Gabapentin

[braindead]

BRAINDEAD Is still alive, i am still pretty bad but been out hospital 5 weeks now. The mood stabilizer GABAPENTIN i want to no about ?? is anyone on the forum on it and does it work on G
A D :shrug:

[Fishmanpa]

I take it for neuropathy pain in my feet from chemo treatment. I know it's used for nerve pain and to help prevent seizures but I never heard of it used as a mood stabilizer :shrug:

Positive thoughts

[pulisa]

I'm not sure about Gabapentin being a mood stabiliser. Definitely used for neuropathic pain. Is it in the same family of drugs as pregabalin?

[MyNameIsTerry]

It's similar to Pregabalin but much cheaper hence they shifted people onto it to save money.

The guys on the Pregabalin board would be worth asking.

I thought you had tried Preg before?

[braindead]

https://mentalhealthdaily.com/2015/06/22/gabapentin-for-anxiety-disorders-an-off-label-treatment/

[pulisa]

Isn't this a US site though? Have you been prescribed gabapentin?

[KK77]

I've never heard of Gabapentin being used, even off-label, for GAD, or as a mood-stabiliser (like Valproate).

Pregabalin is licensed to treat GAD (in UK), but not for bipolar as a mood stabiliser.

[MyNameIsTerry]

The NHS trusts have papers online requesting patients are moved from Pregabalin to Gabapentin on a cost basis so that scoops up the anxiety sufferers.

There are SSRI's that aren't licenced for GAD but used by GP's most likely because the NHS have made recommendation of them hence it's not really off labelling.

Some on the Preg board have used Gabapentin for anxiety as I've seen threads/posts about it. I've always had the feeling it's cheaper & weaker from what I've read of those who didn't find the changeover worked but that's very anecdotal.

[pulisa]

It's often used first for neuropathy-I got offered it yesterday-but the side effects are quite heavy.
Weren't gabapentin and pregabalin highlighted as being potentially addictive a while back in the media?

[MyNameIsTerry]

Just to add, there is a guy on the Mirt board switching to Preg to be used as a mood stabiliser. Whilst it's not licenced for that there is some stuff on Wiki about it being off labelled for this so I guess it's out there in the ether for the psychiatrists?

I remember because he was told it was a mood stabiliser yet it's really an anti epilepsy drug.

[pulisa]

Worrying, isn't it?!

[MyNameIsTerry]

It's often used first for neuropathy-I got offered it yesterday-but the side effects are quite heavy.
Weren't gabapentin and pregabalin highlighted as being potentially addictive a while back in the media?

Yes, but there is a load of bias in the media about this med too because they tend to talk about how it's illegally used in prisons or by substance misusers. But they take massive doses or mix drugs to achieve that.

They never talk about it's successful use in epilepsy or at all in anxiety.

They don't prescribe it to anyone with a history of substance abuse per guidelines.

Hanshan has been taking it for years without issue.

---------- Post added at 21:21 ---------- Previous post was at 21:19 ----------


Worrying, isn't it?!

Yes, but I feel that way about all these meds to be honest :biggrin: We're all guinea pigs.

[pulisa]

Yes I know. I didn't know that duloxetine was used for neuropathy too. All trial and error. I'm sure the placebo effect comes into it with anxiety. I'm not convinced about any of these meds.

[Fishmanpa]

Yes I know. I didn't know that duloxetine was used for neuropathy too.

Yes... I had discussed this with my GP as an option for Gabapentin and we ultimately decided against it due to side effects and other drug interactions. I currently take 600mg of Gabapentin daily (during treatment I was on 2700mg daily and still was dependent on mucho opioids for pain!) and it does a pretty good job of holding off the "stabbies" as I call them. My feet are basically numb from chemo but I get what literally feels like being stabbed with an ice pick. It literally makes me jump and it the "stabbies" can last 30 seconds or more before they wane.

I did look this up and apparently gabapentin can be helpful (https://www.psycom.net/depression.central.gabapentin.html) for people with mental illnesses but like most drugs that treat mental disorders, it's still trial and error.

