![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by okydoky on February 26, 2008, at 11:22:58
MY urologist prescribed Lyrica for pain. I have a lot of side effects. He is telling me that Lamictil is similar so I should try it.
I don't know much about meds. Does anyone know how these two are alike?
Several p[people on this site have suggested lamictil to me as an antidepressant but that is not what he was suggesting it for. Ever heard of taking it for pain?
okydoky
Posted by Phillipa on February 26, 2008, at 13:23:07
In reply to Lyrica -similar to Lamictil, posted by okydoky on February 26, 2008, at 11:22:58
I haven't. Phillipa
Posted by yxibow on February 28, 2008, at 8:16:15
In reply to Lyrica -similar to Lamictil, posted by okydoky on February 26, 2008, at 11:22:58
> MY urologist prescribed Lyrica for pain. I have a lot of side effects. He is telling me that Lamictil is similar so I should try it.
>
> I don't know much about meds. Does anyone know how these two are alike?
>
> Several p[people on this site have suggested lamictil to me as an antidepressant but that is not what he was suggesting it for. Ever heard of taking it for pain?
>
> okydoky
>For mood stabilization and an antidepressant, Lamictal can have quite good results for people -- it has a long titration rate just to avoid SJS ("the rash").
I ran across some small study for diabetic neuropathy, but the agents are considerably different.
Lyrica is more akin to Neurontin but possibly more potent. It also has some side effects, such as blurry vision in some patients, but then again Neurontin can do this also. Neurontin does not do that to me, but Lyrica did unfortunately. I experienced some slurring when starting Neurontin but that disappeared. These are all individual variations.
But Lamictal is not a direct GABA modulating agent like the other two aformentioned -- Lyrica and Neurontin are analogues or transformations of GABA that actually cross the blood brain barrier. (The supplement GABA basically doesn't.)
Posted by okydoky on February 28, 2008, at 17:58:13
In reply to Re: Lyrica -similar to Lamictil » okydoky, posted by yxibow on February 28, 2008, at 8:16:15
"I ran across some small study for diabetic neuropathy, but the agents are considerably different."
Perhaps he came upon the same study. The Lyrica causes every conceivable side effect. Blurry vision, nausea, headache fatigue. You name it. He refuses to try neurontin. Says he has not had a lot of luck with his patients with it. Yet Neurontin "is" prescribed for the type of pain I have. Go figure. Thanks for the input.I started the Lamictil and honestly cannot remember what side effect caused me to discontinue it.
Trying a lot of other things now so its not the time to try it again. I need to keep records because I have memory deficits, cognitive problems. Funny the Lyrica causes me to have almost no memory of the day I take it. Just bad all around except it completely gets rid of the pain when nothing else will.
Perhaps if I cannot persuade him I will ask my mother for a couple of hers to try.
Posted by yxibow on March 1, 2008, at 15:19:50
In reply to Re: Lyrica -similar to Lamictil, posted by okydoky on February 28, 2008, at 17:58:13
>
> "I ran across some small study for diabetic neuropathy, but the agents are considerably different."
>
>
> Perhaps he came upon the same study. The Lyrica causes every conceivable side effect. Blurry vision, nausea, headache fatigue.
You name it. He refuses to try neurontin. Says he has not had a lot of luck with his patients with it. Yet Neurontin "is" prescribed for the type of pain I have. Go figure. Thanks for the input.Certain doctors will refuse to prescribe agents, just because they have not prescribed it very much in their clinical practice with other patients with similar conditions and are being conservative for safety. That being said, Neurontin is a pretty safe agent other than first starting it one might be a little groggy, but that passes rather quickly. It doesn't go through the liver, it goes through the kidneys and out it goes.
Maybe he got disenfranchised with the original patented brand which was marketed by certain agents of the company for things that the FDA had not approved it for (you can prescribe anything, just not market it).
I don't know what to say other than perhaps to look at Neurontin studies for what concerns you and print them out and bring them in and maybe in time you can convince him.
