Lyrica Treatment and Use
The pain medication Lyrica | pregabalin is an anticonvulsant drug manufactured by the pharmaceutical company Pfizer. Lyrica was the first fibromyalgia treatment approved by the FDA and is indicated for the following conditions:
For treatment of GAD, Lyrica was shown to be similar to the drugs lorazepam, Xanax | alprazolam, and Effexor | venlafaxine. Though Lyrica is best known as a pain medication, its therapeutic use for anxiety has been shown to be effective with a lower risk of the “fog” that comes with benzodiazepines such as the aforementioned drugs.
How does Lyrica work?
The exact mode of action for Lyrica to treat neuropathic pain disorders and anxiety as well as other mood disorders is not completely known. It is believed that Lyrica | pregablin works by calming the overly stimulated nerves that cause chronic pain disorders such as fibromyalgia. It is this same believed mechanism that reduces the symptoms of general anxiety disorder and alcohol withdrawal in individuals.
Lyrica dosing
Lyrica starts off at 150 mg for all conditions that it treats. It either comes in tablet or oral solution form. The doses are divided in two or three daily incriments and daily maximum dosage ranges from:
- Ddiabetic peripheral neuropathy pain (DPN): 300 mg maximum
- Post herpetic neuralgia (PHN): 600 mg maximum
- Adjunctive partial onset seizure therapy in adults: 600 mg maximum
- Fibromyalgia: 450 mg maximum
Ingredients
Active ingredient: pregabalin
Inactive ingredients:
LYRICA capsules: lactose monohydrate, cornstarch, talc
Capsule shell: gelatin and titanium dioxide; Orange capsule shell: red iron oxide; White
capsule shell: sodium lauryl sulfate, colloidal silicon dioxide. Colloidal silicon dioxide is a
manufacturing aid that may or may not be present in the capsule shells.
Imprinting ink: shellac, black iron oxide, propylene glycol, potassium hydroxide.
LYRICA oral solution: methylparaben, propylparaben, monobasic sodium phosphate
anhydrous, dibasic sodium phosphate anhydrous, sucralose, artificial strawberry #11545 and purified water.