Fibromyalgia and the “Lyrica Cure” Myth 

I am sure that many of you have seen the Lyrica commercials on television with many attractive people swearing that they have been healed of their fibromyalgia by Lyrica.  I’m here to tell you folks that Lyrica being a cure is a myth.

If you have fibromyalgia and you’re thinking of trying Lyrica, I wouldn’t try to talk you out of it because it is effective in reducing the symptoms of fibromyalgia in about 20% of the people that are affected.  However, at the same time you should be prepared to have a drastic increase of your symptoms when you try it.  In fact the Pfizer website actually shows that the side effects of Lyrica are the same symptoms you may already have from the Fibromyalgia.  So you may get some of these symptoms on top of what you already have and it may make some of the symptoms you do have worse.  Read the following list:

• tiredness
• dizziness
• headache
• dry mouth
• nausea
• vomiting
• constipation
• gas
• bloating
• ”high” or elevated mood
• speech problems
• difficulty concentrating or paying attention
• confusion
• difficulty remembering or forgetfulness
• anxiety
• lack of coordination
• loss of balance or unsteadiness
• uncontrollable shaking or jerking of a part of the body
• muscle twitching
• weakness
• increased appetite
• weight gain
• swelling of the arms, hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs
• back pain

Now tell me if the symptoms listed above wound familiar.  Irritable bowel syndrome, sleep disorders, congnitive problems, pain and swelling…  If you have fibromyalgia these symptoms may sound very familiar because you may already have them.

If that’s not bad enough, the NIH says you need to call your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following:

• blurred vision, double vision, or other changes in eyesight
• hives
• rash
• itching
• blisters
• swelling of the eyes face, throat, mouth, lips, gums, tongue, head or neck
• shortness of breath
• wheezing
• muscle pain, tenderness, soreness, or weakness, especially if it comes along with fever
• chest pain

In other words, your life may be in danger if you have this reaction.

I would like to tell you that even if you are the 20% and Lyrica does help you, it’s only covering up the symptoms and not really addressing the cause.  So the pain is still there, you just can’t feel it and the nerve dysfunction is still there but you don’t notice what else the nerves are affecting.

I have seen time and again that people with fibromyalgia respond to chiropractic care if they commit to the time it will take to undo the trauma that started the fibromyalgia in the first place.  I belong to a group called the Fibromyalgia Centers of America and this cooperative of doctors have found similar results in that nearly 100% of the time fibromyalgia is related back to some trauma to the body that triggers the fibromyalgia.

If you are suffering with fibromyalgia don’t wait and continue to suffer.  It’s possible that I can offer you hope.  I would ask you to look at a prior post on Fibromyalgia and to watch a video on what other people are saying.

Please let me know what you think of this article.  I would love to share your experience.