Bloated, swollen abdomen

[BobbyDog]

I have been taking Pregabalin for just over a week now, my dose was increased a couple of days ago to 300mg, most side effects are minimal, exept that I have a swollen abdomen, my tummy is really bloated, I feel as though I have eaten a three course meal all the time and feel really uncomfortable, is this normal anyone please help?:ohmy:

[BobbyDog]

I have been taking Pregabalin for just over a week now, my dose was increased a couple of days ago to 300mg, most side effects are minimal, exept that I have a swollen abdomen, my tummy is really bloated, I feel as though I have eaten a three course meal all the time and feel really uncomfortable, is this normal anyone please help?:ohmy:

Someone please reply to me..........
This bloated feeling is making me hyperventilate, cannot cope with the full feeling I have in my stomach.

[suzy-sue]

HI Bobby ..SIDE EFFECTS: The most common side effects of pregabalin are dizziness, drowsiness, dry mouth, edema (accumulation of fluid), blurred vision, weight gain, .......If it doesnt settle down have a word with your Gp .Most side effects do settle once you have got used to the drug and new dose ..Try not to worry and cut down on salt intake as this also causes edema .White bread and carbs cause wind and this too causes bloating due to a build up of Gas .Try to avoid and see if theres any improvement Use the Brown varieties ..T/c Sue x

[BobbyDog]

HI Bobby ..SIDE EFFECTS: The most common side effects of pregabalin are dizziness, drowsiness, dry mouth, edema (accumulation of fluid), blurred vision, weight gain, .......If it doesnt settle down have a word with your Gp .Most side effects do settle once you have got used to the drug and new dose ..Try not to worry and cut down on salt intake as this also causes edema .White bread and carbs cause wind and this too causes bloating due to a build up of Gas .Try to avoid and see if theres any improvement Use the Brown varieties ..T/c Sue x

Thank you so much!

[hanshan]

Bloating is not usually associated with pregabalin.

If it's your first week, you might still have stress or anxiety issues affecting your eating patterns or your body's response. Hopefully, this will settle in a few days as the pregabalin starts to have an effect.

[neowallace]

Hi BobbyDog

I am taking 450mg just now. I have a large hiatus hernia anyway but have noticed a lot more tummy problems. I have put about a stone in weight on and also have been feeling really bloated. I am now having to really watch what I am eating and this is hard for someone like me who loves food. I am seeing shrink on Thursday thinking about reducing or stopping. So I would agree it is a side effect certainly for me. Hope you are feeling better. Try double action gaviscon liquid it is expensive but does help.

Take care
Steven:)

[Charlie Maneh]

It kind of annoys me to read some of these comments that say "Stomach bloating isn't normally associated with Pregabalin because when people say that , I know they're just going by the pretty vague list of side effects found on the leaflet which comes with the capsules. Those leaflets hardly ever include the real side effects that people have to endure. They leave out all the nasty stuff usually. Especially when it comes to withdrawals.

Anyway, what I wanted to say was......yes bloated belly is associated with Pregabalin because I too have it, badly. My stomach is bloated out like I'm pregnant most of the time, and I'm a man. It's like it's filled up to the max with air. It's ridiculous. It started happening about a month after I started taking it and went up to 600mg a day. Its so bad now that I'm considering trying to come off the Pregabalin, which is a real shame as it does good things for me too. Also, I googled "Bloated belly from Lyrica" and found that there were many results for forums where people are all complaining of the same thing. So yes, it is associated with Lyrica. I can't fit into most of trousers/jeans these days. Weight gain and extreme bloated belly.

[hanshan]

Hello Charlie,

Sorry to hear about your problems while taking pregabalin. I agree that the list of potential side effects that comes with most medications is not very helpful, mostly because so many conditions are listed, and the list usually only relates to people in the start-up phase of the medication. That means long-term effects like weight gain may get under-reported. Also, there is no list of withdrawal effects. Another difficulty is that if a patient says something like "I felt like I was drunk and couldn't stand up straight", it will be duly recorded as "dizziness" and "lack of coordination". If a patient complains about "bloating", it may be recorded as "dyspepsia" (I'm not sure about that).

Nevertheless.... one website that combines reports of side effects from different sources (eHealthMe) says "On Nov, 25, 2014: 64,323 people reported to have side effects when taking Lyrica. Among them, 5 people (0.01%) have Abdominal Bloating".

