Pregabalin-induced sexual disinhibition

Sexual side effects have rarely been reported secondary to treatment with Pregabalin, a structural analogue of the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma amino butyric acid (GABA).

We present the case of AB, a 27-year-old single man with a diagnosis of recurrent depressive disorder who was prescribed pregabalin to alleviate the significant anxiety symptoms he was experiencing.

A significant amelioration in anxiety symptoms was attained; however, he developed the adverse effects of acute sexual disinhibition and increased libido. These adverse effects were temporally related to treatment with pregabalin and reduced with dose reduction of this agent.

To date, limited published data are available relating such a reaction to pregabalin. A greater clinical recognition of this association between pregabalin and sexual disinhibition, would allow clinicians to intervene at an earlier stage of this adverse effect and potentially as in this case, management may only require dose reduction rather than treatment discontinuation.