Pregabalin belongs to a group of medicines used to treat epilepsy, neuropathic pain, and Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) in adults.

Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.

Your doctor will determine what dose is appropriate for you.

This medicine is for oral use only

Peripheral and central neuropathic pain, Epilepsy or Generalised Anxiety Disorder:

Take the number of capsules as instructed by your doctor. The dose, which has been adjusted for you and your condition, will generally be between 150 mg and 600 mg, each day. Your doctor will tell you to take this medicine either twice or three times a day. Twice a day take this medicine once in the morning and once in the evening, at about the same time each day. Three times a day take this medicine once in the morning, once in the afternoon and once in the evening, at about the same time each day.

• If you have the impression that the effect of this medicine is too strong or too weak, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

• If you are an elderly patient (over 65 years of age), you should take this medicine normally except if you have problems with your kidneys.

Your doctor may prescribe a different dosing schedule and/or dose if you have problems with your kidneys.

Swallow the capsule whole with water. Continue taking this medicine until your doctor tells you to stop

If you take more Pregabalin than you should

Call your doctor or go to the nearest hospital emergency unit immediately. Take your strip of this medicine with you. You may feel sleepy, confused, agitated, or restless as a result of taking more this medicine than you should. Fits have also been reported.

If you forget to take Pregabalin

It is important to take your medicine regularly at the same time each day. If you forget to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember unless it is time for your next dose. In that case, just carry on with the next dose as normal. Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose

If you stop taking Pregabalin

Do not stop taking this medicine unless your doctor tells you to. If your treatment is stopped it should be done gradually over a minimum of 1 week.

After stopping long and short-term Pregabalin treatment, you need to know that you may experience certain side effects. These include trouble sleeping, headache, nausea, feeling anxious, diarrhea, flu-like symptoms, convulsions, nervousness, depression, pain, sweating, and dizziness.

These symptoms may occur more commonly or severely if you have been taking this medicine for a longer period of time.

Other medicines and Pregabalin

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines.

Pregabalin and certain other medicines may influence each other (interaction). When taken with certain other medicines, Pregabalin may potentiate the side effects seen with these medicines, including respiratory failure and coma. The degree of dizziness, sleepiness and decreased concentration may be increased if Pregabalin is taken together with medicines containing:

Oxycodone – (used as a pain-killer) Lorazepam – (used for treating anxiety)Alcohol

This medicine may be taken with oral contraceptives

Pregabalin with food, drink, and alcohol

This medicine may be taken with or without food.

It is advised not to drink alcohol while taking this medicine.

Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.

Very common ( may affect more than 1 in 10 people) :

Dizziness, drowsiness, headache.

Common side effects (may affect 1 to 10 patients in 100) include

Increased appetite. Feeling of elation, confusion, disorientation, decrease in sexual interest, irritability. Disturbance in attention, clumsiness, memory impairment, loss of memory, tremor, difficulty with speaking, tingling feeling, numbness, sedation, lethargy, insomnia, fatigue, feeling abnormal. Blurred vision, double vision. Vertigo, problems with balance, fall. Dry mouth, constipation, vomiting, flatulence, diarrhea, nausea, swollen abdomen. Difficulties with erection. Swelling of the body including extremities. Feeling drunk, abnormal style of walking. Weight gain. Muscle cramp, joint pain, back pain, pain in limb. Sore throat.

Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people):

Loss of appetite, weight loss, low blood sugar, high blood sugar. Change in perception of self, restlessness, depression, agitation, mood swings, difficulty finding words, hallucinations, abnormal dreams, panic attack, apathy, aggression, elevated mood, mental impairment, difficulty with thinking, increase in sexual interest, problems with sexual functioning including the inability to achieve a sexual climax, delayed ejaculation, Flushing, hot flushes. Difficulty breathing, dry nose, nasal congestion. Increased saliva production, heartburn, numb around mouth. Sweating, rash, chills, fever. Muscle twitching, joint swelling, muscle stiffness, pain including muscle pain, neck pain. Breast pain. Difficulty with or painful urination, incontinence. Weakness, thirst, chest tightness

Rare side effects (may affect 1 to 10 patients in 10,000) include

Abnormal sense of smell, swinging vision, altered perception of depth, visual brightness, vision loss. Dilated pupils, cross eyes. Cold sweat, tightness of the throat, swollen tongue. Inflammation of the pancreas. Difficulty in swallowing. Slow or reduced movement of the body. Difficulty with writing properly. Increased fluid in the abdomen. Fluid in the lungs. Convulsions. Changes in the recording of electrical changes (ECG) in the heart which correspond to heart rhythm disturbances. Muscle damage. Breast discharge, abnormal breast growth, breast growth in males

Very rare side effects (may affect up to 1 in 10,000 patients) include

Liver failure. Hepatitis (inflammation of the liver)

Pregnancy and breast-feeding

This medicine should not be taken during pregnancy or when breast-feeding unless you are told otherwise by your doctor. Effective contraception must be used by women of child-bearing potential.

If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking this medicine.

Driving and using machines

This medicine may produce dizziness, sleepiness, and decreased concentration. You should not drive, operate complex machinery, or engage in other potentially hazardous activities until you know whether this medicine affects your ability to perform these activities.