Lyrica is used to treat seizures that begin in a limited area of the brain. These are called partial seizures. Some of them spread throughout the rest of the brain. They are called secondarily generalized seizures. Lyrica does not prevent seizures that being on both sides of the brain at the same time, called primary generalized seizures.

Lyrica is usually used as an additional seizure medicine when another medicine has not been nable to control all of a person’s partial seizures. This kind of use is called add-on or adjunctive therapy. Lyrica is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as add-on therapy for partial seizures—that is, seizures that begin in a limited area of the brain.

Lyrica may also be effective for some people when used alone (called monotherapy), although the FDA has not approved it to be used in this way.

Reviewed October 2005 by Steven C. Schachter, MD, epilepsy.com Editorial Board.