Lyrica for Migraines
Lyrica (pregapalin), originally an anti-seizure medication, seems to be the cure-all for modern times. I’m sure soon it will be used to cure the economy and win the war in Iraq. All kidding aside, it is an incredibly effective pain reliever for fibromyalgia. It’s also one of the few painkillers that works reliably for my Mom and I can’t help be grateful for that. But Lyrica is also prescribed for migraines as an off-label use. Should it?
As always, please don’t use this blog post in the place of your doctor’s or neurologist’s adivce.
Can You Get Addicted To It?
You can get addicted to Lyrica, but you can also get addicted to any strong painkiller. Although I’ve never taken it, Mom reports that Lyrica can make you feel really dopey and makes whatever chair you are sitting in a whole heck of a lot more comfortable. The FDA claims that taking Lyrica can produce the same effects as Valium (diazepam).
But there are many, many people who take Lyrica or who took Lyrica and didn’t become addicted to it. If you take Lyrica and don’t actually have any pain that needs killing, then you have a really big risk of getting addicted.
And Lyrica is expensive stuff. It’s cheaper to get crystal meth. (Sad, but true.)
Does It Work?
Just in researching this article, Lyrica seems to work on migraines or chronic headaches just like any other prescription medicine — for some people it helps, some people it hurts and some people it doesn’t do much at all. The only things for sure is that your appetite will increase, you’ll sleep better than you did when you were a baby and you will have to pay a lot of money. Not all health insurance companies will cover Lyrica.
Is There a Generic?
Sadly, no generic Lyrica is available and won’t be until October 2013. However, Lyrica’s makers Pfzier will most likely apply for a patent extension long before then, possibly for migraine prevention. Let me stress this — there is no such thing as generic Lyrica. Not legally, anyway. Taking any “generic Lyrica” you may find advertised on the Internet is the pharmacological equivilent of playing Russian Roulette.
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