[Avasmummy_x]

I've been on pregabablin 3weeks and its funny you should say this ive had really bad bloating the past week and don't know why x

[hanshan]

One possible explanation is that these medications affect the balance of the gut bacteria. These digest otherwise indigestible things like fibre, but produce gas in the process. Gas may be appearing in unexpected parts of the digestive system, giving a feeling of bloating.

Also, as Christmas approaches, for those lucky enough, more and richer food is put out to welcome people, which again the digestive system is not used to dealing with.

[Avasmummy_x]

I think the weight gain has a lot to do with it too! I was 6stone when starting pregabablin and now nearly 7. I have lots stones this year due to my anxiety and experienced a halt to gaining any weight I couldn't gain anything and just had no appetite. Since being on pregabablin it's been a blessing and I can't stop eating. For most people that would be very frustrating but in my case it's a miracle. But because I've gone from eating next to nothing to lots I think it does effect the body slightly x

[hanshan]

Hi Avasmummy,

I understand people can gain weight taking pregabalin - but almost a stone in two weeks? That's around a pound a day. I know it's not impossible, but you'd need to be eating about 3,000 calories a day extra over basal metabolism to gain that kind of weight (think about 4,000 to 5,000 calories per day).

[Avasmummy_x]

Hanshan I started pregabablin just over 3weeks ago and weighed 6stone 4lbs and today I am 6stone 11lbs.

I'm eating so much its unreal I eat breakfast, snacks, lunch 2 snacks before tea, my tea and then I just carry on snacking before bed. The other night my partner walked in on me at 11pm at night with a sandwich crisp and a packet of digestives. Lol!

I'm gaining a lot in the past month but my doctor is very happy as 4weeks prior I was lucky if I ate one meal a day.

[hanshan]

Hello Avasmummy,

Okay, but you made it sound closer to a stone in your earlier post, and yes, it has been three weeks (time goes quickly!)

From what you say, you've been gaining around a pound every three days. That's equivalent to around an extra 1,200 calories intake per day, if your weight was stable before. This gain may be desirable at first, but you will soon want to control it.

If you think that a 100 g bag of crisps is around 500 calories and a chocolate biscuit is around 85 calories, you'll see that you'll get to 1,200 calories with just an extra few snacks a day.

The biggest danger period with weight gain with medications like this seems to be in the early stages, maybe as you adjust to the differences in how the body is reacting. From what people post on NMP, it seems to be easier to regain a sense of balance after some time.

[SarahH]

Yes I scoffed if the first few weeks and then it settled down to normal eating habits.


Sarah

[Ferrante.m]

I've been on lyrica for about a month now. It's helping with pain but creating such an uncomfortable bloated feeling. I'm relatively thin and look 3 months pregnant! Is this common?

[Chiron]

It kind of annoys me to read some of these comments that say "Stomach bloating isn't normally associated with Pregabalin because when people say that , I know they're just going by the pretty vague list of side effects found on the leaflet which comes with the capsules. Those leaflets hardly ever include the real side effects that people have to endure. They leave out all the nasty stuff usually. Especially when it comes to withdrawals.

Anyway, what I wanted to say was......yes bloated belly is associated with Pregabalin because I too have it, badly. My stomach is bloated out like I'm pregnant most of the time, and I'm a man. It's like it's filled up to the max with air. It's ridiculous. It started happening about a month after I started taking it and went up to 600mg a day. Its so bad now that I'm considering trying to come off the Pregabalin, which is a real shame as it does good things for me too. Also, I googled "Bloated belly from Lyrica" and found that there were many results for forums where people are all complaining of the same thing. So yes, it is associated with Lyrica. I can't fit into most of trousers/jeans these days. Weight gain and extreme bloated belly.

Hello Charlie. Yes, it annoys me, too. In fact, that's putting it mildly. I've been taking this poison for nine years, and ever since that time I've noticed massive weight gain. I am a man, 62, only 5ft 5ins, fairly stalkly, but this is outrageous. I've steadily put weight on, especially -- and this is the bizarre thing -- around my upper torso, and my upper abdomen feels like it's bursting with the pressure. I've read about this from other people on the Internet, but doctors just look at you like you're crazy, as if they know anything to begin with. If it wasn't for money, there'd be no doctors. It's all about money. If they received the same wages as ambulance staff, there wouldn't be any 'doctors.' It's a racket, and the sooner we realize it the better. As for Pregabalin/Lyrica, that's one pure evil drug. I made a decision yesterday, because of the severe pain and swelling, to come off this stuff. I don't CARE what anyone says, I'm off it. Also, my surgeon performed three CT scans over two years, the swelling was so severe, yet I am 'normal' in there. The only commonality is Pregabalin. I don't take it anymore. I'd rather hang from the entrance to a bats' cave by my fingernails. No, I won't take that crap anymore.

