thanks.

[JamesMcM]

Could you provide information on where the above information to be true? Considering I'm using both right now and have been on Baclofen almost since the time of my accident, I'm a little concerned.

Thanks.

Sorry man I'm just seeing this, honestly Ill probably never be able to find the article on Lyrica possible link to atrophying a section of the brain; or how baclofen my hinder recovery because researchers barely look into such things (although that seems like a general understanding with doctors now finally, pretty self-explanatory it blocks signals basically so obviously that has consequences ) as for it affecting eligibility in clinical trials just take a look at clinical trials.gov the epidural stimulator is one that I know for certain doesn't want you taking these drugs. Truth be told Lyrica doesn't do much for nerve pain anyways not worth the risk and obviously taking drugs like these long-term have potentially serious implications

[DaDutchman]

I'm tending to agree with you in that Lyrica doesn't do much for nerve pain. I was on 100 mg/day and was advised by one doctor to increase it to 200 mg/day to see if it would help ease some of my shoulder blade pain. I think it may have help just a tiny bit. With all the other crap my body's going through, now might not be the time to back off of or quit the Lyrica. I would like nothing more than to get off not only the Lyrica, but the Baclofen and Cymbalta as well. I think with the Botox I'll be able to get off of the 15 mg of Ditropan. As for the prescription grade Prilosec I take, I need to get off that too because of possible dementia side effects. That would leave me nothing but vitamins and supplements to take. Although I'm sure if I was to dig into these deep enough, I'm sure I'd come up with something negative about them. Just peachy.