Lyrica & Caffeine

LYRICA, the brand name for pregabalin, is a prescription anticonvulsant medication used to treat several disorders, including seizures, fibromyalgia and peripheral neuropathy, or nerve damage. Like other medications, LYRICA might cause side effects. Caffeine use may be able to minimize LYRICA's bothersome effects, but talk with your doctor about your caffeine habits before taking LYRICA.

Pfizer, the manufacturer of LYRICA, offers medicating capsules in 25, 50, 75, 100, 150, 200, 225 and 300 mg doses. A 20mg/mL oral solution is also available. According to DailyMed, an extension of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, peak blood plasma concentrations of LYRICA occur approximately 1.5 hours after consumption. The rate of peak bloodstream absorption decreases to 3 hours when taken with food. DailyMed also reports that the body does not fully metabolize pregabalin. After administering a dose of radiolabeled pregabalin, which is a technique researchers use to track the passage of a substance through the body, 90 percent of the medication was found unmetabolized in the urine.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 80 percent of American adults consume 200 mg of caffeine daily through food, beverage, medications or dietary supplements. If you "get a caffeine fix" every morning to feel awake and alert, you may not experience the drowsiness that LYRICA can cause. Caffeine induces feelings of alertness and wakefulness by preventing adenosine, which is responsible for drowsiness, from binding with receptors. It is a central nervous system stimulant that increases brain activity. You may notice an increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure and an increased urination frequency after ingesting caffeine.

According to Drugs.com, you may experience feelings of mental and physical hyperactivity while taking LYRICA. Although low doses of caffeine have been used to reduce hyperactivity and impulsivity associated with disorders such as ADD, excessive caffeine consumption may aggravate feelings of hyperactivity brought on by LYRICA use. LYRICA may cause anxiety, which caffeine may worsen. LYRICA might cause urine incontinence, or an inability to control urination or urine leakage, which might lead to an embarrassing situation when combined with increased urination brought on by caffeine consumption.

Caffeine use may help ease the frustration that comes with concentration difficulties and forgetfulness brought on by using LYRICA. In June 2009, "Psychological Reports" published a study that tested the effects of caffeine consumption on memory loss. College students were given either a 200 mg dose of caffeine or a 250 mg dose of a lactose placebo. Thirty minutes after caffeine ingestion, participants were given a six-word recall test. Subjects who consumed caffeine remembered more words.