# Lyrica--Side Effects?



## cyndiew

Hi Folks, Recently my pain specialist prescribed Lyrica for me for fibromyalgia pain. I m not currently using it because of some insurance issues I have going on right now, but I did use it for a few months.I experienced the following side effects:1. Pain and swelling in my hands 2. Severe swelling in my ankles (couldn't even see my ankle bones) 3. Extremely itchy skin, rash, and skin discoloration on the tops of my feet with the flesh becoming VERY dry4. Itchy skin all over my body.My doctor said the swelling was a side effect of Lyrica but other things were not; however, since I stop taking this drug all of the above symptoms have disappeared.I'd appreciate hearing from others who have used Lyrica as to what, if any, side effects they may have experienced. Thanks for any replies.Cyndie


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## M&M

Hi Cyndie!I've never taken Lyrica, but when you mentioned it made you itchy I wondered if maybe you were having an allergic reaction to it. Some folks have allergic reactions to certain medicines, and that could be the case for you with Lyrica.It's best to ask your doctor about it, since you might be having an allergic reaction to the medicine. I am really surprised your doctor didn't take your itching more seriously! The rash-like development could be hives, which would be part of an allergic reaction.A lot of times, patients will be encouraged to take Benadryl (or some other anti-histamine) to reduce the symptoms of the allergic reaction.Narcotics can often cause hives and itching in patients taking them, and that is not usually a true allergic reaction. That's usually what's called an idiosyncratic reaction, or a psuedo-allergy. But, Lyrica is NOT a narcotic, so your reaction could very well be a true allergy to the medicine. Of course, it could also be an idiosyncratic reaction (which is named such because it is an "unusual response that is peculiar to that person").I found a website from John Hopkins that will help you figure out if your itchiness was a true allergic response, or just an idiosyncratic reaction. Here it is: http://www.hopkinshospital.org/health_info...ed_allergy.htmlI think regardless of whether your hives and itchiness are allergies or psuedo-allergies, it seems like the Lyrica was behind it. And hopefully this info will help you figure out what was going on, and figure out what you can do about it, so it won't happen in the future with this particular medicine.That is miserable to itch all over!


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## cyndiew

M&M said:


> Hi Cyndie!I've never taken Lyrica, but when you mentioned it made you itchy I wondered if maybe you were having an allergic reaction to it. Some folks have allergic reactions to certain medicines, and that could be the case for you with Lyrica.It's best to ask your doctor about it, since you might be having an allergic reaction to the medicine. I am really surprised your doctor didn't take your itching more seriously! The rash-like development could be hives, which would be part of an allergic reaction.A lot of times, patients will be encouraged to take Benadryl (or some other anti-histamine) to reduce the symptoms of the allergic reaction.Narcotics can often cause hives and itching in patients taking them, and that is not usually a true allergic reaction. That's usually what's called an idiosyncratic reaction, or a psuedo-allergy. But, Lyrica is NOT a narcotic, so your reaction could very well be a true allergy to the medicine. Of course, it could also be an idiosyncratic reaction (which is named such because it is an "unusual response that is peculiar to that person").I found a website from John Hopkins that will help you figure out if your itchiness was a true allergic response, or just an idiosyncratic reaction. Here it is: http://www.hopkinshospital.org/health_info...ed_allergy.htmlI think regardless of whether your hives and itchiness are allergies or psuedo-allergies, it seems like the Lyrica was behind it. And hopefully this info will help you figure out what was going on, and figure out what you can do about it, so it won't happen in the future with this particular medicine.That is miserable to itch all over!


Hi M&M!I've been unable to check my computer for a few days and have just found your reply to my inquiry. Thanks for answering. You do an excellent job of responding to everything, and it is much appreciated.I will check out that link you gave me very shortly. Thank you for providing it. Cannot sit here long enough just at the moment but will come back to this.Hope you're having a happy July 4th!Best,Cyndie


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