Actos and Lyrica?

I posted this on another board, but thought I should here, too.  Thanks! :-)

I went to a new doctor today about my leg burning sensation from the high volume lipo.  He thinks I may just have some nerve damage (no biggie, had this with my TT and it went away, but it didn't burn like this)...so he prescribed the 50mg of Lyrica.  My dad takes it because he just had shoulder surgery, but he made it sound like a pain med, not a nerve thing....so which is it?  Then the doctor also thinks I have hypoglycemia (bouts of low blood sugar) and said after I get all my labs done and IF they come back as he "suspects" he wants to put me on Actos. He said it is *NOT* FDA approved for hypoglycemic patients, but it is for diabetic (high sugar) patients.  That being said he has prescribed it for 8 years for low sugar and he has found that it causes the patients to burn stored sugar (fat) and then helps regulate the ups and downs of the low sugar problem...and the weight loss is a "side effect" of the burned stored sugar....so I could expect to lose 8-10lbs a month for a few months.  Anyone ever heard of this????

I have beenon Lyrica for the last two years for pain related to diabetic neurapathy. It has been a godsend and I rarely have pain anymore.

Before surgery i was on Actos.  It made me blow up like a balloon.  I gained 67 pounds in just 6 months and it was due to the Actos,  Yes it was helping to control my blood sugar, but i felt like crap.  Lots of other have had similar expereinces with Actos.

Check with your doctor to see if anything else can be prescribed.

Good luck.

Ronna

I love the Lyrica for the pain control--it really works. That being said, I'm having like every side effect possible--swelling, heart palpitations, headache, nausea, etc. I have a check up on Friday and I just did a bunch of bloodwork today. Blech.  Thanks for responding! :-)

I've had some swelling in my ankles as well.  Doc cut back my dose from 3 a day to 2.  Still pain free and the swelling is better.

Good luck!

I do love the Lyrica for pain - I take it for fibromyalgia.  But when I started taking it I gained 20 pounds.  The doctor told me I might gain weight.  Turns out, Lyrica plus Actos WILL cause weight gain - and I'm on both.  I stopped the Lyrica two weeks before surgery because I needed to lose some weight.  I dropped 10 pounds.
L.

My stomach wasn't able to tolerate Metformin so my endocrin guy put me on Actos.  I wasn't diabetic but I have insulin resistance and PCOS.  I was taking the meds so that I could get regular periods.  The Actos did give me regular periods but I gained a TON of weight on it.  My doc thought it was better to take me off it and be without periods than to have my weight steadily climb on it.  Good luck!