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Is Pregabalin (Lyrica) an alpha-adrenergic antagonist/MAOI?

Sasha

Fine, thank you
Messages
17,863
Location
UK
I'm interested in trying out Butchers Broom for my OI and have read that there could be a risk of a hypertensive crisis if used with alpha-adrenergic antagonist antihypertensive/antispasmolytic drugs (I think these are also called alpha blockers) or with monoamine oxidase inhibitors.

I take 75mg Pregabalin (Lyrica) daily and want to avoid problems due to drug interactions.

I've had a good google but can't really understand what I'm reading when I'm trying to find out if Lyrica is an alpha-blocker. Wikipedia says: "Pregabalin binds to the ?2? (alpha2delta) subunit of the voltage-dependent calcium channel in the central nervous system" but I don't know what that means.

Can anyone tell me if Pregabalin is an alpha-blocker or MAOI? :confused:
 

adreno

PR activist
Messages
4,841
I'm interested in trying out Butchers Broom for my OI and have read that there could be a risk of a hypertensive crisis if used with alpha-adrenergic antagonist antihypertensive/antispasmolytic drugs (I think these are also called alpha blockers) or with monoamine oxidase inhibitors.

I take 75mg Pregabalin (Lyrica) daily and want to avoid problems due to drug interactions.

I've had a good google but can't really understand what I'm reading when I'm trying to find out if Lyrica is an alpha-blocker. Wikipedia says: "Pregabalin binds to the ?2? (alpha2delta) subunit of the voltage-dependent calcium channel in the central nervous system" but I don't know what that means.

Can anyone tell me if Pregabalin is an alpha-blocker or MAOI? :confused:

No, it's not an alpha-blocker or MAO-I.

I don't see any danger in combining the two.
 

Countrygirl

Senior Member
Messages
5,429
Location
UK
Sasha,

I tried pregabalin for neuropathic pain, but I experienced a hypertensive crisis (about 230/130) shortly after beginning the medication.I wasn't taking any drug that was thought to interact with it. I phoned the chemist and he told me that he had received other similar reports and to stop taking it. I don't know if that helps. I'm sorry I can't answer your question directly.

C.G.
 

Sasha

Fine, thank you
Messages
17,863
Location
UK
Thanks, adreno - that's good news.

Yikes, Countrygirl - sorry to hear you had that problem. I've been taking Pregabalin for three or four years now at 75mg (at night, for insomnia) without any problems, other than feeling dizzy at the beginning while I was getting used to the dose. That's surprising that your chemist had had other reports of hypertensive crisis - maybe I'm just unaware of how common a side-effect that is. Were you on a high dose?
 

Countrygirl

Senior Member
Messages
5,429
Location
UK
No, I was still on a lowish dose, Sasha; however, it may have been a coincidence , of course, although it is interesting that the chemist had received other similar reports. He said that it seemed to exacerbate pre-existing BP problems.

After about 30 years of hypotension with the ME, the problem has suddenly reversed and I now have hypertension with rapid spikes, which on three occasions have left me with brain injury. I have only just come out of the stroke ward after my last episode. Perhaps those of us who have been ill for decades do develop uncontrolled high BP with hypertensive crises and potential strokes. The Pregabalin seemed to exacerbate the problem, so I don't want to risk trying it again.
 

Sasha

Fine, thank you
Messages
17,863
Location
UK
Really sorry to hear about your hypertension and the spiking - I hope you're making a good recovery from the last one. I've had low BP for the last few years, since I've been measuring, but have had ME for 25 years. Your experience underlines how little we know about the long-term picture.
 

Countrygirl

Senior Member
Messages
5,429
Location
UK
Thank you, Sasha. I also know someone else with long-term ME who, after many years of hypotension, now has high BP with hypertensive crises. I think I remember Dr Jamie saying on her blog that she also experiences such episodes. I always thought that you cannot have ME and hypertension, but I think it is probably more accurate to say that our BP is dysregulated and can go either way, although it would be interesting to know if it is usual for hypertensive crises to be associated with long-term ME. I can't check the details right now, but there was an Australian paper published in December 2011 that stated that their research 'suggested' that the cerebral vascular auto-regulatory system malfunctions in ME, which might contribute to our problems. We probably need to discuss this on another thread though if people are interested as this is not relevant to your question. Sorry I have strayed from the subject.:oops:

C.G.
 

Sasha

Fine, thank you
Messages
17,863
Location
UK
Hi Countrygirl - don't worry about straying off-topic, I think my question has been answered now! Thanks for chipping in!

:thumbsup: