Pregabalin
A prescription only medicine used to treat epilepsy, neuropathic pain and anxiety.
Also called:
- Lyrica
What does it look like?
Pregabalin is a prescription-only medicine used to treat epilepsy, anxiety and neuropathic pain, which is the result of damage to nerve tissue which can produce a burning, shooting or scalding feeling.
Pregabalin available via the illegal drugs market in the UK may have been diverted from a hospital or pharmacy, or from people who have been prescribed them.
It is manufactured as either white, white/orange or orange capsules.
Pregabalin capsules are normally swallowed.
How does it make you feel?
Pregabalin can produce feelings of euphoria, relaxation and calmness.
It can also enhance/increase the euphoric effects of other drugs, like heroin and other opioids, but pregabalin and opioids can interact to stop people breathing if taken together.
How long the effects last and the drug stays in your system depends on how much you’ve taken, your size and what other drugs you may have also taken.
How long the effects last and the drug stays in your system depends on how much you’ve taken, your size, whether you’ve eaten and what other drugs you may have also taken.
Physical health risks
Pregabalin can cause dizziness, drowsiness and confusion, all of which can put you at risk of hurting yourself.
Manufacturers recommend that, when used as a medicine, pregabalin is not used by women who are breastfeeding and should only be used by pregnant women if the potential benefits outweigh the risks.
Pregabalin’s most common side effects include:
- constipation
- vomiting and nausea
- flatulence
- poor muscle control
- trouble sleeping
- weight gain
- visual disturbances, like blurred vision
Less commonly, Pregabalin can cause:
- heart problems (including heart failure)
It is not safe to take pregabalin without a prescription. It is also dangerous to take pregabalin with alcohol and some other drugs. Alcohol and some drugs depress the central nervous system, which affects a person’s breathing. The drugs that do this include:
- pregabalin and gabapentin
- benzodiazepines
- heroin and other opioids
This means that using any combination of these types of drugs with or without alcohol increases the risk of overdose and death. Pregabalin also lowers opioid tolerance meaning that the risk of overdose and death increases when they are used together with opioids.
Deaths related to pregabalin are increasing across the UK with opioids such as heroin often also involved.
Mental health risks
Pregabalin can cause:
- dizziness
- drowsiness
- confusion
Less commonly, Pregabalin can cause:
- hallucinations
- depression
- agitation
- panic attacks
What is pregabalin cut with?
It’s likely that most of the pregabalin that is available on the black market has been either stolen from a hospital or pharmacy, or stolen (possibly brought) from people who have been prescribed pregabalin.
They might have also been imported from abroad. You cannot normally be sure of the purity unless you are certain that the drug you have is a genuine pharmacy medicine.
Is it dangerous to mix with other drugs?
Mixing drugs is always risky but some mixtures are more dangerous than others.
What happens if I mix Pregabalin and
Can you get addicted?
It is recommended that prescribed pregabalin use is not stopped abruptly as it may cause anxiety, insomnia, nausea, pain and sweating.
Substantial misuse of pregabalin has been reported. In view of this, and in view of pregabalin's known effects, it seems possible that dependence may develop in some regular users.
Class: Under review
Like drink-driving, driving when high is dangerous and illegal. If you’re caught driving under the influence, you may receive a heavy fine, driving ban, or prison sentence.
If the police catch people supplying illegal drugs in a home, club, bar or hostel, they can potentially prosecute the landlord, club owner or any other person concerned in the management of the premises.
Additional law details
- This is a Class C drug, which means it's illegal to have for yourself, give away or sell.
- Possession can get you up to 2 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.
- Supplying someone else, even your friends, can get you up to 14 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.
Pregabalin is a prescription-only medicine and can only be prescribed following a consultation with a doctor.
Like drink-driving, driving when high is dangerous and illegal. If you’re caught driving under the influence, you may receive a heavy fine, driving ban, or prison sentence.
If the police catch people supplying illegal drugs in a home, club, bar or hostel, they can potentially prosecute the landlord, club owner or any other person concerned in the management of the premises.
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Help and advice
What to do in an emergency
If you or someone else needs urgent help after taking drugs or drinking, call 999 for an ambulance. Tell the crew everything you know. It could save their life.
What else to do in an emergency