Common painkillers Pregabalin, Tapentadol fueling hidden drug crisis

Srinagar, Apr 15: Pregabalin, the mundane capsule prescribed for nerve pain, was once just another Over-the-Counter (OTC) medicine name on a chemist’s shelf. Doctors freely prescribed it for aching backs or restless legs, and patients gulped it down happily. But over the recent past, this quiet capsule, alongside its relative Tapentadol, has turned into a silent dark monster that is creeping into homes, schools, and streets, grasping the young generation in a deadly trap.

Doctors treating addiction in Srinagar’s tertiary care said that it all started small. For the past few years, chemists have been getting teenagers and some older males asking for Pregabalin. They did not have a prescription, but used brand names or slang such as ‘Koda.’ They would buy many strips and kept going back, more desperate each time.

By 2023, Pregabalin was already on the list of drug monitoring departments. However, Pregabalin isn’t heroin, not a banned drug, not even an H1 drug that requires a trail of purchases or prescription. Yet, it was hooking users just the same.

The fire had spread – cheap at  Rs 10 to 20 per Pregabalin capsule, and Tapentadol, a slightly costlier painkiller, had become the go-to fix for the new generation that also believes it is a harmless way to battle stress, anxiety, and depression and get some ‘kick’.

A 2024 study at SMHS Hospital’s De-addiction Center found 16 percent of heroin users also abused Tapentadol, with half using it to dull withdrawal pangs. Pregabalin was more insidious.

Many counsellors helping with de-addiction at the Center said patients down anything around 1200 mg daily, “mostly for the euphoria”.

“It’s not just a drug for them, but a legal, seemingly safe way to stay away from other drugs,” they said.

Incharge of SMHS Hospital De-Addiction Center, Dr Yasi Rather said that these drugs are catching the youth and can have serious consequences.

Tapentadol, an opioid-like drug, is ‘quite addictive’, causes dependence, and even overdoses. Pregabalin, a gabapentinoid, causes sedation and impairment of cognition when taken in high doses.

“At times these can cause respiratory depression, seizures, and even death. Moreover, these are pushing people into the never-ending path to drug abuse,” Dr Rather said. “Withdrawal and dependence are real even in these medications that many of our young generation people swear to be harmless.”

The Drug Control authorities have cracked down.

J&K Controller (Drugs) DFCO, Lotika Khajuria said that J&K was pushing Pregabalin to join Tapentadol under stricter Schedule H1 rules.

“We are closely and strictly monitoring the supply chain and quantities and I assure people, no wholesaler in J&K is involved in black marketing these drugs. However, many consignments from other places may be coming in,” she said.