Lyrica and neurontin for crohns disease and other health problems?

Hi, Sav,
I do take neurontin for the neuropathic symptoms in my feet and yes, it does make me foggy. I had to start my doses VERY slowly - even having to ask my neurologist for 100mg tabs (now I take 1600mg/day, which is a mid-level dose) and he thought I was nuts but it helped.

I am not a doctor and don't think anyone here is, but neurontin and lyrica and very similar meds and I didn't think you were supposed to be on both at the same time. Maybe there's something unusual about your situation. Lyrica is sort of a newer form of neurontin, and is supposed to have fewer side effects. I would tell your doctor what you're experiencing and see if maybe you could just try the lyrica first.

I'd suggest going to the lyrica website and reading up on dosage levels. It's fairly new and I've found doctors tend to put you on too low a dose. This has happened twice to me. 75mg of Lyrica is, to my knowledge, a starter dose and probably won't cover your pain. But if you're taking both neurontin and lyrica together, there's no way to tell which one is working and which is causing more of the side effects.

While these aren't class 2 narcotics, I believe they are technically controlled substances - I think maybe a C5. There is some potential for addiction physically, but not as much as with the percocet. Have you consulted an Addictionologist? That's an M.D. with a specialty in Addiction Medicine and they have special protocols for dealing with chronic pain. Good for you trying to stay on top of this - I know it's hard to juggle. But knowledge is power so read the websites for lyrica and neurontin, and you'll have a better idea of what they do. And then I'd suggest talking with your doctor.

Hope this helps a bit!

PaLady
p.s. I'd probably be on lyrica if I could find a doctor that would give me a high enough dose so I could get off the neurontin, but also the lyrica is more expensive. It is supposed to have fewer side effects. Also, has you doctor tried cymbalta?

I was on Lyrica for 5 days it helped but i swelled up like a ballon dr. took me off it and but me on neurontin  which has really helped my nerve pain in the legs.Deb

Actually as someone who is in pain and wants off all of pain meds, when I ask about Lyrica the doctors freak out like I'm asking for Cocaine or something very illegal. It really frustrates me, I've tried Neurontin but it had too many side effects, and I've heard through friends that Lyrica worked much better, but yet for some odd reason their must be a warning on that drug somewhere that says "please dont prescribe to Carmen". And I have done some research on Lyrica and eventhough it is a scheaduled drug, it's not as addicting as narcotics. See, for me, I wanted off of pain meds that's why I'm on Suboxone, and I cant take most NSAIDs cause they cause severe heartburn, which I can take Ibprofen but only once in a great while or the heartburn sets in, this includes prescribed NSAIDS, and Tylenol makes me vomit like crazy so thats off limits. And I'm already taking Cymbalta which isnt helping a whole lot, so that leaves Lyrica. Unless I'm missing something else, which in that case please please let me know, I'm SOL. And just so you know, I see a very wonderful addiction specialist that is also a family doctor (but not my regualur doctor, I just see and pay him for the Suboxone program), and he wont help me a great deal when it comes to pain, basically told me to seek out counciling, which I've tried and hasnt helped. Well enough of me rambling on, have a great day.

-hellokitty (Carmen)

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