Elavil vs. Lyrica

• Are Elavil and Lyrica the Same Thing?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Elavil?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Lyrica?
• What Is Elavil?
• What Is Lyrica?
• What Drugs Interact with Elavil?
• What Drugs Interact with Lyrica?
• How Should Elavil Be Taken?
• How Should Lyrica Be Taken?

Elavil (amitryptiline) and Lyrica (pregabalin) are used to treat nerve pain.

Elavil is also used to treat depression and mood disorders. Elavil may also be used to treat other conditions including eating disorders, anxiety, and panic disorders.

Lyrica is also used for treating partial onset seizures in adults and fibromyalgia.

The brand name Elavil is no longer available in the U.S. It is available as a generic.

Elavil and Lyrica belong to different drug classes. Elavil is a tricyclic antidepressant and Lyrica is an anti-epileptic drug (anticonvulsant).

Side effects of Elavil and Lyrica that are similar include drowsiness, dry mouth, dizziness, blurred vision, constipation, and weight gain.

Side effects of Elavil that are different from Lyrica include trouble urinating, headache, increased hunger, and changes in taste.

Side effects of Lyrica that are different from Elavil include loss of balance or coordination, fluid retention (edema), breast swelling, shaking (tremors), and problems with memory or concentration.

Both Elavil and Lyrica may interact with alcohol and other products that cause drowsiness (antihistamines, sleeping pills, drugs for anxiety, muscle relaxants, and narcotics).

Elavil may also interact with MAO inhibitors, arbutamine, disulfiram, thyroid supplements, other drugs that can cause bleeding/bruising (including antiplatelet drugs, aspirin or other NSAIDs, "blood thinners"), anticholinergics, high blood pressure medicines, cimetidine, terbinafine, drugs to treat irregular heart rate, other antidepressants, amiodarone, cisapride, dofetilide, pimozide, procainamide, quinidine, sotalol, macrolide antibiotics, isoniazid, phenothiazines, or theophylline.

Lyrica may also interact with oral diabetes medicines or ACE inhibitors.

Common side effects of Elavil include:

• drowsiness,
• dry mouth,
• dizziness,
• blurred vision,
• constipation,
• weight gain,
• trouble urinating,
• headache,
• increased hunger, and
• changes in taste.

Common side effects of Lyrica include:

• drowsiness,
• dry mouth,
• dizziness,
• blurred vision,
• constipation,
• weight gain,
• trouble urinating,
• headache,
• increased hunger, and
• changes in taste.

Elavil (amitryptiline) is a tricyclic antidepressant used to treat depression and mood disorders. Elavil may also be used to treat other conditions including nerve pain, eating disorder, anxiety, and panic disorder. The brand name Elavil is no longer available in the U.S.

Lyrica (pregabalin) is an anti-epileptic drug (anticonvulsant) used for neuropathic (nerve) pain associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy or postherpetic neuralgia, and for treating partial onset seizures in adults, and fibromyalgia.

Elavil may also interact with MAO inhibitors, arbutamine, disulfiram, thyroid supplements, other drugs that can cause bleeding/bruising (antiplatelet drugs, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs [NSAIDs], blood thinners), anticholinergic drugs, and certain drugs for high blood pressure.

Lyrica may interact with alcohol, other medicines that can make you sleepy (sold or allergy medicine, sedatives, narcotic pain medicine, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, and medicine for anxiety), or rosiglitazone.

Elavil is taken by mouth in tablet form. The medication may take up to four weeks to take full effect.

The recommended dose of Lyrica is 75-600 mg daily. Alcohol and drugs that cause sedation may increase the sedative effects of Lyrica. There are no adequate studies of Lyrica in pregnant women. If you become pregnant, your name may be listed on a pregnancy registry to track the outcome of the pregnancy and to evaluate any effects of Lyrica on the baby. It is unknown if Lyrica passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Breastfeeding while using Lyrica is not recommended.