Braindead, I can tell you this about it. My Radiation Oncologist at Johns Hopkins is a foremost authority on Gabapentin and his studies are known world wide. He has proven that it helps reduce some of the painful side effects from radiation treatment in Head and Neck cancer patients. While I was ramping up for treatment, he had me start with 300mg 3X a day and eventually bring it up to 900mg 3X a day. During those ramp up periods, it knocked my socks off. I slept like crazy and felt unusually calm. Perhaps that's the therapeutic effect they're talking about. Based on your history, maybe that's the reason they're trying it as it has relatively few side effects compared to many psychotropic meds. I hope it helps you!

Positive thoughts

[MyNameIsTerry]

Yes I know. I didn't know that duloxetine was used for neuropathy too. All trial and error. I'm sure the placebo effect comes into it with anxiety. I'm not convinced about any of these meds.

Yeah, and some form of urinary condition. Depression too.

Completely trial & error with any of these meds.

I am convinced they have an effect, just not that they work. But the old reasoning behind Serotonin deficiency has been debunked anyway and it's more about the stimulation of neurogenesis. However, I question that with anxiety as the focus is always on what these meds were for and neurogenesis declines with age so that might make sense as it does with many other changes as we age.

What I am convinced of is that no doctor in the world can currently predict our experience of these meds. They may give us some positive spin but they would never sign a legal document to that :winks:

[braindead]

i see the shrink next week and was told by the occupational therapist who lives near me that a lot of her patients had been moved onto GABAPENTIN from Lyrica because of cost but have not suffered in any way. But LYRICA did nothing for me so it may seem pointless. Nothing works on my anxiety and my sleep pattern is terrible i am at a loss. maybe ECT a lady in my ward popped out of a massive depression in 5 doses, but a guy who had the same it didnt do a great deal on him and he complained his kneck was cricked and in pain, the nurse would not believe him they think we all are liars,and after more pain meds ,i wish they had to try some of our afflictions and mouth off:mad:

[pulisa]

Maybe finding the right medication may not be the answer to improving the quality of your life, Brian? Have you considered psychotherapy again? I know you were fiercely against it a while back but would it be worth giving it a try?
My daughter is unable to take any meds due to an extreme medical reaction and she has a complex diagnosis. Tomorrow we have a consultation with a specialised psychologist and have to try to persuade the psych that my daughter deserves another shot at therapy.
I would advise you to take any opportunity you can to get psychological therapy-you would not believe how restricted this is in the special needs sector.

[braindead]

Maybe finding the right medication may not be the answer to improving the quality of your life, Brian? Have you considered psychotherapy again? I know you were fiercely against it a while back but would it be worth giving it a try?
My daughter is unable to take any meds due to an extreme medical reaction and she has a complex diagnosis. Tomorrow we have a consultation with a specialised psychologist and have to try to persuade the psych that my daughter deserves another shot at therapy.
I would advise you to take any opportunity you can to get psychological therapy-you would not believe how restricted this is in the special needs sector. I am in the middle of psychotherapy as we speak i took up the free offer:yesyes:

[pulisa]

Good to hear that and I'm glad you changed your mind.

[DustingMyselfOff]

Good timing! I haven't been on this forum in ages but came here today because I was just prescribed Gabapentin yesterday for anxiety. Of course I researched the hell out of it for several days before taking my first dose and tonight will be my second dose of 100 mg. Since I've only taken one so far and since it was pretty close to bedtime I can't say for sure if it helped, but it did seem like my mind was racing more slowly than usual and I was able to focus on just 2 or 3 thoughts at a time instead of the usual 7-10 thoughts. I will take another tonight and doc said if my anxiety kicks in tomorrow morning or afternoon, instead of taking a Tranxene I could try taking another gabapentin to test it out. Since I'll be working from home (thank you snowstorm!) I will do that and let you know.
Sue

[pulisa]

I hope that gabapentin helps you, Sue. Finding a med which works for you must be a huge relief so fingers crossed that you see some improvement and I'm sure your comments will be very helpful for BrainDead if his psych decides to prescribe him gabapentin.