Well...
I apparently had an uncommonly bad reaction to Lyrica. Not only horrible side effects, but it took me months to go through the tapering off process due to severe withdrawal symptoms.
I had such severe neurologic side effects that it was suspected that I had another stroke.
Difficulty speaking, stuttering, trouble forming sentences, sometimes I couldn't speak. Like struck mute. I wanted to speak but my body wouldn't do it.
Balance and gait abnormalities. I couldn't walk straight, had trouble standing still, and would get up to walk sometimes but just kind of shuffle-march in place. My legs would move but I would either walk in place or stagger backwards.
Very severe brain fog. I was barely able to function safely without supervision. My husband left for work at 7 am and when he came home at 6 pm I couldn't tell him what happened all day. I lost hours at a time. No idea if I sat and stared at the wall or did things.
Fluid retention and edema. I had massive swelling in my feet, ankles, and lower legs.
Mental issues. I had frequent recurring intrusive thoughts about death and dying. For some people this manifests as suicidal ideation. For me it was death terrors. Obsessing over my own eventual death, feeling like I was about to die, obsessing about other people dying.
Aches, weakness, clumsiness, difficulty using my hands, trouble paying attention and retaining information, tingling, chills, constipation, coughing, shortness of breath, low blood pressure episodes, anxiety attacks, blurry vision, hand tremors, uncontrolled head nodding.
Withdrawal was rough at first, I started having something called myoclonic jerks. Where my whole body would spasm several times in a row. And brain zaps. Lots of really weird head pressure sensations, fizzing sensations in my head, electric zings in my head.
I really wanted to go into an inpatient setting for supervised medical detox, but because I was not abusing the medication, I couldn't qualify. Lyrica is considered non-addictive, so when patients do have trouble withdrawing from it, there really isn't a medical protocol to help them.
I ended up tapering off the drug very slowly over several months. I'm off it now and most of the symptoms have resolved. I feel really worn out though, it was a very difficult ordeal mentally and physically.