[hanshan]

Hello Chiron,

I'm sorry to hear of your weight gain while taking pregabalin. From what you describe, it is abdominal fat inside you that is pushing out and up. You need to talk to your doctor about metabolic syndrome.

The weight gain may be associated with pregabalin, but you have to remember that the average person in Western countries these days gains around one kilogram per year in their fifties - so over nine years, that would be an average increase of nine kilograms.

You don't say why you have been taking pregabalin. You do need to discuss stopping with your doctor. It's your choice, but sudden stopping may see a return of your initial symptoms, and/or withdrawal symptoms.

Good luck with your withdrawal.

[Chiron]

Hello Chiron,

I'm sorry to hear of your weight gain while taking pregabalin. From what you describe, it is abdominal fat inside you that is pushing out and up. You need to talk to your doctor about metabolic syndrome.

The weight gain may be associated with pregabalin, but you have to remember that the average person in Western countries these days gains around one kilogram per year in their fifties - so over nine years, that would be an average increase of nine kilograms.

You don't say why you have been taking pregabalin. You do need to discuss stopping with your doctor. It's your choice, but sudden stopping may see a return of your initial symptoms, and/or withdrawal symptoms.

Good luck with your withdrawal.

Thanks for writing, Hanshan. Does that mean that everyone who has abdominal swelling and who is on Pregabalin has fat pushing out and up in their abdominal cavity? There's a lot of squelching and squeezing going on, too, especially on the right side. My doctor has long since stopped listening to me -- one of those yes-we've-heard-it-all-before arrogants of the medical profession, who think they know it all and that there is no more learning to be done. On another matter, I asked two years ago if I could have gallbladder problems, but was told no, that it would show up in the blood tests. Guess what? The surgeon, who took my gallbladder out a year ago, said that "your gallbladder was extremely diseased." He sent it off for pathology, and it came back as chronic choelecystitis. Of course, my doctor knows best. Even when you've got CC, you must have 'misheard'. Even if you die in this lousy country, they aren't responsible, unlike Australia and other half-decent countries where professionals are held to account. We're living in a poor, half-baked, second-rate cousin of Australia. I wish I'd never come here. I detest the place.

[hanshan]

Hi Chiron,

For the abdominal swelling, there are potentially a number of common reasons, not immediately dangerous, but certainly worth looking into.

If it is associated with progressive weight gain over a few kilos and the top part of your abdomen feels firm, then abdominal fat deposits are a likely candidate. These are fat deposits which attach themselves to your intestines and kidneys. Probably every middle-aged man has some, including me!

There is also weight stored as water, for various reasons. If it's nothing serious, a diuretic may help. If you blood pressure is high, the doctor may consider a diuretic, anyway.

When people talk of bloating, it's often due to food not digesting properly, then being digested by the gut bacteria, which produce a lot of gas, causing swelling and discomfort. We've all got different gut bacteria, plus some people don't digest certain foods very well.

All of those are possibilities. Pregabalin may affect them, but people also get them without any medication. If you are stopping pregabalin, keep a check on your weight and how your abdomen feels to see if there is any improvement.

[Chiron]

Hi Chiron,

For the abdominal swelling, there are potentially a number of common reasons, not immediately dangerous, but certainly worth looking into.

If it is associated with progressive weight gain over a few kilos and the top part of your abdomen feels firm, then abdominal fat deposits are a likely candidate. These are fat deposits which attach themselves to your intestines and kidneys. Probably every middle-aged man has some, including me!

There is also weight stored as water, for various reasons. If it's nothing serious, a diuretic may help. If you blood pressure is high, the doctor may consider a diuretic, anyway.

When people talk of bloating, it's often due to food not digesting properly, then being digested by the gut bacteria, which produce a lot of gas, causing swelling and discomfort. We've all got different gut bacteria, plus some people don't digest certain foods very well.

All of those are possibilities. Pregabalin may affect them, but people also get them without any medication. If you are stopping pregabalin, keep a check on your weight and how your abdomen feels to see if there is any improvement.

I'm grateful to you, Hanshan. Truly so. :yesyes:

[hanshan]

Hi Chiron,

All the best with your recovery. I'll be out of contact for the next few days while I have my leg operated on, but feel free to post as there are other helpful people who will answer.

[opalakia]

OH man I feel the same way!!! It seems to be helping but it makes me feel so bloated like I gained 30 lbs or something. Does this go away? or is there something you can take to help??