Can You Take Lyrica And Gabapentin Together?

It is not always for some individuals that the dose given will be suitable or tolerated due to internal or external factors , to over come this situation either the dose is modified or it is combined with other similar properties medicine in order to relieve the disease without compromising on the treatment.

Lyrica (another name is Pregabalin) is an anticonvulsant painkiller used to treat neuropathic pain, fibromyalgia, restless leg syndrome, and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). It is also known as an anti-epileptic for the treatment of partial seizures in epilepsy.

The impulses in the brain that cause seizure, Lyrica drug, works to slow down those nerves and produces such chemicals that send pain signals across the nervous system in the brain, thus preventing seizures.

Some Know How bout Gabapentin

Gabapentin (also known as Neurontin) is also an anticonvulsant drug used to treat pain in the brain's peripheral nervous system, which is caused by diabetic neuropathy, postherpetic, and central pain. The drug is also used to treat seizures from shingles and reduce aches because of restless leg syndrome. Gabapentin medicine helps by working on those nerves that play a major role in sending pain signals to the brain. It sends the chemical to those nerves to act positively. It is also used in migraines, back pain.

Can You Take Lyrica And Gabapentin Together?

Gabapentin and Lyrica drugs share many similarities in their properties and methods of curing disorders. These two drugs are often not taken together as some diseases are treated with taking one drug only, but a few clinical experiences show that the doctors had given lyrica and gabapentin together to some patients, and the result they got after giving the combination was quite convincing.

So, if you're suffering from severe diseases (such as neuropathic pain and seizures) and have gone through any neuro surgery, you might not be able to recover by taking a single medicine. In this case, it will be necessary for you to take gabapentin and Lyrica together according to the prescription.

As per PubMed article about Lyrica with gabapentin, it states that the combination of the medicine can help in decreasing the interactions or unsuitability of singular specific agent.

PubMed says 

This combined approach can be made use of to reduce the dose of an individual agent, its side effects, and to enhance therapeutic response compared to a single agent. (Senderovich H, Jeyapragasan G)

Dosage Information If You Are Taking The Combination

If you are one of those patients who are going to take this combination, one thing you must consider is taking the right dose. In case you do not consider this thing seriously, you will face major consequences. 

The recommended dose for gabapentin drug is 100mg (once, twice, or thrice a day, according to the situation). This is the low dose of medicine that children and adults can take.
Whereas a low dose of Lyrica is 25-50mg, which should be given according to the prescribed time to the patients. Both drugs are taken orally as they are available in capsules, tablets, and syrup.

The combination of gabapentin and Lyrica in low doses will be very beneficial for patients, especially for those who can not tolerate high doses of medicines and have to take pills repeatedly (if they are taking a single drug) to reduce the pain effect. Gabapentin and Lyrica, together in low doses, will help them to recover from the diseases without affecting their organs.

Things You Should Consider Before Taking The Combination

Below are a few things you should consider and talk to your doctor about before taking the combination if you want to get treated in a positive manner. If you ever had:

• Lungs infection or breathing problem
• Kidney diseases, especially if you ever had kidneys dialysis
• Diabetes or any other drug addiction
• Anxiety (Death fear) or depression
• Severe heart or liver diseases
• Allergic reaction to medicines
• Low level of platelets in your blood

Having these diseases in your health history must be mentioned to your healthcare provider before taking gabapentin and Lyrica together, so he may or may not prescribe you either this combination or single medicine.

What Are The Side Effects?

You can have side effects after taking gabapentin and Lyrica together if you are taking them without confirmation and taking the dose of your choice without having any dosage information. Some serious side effects you may face are mentioned below:

• Unwell or shallow breathing
• Turning your skin color into blue, including lips, fingers, and toes
• Extreme dizziness, feeling unconscious most of the time
• Weakening of Eyesight
• Balancing and muscle movement problems
• Soreness and weakness
• Swelling in your hands, knees, and feet

Other common side effects may include:

• Headache
• Vomiting
• Nausea
• Fever and Tiredness
• Weight Gain (Gabapentin itself can gain weight)
• Dry mouth and difficulty in speaking
• Shaky movements

It can also happen when the combination doesn't suit your body and start causing other health issues. So stop taking the medicines if you start facing any of the aforementioned effects.

How Should You Consume The Combination?

Any medicine you consume will give you an accurate result if you take it in the best manner. The drug shows its effects very slowly, or even sometimes, the medicines stop affecting your body when they are not taken in a prescribed way. Follow some instructions if you are consuming gabapentin and Lyrica together to gain the best of your health.

Both gabapentin and Lyrica are taken with or without food. There is no such restriction not to take them with an empty stomach.

If you are taking tablets, do not chew or break them in the mouth but shallow them directly; if you are taking capsules, you might have the option to open the capsule, put the powder on a spoon, mix it with drops of water and take it.

In case of consuming syrup, measure the prescribed amount of dose with a syringe or medicine dose-measuring spoon. Do not take the medication by your own estimate using a kitchen spoon.

Conclusion

It is very uncommon to take both medicines together, but if you are taking them, consider all the things mentioned in this article. Moreover, if you miss a dose and it is time for your next dose, skip the last one but do not take two doses simultaneously. On feeling fine, do not stop taking them suddenly; ask your doctor first, go for a check-up and then do what your doctor recommends you to do.