Can you drink alcohol if you’re taking Lyrica?
Lyrica (pregabalin) and alcohol both depress the central nervous system. Drinking alcohol while taking Lyrica increases the risk of side effects such as dizziness, drowsiness, slowed reaction time, impaired coordination, and feeling faint. The combination can also make it harder to recognize how sedating the dose is affecting you.
Because of these additive effects, alcohol is generally discouraged while on Lyrica.
What can happen if you mix Lyrica and alcohol?
People may notice stronger sedation than expected, including:
- Sleepiness or sedation
- Dizziness or trouble walking
- Confusion or slowed thinking
- Blurred vision
- Increased risk of falls or accidents (including driving)
In higher-risk situations, the combination can be dangerous, especially if you already take other medicines that also cause drowsiness.
Is it ever safe to have a small amount?
If your clinician has said it’s okay to drink, it still raises risk with any amount. Even “small” amounts can affect different people differently depending on dose, timing, other medications, body weight, and tolerance.
If you’re considering alcohol anyway, the safest approach is to ask your prescriber or pharmacist for guidance specific to your dose and schedule, and avoid driving or hazardous activities.
What other drugs make this combination riskier?
The risk goes up if you take Lyrica with other depressants, such as:
- Opioid pain medicines (like oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine)
- Sleep medicines or benzodiazepines (like diazepam, lorazepam, zolpidem)
- Other sedating antihistamines or muscle relaxers
If you use any of these, mixing alcohol with Lyrica is especially likely to cause excessive sedation.
When should you not drink at all and contact a clinician?
Avoid alcohol and contact your healthcare provider if you have severe sleepiness, trouble staying awake, frequent falls, or any breathing-related symptoms. Seek urgent help if someone is very difficult to wake, has slow/shallow breathing, or seems dangerously impaired.
Quick guidance
If you’re asking for a direct answer: alcohol and Lyrica together can make you more sedated and increase accident and falls risk. Most people are advised not to drink while taking Lyrica unless their prescriber specifically says otherwise.
If you tell me your Lyrica dose, when you take it, and how much alcohol you mean (one drink vs more), I can help you think through the risk more concretely.