Pregabalin use disorder and secondary nicotine dependence in a woman with no substance abuse history

Damien Driot; Bruno Chicoulaa; Emilie Jouanjus; Julie Dupouy; Stéphane Oustric; Maryse Lapeyre-Mestre

doi:10.1016/j.therap.2016.04.006

Pregabalin use disorder and secondary nicotine dependence in a woman with no substance abuse history

Therapie. 2016 Dec;71(6):575-578. doi: 10.1016/j.therap.2016.04.006. Epub 2016 Jun 29.

Authors

Damien Driot¹, Bruno Chicoulaa², Emilie Jouanjus³, Julie Dupouy², Stéphane Oustric², Maryse Lapeyre-Mestre³

Affiliations

¹ Université Paul-Sabatier, faculté de médecine de Toulouse, département universitaire de médecine générale de Toulouse, 133, route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse, France. Electronic address: damien.driot@dumg-toulouse.fr.
² Université Paul-Sabatier, faculté de médecine de Toulouse, département universitaire de médecine générale de Toulouse, 133, route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse, France.
³ Centre Midi-Pyrénées d'evaluation et d'information sur la pharmacodépendance et d'addictovigilance (CEIP-A), 31000 Toulouse, France.

PMID: 27473599
DOI: 10.1016/j.therap.2016.04.006

Abstract

This is an addictovigilance report of a pregabalin use disorder case in a young female patient who secondarily presented a tobacco use disorder after smoking initiation combined with pregabalin intake. Pregabalin was first prescribed for anxiety. Concomitant use of pregabalin with tobacco led to a synergic effect of both substances. She presented a craving behavior for pregabalin, with a tolerance phenomenon and a withdrawal syndrome between pregabaline intakes. The patient had a history of depressive disorder, personality disorder and anorexia, but never had any history of substance use disorder. This case report is noteworthy for 3 reasons: 1: this is one of the first report of pregabalin use disorder in a patient without any substance abuse disorder (licit or illicit), with the exception of a personal vulnerability factors to substance abuse; 2: the patient presented characteristics of pregabalin use disorder at usual dose (below 300mg per day), with drug-seeking behavior, tolerance phenomenon and intense craving with these moderate doses; 3: concomitant use of pregabalin with tobacco led to a synergic effect of both substances.

Keywords: Addictovigilance; Case reports; Pregabalin; Prégabaline; Présentation de cas; Substance-related disorders; Tobacco use; Troubles liés à une substance; Usage de tabac.