Before trying it, or one of the other anti-convulsants (eg gabapentin, carbamazepine, etc), get your doc to check your
blood pressure, cholesterol, kidney and liver function, weight,
blood cell shape and white cell count. That gives you a solid baseline for comparing against later on, ie when on the medication.
Lyrica is not without side-effects; however, a large number of the side-effects fade with time. A few side-effects, on the other hand, seem to be constant, at least while on the lyrica.