From the simplest medication, such as painkillers used for a headache, to chronic medications used for a serious medical condition, all types of pharmaceuticals come with the possibility of adverse effects. Some can be serious but more often than not, the side effects of medications are just an inconvenience.
The most common adverse effects, in general, involve the gastrointestinal system. This is a result of the ingestion of the ingredients in the therapeutic and the passage of these ingredients through the body. Medications bring about adverse effects because of their chemical structure, in some cases.
For example, a common allergy medication eases the symptoms of allergies but also blocks the chemical substance, acetylcholine. The consequence of this leads to drowsiness and dry mouth.
A few natural ways to reduce the probability of side effects are:
- Hydration: drinking lots of water helps flush out the toxins associated with the medications you are using.
- Exercise: physical activity has been known to remove bacteria from the body by way of the lungs and airways. Aerobic exercise has been associated with the reduction of adverse effects.
- Food: smaller meals throughout the day can assist with reducing certain side effects. This is in cases where the medication can be taken with food and does not delay the onset of action. Pregabalin can be taken with or without food.
Common Pregabalin Side Effects
Some of the common pregabalin side effects include:
- Drowsiness: feeling abnormally sleep or tired at inappropriate times can be regarded as drowsiness. Drowsiness can be accompanied by a lack of mental alertness, fatigue and weakness. Resting is the most appropriate way to help with these feelings. It is important that an activity requiring alertness is not engaged in as there can be impairments to mental cognition.
- Blurred vision: this is characterised by a lack of sharpness in eyesight and the inability to see finer details. Sleep can help reduce the discomfort of blurred vision and in some cases, lubricating eye drops may be an effective solution.
- Dry mouth: this sensation feels like a lack of moisture in the mouth. It occurs when the salivary glands do not produce sufficient salvia. To counteract these effects you can chew sugar-less gum, drink plenty of fluids (except caffeine) and use certain mouthwashes which help with these symptoms. Mouthwashes which have alcohol in their content are not appropriate for dry mouth as this can further elevate these effects.
Uncommon Pregabalin Side Effects
The uncommon side effects refer to those which are experienced by between 1 in 100 people and 1 in 1000 people in a clinical trial where the effects of a medication are being analysed. The term ‘uncommon’ is related to the numeric frequency of the side effects with regard to the clinical trial.
Some of the uncommon pregabalin side effects can include:
- Constipation: this occurs when there is difficult in passing stools as the bowel movements become infrequent. It is not often a serious complication but can be in the case where there is blood in the stools or the condition persists for longer than three weeks. To help with more regular bowel movements, water is recommended. Fibre can also be added to the diet which assists with reducing the symptoms of constipation.
- Muscle spasms: these are sudden, involuntary movements of the muscles. The movements can occur at any muscle in the body and may be more than one muscle at a time. Mild exercise and stretching can help alleviate some of the discomfort of these spasms. Other natural remedies can involve apply ice or heat to the affected area.
- Increased hunger: this is one of the side effects which have been observed but less frequently in patients using pregabalin tablets. To counteract these effects, you can eat nutrient-rich foods (foods rich in protein) to help with increased appetite. You can also restrict your meals to lower calorie foods.
Rare Pregabalin Side Effects
Rare pregabalin side effects do not refer to those which are strange or odd but rather the effects which are noticeable in few of the trial patients when the medication is being evaluated. The frequency of rare side effects is between 1 in 1000 and 1 in 10 000 people.
Some of these rare adverse effects associated with pregabalin are:
- Wheezing: this is a condition characterised by whistling sounds when you breathe as the air which enters the body is travelling through narrowed passage ways. If accompanied by rapid or difficulty breathing, this condition may be serious. To help with wheezing you should avoid tobacco smoke. You can also moisturise the air to assist with alleviating the symptoms.
- Low blood sugar: also known as hypoglycaemia, this is the condition of low levels of glucose in the blood. This can be accompanied by tiredness, sweating and dizziness. To assist in attaining a reasonable blood sugar level, you can monitor the foods you eat according to their glycaemic index (a value which indicates the measure of foods on how they increase blood sugar levels).
- Hives: hives are red, swollen bumps which appear on the skin as a rash. They can be itchy, burn or sting. You should wear loose fitting clothes when you have hives. To help with the itchiness, you should keep the skin cool and moisturized.
Pregabalin Effects Explained
The pregabalin / Lyrica side effects which occur in those using the medication for neuropathic pain or seizures are a result of the composition of the medication. The adverse effects occur because it is difficult to develop a pharmaceutical which targets one area in the body without affecting another. This is further hampered by how the medication affects everyone differently as each person has an entirely unique body chemistry.
Apart from causing adverse events on its own, using pregabalin with other therapeutics such as diabetes medications, anti-histamines, tranquilizers and even a painkiller, can further affect the onset or severity of the effects.
The pregabalin side effects associated with a medication does not extend to the safety of the therapeutic. Side effects are dangerous if they are not properly attended to. The safety of a pharmaceutical is determined by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) prior to being approved and in terms of side effects, tolerance and the associated benefits in relation to the risks.