What Is Pregabalin (Lyrica)?
Pregabalin is a prescription medication. It seems to be sold under the brand Lyrica fairly often. Patients may take this medication as an extended-release tablet, capsule, or solution. This medication appears to be considered a controlled substance. Thus, it can come with a risk of dependency. This may be why doctors monitor their patients who take it quite closely.
This medication seems to be a significant method used in fibromyalgia treatment. It may also be a pain treatment for many health issues. This can include shingles and nerve damage triggered by a spinal cord injury. Patients may also take it to treat diabetic nerve pain. It also appears to be a major epilepsy treatment to stop seizers from occurring. However, patients may need more knowledge about this medication and the ways it may work.
How It Should Work
Pregabalin appears to be a significant anticonvulsant. This class of medication may be used to treat seizures and nerve problems. It seems to work well, although researchers are not clear on exactly how it does so. The most common working theory appears to be that the medication calms damaged or overactive nerves in an individual's body. This may reduce pain and the number of seizures that patients experience.
Individuals with epilepsy may find that this medication lowers the abnormal electrical pulse in their brain. It should interrupt pain messages for individuals with nerve pain. This may occur along their spinal cord or in their brain. Some patients with anxiety disorders may be prescribed this medication. In these cases, it should stop the brain from releasing chemicals that trigger anxiety.
Reveal the potential uses and benefits of this medication next.
Potential Uses And Benefits
Epilepsy patients seem to experience seizures when abnormal electrical activity floods their brain. This medication may be able to slow these pulses down. It may reduce the number of seizures that these patients experience as a result. This medication may also be useful for treating fibromyalgia. It appears to be one of only a select few drugs specifically approved for this condition. Thus, it should reduce pain and fatigue that patients deal with when they have this disease.
This medication also appears to be approved for diabetic nerve pain and pain from spinal cord injuries. It may be used to treat nerve damage triggered by herpes zoster as well. Some patients with partial-onset seizures may also benefit from it. 'Off-label' uses may include treating nerve damage from other conditions and anxiety.
Get the details on the possible side effects next.
Possible Side Effects
Similar to most medications, this one seems to have several possible side effects. The most common side effects that patients may experience include dizziness, blurry vision, and sleepiness. These side effects appear to be why doctors recommend avoiding driving until patients adjust to the medication. Patients taking pregabalin may deal with changes to their motor skills and cognition. They also seem to see issues with concentration, weight gain, and swelling in their feet and hands. They may also experience dry mouth.
Patients should be lucky and only experience mild side effects. However, severe side effects can happen. Patients may need emergency medical care for them. Serious side effects of this medication seem to include major allergic reactions and heart problems. Heart issues appear to be hard to spot and may mean chest pain and increased limb swelling. Signs of a severe allergic reaction may include problems breathing, significant swelling, and a rash. Abnormal mood swings, irritability, and suicidal thoughts seem to be possible side effects as well. They should also be treated as an emergency.
Discover some possible precautions linked to this medication next.
Possible Precautions
Patients should know about the precautions that they may need to take with this medication. Severe allergic reactions, for instance, need emergency care. They may want to call 911 immediately to get this started. Patients taking this medication also appear to be at a higher risk of dizziness and feeling drowsy if they drink alcohol alongside this medication. Thus, they may need to avoid this. Kidney patients may not be able to take an average dose as their body can have issues clearing this medication. Thus, they may experience side effects more often unless their doctor adjusts their dose.
This medication may also make pre-existing heart problems worse. Thus, these individuals may need a different medication. It is also possible that this medication can make mental health issues worse, which may also mean alternative medications. Mental health patients who still take this one may need to have their doctor and loved ones monitor them closely. This medication also seems to come with a risk of misuse. This potential misuse appears to be why it is considered a controlled substance. As such, patients need a prescription and to be monitored quite closely when taking it. Doctors may also choose a different medication first.
Uncover information on potential medication interactions next.
Potential Medication Interactions
Pregabalin may interact with many prescription medications, supplements, and vitamins. This is why many doctors may ask for a current list of the medications and supplements their patients are taking. Pregabalin may interact with some diabetes medications and cause side effects. One example of this appears to be rosiglitazone. Heart patients should not take them with pregabalin. It can increase their risk of heart failure. Many narcotic pain medications may result in dizziness and drowsiness when they are taken with pregabalin. This may also apply to anxiety medications. Some blood pressure medications, such as lisinopril, may interact with pregabalin. This interaction appears to put patients at a higher risk of swelling and hives.
