Pregabalin

It can take a little time for pregabalin to start helping with anxiety. In most clinical trials, researchers saw people getting relief from the symptoms of anxiety by week four of taking pregabalin.

Many people take pregabalin for some months to prevent their symptoms from returning.

You and your doctor should discuss how long you need to take pregabalin.

A side effect of pregabalin may be increased appetite and weight gain.

It is not possible to predict how pregabalin will affect each person before they start taking it. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you are concerned about your weight, or changes to your weight, while taking pregabalin.

Young people with diabetes who put weight on during treatment may need to change their diabetes medicine dose. See your doctor if this applies to you.

A very common side effect of pregabalin is a dry mouth. Over a long time, this can increase your risk of developing tooth decay or gum disease. Make sure you brush your teeth well and have regular dental check-ups. Speak to your dentist, doctor or pharmacist about things you can do to help.

You may want to let your family and friends know you are taking pregabalin so they can support you and help you look out for side effects.

You can feel drowsy in the first few days of taking pregabalin. This should get better after the first week or two.

Some people find that pregabalin causes insomnia (difficulty getting to sleep), and disturbing dreams or nightmares.

If you have been taking pregabalin for more than a month and you continue to feel very tired, sleepy or struggle to function during the day, you should go back to your doctor and discuss what changes could be made to help. This may include switching to a different medication.

Alcohol

It is recommended that you avoid drinking alcohol if you are taking pregabalin. You may occasionally be able to drink a small amount of alcohol but having the two together might make you very sleepy and unsteady on your feet. It could also make your breathing worse, so you need to be very careful.

During the first few weeks of treatment, you should stop drinking alcohol until you see how the medicine affects you.

Drinking alcohol every day, or in large amounts, can make your symptoms worse and may mean you won’t get the maximum benefit from your medication.

Street drugs

Pregabalin may increase the effects of ‘depressants’ like benzodiazepines or opioids. The combination can lead to respiratory depression and failure, where your body doesn’t get enough oxygen. This is a very serious condition and if not treated quickly can be life-threatening.

We do not know how pregabalin mixes with street drugs but it will probably make the drowsy effect of any other drug worse, so it’s best to be cautious.

There is no regulation of street drugs or ‘legal highs’, so even if there are no known issues with the medication you take, the supply you receive might be mixed with other substances that could be dangerous.

Pregabalin can also be misused. Do not pass on your medicines to anyone else.

Get more advice on our drugs and alcohol guide.

Always check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking other medicines with pregabalin, including herbal medicines. Taking pregabalin together with other medicines can increase the side effects you might get (especially feeling tired) and this could be dangerous.

Before you start taking pregabalin, tell your doctor if you are taking any other medications including things you have bought from a pharmacy (or other shop) for common illnesses like colds and flu. This includes things that you put on your skin.

Always tell the pharmacist that you are taking pregabalin if you buy any medicines from a pharmacy.

Look at the leaflet inside your medicine box for more information about other medicines that can interact with pregabalin. With some medicines your doctor may need to adjust the dose of your medicines if you take them together. Ask a doctor or pharmacist for more information if you have any questions.

There are multiple companies that manufacture this medicine and the non-active ingredients may vary between products and also between the different strengths of tablets that are available.

Pregabalin oral solution contains a small amount of alcohol, but not enough to affect your blood alcohol level.

The oral solution also contains parahydroxybenzoates which may cause allergic reactions.

Always let your pharmacist know if you have any food allergies or intolerances, and always check with them if you’re concerned about any of the ingredients in your medication.

If you need to avoid animal products, please note that non-active ingredients used in the production of medicines may sometimes be of animal origin and that pregabalin capsules contain gelatine. Ask your pharmacist if you have any questions about the ingredients.

Further information about practical considerations for medicines if you need to avoid animal products can be found on the Vegan Society website.

Taking pregabalin may make you feel tired or dizzy and may affect your eyesight and balance when you start taking it.

This could affect you if you drive a car, ride a bike, or do anything else that needs a lot of focus or good balance. It might be best to stop doing these things for the first few days, until you know how it affects you.

Most people drive as normal while taking pregabalin. If you are worried about this or have any concerns you would like to discuss, speak to your doctor or pharmacist.

Pregnancy

Some studies show that there is a slight increased chance of physical birth defects when pregabalin is taken in early pregnancy, but more research is needed to understand this. You are advised to use effective contraception while you are taking pregabalin.

If you become pregnant while you are on pregabalin, you should carry on taking it and make an appointment to see your doctor as soon as possible They can discuss the benefits and risks of continuing pregabalin and help you to make a decision that is best for you and your baby.

They may refer you to a specialist perinatal mental health team to support you with this decision.

You can find out more information about taking pregabalin during pregnancy at Bumps (Best Use of Medicines in Pregnancy).

Untreated anxiety can also be harmful to you and your developing baby, so decisions about stopping or avoiding medication when you are pregnant need to be discussed carefully with your doctor. If you and your doctor agree that it is best for you to continue taking pregabalin while pregnant, tell your midwife. If you are planning to get pregnant, it is recommended that you take folic acid while you are trying for a baby and during pregnancy. It is safe to take this together with pregabalin.

Post-natal

Some newborn babies whose mothers take pregabalin during pregnancy can get symptoms at birth and soon after, like restlessness or feeding difficulties.

Tell your midwife if you are taking pregabalin, so that they can help if the baby has any symptoms at birth.

Breastfeeding

Pregabalin is passed to the baby in breastmilk in small amounts.

If your baby was born early, then breastfeeding while you are taking pregabalin may not be recommended. Talk to your midwife and doctor about feeding options.

If you do breastfeed while taking pregabalin, seek urgent medical advice if your baby becomes restless, very sleepy or develops feeding problems.

Sex

Pregabalin can have side effects that might affect your sex life. These include:

• Lower sex drive
• difficulty getting an erection
• changes in periods, either being heavy and painful or stopping altogether
• breast pain or slight breast growth, regardless of gender

Untreated depression or anxiety can have a negative effect on your sex life, so if pregabalin helps you to recover, positive effects can include improving your desire, experience and enjoyment of sex as your mood lifts and you become interested in life and relationships again.

Fertility

There is no evidence to suggest that pregabalin will affect your fertility. Talk to your doctor about your pregabalin if you are trying to get pregnant or planning a family.

Pregabalin is not a banned substance in sport.

Most people play sports as normal while taking pregabalin, but if pregabalin affects your concentration, eyesight or co-ordination, then you may want to wait to see if those effects go away before playing sports that need a lot of focus. If you have any concerns, discuss this with your doctor.

Pregabalin may make you feel tired or dizzy, give you blurred eyesight or affect your memory.

Ideally it is best not to take pregabalin for the first time just before your exams.

It is not possible to predict how the medication will make you feel, and if you do get any side effects, these are more likely to occur when you first start taking pregabalin.

You should talk to your doctor about any future exams if you are starting pregabalin. You might decide together to delay starting it until you have done them.

If they are more than a month away, however, you might find that it is better to start pregabalin to improve your motivation and ability to study.

Most people take exams as normal while taking pregabalin but if you have any concerns, discuss this with your doctor.