Active ingredient of the drug Lyrica®, pregabalin is normally prescribed in cases of epilepsy or anxiety disorder but its misuse as a drug “essentially for high/euphoria” is progressing in France.
Pregabalin Alert. This active substance of Lyrica drug® is identified as the new “poor man’s drug” because of his ridiculous price (2 euros tablet). Sold illegally undercover, “Taking this medicine exposes people in real danger of death. The dosage is 25mg, there people use it at 300mg so it’s a high dose” informed Dr Saïd Ouichou about France info in April 2023. “We observe a increased misuse of pregabalin during the last years” warned the National Medicines Agency (ANSM) in 2021. Before deciding to limit its prescription period to 6 months and to impose its delivery under secure prescription. What are the effects of pregabalin ? Why is she on drugs ? What dangers?
Effects of pregabalin: why is it taken as a drug?
Cases of pregabalin addiction and abuse are increasing in France. “Pregabalin is obtained illegally in almost half of the cases (forged prescriptionnomadism or street deal/purchase)” inform the ANSM. Buyers are mostly men youth (27 years old on average) including minors in precarious situations, and sometimes in detention or detention centers administration.
“The misuse is essentially for high/euphoria”
“Misappropriate use is essentially for the purpose of high/euphoria in a context of polydrug use of psychoactive substancesbut also for anxiolytic, analgesic or hypnotic purposes” explains the health agency. In more than half of the cases, the pregabalin is associated with another substance, mainly a benzodiazepine (65%), in particular the clonazepam (marketed under the brand Rivotril®).
What are the dangers of pregabalin?
The main complications associated with the misuse of pregabalin are coma, impaired consciousness, disorientation, confusion. Pregabalin could also decrease the threshold of tolerance to opioids, which would lead to a increased risk of respiratory depression and of opioid-related deaths.
What is the drug pregabalin?
Pregabalin is a drug that replaces a natural neurotransmitter (substance allowing the transmission of information at the level of neurons) : THE GABA (gamma-amino-butyric acid). GABA calms the nervous system. “As an analogue of GABA, pregabalin therefore mimics an inhibitory neurotransmitter in neurons and thus makes it possible to compensate for abnormal excitation that may be linked to a pathology“, explains Nathalie Le Guyader, chief pharmacist of the Hospital Group Diaconnesses Croix-Saint-Simon.
What is another name for pregabalin?
The medicine that contains pregabalin is lyrica®. Then there are many generics.
What are the recognized indications for pregabalin in France?
The indications for pregabalin are the treatment in adults :
- Of certain shapes epilepsy partial
- Of the neuropathic pain central or peripheral
- trouble anxious generalized
Initially, pregabalin was developed to be used in epilepsy. Then we used it for neuropathic painthat is to say the sensations related to negative stimulation of central nerve areas (brain) or peripheral (nerves). The best-known example is that of patients who have a shingles and have pain in the area where burning blisters appear, electric shocks…. On these painful nerve areas, analgesics such as paracetamol, analgesics such as tramadol and even morphine are not necessarily effective.
Is pregabalin available without a prescription?
No. As of May 24, 2021, pregabalin requires a secure prescription valid for a maximum of 6 months.
What are the side effects of pregabalin?
The most common side effects of pregabalin are:
- Dizziness, drowsiness.
- THE behavioral or sensory disturbances. “We can feel euphoric Or confused depending on each person’s reaction to the drug, there may also be neurological disorders (tremors, disordered gestures…)”warns Nathalie Le Guyader.
Other side effects may manifest as dry mouth, diarrhoea, loss of taste, blurred vision.
Is pregabalin fattening?
Pregabalin can actually make you fat. “It’s possible, but be careful: it’s not the medicine that makes you fat, but the fact that it increases the patient’s appetite who starts to eat more“, says the pharmacist.
Does pregabalin make you sleep?
Pregabalin can do doze off patients who receive it. It is very frequent (more than 10% of cases) and it calls for vigilance when driving vehicles.
What are the contraindications of pregabalin?
Pregabalin should not be used during pregnancy unless clearly necessary. Patients treated with pregabalin should be informed of the malformative risks associated with taking this medication in case of pregnancy and use a effective contraception throughout their treatment. In June 2022, theMedicines Agency reported data from an observational study that confirmed a risk of malformation linked to exposure to pregabalin during pregnancy multiplied by almost 1.5 compared to the population not exposed to this drug. For women of childbearing age, it is under effective contraception that it can be prescribed. It is also necessary avoiding associations with alcohol or other medications that may cause drowsiness. On the other hand, there is no major contraindication apart from an allergy to this drug.
Thanks to Nathalie Le Guyader, Head of the Pharmacy Department of the Diaconesses Croix Saint-Simon Hospital Group, in Paris
Sources:
Topiramate, pregabalin and valproate: publication of new data on the risks associated with exposure to these drugs. ANSM. June 29, 2022.
Pregabalin (Lyrica and generics): modification of prescribing and dispensing conditions to limit misuse, ANSM, May 21, 2021