Medical and Psychiatric Comorbidity in Patients with Pregabalin Abuse: Review Article

Abstract

Background: Anxiety, sadness, personality disorders, and suicide are just some of the common psychiatric conditions that often co-occur with pregabalin addiction. Pregabalin (PGB) is one of many psychoactive prescription medications that has seen a rise in its off-label use in recent years. Multiple drug users and patients in methadone treatment programs have been found to take PGB at high quantities to enhance the effects of methadone, alleviate withdrawal symptoms, or both. This is why high-risk populations need precise toxicological monitoring. Objective: This review article aimed to study prevalence of medical and psychiatric comorbidity in patients with pregabalin Abuse. Methods: Medical, psychiatric comorbidity and the pregabalin abuse were all looked for in PubMed, Google scholar, and Science direct. References from relevant literature were also evaluated by the authors, but only the most recent or complete study from March 2008 to January 2022 was included. Due to the lack of sources for translation, documents in languages other than English have been ruled out. Papers that did not fall under the purview of major scientific investigations, such as unpublished manuscripts, oral presentations, conference abstracts, and dissertations, were omitted. Conclusions: Pregabalin abuse was associated with medical illnesses such as neuropathy and epilepsy and psychiatric disorders such as anxiety and depression.