Side Effects Of Pregabalin

Like all medicines, pregabalin can cause side effects although not everyone gets them.

Common side effects of pregabalin

These common side effects of pregabalin may happen in more than 1 in 100 people. They're usually mild and go away by themselves.

There are things you can do to help cope with them:

Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if the advice on how to cope does not help and a side effect is still bothering you or does not go away.

If you have diabetes, pregabalin can affect your blood sugar control. Monitor your blood sugar more often for the first few weeks after you start taking pregabalin and adjust your diabetes treatment if you need to. Talk to your doctor or diabetes nurse if you want more advice on what to do.

Serious side effects

Very few people taking pregabalin have serious side effects.

Call a doctor or call 111 now if:

• you have severe dizziness or you pass out
• you are seeing or hearing things that are not there (hallucinations)
• you have problems going to the toilet, including blood in your pee, needing to pee more often, or constipation
• your heart starts beating faster or slower than usual

Call 999 or go to A&E now if:

Do not drive to A&E. Ask someone to drive you or call 999 and ask for an ambulance.

Bring all the medicines you take with you.

Serious allergic reaction

In rare cases, it's possible to have a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to pregabalin.

Call 999 now if:

• your lips, mouth, throat or tongue suddenly become swollen
• you're breathing very fast or struggling to breathe (you may become very wheezy or feel like you're choking or gasping for air)
• your throat feels tight or you're struggling to swallow
• your skin, tongue or lips turn blue, grey or pale (if you have black or brown skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of your hands or soles of your feet)
• you suddenly become very confused, drowsy or dizzy
• someone faints and cannot be woken up
• a child is limp, floppy or not responding like they normally do (their head may fall to the side, backwards or forwards, or they may find it difficult to lift their head or focus on your face)

You or the person who's unwell may also have a rash that's swollen, raised, itchy, blistered or peeling.

These can be signs of a serious allergic reaction and may need immediate treatment in hospital.

Long-term side effects

Some people can become addicted to pregabalin.

If this happens, you'll have withdrawal symptoms after you stop taking the medicine.

When you stop taking pregabalin, you'll need to reduce your dose gradually to avoid withdrawal symptoms. Do not stop taking pregabalin without talking to your doctor.

You can also talk to your doctor if you're concerned about becoming dependent on pregabalin.

Other side effects

These are not all the side effects of pregabalin. For a full list see the leaflet inside your medicines packet.

Reporting side effects

You can report any suspected side effect using the Yellow Card safety scheme.

Visit the Yellow Card website for more information about reporting side effects.

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