pregabalin
Lyrica
Nursing Considerations
• Pregabalin therapy should be stopped
gradually over at least 1 week to decrease
risk of seizure activity and avoid unpleasant
symptoms such as diarrhea, headache,
insomnia, and nausea.
• If patient has evidence of hypersensitivity
(red skin, urticaria, rash, dyspnea, facial
swelling, wheezing), stop drug at once,
notify prescriber, and give supportive care.
•Monitor patient closely for adverse reactions.
Notify prescriber if significant
adverse reactions persist.
•Monitor patient closely for evidence of
suicidal thinking or behavior, especially
when therapy starts or dosage changes.
PATIENT TEACHING
•Warn against stopping pregabalin abruptly.
• Urge patient to avoid hazardous activities
until she knows how drug affects her.
• Instruct patient to notify prescriber if she
has changes in vision or unexplained muscle
pain, tenderness, or weakness, especially
if these muscle symptoms are accompanied
by malaise or fever.
• Alert patient that drug may cause edema
and weight gain.
• If patient also takes a thiazolidinedione
antidiabetic, tell her these effects may be
intensified. If significant, tell patient to
notify prescriber.
• Inform male patient who plans to father a
child that drug could impair his fertility.
• Instruct diabetic patients to inspect their
skin while taking pregabalin.
• Urge caregivers to watch patient closely for
evidence of suicidal tendencies, especially
when therapy starts or dosage changes and
to report concerns at once to prescriber.
• Urge woman who becomes pregnant while
taking pregabalin for seizures to enroll in
the North American antiepileptic drug
pregnancy registry by calling 1-888-233-
2334. Explain that the registry is collecting
information about the safety of antiepileptic
drugs during pregnancy