Other things that have been used for certain kinds of pain are tricyclics but they have more side effects.
> I started the Lamictil and honestly cannot remember what side effect caused me to discontinue it.The most common thing is an emergence of rash which is a mandatory discontinuation. I assume your doctor was in his right mind to titrate up very slowly -- Lamictal is the slow boat... because of avoiding SJS. So the side effect could have been transient.
> Trying a lot of other things now so its not the time to try it again. I need to keep records because I have memory deficits, cognitive problems.If you're taking and trying agents for pain, you may have cognitive deficits on your own. That's not a criticism. And pain can dullen the mind as well, psychololgically because it becomes a main focus unfortunately.
Funny the Lyrica causes me to have almost no memory of the day I take it. Just bad all around except it completely gets rid of the pain when nothing else will.
Both of them can have -initial- cognitive difficulties, just like benzodiazepines. They can be CNS depressants. And yes, your vision can change as mine did from 20/20 to 20/30, if I had stayed on for more than a month would it have reverted, I don't know, but I think that was probably long enough to determine that it unfortunately didn't mix with my mixture.> Perhaps if I cannot persuade him I will ask my mother for a couple of hers to try.
>Now one doesn't want to tamper with federal law and safety... 'tis your business. Anyhow Neurontin is pretty safe, but that's not a green light for that.
- tidings
Posted by okydoky on March 1, 2008, at 17:51:28
In reply to Re: Lyrica -similar to Lamictil » okydoky, posted by yxibow on March 1, 2008, at 15:19:50
> Certain doctors will refuse to prescribe agents, just because they have not prescribed it very much in their clinical practice with other patients with similar conditions and are being conservative for safety. That being said, Neurontin is a pretty safe agent other than first starting it one might be a little groggy, but that passes rather quickly. It doesn't go through the liver, it goes through the kidneys and out it goes.
>He's been pretty open to trying new things with me so I think he means what he said. He naever prescribed lamictil to any other patient before. ANd almost everything he prescribes is off label. For some reason he does not like prescribing generic if he can help it. He was very concerned with the rash thing and had me read it all and started at the lowest does for a couple of weeks.
> I don't know what to say other than perhaps to look at Neurontin studies for what concerns you and print them out and bring them in and maybe in time you can convince him.
>
> Other things that have been used for certain kinds of pain are tricyclics but they have more side effects.
>
>
> > I started the Lamictil and honestly cannot remember what side effect caused me to discontinue it.
>
> The most common thing is an emergence of rash which is a mandatory discontinuation. I assume your doctor was in his right mind to titrate up very slowly -- Lamictal is the slow boat... because of avoiding SJS. So the side effect could have been transient.
>
>
> > Trying a lot of other things now so its not the time to try it again. I need to keep records because I have memory deficits, cognitive problems.
>
> If you're taking and trying agents for pain, you may have cognitive deficits on your own. That's not a criticism.I can take the criticism some anyway. I was tested neurolgically and came up short on several tests. No one seems to have an anwer as to why. It was quite apparent to me that things had changed so the cognitive stuff was not lifelong.
>
> Funny the Lyrica causes me to have almost no memory of the day I take it. Just bad all around except it completely gets rid of the pain when nothing else will.
>
>
> Both of them can have -initial- cognitive difficulties, just like benzodiazepines. They can be CNS depressants. And yes, your vision can change as mine did from 20/20 to 20/30, if I had stayed on for more than a month would it have reverted, I don't know, but I think that was probably long enough to determine that it unfortunately didn't mix with my mixture.
>
>
>
> > Perhaps if I cannot persuade him I will ask my mother for a couple of hers to try.
> >
>
> Now one doesn't want to tamper with federal law and safety... 'tis your business. Anyhow Neurontin is pretty safe, but that's not a green light for that.
>
>
> - tidingsThanks fo rall your input.
okydoky
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.