[Should we care about pregabalin for elderly patients with a history of cardiac dysrhythmia?]

Abstract

Pregabalin is similar in structure to gamma-aminobutyric acid. It is used for neuropathic pain, generalized anxiety disorders and as an adjunct therapy for partial seizures. Tachycardia is a rare side-effect. A 92-year-old patient with a history of paroxystic fibrillation was hospitalised for zoster. She developed a sinusal tachycardia followed by atrial fibrillation and congestive heart failure 15 h after a first dose of pregabalin. The imputation was considered as plausible. Even though the mechanism remains unclear, pregabalin might induce tachycardia in predisposed old patients.