[ilive4music]

Lyrica and Neurontin

Hi can someone tell me if they are similar drugs? Neurontin worked for a while and then it stopped. Someone at a support group told me lyrica is similar to the way Neurontin (Gabapentin) works so I wanted to ask before I see my doctor so I can bring it up to him.
Thanks

[88Butterfly88]

I believe they are in the same drug class. (You can Google it to check) But I've switched to drugs in the same class and seen improvement. Your best bet is asking your doctor.

[-jimi-]

No. They are very different. Oftentimes when a patent runs out, the drug company makes a slight change to the medication and can then sell it by a new name on a new patent. That makes loads of money. The new generation is often quite similar to the old med, sometimes you can basically not tell them apart. Sometimes they are a little better, like an upgrade, but still has about the same effects.

With Lyrica, the drug company got the surprise of their lives. Lyrica is very closely related to Neurontin, they expected it to be a mere upgrade. But instead it came out to have very different properties. Neurontin has always been quite uninteresting, while Lyrica in my country is actually sold on the streets. Here Lyrica is probably going to be classed in the same group as benzos, meaning a narcotic. Neurontin is not facing that. In USA Lyrica is schedule V, I think Neurontin is not.

Neurontin might have a slight antianxiety effect in some. Lyrica is much more potent in that aspect. You cannot get high from Neurontin, but people can get quite buzzed on Lyrica, it is described by some as similar to cannabis. Neurontin and benzodiazepines have no cross tolerance, while you can actually lose effect from benzos when going on Lyrica, Lyrica creating tolerance really quickly, the patient can find themselves in the situation where neither benzos nor Lyrica works anymore. Although tolerance with Lyrica seems to come down after breaks in medication.

Lyrica in general has more side effects coming on (like acting drugged, loss of balance, slurred speech, confusion) and getting off (withdrawals even after short term use), than Neurontin.

Both has some similar areas of usage such as nerve pain, addon to a primary med in epilepsy and both have off label use in bipolar.

What symptoms did you treat with Neurontin?