Lyrica Reactions: My Body & Mind Weigh In
I haven't had any Lyrica in months. In fact, I ran out my prescription late last summer. I couldn't get to the pain center to renew and it was a mess. Getting back on it again is such a relief.
To begin with, I've started to seize up from pain, and I don't know how bad it's gotten until I take this medication. I had a couple of hours where, as I moved, I could hear and feel the myofacial tissue releasing, like from a great massage. There would be a 'click' sound as one bit released, and I felt my muscle relax and sort of fall (hard to explain the sensation) legs, arms, shoulders, back, neck-- hips and even hands and feet! Just click click thuck click every time I moved. So I got up and walked around slowly and sort of did rolling motions like a belly dancer and oh my gods!
It felt amazing! Hard to believe a body can tense up so much until it lets go and you can feel the difference!
In fact, for a day or two, a couple of the worst held muscles will be sore, rather ironically. Which is from the releasing. Then the pain just melts away completely and that's another major stressor gone from my life. The process of it of it is interesting to go through again though. It's like my body just misses the lack of function and has a long, gigantic sigh of relief!
Then there's the mental aspect. Lyrica is proscribed for anxiety disorders because it is so good at calming the mind (without drowziness, unlike almost any other anxiety medication you can name.) If you're NOT suffering from depression, taking antidepressants has a lot of side effects, but it's the only other medication option out there. High doses make you loopy, but I've only ever done as high as 250 mg during massive pain flares. For the most part, a low dose of 50 to 100mg a day works great and there's no loss of cognition. That's precious to me because I use my wide awake mind for so many things, including writing and ruminating, learning and fantasizing... I don't want to be drugged out of my head like a zombie, and sadly, many antidepressants do just that. Prozac wasn't as bad for me, but most of the stuff out there really can do a number on you if your major issue is NOT depression.
I realize that my resilience over two winters ago and last spring and early summer were in part due to my access to Lyrica. When it was gone, life became more grim and overwhelming. Now that I can feel where I'm at with help--? Yeah, I do better mentally with this medication, no question...
I woke up this morning feeling so okay! Hopeful and optimistic, and like I had a good life and all would be well... Much like my enthusiastic embrace of this move to start with-- remember that? How for weeks I was still feeling like we could really create something special here at Heron House despite all our challenges? I was on Lyrica during that time.
I believe it's important to take note of transitions onto and off of various supplements and medications, to take special notice of the differences. I prefer to think (as I'm sure many do) that I'm more okay without medications than I actually am... =^/ And I need to be honest with myself about how much this particular medicine helps my day to day reality. Not only reducing nerve pain, but by quieting the overly-active amygdala with it's constant alarm calls for little to no reason! A side effect of Lyrica is a total benefit to me in this way. It's fucking exhausting talking to myself about how NO, everything is NOT about to blow up in my face! That very primitive part of the brain doesn't listen to reason well. It just scans for danger and insists everything else heed it's alarm calls. That's why panic and anxiety override higher brain functions. We're built to stop thinking and start running or fighting or hiding when danger comes. But if the system is out of whack from previous trauma events that got "stuck"--? It sends out false distress signals that are very difficult to ignore and almost impossible to quiet down with reason or evidence to the contrary. So many times I can't understand where my fear is even coming from, so I don't know what to even address? I'll just feel scared and I keep looking around for what is causing it and find NOTHING. Yet is doesn't matter, the alarm call won't shut the fuck up.
Lyrica has been a lifesaver for me in so many ways, and it must be to many others as well-- it's a top selling medication despite being super expensive! On low doses, I keep my pain at bay and can focus on what's in front of me. I stop getting hijacked by false alarm signals. I can think, and it no longer hurts to FEEL.
Yes. This is a good thing.
Oh-- and my co-pay? Was ZERO. So grateful right now it isn't funny.
To begin with, I've started to seize up from pain, and I don't know how bad it's gotten until I take this medication. I had a couple of hours where, as I moved, I could hear and feel the myofacial tissue releasing, like from a great massage. There would be a 'click' sound as one bit released, and I felt my muscle relax and sort of fall (hard to explain the sensation) legs, arms, shoulders, back, neck-- hips and even hands and feet! Just click click thuck click every time I moved. So I got up and walked around slowly and sort of did rolling motions like a belly dancer and oh my gods!
It felt amazing! Hard to believe a body can tense up so much until it lets go and you can feel the difference!
In fact, for a day or two, a couple of the worst held muscles will be sore, rather ironically. Which is from the releasing. Then the pain just melts away completely and that's another major stressor gone from my life. The process of it of it is interesting to go through again though. It's like my body just misses the lack of function and has a long, gigantic sigh of relief!
Then there's the mental aspect. Lyrica is proscribed for anxiety disorders because it is so good at calming the mind (without drowziness, unlike almost any other anxiety medication you can name.) If you're NOT suffering from depression, taking antidepressants has a lot of side effects, but it's the only other medication option out there. High doses make you loopy, but I've only ever done as high as 250 mg during massive pain flares. For the most part, a low dose of 50 to 100mg a day works great and there's no loss of cognition. That's precious to me because I use my wide awake mind for so many things, including writing and ruminating, learning and fantasizing... I don't want to be drugged out of my head like a zombie, and sadly, many antidepressants do just that. Prozac wasn't as bad for me, but most of the stuff out there really can do a number on you if your major issue is NOT depression.
I realize that my resilience over two winters ago and last spring and early summer were in part due to my access to Lyrica. When it was gone, life became more grim and overwhelming. Now that I can feel where I'm at with help--? Yeah, I do better mentally with this medication, no question...
I woke up this morning feeling so okay! Hopeful and optimistic, and like I had a good life and all would be well... Much like my enthusiastic embrace of this move to start with-- remember that? How for weeks I was still feeling like we could really create something special here at Heron House despite all our challenges? I was on Lyrica during that time.
I believe it's important to take note of transitions onto and off of various supplements and medications, to take special notice of the differences. I prefer to think (as I'm sure many do) that I'm more okay without medications than I actually am... =^/ And I need to be honest with myself about how much this particular medicine helps my day to day reality. Not only reducing nerve pain, but by quieting the overly-active amygdala with it's constant alarm calls for little to no reason! A side effect of Lyrica is a total benefit to me in this way. It's fucking exhausting talking to myself about how NO, everything is NOT about to blow up in my face! That very primitive part of the brain doesn't listen to reason well. It just scans for danger and insists everything else heed it's alarm calls. That's why panic and anxiety override higher brain functions. We're built to stop thinking and start running or fighting or hiding when danger comes. But if the system is out of whack from previous trauma events that got "stuck"--? It sends out false distress signals that are very difficult to ignore and almost impossible to quiet down with reason or evidence to the contrary. So many times I can't understand where my fear is even coming from, so I don't know what to even address? I'll just feel scared and I keep looking around for what is causing it and find NOTHING. Yet is doesn't matter, the alarm call won't shut the fuck up.
Lyrica has been a lifesaver for me in so many ways, and it must be to many others as well-- it's a top selling medication despite being super expensive! On low doses, I keep my pain at bay and can focus on what's in front of me. I stop getting hijacked by false alarm signals. I can think, and it no longer hurts to FEEL.
Yes. This is a good thing.
Oh-- and my co-pay? Was ZERO. So grateful right now it isn't funny.