Post Fusion L5/S1 Lyrica and side effects

[2young2bMimi]

I am 7 months post op from a PLIF at L5/S1. 42 years old and I have made other posts under the back surgery tips board.

I feel pretty darn good so far. The recovery was long and slow but I can do most anything I need to as far as living life is concerned. I walk on treadmills and ellipticals and do light weights at the gym. I wouldn't say I have much pain anymore. I use a stand up workstation, don't do a lot of lifting and all in all feel really good as long as I don't sit for hours on end. Woo Hoo!!!!!!

The only issue I still have is that at night I end up stiff and sore from lying in one position and still sleep w a pillow between my knees. We purchased a king sized latex foam mattress and it is FABULOUS! I am finding that (without meRAB) when I roll over at night I tend to wake myself up which really does a job on my sleep. During the recovery process my Neuro had prescibed Lyrica and Valium for the spasms and pain. It worked wonders.

Now I continue to take Lyrica but only at night. My dosage during recovery was 150 mg which made me very groggy in the morning. At times I would see double and have trouble walking straight first thing in the AM. I mentioned this to my Neuro and he gave me a 75 mg dose to try and suggested that I take it earlier in the evening. At that time, it didn't do much.

Well, now I am back to work (I work out of my house) and I am finding that I am very unmotivated. Once I get on the phone w/my clients I'm fine but when I'm not, I find that I am very unproductive. This is so not like me. Typically I am a very goal driven and high achiever. During my recovery I couldn't wait to get back to work and make a difference in the lives of others. I am a very social person and am wondering if I have literally been at home too long or if the Lyrica could be associated with this. When I went to see my Family Practitioner he mentioned that Lyrica had been used to treat Anxiety...and suggested that this might explain why I feel so unmotivated. I've never in my life taken anything for depression, anxiety etc so I am completely unfamiliar with these drugs and how they work in your system.

On one hand, I am enjoying the benefits of a full and restful nights sleep. I've tried unisom, tylenol pm, lunesta, valerian root, melatonin etc and nothing else has actually KEPT me asleep. I have no problems falling asleep, but only staying asleep. I usually wake up to soreness in my hips and pelvis when I don't take anything. On the other hand, I am so unmotivated and feel like a balloon that all the air has been let out of during the day when I am alone. I've weaned the dosage down now to about 50 mg per night and feel somewhat less groggy in the AM. I've been reading some of the posts here and elsewhere about Lyrica and the side effects. I have had no swelling or weight gain from it that I can tell. I've considered trying to get off of it totally but then again will be faced with the dilemma of not sleeping and of course my dear hubby gets up early and I tend to wake him too when I don't sleep well.

My Dr. also mentioned Neurontin, which he said only stays in your system 6-8 hours. The Lyrica is in me for 13-14 hours depending on how much food I take it with. We decided to take the Lyrica dose way down and then see how I feel before trying Neurontin.

Has anyone else out there had a similar experience? How long does it take to be able to sleep thru the night? I can't complain because my back really does feel good. Its just that I've got to sleep!!!

Any suggestions or comments out there?

Mimi

 

[marshrose]

Glad to hear you're feeling better overall! I am one month post op PLIF at L4-5, and I'm hurtin something fierice today with the rain here. Ugk.

As for neurontin and lycria, I too had side effects from them but- it may be part of your dilema- I noticed that both made me terribly groggy and 'worn out' during the day, at which less active, (prior to 2nd surgery I'm not on it now yet- hopefully soon), so at night, I was not fully in NEED of sleep, I had insomnia at times, and then that made it even worse for me during the day and caused a cycle of noctural! I was scripted a generic Arabien, and it really works well, and helps me stay asleep too. I still wake with pain, and wind up taking a lorcet 10mg and a muscle relaxer and a nauseas med, all of which make me drowsy too, so that knocks me out more, so I am unsure which is helping now that I think about it, but maybe trying a sleep med will help more.

I also purchased at target a memory foam egg crate mattress topper, and it REALLY releves the pressure points in my hip/thigh area that I was walking from, you may want to try that, it was only 20$ at the store, and well worth it to me.
I was taking neurontin once in the morning and once at night, they then said ditch the once at night, as it was lagging into my day too much, or try to take it earlier instead of right before bed so it wasn't dragging into the next morning for me. Lycria made me have CRAZY dreams, and the insomnia, and some other side effect I forget now, so I went to neurontin which is to have less side effects.

Just food for thought. How are you fusing?? When did you start to fuse? Did you have bad nerve pains after sugery and when did they go away?

My nerve was severely impinged for 9 months, and I've had 2 surgeries (rehernation largely immed after 1st surgery), so I am dying with the nerve pains still here and there.

Tell me how your recovery went if you have the time I'd love to hear about it. I cant hardly walk a few houses up my street without my cane @ one month post op, and get bad nerve pains when I try, and the weather/rain is KILLING ME today, its aweful.

Type away, I have a laptop and live in bed, give me something to read lol if you got the time to tell me of your recovery.

 

[2young2bMimi]

Rosepetal,

If you are only 4 weeks post op, keep hanging in there. Weeks 2-6 or 8 were the hardest for me. I had terrible muscle spasms during that time. They DO go away though. Check your private messages please.

I use a memory foam topper anytime I travel. I just throw it in the car and it makes any old bed comfy. My latex foam mattress has a thick pillow top and i get no pressure points at all at night. Its wonderful!

I began to fuse within a few weeks. YOu could see it on the xrays at my follow up visits. very cool to see the photos with the screws, roRAB and bone growth. I started walking right away and tended to overdo it.

As I said, keep hanging in there and keep walking! I can understand why a nerve medication would be in order and wish I had had some after my diskectomy in 2001. I am going to wean my Lyrica all the way down and then see where I am after that.

Mimi