Scott Purdy was go-karting when he had an accident that left him with a broken foot. To contain the pain, his doctor prescribed pregabalin, a medication known under the brand name Lyrica.
According to the Mirror , the 23-year-old noticed some big changes in him just after a few weeks of using the medication. He said that his sexual appetite for women dramatically declined, and he started to crave for men’s attention instead.
“I noticed my libido for women had gone and I was wanting male attention,” he shared.
Eventually, he broke up with his girlfriend since he did not find her attractive anymore. They had been together for six months, and he quickly shifted his focus to finding a male partner.
Scott Purdy began to identify himself as homosexual, and as strange as it may sound, he blamed the painkillers for making him gay in a short span of time.
When it became clear that his sexual preference had changed, Scott explained that he was surprised as well because, prior to using pregabalin, he was straight and never had an interest in men. Moreover, before breaking up, he confessed to his girlfriend that he could not figure out what was happening to him.
Now, due to his experience, Scott is warning people who might be prescribed the pregabalin drug in the future.
“If anyone gets prescribed this in the future, I think they should know what this medication can do,” he said.
Painkiller pills turned me gay says man who ditched his girlfriend after injury https://t.co/259udRZQ7E pic.twitter.com/jihPXQZW1M
— The Mirror (@DailyMirror) April 16, 2018
Scott is convinced that the painkiller changed him because he once tried to stop taking it and his desire for men vanished as well. However, he realized that he does not want to go back to his old self, so he continued taking the drug. He explained that he wants to keep taking pregabalin because he felt liberated and it makes him feel happy about his sexuality.
In any case, as stated in the Daily Mail , Lyrica is a product of the giant pharmaceutical company Pfizer. The same firm also manufactures Viagra, a pill for treating men’s sexual dysfunction.
Commenting on the unusual issue involving Lyrica, a Pfizer representative noted that when properly prescribed and used according to the label, pregabalin is an effective treatment for patients suffering from chronic nerve pain, epilepsy, and anxiety disorder.
Straight man claiming ‘painkillers turned him gay’ called out by Dr Ranj #ThisMorning https://t.co/MTcljhZAyG pic.twitter.com/ld24bSgN7a
— Mirror TV (@MirrorTV) April 18, 2018
Can Pregabalin Really Turned A Man To Gay?
Contrary to Scott’s claims, Dr. Lawrence Wilson, a doctor from Centro De Estudios Universitarios Xochicalco, stated that Lyrica can actually “kill homosexual desires.” In a post that appeared on his webpage, he said that he did not know why some people had a reaction like that of Scott’s but admits that perhaps “it can happen.”
Meanwhile, the LGBT group contradicted Scott Purdy’s claims that he transformed from straight to gay due to the use of pregabalin. Rosella Nicosia, a mental health officer at LGBT Foundation, slammed the 23-year-old for saying that the painkillers can alter one’s sexual orientation. She said that such careless assertion can be hurtful to individuals who are having a difficult time accepting their gender.
Dr. Mike Berry, a consultant clinical psychologist, also told Indy100 that Scott may have had his sexuality issues resolved due to the drug. He is now more comfortable being gay because of Lyrica’s soothing effects for anxiety that made him more relaxed and open about his gender.
However, the doctor pointed out that he should not use pregabalin as an explanation for his transformation. Besides, his homosexuality may have been just dormant until now and the drug helped him accept his real self.
‘I never had any desires for men, I didn’t look at men as if ‘I really want you’ before’, says Scott Purdy. So can painkillers turn you gay? @DrRanj says ‘I’m going to say no. But think it’s great that Scott is happy’ https://t.co/3ND82ClE5Y
— This Morning (@thismorning) April 18, 2018