# Can anyone coment on use of Lyrica (pregabalin) for Shingles?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-coment-on-use-of-lyrica-pregabalin-for-shingles/766923>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [September 26, 2016, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-coment-on-use-of-lyrica-pregabalin-for-shingles/766923 "2016-09-26T12:11:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![remorw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/0ea827/32.png) [@remorw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/remorw)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2016, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-coment-on-use-of-lyrica-pregabalin-for-shingles/766923/1 "2016-09-26T12:11:42Z")

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Hi,

I have a family member dealing with a very painful bought of shingles (started a little over a week ago). Had had recurring back pain in the past that would flare up (under the right shoulder blade). This time the pain started there and then expanded to rib cage.

A Physician friend we correspond with outside the U.S. said thought Lyrica might be in order. I looked at that a little and it seems to be recommended for “pain after shingles” (i.e. 3 months later).

Does anyone have any experience / knowledge with this that they can share / comment on?

Thanks in advance.  
Remo.

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**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2016, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-coment-on-use-of-lyrica-pregabalin-for-shingles/766923/2 "2016-09-26T12:23:35Z")

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> [@remorw](#):
>
> Hi,
> 
> I have a family member dealing with a very painful bought of shingles (started a little over a week ago). Had had recurring back pain in the past that would flare up (under the right shoulder blade). This time the pain started there and then expanded to rib cage.
> 
> A Physician friend we correspond with outside the U.S. said thought Lyrica might be in order. I looked at that a little and it seems to be recommended for “pain after shingles” (i.e. 3 months later).
> 
> Does anyone have any experience / knowledge with this that they can share / comment on?
> 
> Thanks in advance.  
> Remo.

Hi, **remorw** , and welcome to the SDMB. You might get more and better responses in one of the other forums, like IMHO. I have reported your post for a possible move at the mods’ discretion.

No big deal, and again, welcome to the SDMB.

Regards,  
Shodan

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**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2016, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-coment-on-use-of-lyrica-pregabalin-for-shingles/766923/3 "2016-09-26T12:46:28Z")

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**Moderator Note**

Since this is about a specific medical issue and not about the shingles vaccine in general, I have split off these posts from their original thread and have moved them to a new thread in IMHO.

The original thread is here: [What's the Straight Dope on Shingles Vaccination? - Factual Questions - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=680228)

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**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2016, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-coment-on-use-of-lyrica-pregabalin-for-shingles/766923/4 "2016-09-26T12:50:59Z")

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Lyrica is noted to be effective in reducing post-herpetic neuralgia (i.e. shingles) in at least two studies listed in PubMed.  
Pregabalin for the treatment of postherpetic neuralgia: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial.  
Dworkin RH, Corbin AE, Young JP Jr, Sharma U, LaMoreaux L, Bockbrader H, Garofalo EA, Poole RM  
Neurology. 2003;60(8):1274.  
Pregabalin reduces pain and improves sleep and mood disturbances in patients with post-herpetic neuralgia: results of a randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Sabatowski R, Gálvez R, Cherry DA, Jacquot F, Vincent E, Maisonobe P, Versavel M, 1008-045 Study Group  
Pain. 2004;109(1-2):26.

It’s not my go-to drug for treating it (I tend to go with tricyclics first) but it certainly is an acceptable choice. However it is a Schedule V drug, and thus a controlled substance, and has a bit of an abuse potential, so that’s why I steer clear of it in my population. It’s also a lot more expensive than other alternatives.