Surgery for stenosis, pain persists for now, to lyrica or not

**JRS11** · 07-28-2011, 08:28 PM

I am on my 16th day of Lyrica, started for 5 days on 50mg at night, 5 days of 50mg nite and morning, 5 days or 100 mg nite, 50mg in the morning, started today at 100 mg AM and 100mg PN.

I have had no side effects (maybe a bit of extra hunger and eating, this I have to watch), but that is it so far. Improvement is negligible if at all. I walk each morning and my pain used to start just about at the beginning of my walk, after the 2nd or so week of Lyrica I could walk a couple of blocks before the burning pain started down from my buttocks to my thigh, sometimes at home I also get it in my calf. Standing and walking are killers for me, sitting is limited relief and then I have to lie down..... Not sure if I will get relief from this drug, I know they started me slowly on the dose, I see them tomorrow and have questions for them. I am trying not to be discourage but I do not see how I can go back to work with this pain and my STD ends Sept. 25, so I am hoping.

thanks for any feedback and encouragement.

Joel

**petrkr** · 07-29-2011, 07:33 PM

This sounds familiar do you have LTD? Also I am on Gabapentin. Injections help as well with the burn if they are done right. Sorry to hear about your burn it is a real mood killer.

**JRS11** · 07-29-2011, 08:17 PM

Thanks petrkr. Yes, the burn is terrible. I was at the pain center today, I see a PA and he said stay on the 200mg for 5 more days then to go 300mg since I am not having any side effects (I did gain a tad of weight but I had a couple of meals out and that does it too, see if it sheds fast or not). I see the pain Doctor in 3 weeks or so, maybe 4 and see if the burn is still with me what he thinks of injections. We discussed today but the PA said it was too soon after surgery. My history with steroid injections is not good, first one helps and second one does little to nothing....so time will tell. I do have LTD but I have to be approved and if I go on it I have no job to go back to when I feel better (if I feel better). I want to be able to go back to work before the STD is over, that would be my first choice. Thanks again.

**Dutch** · 08-10-2011, 02:47 PM

I hope you do well with Lyrica. I found it was starting to help provide noticeable relief for my chronic neck and back pain, but then had about 3 days with vision problems in my left eye and had to discontinue... I am disappointed because it was also highly effective at eliminating supersensitive nerve pain I've had in my right leg since it was cut in back of calf just below the knee 25 years ago. It took me a year to be able to wear jeans again and I've learned to live with it, but it sure was nice to be pain free for a while...

Good luck!

Dutch

**JRS11** · 08-10-2011, 05:29 PM

Thanks Dutch, I do not have any real side effect other than gaining 5 pounds in 4 weeks...but I also have no real success with it so far. I am on 300mg for the past 7 days or so and now I can walk about 2 or so city blocks until the pain starts to creep back and another 2 before it is bad. I finally get to meet the real pain doc (not the PA) in a week and a half and hope he has a suggestion. My back doc is adamant that I will feel better and refuses to consider LTD. Today I spoke with a law firm as he wants me to go back 1/2 time and that will never really happen, the firm says if I wait for them to say no it is harder to for them to get involved now with a fair proposal and accommodations for my hopefully short lived disability.

Thanks