The anti-anxiety drug has been linked to a death in the UK, with people taking the drug coming forward about debilitating side effects.
When Jade had her first panic attack, she called an ambulance. She recently stopped taking pregabalin, which was prescribed for her anxiety, because she felt scared and the world suddenly tilted.
Two years later, she is still trying to break free from her addiction.
“If I forget to take it, I have difficulty breathing, feel depersonalized, have panic attacks, feel extremely restless and feel like I’m going to pass out,” the 29-year-old told Euronews Health.
“I don’t think doctors understand the seriousness of it.”
The drug has been prescribed to more than 8 million people in the UK, according to the UK. the study.
A Sunday Times investigation found that there have been nearly 3,400 pregabalin-related deaths in the UK over the past five years, including 779 in 2022 alone, up from nine a decade ago. There is.
These figures spotlight the potential dangers of the widely prescribed drug and highlight long-standing concerns about drug dependence.
What is pregabalin?
Pregabalin, also known by the brand names Arzain, Axalid, and Lyrica, is an anticonvulsant drug originally prescribed to treat epilepsy, but is now commonly used to treat anxiety and nerve pain.
Pregabalin, a chemical that causes anxiety by blocking certain neurotransmitters, reduces abnormal electrical activity in the brains of epilepsy patients, although the mechanism is not yet fully understood, according to a British research institute. It is believed that it works by soothing substances and neuralgia. National Health Service (NHS).
A common dose of pregabalin is 150 mg to 600 mg, usually divided into 2 to 3 tablets per day, but it can also be taken as a liquid.
In 2019, it became a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, making it illegal to possess it without a prescription. The UK government said the restrictions were due to “rising numbers of deaths”.
Side effects listed include headache, drowsiness, diarrhea, mood changes, feeling sick, swelling of the hands and feet, blurred vision, difficulty getting an erection, memory problems, and weight gain.
The NHS says these are usually “mild and go away on their own”, but many people who have been prescribed the drug claim to have had negative experiences.
“This drug has ruined my life.”
Although beneficial in treating certain symptoms, some people become addicted to the “euphoria” or relaxed state that pregabalin induces and quickly develop tolerance before needing higher doses to get the same feeling. obtain.
For some people, the side effects are debilitating, while for others, withdrawal symptoms can be even worse, leading to addiction that interferes with their quality of life.
Sarah*, a 44-year-old social worker from London, was prescribed pregabalin for fibromyalgia, a condition characterized by chronic pain, but decided to reduce the medication as it no longer helped her pain. Afterwards, I suffered from severe withdrawal symptoms.
“Eventually, I started suffering from depression, anxiety, suicidal tendencies, extreme chills, very loud tinnitus, strange disorientation, and seizures, which I had never experienced before taking that drug. It turned off completely. [pregabalin] “I’ve been doing it for almost four years and I’m still struggling with long-term withdrawal,” she said.
Caroline, a UK-based carer who was taking Pregabalin for nerve pain, reported side effects such as weight gain, severe brain fog, memory problems and even a loose and broken tooth.
advertisement“I’m really scared to come off this drug,” the 55-year-old said.
Those suffering are turning to online support spaces such as the private Facebook group Lyrica Survivors (Pregabalin and Gabapentin Support), which has more than 15,000 members.
“People’s lives are being devastated by this drug, including loss of life, loss of jobs, legal action due to altered mental status caused by the drug, removal of children from their homes, separation of families, and financial loss. It includes destitution and, of course, permanent disability for many people. There are cases,” said Facebook group administrator Amy Ireland.
Most members are seeking guidance on how to stop taking the drug, with the main aim of raising awareness about the addiction-inducing effects of this class of drugs, known as gabapentinoids.
“Many people think that withdrawal symptoms mean they’re addicted to the drug, and that it implies some kind of misuse. That’s not the case,” he says of helping people get off psychiatric drugs. Psychiatrist Dr. Mark Horowitz said:
advertisement“Physical dependence is a predictable response of the body and brain to repeated exposure to psychoactive drugs like pregabalin,” he added.
What helps people who are dependent on pregabalin?
Although prescriptions for the drug are increasing, some say there is still a lack of services to support people who feel trapped by the drug.
“Three basic principles on how to safely stop gabapentinoids like pregabalin are: First, stop slowly. It can take months, even years, to stop a drug you’ve been taking for years. “It can take a long time,” says Horowitz, who runs a clinic in London that helps people get off psychiatric drugs and has published a clinical handbook called the Moseley Dispensing Guidelines. last month.
“The second principle is that everyone is a little different. Perhaps there are risk factors, such as the longer you take the drug or the higher the dose, the harder it is to stop. “Sho,” he says.
However, he points out that there is little research into what individual potential risk factors exist, and it is a case of trial and error on a patient-by-patient basis.
advertisementThe third and final principle for discontinuing pregabalin is known as hyperbolic tapering, which means gradually decreasing the intake.
“As we lower the dose, we need to go gradually and slowly, like climbing a vertical cliff,” he said.
Horowitz believes medical professionals need to re-evaluate short-term methods of treating mental health conditions such as anxiety.
“Pregabalin is a dangerous drug. It is one of the fastest growing causes of accidental overdose. It affects the way we think and affects memory and cognition. It affects sleep and causes weight problems. Long-term use has a variety of negative effects. And it’s hard to stop.
“We’re stuck in this cycle of trying to find a chemical magic bullet to solve anxiety, and we don’t think there’s a drug that will have a long-term effect on anxiety without all these costs. ” he added.
advertisementSome experts say that most reported pregabalin-related deaths occur when used in combination with opiates.
Glyn Lewis, professor of psychiatric epidemiology at University College London, said in a statement: “Pregabalin can be effective and helpful for many people, but patients should follow their doctor’s advice and report any side effects they experience. There is,” he said.
Mr Lewis is part of a team running an NHS-funded study to investigate the effectiveness of pregabalin in treating anxiety in patients who have failed antidepressants. He will also investigate whether there are any withdrawal symptoms when the drug is stopped.
Prescriptions of pregabalin, first approved in 2004 and sold by drug company Pfizer, are increasing across Europe, it said. Published research In 2021.
The study noted that in Sweden, for example, pregabalin was detected in 28 percent of fatal poisonings among drug addicts.
advertisement*Names have been changed at the request of the interviewee.
