Drug & supplement interaction

Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb) + Pregabalin

Pregabalin brand names: Lyrica, Lyrica CR.

Major Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated September 2026
The bottom line Major

Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb) has a major interaction with Pregabalin. GHB may increase the risk of serious CNS and respiratory depression.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityMajor
LikelihoodProbable
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb) and Pregabalin

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Major

CNS DEPRESSANTS

Why this applies to Pregabalin

Pregabalin falls under CNS DEPRESSANTS — the group Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb) interacts with.

GHB may increase the risk of serious CNS and respiratory depression.
Concomitant use of GHB with CNS depressants may increase the risk of serious CNS and respiratory depression.
Severity Major Likelihood Probable Evidence D

Interaction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports..

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the simple version: both pregabalin (Lyrica) and GHB calm down your nervous system. When you stack two depressants like this, their effects pile on top of each other. Pregabalin already tends to cause drowsiness, dizziness, foggy thinking, and slowed breathing in some people. Adding GHB, which is a powerful sedative on its own, can push those effects much further, raising the real risk of heavy sedation, dangerously slow breathing, or even coma.

I want to be honest that this warning rests on anecdotal reports rather than hard studies, but the concern makes sense given how both substances work, and the potential outcome is serious. Please don't combine them, and talk with your doctor or pharmacist about anything you're taking alongside pregabalin.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Product information for Xyrem. Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Palo Alto, CA. March 2022.

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
  • PossibleInteraction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb) Also Interacts With Other Medications

Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb) has 248 major, 21 moderate, 5 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Pregabalin one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Major 248 Moderate 21 Minor 5 No known interaction 2,556 (incl. Pregabalin)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb)

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb). Pick one to open its full report.

From our Q&A

Questions About Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb) or Pregabalin

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb) or Pregabalin, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Pregabalin

This page covers Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb) only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Pregabalin page lists 95 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: 1,4-butanediol (major), Activated Charcoal (major), Beer (major), Kava (major) and L-tryptophan (major).

By severity: 7 major · 73 moderate · 15 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Pregabalin page

“Pregabalin (Lyrica) calms overactive nerves, which is how it eases nerve pain, seizures, and anxiety, and that calming action stacks with almost everything on this list. Of the 95 supplements and herbs, the large majority add their own sedation on top of pregabalin's, and a few can tip that into genuine danger, with deep sedation and s…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Pregabalin interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb) and Pregabalin Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb)
Steady interest

#776 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Pregabalin
Top 5%

#48 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Supplement

About Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb)

What is Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb)?

  • Narcolepsy (cataplexy and excessive daytime sleepiness)
  • Sleep aid
  • Misused as a recreational 'party drug'
  • Bodybuilding/muscle building (unproven)
  • Alcohol withdrawal (in some countries)

GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate) is a powerful central nervous system depressant that is NOT a safe dietary supplement. In the U.S. it is a controlled substance, and only a tightly regulated prescription form (sodium oxybate) is legal for narcolepsy. Non-prescription GHB can cause coma, breathing failure, and death, and it is also a known 'date-rape' drug — it should not be taken outside of medical supervision.

Read the full Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb) monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Pregabalin

What Is Pregabalin Used For?

Brand names: Lyrica, Lyrica CR

Pregabalin is used to manage several types of nerve pain, including neuropathic pain from diabetic peripheral neuropathy (nerve damage caused by diabetes) and postherpetic neuralgia (lingering nerve pain after shingles). It is also used to treat fibromyalgia and neuropathic pain associated with spinal cord injury.

Lyrica (capsule and oral solution), pregabalin capsules, and pregabalin oral solution are also approved as add-on therapy for partial-onset seizures — Lyrica for patients 1 month and older, and pregabalin capsules for patients 17 years and older. Lyrica CR and pregabalin extended-release tablets are approved only for diabetic peripheral neuropathy pain and postherpetic neuralgia — their effectiveness for fibromyalgia or as seizure add-on therapy has not been established.

See full Pregabalin drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb)

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb) — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

248Major
21Moderate
5Minor
2,555No known interaction
248 Major 21 Moderate 5 Minor 2,555 No interaction
Major

248 interactions

Showing 60 of 248 major interactions — see all 248 on the Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb) page.

Moderate

21 interactions

Minor

5 interactions

No interaction 2,555 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb) against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,555 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb) list.

See the full Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb) interactions page
See every supplement checked against Pregabalin, ranked by severity
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

Keep exploring
Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb) monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Pregabalin supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Pregabalin, ranked by severity Pregabalin drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication Supplement interaction checker › Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z › Every drug we've checked against herbs & supplements Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb) and Pregabalin Together: Common Questions

Can you take Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb) with Pregabalin?
This is rated a major interaction, so the combination is best avoided unless your doctor or pharmacist has specifically told you otherwise. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb) and Pregabalin interaction?
We rate it Major. This is a clinically significant combination that is generally best avoided, or used only under the direct supervision of your physician or pharmacist.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Pregabalin and Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb)?

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.