As of: March 8, 2024, 12:54 p.m
By: Bjarne Kommnick
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A drug is causing thousands of deaths in Great Britain.
The medicine is also one of the most commonly prescribed active ingredients in Germany.
London – A drug is the cause of thousands of deaths in the United Kingdom.
Research by the
“Sunday Times”
shows that around 3,400 people have died from the drug pregabalin in the last five years alone.
12 years ago the number was nine deaths, in 2022 the number has already risen to 780.
According to
The Times,
this is the fastest ever rise in drug-related deaths in the UK.
According to the National Health Service (NHS), the drug is a drug used to treat epilepsy and anxiety.
The medicine is only available by prescription and is available in capsules, tablets or liquid.
The drug is also one of the most frequently prescribed medicines in Germany.
Pregabalin is a narcotic used for epilepsy, nerve pain and anxiety.
© IMAGO/xErkan13906x
This is how the medicine Pregabalin works according to the NHS
It stops epilepsy by reducing abnormal electrical activity in the brain
For nerve pain, it blocks pain by affecting the pain signals that travel through the brain and down the spine
During anxiety, it stops the brain from releasing chemicals that trigger fear
Shortness of breath, memory problems and dizziness: side effects of pregabalin
The drug originally came onto the market as a treatment for epilespia.
Today it is also prescribed for anxiety and nerves, but according to research by
The Times
and official NHS data, the list of side effects includes:
Headache
fatigue
dizziness
Shortness of breath
Diarrhea
Mood swings
Swollen limbs (hands, arms, legs, feet)
Blurred vision
Erection problems
Weight gain due to increased feeling of hunger
Memory problems
Fatal consequences of the drug Pregabalin
What is particularly problematic about the drug is that it can trigger a euphoric mood, but can also be addictive.
Addicts can no longer control the intake of the medication and in many cases increase the dose on their own initiative or combine it with other narcotics.
This can lead to serious or even fatal consequences.
According to a 2019 Swedish study, taking pregabalin is directly linked to an increased risk of suicidality and accidental overdoses.
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Withdrawal from pregabalin is comparable to morphine.
Symptoms include increased pain, gastrointestinal problems, anxiety, panic, inner restlessness and mood swings.
A woman from Manchester told
The Times
that she was initially pleasantly surprised by the drug after an accident, even though she was already familiar with the drug as a nurse.
“Fear returned tenfold”: those affected report severe consequences of medication
She explains: “It blew my socks off.
But after a month the euphoric feeling faded and my anxiety returned tenfold”.
In this case too, the woman herself increased the dose of the medication.
The side effects were so severe that one day she even forgot to pick up her six-year-old daughter from school.
However, the withdrawal turned out to be particularly difficult and, according to her own statements, brought the woman to the brink of despair: “You're shaking, you can't sleep, you can't eat.
There is vomiting, diarrhea, anxiety.
You really feel like you’re dying.”
Pregabalin is one of the most commonly prescribed active ingredients in Germany
In Great Britain alone, over eight million people are expected to have received a prescription for the drug in 2022.
Just a year earlier, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence called on the medical profession to improve safety measures when prescribing.
However, prescriptions have steadily increased since then.
One doctor told
The Times
: "Prescribing pregabalin is like selling a car without brakes." Anastrozole, on the other hand, is recommended for high-risk groups in the UK.
According to the German Medical Association's Drug Commission, pregabalin is also one of the most prescribed active ingredients in Germany.
In 2018, a total of 3.9 million prescriptions were issued to the detriment of statutory health insurance in Germany.
A recent study found that around 35 percent of all people in Germany have problems buying medication.
A request from IPPEN.MEDIA to the Medicines Commission about current data and figures regarding deaths, prescriptions and addictions to pregabalin in Germany has so far remained unanswered.