Barbiturate and gabapentinoid objective similarity?

[honeywhite]

For the past few months, I've been experimenting with drugs - and I do mean experimenting, as in hypothesis, method, observations, conclusion. In particular, having (legal) access to pregabalin and the two barbiturates phenobarbitone and pentobarbitone, I have been struck by an absolutely remarkable similarity between the three. In fact, I have noticed that pregabalin (Lyrica) is most similar in subjective effect to the barbiturate class of agents, as opposed to other depressants like Z-drugs and benzodiazepines. I've replicated this on others as well - in general, we've found that 100mg phenobarbitone is roughly equivalent to 300mg pregabalin, with a few differences. The first is that pregabalin GREATLY increases the desire to touch - furs, carpets, anything textured - as well as, curiously, the sex drive. The second is that pregabalin has a noticeably increased duration of onset - two hours, compared to fifteen or twenty minutes for even phenobarbitone.

Is there any pharmacological explanation for the similarities, as to why pregabalin would be closer to pheno than to, say, Dalmane?

 

[Xorkoth]

I've never had any barbiturates, but I have had pregabalin and gabapentin, and I find them remarkably like GHB (pregabalin particularly), and pretty much nothing like benzdiazepines/thienodiazepines. All of the gabapentinoids and GABA-B agonists increase my sex drive and performance substantially, unlike other depressants.

 

[ChemicallyEnhanced]

I find I can function better on Phenobarbitone (Phenobarbital) wheras with Pregabalin if I take 300mg I literally fall all over the place as if extremely drunk. I prefer barbiturates but I can definitely see where you're coming from with the similarities.