Pregabalin is an anti-convulsant / anti-seizure drug. It treats a few medical conditions like epilepsy (brain’s abnormal electrical activity), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), fibromyalgia, neuropathic pain, diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), and spinal cord injury. Do you know how to avoid weight gain on pregabalin?
Treating doctors start pregabalin at a relatively low dose and then gradually increase it over the first few days of treatment. Pregabalin can be habit forming. Therefore, you need to ensure that you should never exceed your caregiver’s recommended dosage, frequency, or the duration of use.
Effects of pregabalin – to treat onset of partial seizures in children less than one month - have not been thoroughly investigated. Physicians suggest this med as an add-on therapy for onset of partial seizures in elderly individuals.
Doses of this medicine range from 25 mg; it may be increased up to 300 mg. Pregabalin comes in the form of blister packs; this contains 14 to 100 capsules. You are advised to take this medicine exactly as prescribed. Without medical advice, it is unsafe to alter the dose. Double dosing this med may expose you to health risks.
Why pregabalin promotes weight gain?
The reason behind weight gain – on using this med – remains unknown. This anticonvulsant may cause drowsiness or a feeling of hunger in you; these spells can make you inactive for a while. Additionally, pregabalin has been linked to fluid-retention in limbs – this can lead to possible gain of body weight.
Studies reveal nearly 6% of patients have experienced peripheral edema on taking pregabalin. Weight gain is mostly observed among patients taking higher dosages, and for longer period.
Pregabalin slows down your metabolism, making it easier for your body to store fat. While weight gain from this med is usually moderate, it is essential to monitor such changes on a daily basis.
This med reduces quantum of pain signals your body sends off injured nerves. Pregabalin may have an indirect effect on weight-swings by altering your hormonal balance – while it is altering nerve-level communications. Individual reactions differ though, and occasionally you might not notice any bodily changes at all.
How to avoid weight gain on pregabalin?
Weight gain is one of the common side effects of pregabalin. This med increases your appetite. Therefore, a few changes are needed to your daily diet. This can include having a balanced and healthy portion of meals with lean proteins (fish, tofu, Greek yogurt, lentils, cottage cheese, dried beans, nuts, and poultry eggs).
Your tummy may may feel full, as protein-based foods take longer to digest – i.e., longer than simple carbs. In between meals, if you are still hungry, you may go for a hot beverage like tea, vegetable broth, or bone broth. However, stay conscious of your hunger signals. You can cut down on high-calorie snacks like biscuits, cookies, fries, and sugar candies.
You can exercise at least half an hour each day. Exercise also helps reduce drowsiness pregabalin likely induces. Moreover, you can also consult a nutritionist to create a customised nutritious, daily diet intake plan.
A proactive approach and a few lifestyle-based practices can minimise your weight-gain while using pregabalin. Make sure to eat a balanced diet and stay physically active every day. You can opt for more fluids to stay hydrated; as a basic precaution - drink ample amount of amount of water. You may need to prioritise on your sleep and manage stress; staying anxious or stressful can disturb rate of your metabolism.
On experiencing weight-gain while taking this med, your caregiving team may recommend an alternative drug. Such practices help control how much weight is added onto your body. Above all, keep track of your body weight on a regular basis.
In addition, if you experience any inexplicable muscle ache or stiffness, you need to report to your caregiver of such discomforts. You can also inform your caregiver if you have any other medical conditions like convulsions, seizures, tremors or other involuntary twitching of muscles.
In the same light, share all needful inputs about drugs you are taking presently. Moreover, you are advised not to drive while using pregabalin. It is unsafe to take alcohol or other anti-epileptic drugs – as these can lead to a toxic condition and leads to a few severe side effects. Your pharmacist and / or physician will tell you to look out for unforeseen symptoms / possible drug interactions, all through your medication plan.
What are the precautions needed prior to use of anticonvulsants like pregabalin?
You need to avoid pregabalin while you are nursing an infant. There are chances of traces of this med getting into breast milk. If you have renal ailments like a drop of filtration rate, your caregiving team may alter the dosage levels. Also, if you have heart diseases or cardiac ailments, you need to exercise added caution.
It is a safe thing to avoid operating heavy machinery or driving until you are familiar with the effects of pregabalin. This med can make you sleepy and thus can reduce your bodily coordination. Beware of stopping the intake of pregabalin all of a sudden; an abrupt end can make way for withdrawal symptoms such as disturbed sleeping patterns, staying irritated and / or anxious.
What are the major side effects for pregabalin?
Pregabalin may increase self-harming thoughts and may cause suicidal instincts. If you have prior symptoms such as anxieties, mental conditions like depression, mood-swings, weird dreams, you are advised a mental assessment.
In addition, you need to immediately report to your physician if you experience swelling of face, hands, and legs, encounter dizziness, blurring of vision, muscular weakness and fever, hypersensitivity like redness, allergy, rashes, etc.
Potential adverse effects of pregabalin include:
- Tiredness
- Speech problems
- Dry mouth
- Bloating
- Muscle twitching
- Lack of coordination
Other rarely observed effects are:
- Peeling of skin (Stevens-Johnson Syndrome)
- Hives (Urticaria)
- Sore throat
- Constipation
- Irregular heartbeats (Arrhythmias)
Before administering pregabalin, it is an important thing to confirm your dosage strength. Further, it is helpful to consult with a neurologist, psychiatrist, or pain management professional before making changes to dosages.