Summary
Pregabalin has greater than 90% oral bioavailability and is eliminated renally as unchanged drug with a mean half-life of 6.3 hours in normal renal function. Dose reductions required in chronic kidney disease. While overdose alone is rarely fatal, severe respiratory depression and coma occur when combined with opioids or other CNS depressants. UK MHRA and US FDA warnings highlight these risks. Recreational users report warm euphoria, sociability, and alcohol-like motor incoordination at 300-600 mg, with tolerance developing rapidly.
Dose Information
| ROA | Light | Common | Strong | Heavy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral | 50-225mg | 225-600mg | 600-900mg | 900mg+ |
| Rectal | 40-200mg | 200-450mg | 450-600mg | 600mg+ |
Light
Common
Strong
Heavy
Onset, Duration & After-effects
| ROA | Onset | Comeup | Peak | Offset | After Effects | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral | 30-60 min | 1-2 hrs | 4-6 hrs | 4-8 hrs | 4-10 hrs | 240-0 min |
| Insufflated | 15-30 min | 0.5-2 hrs | 2-3 hrs | 3-5 hrs | 6-12 hrs | 360-0 min |
| Rectal | 12-30 min | 0.5-2 hrs | 2-3 hrs | 3-5 hrs | 6-12 hrs | 360-0 min |
Tolerance
Build-up
develops over 1–2 weeks of daily use
Reset
1–2 weeks of abstinence
Cross-tolerance
Effects
Positive
- Physical euphoria
- Muscle relaxation
- Pain relief
- Anxiolytic
- Muscle Relaxant
- Seizure suppression
Negative
- Muscle spasms
- Respiratory depression
- Sedation
- Spontaneous bodily sensations
- Sedative
- Dystaxia
- Hypnotic
Positive
- Cognitive euphoria
- Anxiety suppression
- Empathy, affection, and sociability enhancement
- Motivation enhancement
- Empathy, love, and sociability enhancement
Negative
- Motor control loss
- Dizziness
- Analysis suppression
- Thought deceleration
- Amnesia
- Information processing suppression
Positive
- Increased music appreciation
- Perception of bodily lightness
- Tactile enhancement
- Tracers
- Acuity enhancement
- Auditory enhancement
- Colour enhancement
Negative
- Disinhibition
- Double vision
- Visual acuity suppression
- After images
- Internal hallucinations