As of: March 13, 2024, 5:18 a.m
By: Bjarne Kommnick, Kilian Bäuml
Comments
Press
Split
A drug called pregabalin is responsible for thousands of deaths in the UK.
The rapid increase in the number of victims is alarming.
London - A drug called pregabalin is responsible for an alarming number of deaths in the United Kingdom.
The
Sunday Times
has revealed in an investigation that around 3,400 people have died as a result of this drug in the last five years.
In comparison, there were only nine deaths 12 years ago, while the number has already risen to 780 in 2022.
According to the Times
, this represents
the fastest increase in deaths from narcotics in the history of Great Britain. In Germany, another drug scandal recently caused a stir, because pharmacies are said to have enriched themselves by selling free drugs.
Pregabalin is a narcotic used for epilepsy, nerve pain and anxiety.
© IMAGO/xErkan13906x
Pregabalin, which is classified by the National Health Service (NHS) as a treatment for epilepsy and anxiety, is only available with a prescription and can be given in the form of capsules, tablets or liquid.
This medication is also one of the most frequently prescribed medicines in Germany.
Alarming increase: Thousands of deaths caused by prescription drugs
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
Pregabalin was originally developed to treat epilepsy, but is now also prescribed to relieve anxiety and nervousness.
However, the list of side effects, confirmed by both the Times and the NHS, is worrying.
These include these symptoms:
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
Pregabalin: The dangerous drug that costs thousands of lives
A particularly problematic aspect of pregabalin is its ability to produce a euphoric mood, which can also lead to dependence.
Addiction patients often lose control of taking the drug, increase the dose on their own or combine it with other narcotics, which can lead to serious and even fatal consequences.
My news
Tariff dispute in public transport: Are there new strikes on buses and trains in North Rhine-Westphalia? read
More money for public sector employees: This is how much salary there will be from March reading
France bans “vegetarian sausage” and “vegetable steak” read
Motor vehicle insurers are struggling with problems: angry customers and in the sights of the Bafinlesen
“Battery rain” hits cars: Who bears the costs? read
These three public programs will soon disappear from cable network reading
A 2019 Swedish study found a direct link between taking pregabalin and an increased risk of suicidality and accidental overdoses.
Withdrawal from pregabalin has been compared to that of morphine and can cause symptoms such as increased pain sensitivity, gastrointestinal problems, anxiety, panic, restlessness and mood swings.
A Manchester nurse who was prescribed pregabalin after an accident told the Times about her experience with the drug.
She said: “It blew my socks off.
But after a month the euphoric feeling faded and my anxiety returned tenfold”.
She increased the dosage of the medication on her own initiative, which caused side effects so severe that one day she even forgot to pick up her six-year-old daughter from school.
Withdrawal from pregabalin was particularly difficult for her and brought her 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.”
Deadly Side Effects of Pregabalin: Drug Causes Thousands of Deaths
In 2022, over eight million people in the UK received a prescription for pregabalin.
Just a year earlier, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence had called on the medical profession to improve prescribing safety measures, but prescriptions have steadily increased since then.
One doctor expressed his concerns to 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 one of the most heavily prescribed active ingredients in Germany.
In 2018, a total of 3.9 million prescriptions were issued at the expense of statutory health insurance.
A recent study found that around 35 percent of all people in Germany have difficulties buying medication.
A request from IPPEN.MEDIA about current data and figures regarding deaths, prescriptions and addictions to pregabalin in Germany has so far remained unanswered.
The editor wrote this article and then used an AI language model for optimization at his own discretion. All information has been carefully checked.
Find out more about our AI principles here.