Lyrica is a medication used to treat neuropathic pain from diabetes or herpes zoster (shingles), seizures, and Fibromyalgia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBiqV4dta_M
This commercial talks about Lyrica helping with widespread pain so that people can get out more and improve on their daily functioning. As all prescription drug commercials do, this one talks about all the side effects quickly before ending the commercial.
A list of side effects includes dizziness, feeling tired or drowsy, constipation, diarrhea, nausea, headaches, increased weight, unsteadiness or reduce co-ordination, shaking or tremors, dry mouth, and blurred or double vision. These side effects are the more common and mild ones. Side effects that are more life threatening and less common include mental health changes, such as depression and suicidal thoughts, swelling of hands, ankles or feet, enlargement of breasts, unexplained muscle pain, or passing little to no urine.
This commercial points out some of the side effects, but not all of them, which further shows how important it is to discuss medications in detail with the provider prescribing them before you start taking them. What this commercial also does not point out is that Lyrica is not effective in people with post-traumatic neuropathic pain which means nerve pain caused by a traumatic injury such as a car accident (Lyric flops in pain study, 2016).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVSMaWQljdE
This is another Lyrica commercial that shows Lyrica for a different use. While the previous commercial talked about the drug being used for generalized pain and weakness, this commercial shows Lyrica being used specifically for diabetic neuropathy, which is nerve pain in the extremities caused from diabetes. This commercial gives a little more information about the drug because it lets us know that the drug is meant to have an affect on the nervous system of the body.
This commercial has the same exact information on the drug as the first commercial had, including some side effects while leaving others out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhGGqjTszTA
This video on Fibromyalgia is most interesting. It discusses what the drug Lyrica does to the body and why it helps with pain. The neurologist in the video talks about Lyrica being originally developed as a seizure medication. Collins (2015) confirms that Lyrica was indeed created as an anti-epileptic medication and goes on to explain that the pain management was discovered after more studies were done.
This video talks about Lyrica’s effects on the body and talks about why it is a dangerous drug to use too often and how it does not fix the underlying reason for the pain. What Lyrica is meant to do is reduce excess electrical signals being sent out by the brain (Lyrica: 12 Things you need to know, n.d.). It is not stopping the pain, but stopping the brain from sending as many signals out for the pain. The doctor in the video also talks about Lyrica blocking the formation of new brain synapses. I am unable to find information that confirms or denies this statement, but the doctor in the video is getting the information from a study that he found.
All pharmaceutical drugs created have their benefits and side effects. Sometimes we take the word of the doctor when they prescribe one of these drugs to us. It is important that we are gathering as much information as we can about a medication before we put it into our body. Learn what you can and then decide; are the risks of the medication worth the benefits?
References
Collins, A. (2015). Pfizer reinforces Lyrica restrictions. Chemist & Druggist, 282(6939), 12. Retrieved from http://library.neit.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=109814420&site=ehost-live
Lyrica: 12 Things You Need to Know. (n.d.). Retrieved November 18, 2018, from https://www.drugs.com/slideshow/lyrica-faqs-1173
Lyrica Flops in Pain Study. (2016). P&T: A Peer-Reviewed Journal for Managed Care & Formulary Management, 41(1), 23. Retrieved from http://library.neit.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=112256256&site=ehost-live
Pregabalin (generic)/LYRICA (BRAND). (2013). Brown University Psychopharmacology Update, 24, 1–2. Retrieved from http://library.neit.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=104218577&site=ehost-live
20 Years Of Helping Australians Make Better Decisions About Medicines, Medical Tests And Other Health Technologies. (n.d.). Lyrica Capsules. Retrieved November 18, 2018, from https://www.nps.org.au/medical-info/medicine-finder/lyrica-capsules