Anyone else gaining tons of weight on Lyrica? | Arthritis Information

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OK - first time I've posted in a while so ignore any blunders please!!!  I LOVE Lyrica for my Fibro, but I am gaining a lot of weight - a few pounds every week.  I am at the max amount of Lyrica 225 mg twice daily, but the lower doses didn't help that much so my Rhuemy upped it.  My RA keeps my exercising to a very low level so anyone have anything they've done to help with this?  I'd gladly trade my pain for weight gain if it wasn't so much so quickly I can't keep up with trying to get clothes to wear - not to mention afford them. 

Anyone have any thoughts?  Thanks for looking :)
K~YES! I wasn't sure at first....but I'm almost certain that's caused my weight gain of I guess 20lbs in the last few years. I love Lyrica and I use if for some serious nerve pain in my legs and it does wonders....but I too am growing out of EVERYTHING!!

 
I'm eating less than ever before and still gaining! YICKS.
Yes Ladies,
I am on 75 mg of lyrica.  Was supposed to take 75 morn and night, but after 2 months realized that when I took the morning dose, that day I would snack all day, just samples of whatever I could find to eat.   Also was keeping 10 pounds on.  Talked to RD and he told me to try 75 only at night as he said that lyrica is shortlived, meaning it does not build up in your system.  Well, that seemed to work.  I quit the daytime snacking and took myevening pill at 7:30pm. I have dropped about 5-6 lbs.  Now, after a couple months of that, my problem with my fibro is kicked up a notch.  So talked to rd yesterday and he said to try taking 150 mg at night and see if it will break the pain cycle.  I will give it a couple of days.
Hope you girls find a happy medium.
Karen
I have heard that from many people.  I'm not sure I've actually gained weight from it.  What I find, strangely enough, is that when I'm feeling better I start to drop weight for no reason, and when I'm feeling worse, I start to gain it for no reason.  This is with all else being the same...diet, exercise (or lack thereof).  So I have to assume there's something chemical/hormonal going on for me.
 
Karen, that's really interesting about taking it at night versus in the morning.  Let us know how it works out with the full dose at night.
i am not on lyrica but some drug i am on is causing me to turn into a beached whale.  i just swell up like HUGE!!!!    wonderwomanI couldn't take Lyrica(coarse I can't take much of anything any more).  It gave some buzzing feeling in my head   "proably termites".  Well I am glad some people can take it  { I have stock in Phizer} He He....... Deleted by Janie.  Sorry, for hijacking thread!
janiefx2008-05-16 05:20:50Theres no reason to mention either of those names here. I guess this important thread too will be all about that AGAIN! No offense Janie; but let it go.
 
I take 150 at night because it makes me really sleepy....I can't take it during the day. I have to get up more than two hours early just to get over the buzz.
 
apeanut~It takes time to adjust to it I think....it took me a while
Hi Lovie, I truly apologise, I shouldn't have put it on here, I should have put it on my own thread.  So I will delete it and hope that this thread is just about you and the problem you posted with.  I wouldn't normally hijack a thread like that, I haven't been myself emotionally for a couple of weeks now, I am very sorry.  Hugs Janie. Actually this is a thread started by Gimpymama and she hasn't posted about anything in a long time and actually had a question she wanted to discuss with other's that might have simular concerns.
 
No harm done.
 
Yes; I take 150mg of Lyrica at night for some nerve damage in one leg caused by an old surgery as well as neruopathy caused by RA. My weight gain could be caused by numerous medications including Humira and HRT....I'm not sure which it is actually. Menopause has also changed things for me so that alone could be the culprit.
 
Hope you are doing better soon Janie.
Lovie2008-05-16 06:02:14Okay,I have had a couple of days on the 150 mg at night only.   It is helping the pain in feet.  I am still waiting for another few days before I pass judgement on the weight problem.
Will post again in a couple of days.
Karen
Does it make you sleep hard? I can clock it almost exactly 2 hours after I take 150mg I can't keep my eyes open. It is getting easier to get moving in the morning though. At first it was horrible!Lovie, it still does that to you after all this time?  I'm surprised, well at least a little bit.  I do remember in the beginning that the whole world becomes a sleepy, dizzy blur, but after a few weeks I was past that.  Not to say I'm not generally tired/fatigued/sleepy (plus I take those muscle relaxants), but I never see a direct correlation with my med timing like that.So lovie, that was a natural side affect?   Maybe I went off of it to soon!   The DR. thought it was just my intolerence to some Meds.  nutWell; not exactly. At first when I started on 75mg I was so groggy the next morning it was horrible! I wouldn't take anymore than 75mg at night only. (Originally they prescribed 75mg at night & 75mg in the morning) About two years later the pain in my leg was so bad I had to increase it to 150 but I couldn't take them both every night. Depending on what I had going on at the offfice and how early I had to be up and have my wits about me.
 
I manage MUCH better in the morning.....but yep; two hours after I take it I'm out like a light. None of my other medication does that to me but the lyrica sure does.
 
 
Lovie, I do sleep better when it is working but toward the end of the 75mg dose I was not sleeping well.  My feet were so much on fire that I could not stand the sheets on them. I have noticed better sleep again since the increase.  However there were a few nights that a vicodin was helping I am sure.  Hopefully will be able to be without the pain med tonight.  I am alert when I wake up in the morning, no more brain fog.  Stiffness is not as bad either.Okay, here is my update.  I was told by rd to use 150 mg at night only to avoid munchies.  I have started having edema in the feet/ankles.  So today called the rd and asked if they could call in a script for 100 mg. Told them I felt 150 was too much and causing the swelling and a little bit of the munchies.  I told them I felt that maybe 100 mg would be enough of an increase.  Well, they called back and said he wants me to stay on 75mg, no increase until we talk at next appt, which is not for 2 months!  I am not happy but I also don't like the way the increased dosage made me swell up!  
How are the rest of you doing with yours!
Thank you all so much for replying - it has helped me hearing that you are going thru similar reactions.  And yes, during the first few weeks all I could do was sleep seems like, I was SO tired then it evened out - when I went up the dosage each time I had the same adjustment.  I started gaining weight right after I started Lyrica with no change of anything, but I did notice the munchies start creeping up there, so I am interested in switching my dosage to all at night like some of your's have been, so I'll check with my Rheumy. 

And for Snowpeak (Karen) I hope you can get an earlier appt or something soon!  And Lovie thank you for your posts - they have been so helpful :)
Hi GM, like everyone else I've gained weight..........but I also started Humira about the same time as Lyrica, so I don't know which one to blame - maybe both.  I've been dieting but it's a real slow go and have just added exercise.  Today was my first day using the recumbent bike and I'll begin Tai Chi on Monday.  It's almost as evil as Pred. but not quite.  I take 75 mg. in morning and 150 mg. at night.  Never made me sleepy but sure did change my weight.  LindyI'm not on Lyrica, but I wonder if it's not the drug as much as positive results. I seem to eat more on the amitryptilene, but the scale isn't flying upwards just yet.
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