Mind on Lyrica

[dshobbies]

I took Neurontin, 3600 mg daily, for about 1 year post op. I’ve since switched to Lyrica, 300 mg. daily for the last five months. Though definitely mind altering, my biggest complaint with Neurontin was my eyesight. It has somewhat improved with Lyrica but can still fluctuate from day to day and even morning to night. However, perhaps because some of my mind has returned, I’m far more aware of my decreased mental capacities.
A perfect example of this is reading these posts. I know I’ve read something before but don’t remember the content and must reread them. I confuse one person for another quite often and have difficulty concentrating and staying focused. I believe all of this is more than age related but I’d like to hear from others in their mid-50’s who are and aren’t on these drugs to see how much of what I’m experiencing is related to age vs. meds. My pm says drugs, my gp says age.

At this point, with my nerve damage unchanged for the last several months, it looks like I might be on Lyrica for the rest of my life and I realize I can’t stop the aging process but I play mind games every day in attempts to keep my mental faculties astute. I feel lost and only a percentage of my former self. Sometimes I forget something that happened just moments earlier, more than forgetting where I put something or why I entered a room 5 times, wondering why I did that. I can't even read a book for lack of concentration and this is very distressing.

So, why am I losing my mind? Age or drugs!

Dale... I sometimes even forget how to sign my name and my handwriting has changed?????

[Poncho]

Dale,

It sounds like the effects of the medication. Neurontin did this to me without helping the nerve pain symptoms. This was before Topamax & Lyrica were offered around here for nerve pain problems.

Does the Lyrica really help with the nerve pain? I have received feedback from some that say it does and others say that it doesn't. I guess it just depends on the kind of nerve pain you are having.

I hope that the fogginess lifts for you soon.

Take care,
Poncho

[annapurna]

Oh my gosh! The anti-seizure drugs definitely impair cognitive function big time. I was on Zonegran a few years ago and forgot my telephone number, my boss' name, and my husband's birthday. I worked great for the pain, but, I couldn't stand the effect it was having on my mind.

Hope you find some good solutions.

Best,
Laura

[Maria]

Dale,
I've been on Neurontin since 1998. I used to read so much that I'd have 3 books going at the same time and finish them in one week, and that was while working full time and being able to go out, work out and so forth~

Since starting Methadone in 2001 I found that the concentration with the two drugs has been difficult and I also went thru some eyesight changes altho I had laser surgery on my eyes several months prior to onset of starting Methadone.

I don't concentrate terribly well tho can read if I'm interested and my eyes don't start playing tricks on me with blurring and so forth. I had even gotten reading glasses but later found I didn't need them. For about a year or so I could read well without any blurring or actually in ability to focus well.

It now seems I can focus sometimes, and sometimes not. My reading prescription has not changed much in the last few years and my dosage of medication hasn't changed at all.

I'm 53 and mostly just feel distracted much of the time and I do believe that's the meds combined with my life at the moment. I have always loved to read so I continue to try... and then try to remember what I just read!!!!

My memory has taken the biggest dive I think~ age & meds with a big emphasis on the meds!!!!!

[Alastair]

Lyrica can cause these problems- - -is it helping your pain though??

I have found with my patients it is either brilliant and works well or is useless- -- no inbetween
Best
Alastair

[Maria]

As Alastair brought up...is the Lyrica helping w/the pain? The Neurontin may make me forgetful (coupled with Methadone) but if I can function and get outside, do things, be around others rather than living at home restricted to bed or very limited activities, I take functioning w/less pain over my memory/concentration for now at least!! Have made adaptive changes re memory with calendar systems in whatever I'm wearing, carrying or have at home~ concentration I hope can become part of my daily routine once I get more focused on priorities again.

[dshobbies]

I discovered, when I forget my midday dosage, that yes, the Lyrica is working. I thought I found my compromise between tolerable pain and mind/eyesight inpairment but as I'm getting my life back and doing more, I find both areas lacking. I don't know why, perhaps because my pt is pushing my leg as time is running short, but it isn't recovering as quickly as it was and some days I wake up with it already aching.

My pm wanted to increase my dosage. I'm already so dissatisfied with my metal capacities but some days I simply don't want to deal with the pain, like today. To tell you the truth, some days I'm disgusted with taking all these pills too which I fear is for the rest of my life. I thought I gave up living by the clock as my kids grew older.

[Blairsara]

I know you were looking for people in their mid-50s to answer your question but I thought that hearing from me could also be helpful. I'm 25 and my PM doctor put me on lyrica. I had to stop taking it because I basically felt like "I was f*#ked up all the time" i couldnt concentrate on anything, which by the way is not a good thing when youre in law school. I had to reread things over and over and over again where just on pain meds I had/have to read it maybe once or twice.

I was taking 150 mg/day for about 2 months and after realizing the negative side effects I stopped taking the meds. I'm sure that getting older has somethign to do with it, my mom is in her late 50s and she forgets why she walks into a room, or gets side tracked from saying something and then forgets what she was talking about. But I'm sure that if Lyrica had a somewhat similar but definitely not as severe effect on me and I'm only 25 that it plus growing older is causing your problems.

I dont remember if you said you had these mind problems while on Neurontin? Have you thought about switching back to Neurontin? I hope things get better! And remember, this too shall pass.

Blair

[mmglobal]

I used to joke that while I was in my ordeal, I could laugh about stupid things I said or things I forgot and say it was the pain and the medication. The downside of getting better is that when it happens now, it have nothing to blame it on... it's just me!

There is no question in my mind that I lost a substantial amount of hearing during my ordeal. It may be from years of Vicodin / Oxycontin use, or it may be coincidental and related to my age, skydiving, flying, etc...

There is no question in my mind that I have lost some mental sharpness, recall ability etc. I was discussing this with a doctor a few weeks ago and he said, "how long were you under general anesthesia?"

I don't think I'll ever know the answer... Is it age? Early onset of dementia? Years of pain meds and Morontin? Something that has to do with years of chronic pain and associated brain chemistry changes? Fluoridated water?

Who knows... I don't.... What was the question again?

I just want to commiserate and say that this experience is not uncommon. I'm glad you brought it up and I hope we hear more about this.

Mark