Man declares he is now attracted to men after taking painkillers

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A man prescribed painkillers to treat an injury says his sexuality has changed since taking them.

Scott Purdy, 23, dumped his girlfriend of six months after taking Pregabalin and realising he was attracted to men.

He says the drug, which is also known as Lyrica, was given to him after he broke his foot in a go-karting accident earlier this year, reports the Nottingham Post.

Scott said being on the drug had made him more "open and not bothered what people think or say".

The company which manufactures the medicine has said it is "an important and effective treatment option for many people living with chronic neuropathic pain, generalised anxiety disorder and epilepsy", and that the clinical effectiveness of this medicine had been demonstrated.

Scott, who is unemployed and currently lives with his housemate in Louth, Lincolnshire, said: “I noticed my libido for women had gone and I was wanting male attention.

“I was with a girlfriend I had been with for around six months. I had never been interested in men. When I was younger I was a little bit curious but…"

Scott added: “I’m very happy. I want to keep on taking it because it makes me feel happy about my sexuality. It’s made me feel very open. It’s liberating.

“Pregabalin is also used to control paranoia and anxiety. It’s made me so open and not bothered what people think or say.

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“I had been taking it for a few weeks and I came to the realisation that when I took it, I wanted males.

“It did come as a shock to people. I posted it on Facebook. I didn’t tell them the reason why but I just said to them, ‘I’m open; I’m gay.' "

Scott had been taking Codeine until January this year, but had been experiencing negative side-effects, so his GP prescribed him Pregabalin.

He added: “I’m not angry, because it’s made me who I am."

Lyrica is manufactured by Pfizer, the pharmaceutical giant which also makes Viagra used to treat sexual dysfunction in both men and women.

A spokesman for Pfizer said: "When prescribed and administered appropriately as per the approved label, Lyrica (pregabalin) is an important and effective treatment option for many people living with chronic neuropathic pain, generalised anxiety disorder and epilepsy.

"The clinical effectiveness of this medicine has been demonstrated in a large number of robust clinical trials among thousands of patients living with these conditions. To date, the worldwide exposure to pregabalin is an estimated 34 million patient years.

"If you are taking a medicine and experience any unexpected side effects, we recommend that you immediately report these to your doctor or to another healthcare professional, such as a nurse or carer. The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) can also be contacted through its Yellow Card reporting system."

"Patient safety is, and will always be, Pfizer’s utmost priority. We work with regulatory authorities around the world to continuously evaluate and monitor safety for each and every Pfizer medicine through ongoing clinical research, analysis and surveillance."