Lyrica FAQs
What is Lyrica?
Lyrica is a prescription medicine used in adults, 18 years and older, to
treat:
- pain from damaged nerves (neuropathic pain) that follows healing of
shingles
(a painful rash that comes after a
herpes zoster infection)
- partial seizures when taken together with other
seizure medicines
Lyrica has not been studied in children under the age of 18.
What are The Risks of Lyrica?
- Dizziness and sleepiness.
Do not drive a car, work with machines, or do other
dangerous activities until you know how Lyrica affects your alertness. Ask your
doctor when it is okay to do these activities.
- Eyesight problems, including blurry vision. Call your doctor if you have any
changes in your eyesight.
- Weight gain may affect the management of diabetes, Weight gain and swelling
can also be a serious problem for people with
heart problems.
- Unexplained muscle problems, such as
muscle pain, soreness, or
weakness. If
you develop these symptoms, especially if you also feel sick and have a
fever,
tell your doctor right away.
- The most common side effects with Lyrica include dizziness, blurry vision,
weight gain, sleepiness, trouble concentrating, swelling of the hands and feet
and dry mouth.
What Should I Tell My Health Care Professional?
Before you start using Lyrica, tell your health care provider if you:
- are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if Lyrica may harm
your unborn baby. You and your doctor will have to decide if Lyrica is right for
you while you are pregnant.
- are breastfeeding. It is not known if Lyrica passes into
breast milk and if
it can harm your baby. You and your doctor should decide whether you should take
Lyrica or breastfeed, but not both.
- plan to father a child. Animal studies showed that
pregabalin, the active
ingredient in Lyrica, made male animals less
fertile. Also, in animal studies,
birth defects occurred in the
offspring of male animals who were treated with
pregabalin. It is not known if these effects would happen in people.
- have diabetes. Lyrica caused skin sores in animals. Although skin sores were
not seen in studies in people, if you have diabetes, you should pay extra
attention to your skin while taking Lyrica and tell your doctor of any sores or
skin problems.
- have abused prescription medicines, street drugs, or
alcohol in the past.
Lyrica may cause some people to feel "high."
Are There Any Interactions With Drugs or Foods?
Tell your doctor about all
the medicines you are taking including prescription and nonprescription
medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Lyrica and certain other medicines
may affect each other in the way they work in your body. Be especially careful
about medicines that make you sleepy (such as sleeping pills, anxiety medicines,
tranquilizers and some antihistamines, pain relievers and seizure medicines.) Be
sure to tell your doctor if you take:
- rosiglitazone (Avandia) or
pioglitazone (Actos) for diabetes. You may have a
higher chance of weight gain or swelling if these medicines are taken with
Lyrica.
- any narcotic pain medicine (such as
oxycodone), tranquilizers or medicines
for anxiety (such as lorazepam). You may have a higher chance for dizziness and
sleepiness if these medicines are taken with Lyrica.
- any medicines that make you sleepy.
