Thoughts on taking Lyrica

I have been taking Lyrica for a while now. I was one of the people who got it before it was approved for general neuropathic (nerve) pain. Well before the television advertisements started. Ah the joys of having a doctor who is cutting edge.

Friends who know I take Lyrica and have started taking it themselves have been calling and asking about Lyrica. The web page lyric is interesting, but not all that helpful to a new patient. They also have a Users Guide that people might find useful.

This is I guess, my personal users guide to Lyrica.

* Always take Lyrica with food. Real food, is best, not anything that is high in fat or sugar. A bit of raw carrots, some popcorn, or crackers fit the bill. Take the pill with milk or water. Don't take the medication with soda, it will give you an upset stomach. Take the food first, then wait a few minutes and take Lyrica.

* It will take a good while, as long as three weeks to really see a change. Longer still if you don't take your medication on a regular schedule. If your prescription says to take the medication once a day or more, skipping a dose is a bad idea.

* Lyrica is not a pain medication, it's a maintenance medication. Taking it will reduce your overall pain level. It does not work for spot pain, and it does not work for joint pain. You take other medications for that, this medication will change change your ability to deal with pain by reducing the pain signals from the damaged nerves. Over all pain level goes down.

* Yes there are side effects, they are more intense in the beginning, and will fade over time. When I started taking Lyrica, I could not read a book or type a blog post after taking the medication because I had trouble concentrating. As my time using Lyrica increased, that sensation faded.

I still have trouble concentrating, it's part of the illness I have, nothing is going to make that go away fully. What I no longer have is the sensation that my mental fog increases in the period after I take Lyrica. Now, except for days when I am in a lot of pain, or have a flair, my mental capacity is pretty much normal.

Normal for me, I have no idea what normal for other people would be.