There is considerable risk of physical harm when combining these substances. Use extreme caution.
Note: There is a risk of seizures from this combination, especially at higher dosages. Caffeine additionally reduces pregabalin’s anticonvulsant effects found in lower dosages. Caffeine increases respiration rate allowing for a higher dose of sedatives than normal. If amphetamines wears off first, recreational dosages of pregabalin may overcome the individual and cause respiratory arrest. Both substances at recreational dosages cause strain of the heart and may lead to further dangerous heart complications. Medical dosages are unlikely to be of concern.
Substances in these categories
Caffeine
Pregabalin
Sources
- Glutamatergic Mechanisms Associated with Seizures and Epilepsy. Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine, 5(8), a022863. — Barker-Haliski, M., & White, H. S. (2015)
- Pregabalin Pharmacology and Its Relevance to Clinical Practice. Epilepsia, 45(s6), 13–18. — Ben‐Menachem, E. (2004)
- Effect of caffeine on the anticonvulsant action of pregabalin against electroconvulsions in mice. Pharmacological Reports: PR, 74(2), 431–437. — Chwedorowicz, R., Łukawski, K., Raszewski, G., & Czuczwar, S. J. (2022)
- Pregabalin monotherapy in patients with partial-onset seizures: A historical-controlled trial. Neurology, 82(7), 590–597. — French, J., Kwan, P., Fakhoury, T., Pitman, V., DuBrava, S., Knapp, L., & Yurkewicz, L. (2014)
- Aggravation of epilepsy by anti‐epileptic drugs. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 48(5), 394–398. — Gayatri, N., & Livingston, J. (2006)
- Drugs that lower the seizure threshold. Adverse Drug Reaction Bulletin, 298(1), 1151–1154. — Hitchings, A. W. (2016)
- Pregabalin - Erowid Exp - “Stay Away.” — Sean. (n.d.-b)
- Pregabalin (Lyrica) - Erowid Exp - “Heart Arrhythmia, Seizure : Not Recreational.” — Altair. (n.d.-a)
- Pregabalin & Tramadol - Erowid Exp - “Grand Mal Seizures.” — Douke, R. (n.d.)
- Pregabalin poisoning and rising recreational use: a retrospective observational series. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 86(12), 2435–2440. — Isoardi, K. Z., Polkinghorne, G., Harris, K., & Isbister, G. K. (2020)
- Evidence that pregabalin reduces neuropathic pain by inhibiting the spinal release of glutamate. Journal of Neurochemistry, 113(2), 552–561. — Kumar, N., Laferriere, A., Yu, J. S. C., Leavitt, A., & Coderre, T. J. (2010)
- Caffeine and Its Interactions with Antiseizure Medications—Is There a Correlation between Preclinical and Clinical Data? International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 24(24), 17569. — Miziak, B., Błaszczyk, B., Chrościńska-Krawczyk, M., & Czuczwar, S. J. (2023)
- Pregabalin and paradoxical reaction of seizures in a large overdose. Toxicology Communications, 2(1), 19–20. — Slocum, G. W., Schult, R. F., Gorodetsky, R. M., Wiegand, T. J., Kamali, M., & Acquisto, N. M. (2018)
Interaction Matrix
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These drugs work together to cause an effect greater than the sum of its parts. They aren't likely to cause an adverse or undesirable reaction when used carefully.
Effects are additive. The combination is unlikely to cause any adverse or undesirable reaction beyond those that might ordinarily be expected from these drugs.
One substance may reduce or counteract some of the effects of the other.
These combinations are not usually physically harmful, but may produce undesirable effects. Use caution.
There is considerable risk of physical harm when combining these substances. Use extreme caution.
These combinations are considered dangerous and should be avoided.
The interactions between these substances are not well documented.