Heterosexual Man Says He's Gay After Taking Prescription Drug

An English man who described himself as once being heterosexual claimed that a prescription drug he took has made him attracted to men.

Scott Purdy of Louth, Lincolnshire, suggested that a painkiller called Pregabalin, also known as Lyrica, has caused him to stop being interested in women.

Purdy, 23, broke his foot during a go-kart accident last year and started taking the pain reducer in January. Shortly after, he said he noticed his attraction to men, Daily Express reported Monday.

"I noticed my libido for women had gone and I was wanting male attention," he told the publication. "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 a couple of weeks after I started taking it I turned around and said I didn't find her physically attractive anymore. She knew I was taking Pregabalin.

"It did come as a shock to people. I posted it on Facebook, I just said, 'I'm open, I'm gay."

According to the Metro, Purdy had been taking Codeine until January when he started to feel uncomfortable side effects from the drug, which resulted in his doctor prescribing Pregabalin.

The painkiller that Purdy said he took is used to treat epilepsy and anxiety disorders. It has side effects including lower libido and mood swings.

Purdy said that people "should know" about the drug and that "if anyone gets prescribed this in the future, they should know what this medication can do."

However, he added that he wished to continue taking the pills because it makes him "feel happy" about his sexuality.

The drug, which is manufactured by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, also makes and distributes Viagra, an erectile dysfunction drug.

"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," the company said in a statement.

Pfizer develops medicines for diseases, disorders and allergies.

In January, the company announced ​that it would end its research on Alzheimer's disease and Parkinsonism, (a symptom of Parkinson's disease), resulting in the loss of approximately 300 jobs within the research sector.