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.