Pregabalin poisoning and rising recreational use: a retrospective observational series

With rising use worldwide, pregabalin is increasingly implicated in poisoning deaths. We aimed to investigate the clinical effects and complications of pregabalin poisoning.

This is a retrospective review of patients presenting with pregabalin poisoning to two tertiary toxicology units from 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2019. Patients were identified from prospective databases maintained by both units and data were extracted from these in addition to medical records.

There were 488 presentations in 413 patients (237 [57%] male) over the five-year period. The median age was 41 years (IQR 31-50 years). Deliberate self-poisonings accounted for 342 (70%) presentations, with 121 (25%) recreational exposures. Recreational exposures increased over the period from 2 (4%) in the first year to 54 (39%) presentations in the final year. The median dose of pregabalin was 1200 mg (IQR 600-3000 mg, range 75-16 800 mg). Co-ingestions occurred in 427 (88%) presentations, with sedating agents being co-ingested in 387 (79%)-most commonly opioids and benzodiazepines in 201 (41%) and 174 (36%) presentations respectively. Coma (GCS < 9) occurred in 89 (18%) cases, with 52 (11%) patients being intubated. Only one (0.2%) of these patients had not co-ingested a sedating agent. Hypotension occurred in 26 (5%) cases, all with co-ingestants. Seizures occurred in 11 (2%) cases, 3/59 (5%) in pregabalin-only overdoses. The median length of stay was 16.5 hours (IQR 10-25 hours).

Pregabalin overdose does not cause severe toxicity, but rather mild sedation and, uncommonly, seizures. Coma is common in the presence of sedating co-ingestants. Recreational use is increasing.