Does Pregabalin (Lyrica®) Help Patients Reduce their Use of Benzodiazepines? A Comparison with Gabapentin using the Norwegian Prescription Database
Open accessAbstract
Pregabalin (Lyrica(®) ) may have an anxiolytic effect. It has also been reported that the use of this drug helps prevent excessive use of benzodiazepines. The aim of the present study was to examine if pregabalin reduced the intake of benzodiazepines. In a pharmacoepidemiological study, we compared pregabalin to the older drug gabapentin (Neurontin(®) ) in the Norwegian Prescription Database. The database has total capture of all prescribed drugs outside institutions. We identified all prescriptions for the two drugs for patients aged 18-69 years between 2004 and 2007. Patients were grouped as psychiatric patients, patients with epilepsy, patients with neuropathic pain or non-specified users. We measured the use of benzodiazepines 182 days before and after the initiation of treatment with pregabalin and gabapentin. Between 15% and 29% of the patients were able to stop using benzodiazepines after starting pregabalin or gabapentin treatment. Psychiatric patients who started pregabalin were able to reduce the amount of benzodiazepines used by 48%, compared to only 14% among starters of gabapentin. This study shows that some patients reduced their use of benzodiazepines substantially after starting pregabalin.
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Existing evidence indicates that gabapentin or pregabalin may offer benefits during BZD withdrawal, either by increasing the likelihood of successful discontinuation or by alleviating anxiety and withdrawal-related symptoms.
“Existing evidence indicates that they may offer benefits during BZD withdrawal, either by increasing the likelihood of successful discontinuation, 87 88 or by alleviating anxiety and withdrawal-related symptoms throughout the tapering process. 89”
From Z-drug abuse and dependence: Clinical guideline of the Brazilian Academy of Neurology for diagnosis and management (2025) · cites this paper as [87]
The Discussion reports that 15–29% of patients stopped using benzodiazepines after starting pregabalin or gabapentin, supporting a possible discontinuation benefit. But this prescription-database study does not establish that either drug increased the likelihood of stopping compared with no treatment, or that patients were undergoing a supervised withdrawal. The symptom-relief clause carries a separate citation and is not assessed here. (LLM, conf=0.82)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredPregabalin demonstrated superior efficacy and tolerability compared to gabapentin, with 52% of patients achieving BZD-free status after 12 weeks.
“Pregabalin demonstrated superior efficacy and tolerability compared to gabapentin, with 52% of patients achieving BZD-free status after 12 weeks.”
From Z-drug abuse and dependence: Clinical guideline of the Brazilian Academy of Neurology for diagnosis and management (2025) · cites this paper as [87]
The Discussion reports a larger reduction in benzodiazepine consumption among psychiatric patients starting pregabalin than in the other groups, but describes a pregabalin-specific sparing effect as a possible interpretation. It reports that 15–29% stopped using benzodiazepines, not 52%; the study compared use over 182 days, not 12 weeks, and the cited passages do not assess comparative tolerability. (LLM, conf=0.87)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredAmong psychiatric patients, those treated with pregabalin reduced their BZD consumption by 48%, whereas the reduction was 14% in those treated with gabapentin.
“Among psychiatric patients, those treated with pregabalin reduced their BZD consumption by 48%, whereas the reduction was of only 14% in those treated with gabapentin. 87”
From Z-drug abuse and dependence: Clinical guideline of the Brazilian Academy of Neurology for diagnosis and management (2025) · cites this paper as [87]
In patients initiating pregabalin or gabapentin for BZD discontinuation, 15 to 29% discontinued BZD use.
“The findings showed that 15 to 29% of the patients discontinued BZD use after initiating treatment with either agent.”
From Z-drug abuse and dependence: Clinical guideline of the Brazilian Academy of Neurology for diagnosis and management (2025) · cites this paper as [87]
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References 17 · Cited by 37
Research works printed but not linked: 1
- Nutt DJ, Ballenger JC. Anxiety Disorders. Blackwell Science, Oxford, 2003.
- Authors
- Bramness, J. G., Sandvik, P., Engeland, A., & Skurtveit, S.
- Affiliations
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NO)
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NO)
- Corresponding author
- Bramness, Jørgen G.
- Venue
- Basic & Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2010-04-23
- Volume
- 107
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 883-886
- ISSN
- 1742-7835 (ISSN-L)
- 1742-7843
- OpenAlex
- W1720984727
- Cited by
- 37
- References
- 17
- Citations by year
- 2025: 2 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 1.15
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Basic & Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Geriatrics and Gerontology › Pharmaceutical Practices and Patient Outcomes
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Opioid Use Disorder Treatment
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine › Pain Management and Opioid Use
- Keywords
- pregabalin, gabapentin, benzodiazepine reduction, benzodiazepine dependence, anxiolytics, psychiatric patients, epilepsy, neuropathic pain, prescribing patterns, drug substitution
- MeSH terms
- Pregabalin, Gabapentin, Adolescent, Adult, Amines, Benzodiazepines, Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids, Dose-Response Relationship, Drug, Drug Administration Schedule, Drug Therapy, Combination, gamma-Aminobutyric Acid, Humans, Middle Aged, Norway, Drug Prescriptions, Anti-Anxiety Agents, Databases, Factual, Drug Utilization Review, Young Adult
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