Acute withdrawal in the postoperative setting in a patient taking standard therapeutic doses of pregabalin

Pregabalin is a gamma-aminobutyric acid analog that binds to voltage-gated calcium channels within the central nervous tissues, inhibiting the release of many excitatory neurotransmitters. It is used to treat various conditions including postherpetic neuralgia and diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Recently, its use has increased as part of non-opioid pain management algorithms. Prolonged use in high doses of pregabalin is associated with physical dependency and abuse, which can be seen when the medication is abruptly stopped. This phenomenon has been seen in studies focused on patients having abused or grown dependent on pregabalin. However, this has not been documented in patients taking therapeutic levels in the perioperative setting. This case report highlights a patient who experienced acute withdrawal symptoms of pregabalin after coronary artery bypass and aortic root enlargement.