Pregabalin was the 68th most commonly prescribed drug in the United States in 2017. In that year alone, there were over 11,429,654 prescriptions. Considering how popular this drug is right now, it pays to know a little bit more about this medication, including how long pregabalin stays in your system.
Basic Information
Mean effective half-life: 6 hours
Time to steady-state: 24 to 48 hours
Pregabalin has an oral bioavailability of around 90 percent, which is independent of the dosage given. This medication is easily absorbed with peak plasma concentrations occurring within 1.5 hours if taken while fasting. When taken with food, pregabalin absorption changes with a maximum plasma concentration decrease of 25 to 30 percent and an increase in the time it takes to reach maximum concentration of around 3 hours.
Pregabalin is mainly eliminated via renal excretion with very little metabolism occurring, which indicates that it does not accumulate in the body. Roughly 90 percent of administered doses of pregabalin are recovered in urine in an unchanged state.
FAQ
What is the half life of a drug?
The half-life of a drug refers to the amount of time it takes for the drug to decrease by 50 percent. This helps indicate the amount of time the effects of the drug are likely to last and shows whether or not accumulation may occur if multiple doses are given.
What is the half-life of pregabalin?
The half-life of pregabalin is around 6 hours, since this medication is readily absorbed and eliminated via urine.
How long does pregabalin stay in your system?
Pregabalin has a short half-life and does not accumulate in the body, so there is a low risk of having it appear on the following drug tests:
- Blood/serum/plasma tests: These tests check for the presence of certain substances in blood, serum, or plasma and have a short detection time frame of a few days.
- Urine tests: Pregabalin may show up on urine drug tests until it is eliminated from the body via renal excretion.
- Hair tests: These drug tests check hair follicle samples for the presence of certain substances and have a longer detection time frame of a few months.
How long does it take for pregabalin to start working for anxiety?
The time it takes for pregabalin to begin working for anxiety varies for each individual. Some may experience reduced anxiety symptoms a few weeks after taking pregabalin, but this time may be longer for others depending on factors such as the severity of their anxiety or the dosage that is taken.
Disclaimer: this article does not constitute or replace medical advice. If you have an emergency or a serious medical question, please contact a medical professional or call 911 immediately. To see our full medical disclaimer, visit our Terms of Use page.
