{"id":408970,"date":"2026-01-12T20:56:09","date_gmt":"2026-01-12T20:56:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/408970\/"},"modified":"2026-01-12T20:56:09","modified_gmt":"2026-01-12T20:56:09","slug":"painkillers-prescribed-to-millions-of-britons-hit-with-new-warning-over-side-effects","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/408970\/","title":{"rendered":"Painkillers prescribed to millions of Britons hit with new warning over side effects"},"content":{"rendered":"

Britons are being told that medicine regulators will introduce stronger addiction warnings on a range of commonly prescribed drugs used for pain relief, anxiety, and sleep disorders.<\/p>\n

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency took the decision following a comprehensive safety review of gabapentinoids, benzodiazepines, and z-drugs.<\/p>\n

Medications including gabapentin and pregabalin will now carry labels stating they “may cause addiction, dependence, and withdrawal reactions”.<\/p>\n

It comes after NHS data from 2022\/2023 revealed that roughly 4.5 million patients across England received gabapentinoid prescriptions during that twelve-month period.<\/p>\n

\"Gabapentinoids\"\/<\/p>\n

Gabapentinoids are primarily used to treat nerve pain and epilepsy,<\/p>\n

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Updated patient information leaflets will feature clearer explanations distinguishing between dependence and addiction. <\/p>\n

The revised documentation will also provide improved instructions on how to gradually reduce dosages and discontinue use safely.<\/p>\n

Healthcare authorities want the changes to prompt more dialogue between those taking the medications and their doctors or pharmacists throughout treatment.<\/p>\n

The Commission on Human Medicines recommended additional safety measures beyond the labelling updates. These include explicit warnings against combining the drugs with opioids or alcohol.<\/p>\n

Patients are also being advised not to share their prescribed medication with others, reflecting concerns about misuse and the potential for dependency to develop.<\/p>\n

Gabapentinoids such as gabapentin and pregabalin primarily treat nerve pain and epilepsy, though doctors sometimes prescribe them for other conditions not listed on the label.<\/p>\n

These medications work by affecting GABA neurotransmitters in the brain, producing pain relief, reduced anxiety, and sedative effects.<\/p>\n

Benzodiazepines tackle severe anxiety and insomnia, typically as short-term solutions lasting two to four weeks.<\/p>\n

Diazepam remains the most widely used benzodiazepine in the UK, while lorazepam and temazepam are often administered before surgical procedures.<\/p>\n

Z-drugs represent a separate class of non-benzodiazepine sleeping medications for severe insomnia.<\/p>\n

The NHS currently prescribes zopiclone and zolpidem from this category.<\/p>\n

Dr Alison Cave, the MHRA’s Chief Safety Officer, stressed that dependency can affect anyone taking these medications, even when following prescribed instructions.<\/p>\n

“Addiction and dependency can happen to anyone taking these medicines, even when used as directed,” she said. <\/p>\n

“That’s why we are strengthening warnings so patients and healthcare professionals can better understand the risks.”<\/p>\n

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Users will receive instructions on how to gradually reduce dosages<\/p>\n

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She stressed that the drugs remain beneficial treatments for many patients who need proper information to use them safely.<\/p>\n

Dr Cave urged anyone with concerns about their medication or side effects to consult a healthcare professional.<\/p>\n

Crucially, she warned patients against stopping their medication without medical guidance, as doing so could trigger withdrawal symptoms.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Britons are being told that medicine regulators will introduce stronger addiction warnings on a range of commonly prescribed…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":408971,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[64,63,137,490,44,13296],"class_list":{"0":"post-408970","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-medication","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-health","11":"tag-medication","12":"tag-news","13":"tag-sgg"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/408970","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=408970"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/408970\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/408971"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=408970"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=408970"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=408970"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}