Generic Name: Gabapentin for Bipolar Disorder (gabapentin)
Gabapentin for Bipolar Disorder Reviews
"Gabapentin saved my life. I have suffered from bipolar disorder and PTSD for the past 7 years. The anxiety, severe depression and PTSD were ruling my life. I lost all my friends, couldn't hold a job or relationship. I lived alone, moving from place to place searching for what I lost or didn't have as far as normality and balance in my body, mind, and soul. The constant hurricane of thoughts in my head, good or bad, caused an inhibition of social ability, so I could never be comfortable in any given social situation. After struggling for so long while taking just about every medication out there, I went med free for a while. The last episode I had made me lose just about everything I worked for to build myself back up. I became worried and desperate, so I saw a doctor. After taking this, it all stopped. I can sleep, eat, I am stable and motivated. It has been so long since I have been happy. This medication is a miracle for me, I hope it is further prescribed to more suffering from mental illnesses."
"After 31 years of being treated for depression with a panic disorder, and constantly complaining that the diagnosis was wrong, I found a doctor that figured it out. She diagnosed me with Cyclothymia (a form of bipolar disorder). She took me off of SSRIs and started me on Gabapentin. WOW. I feel like a normal person (I think). I'm calm. So far no panic attacks. The fog has lifted. I feel like I'm actually in the room. It's too bad that it took 31 years of my life for the medical community to figure it out, but better late than never."
"I am someone who is dealing with bipolar II, social anxiety, and quite a lot of depression periods. I have been prescribed lamotrigine, but I cannot really feel the difference. And I have been using gabapentin when my anxiety is really bad, and it really helps me. No more anxiety, much more energy, and happiness. Best drug ever."
"I have BPD, and it was a really rough start. My doctor had me on 27 different prescriptions in one year, and I was a total train wreck. Switched doctors, and that one gave me a very high dose of benzos, and it almost killed me. Spent time in the ICU for that one. Finally got the most amazing doctor now and he started me on gabapentin. It honestly saved my life. It is so hard to survive this illness when you can't get it under control. I had forgotten what it was like to be myself. I was angry and pissed off at everyone. It was so very hard on my husband and four little boys. I started with 300mg three times a day. The difference was amazing. I could smile and laugh. Thank you gabapentin for bringing me back!"
"It's changed my life. I can finally function with bipolar. I'm sleeping, calm, productive, and I am not indecisive about everything every day. I'm not drowsy, and I can get up on time for work. I'm 45- it's been a 20-year struggle without it."
"In my opinion, gabapentin has been a lifesaver. Conventional drugs for bipolar never have worked well for me. I have bipolar 1, OCD, GAD, PTSD, and a picking disorder. With my bipolar, I have mixed mania and rapid cycling. Since taking gabapentin, my family has noticed a 100% improvement. I am more patient, less irritable... just more in control overall."
"I have bipolar schizoaffective disorder and have been struggling with depression and not wanting to live for 2 years from a divorce. An antidepressant was finally given to me and life became okay again. But I was still having occasional suicidal thoughts 2 to 3 times a week. When 300mg of Gabapentin a day was added, the suicidal thoughts stopped. I can't even entertain that kind of thinking if I try. I finally feel normal!"
"I am 25. I have been taking gabapentin since I was 17. I must say that I can't live without it. It makes me feel 'my normal'. Anyway, it calms my nerves - but not like a valium ... it makes me feel really good. I feel like I can do and achieve just about anything! I wouldn't want to be without it. I am prescribed 800 mg gabapentin. I take 1600 mg when I get up in the morning. Gabapentin changed me... personally... for the better. I love my medicine!"
"I have the most intractable, severe, manic depressive major depression I have ever seen. I'm not much of an exaggerator — it is THAT bad. No psychosis, no mania, no dual diagnosis, just manic depressive major depression, severe, protracted. Complicated by equally severe, unfortunately earned, PTSD. I am meds-resistant to ALL other mood stabilizers & antidepressants. I have TRIED ALL of them. I have always had issues with medications not working, but psychotropics are the WORST. I would write more, but there isn't enough space. I also have tic douloureux, lucky me. For this, I was given Neurontin. My side effect? I was brought nearly back to life. I have no words for the depth of my gratitude."
"I was given gabapentin in addition to my Lamictal. On the two medicines, I have developed a little obsessive-compulsive disorder. I like having three ink pens to work, like things positioned on shelves in a certain way. After that being said, my rapid cycling bipolar is under control. Gabapentin doesn't help joint pain or any other pains I seem to have. I take 400 mg 3x a day. I like it, all the side effects are worth it in my opinion. I have never felt better in my life! I work out every day just about and eat healthy. The time I started gabapentin, I have energy. I have lost 25 lbs and have been doing this life change for 6 months. Please try it! And if you are bipolar, try the combination."
"I have fibromyalgia, bipolar disorder, lumbar spinal issues, sciatica pain, anxiety disorder, and neurological pain. I have been on a low dose and always complained it made me sleepy and took 60mg of oxycodone a day. I now take 3400mg of gabapentin per day, Lexapro, and Seroquel. Cannot stress enough how awesome gabapentin is. It helps most of my health problems. It is a miracle pill that I ignored for a long time. I do feel a bit floaty and giggly. But I am also able to live my life again!"
"Gabapentin has saved my life! Like everyone else, I was experiencing a lot of anxiety & wanted something non-habit-forming and non-addictive. This makes me feel calm about an hour after taking. No more anxious thoughts & irritation. Wonderful medication, I can't stress that enough!"
"For a long time, I have believed that I was bipolar but never took medicine for it. A couple of years ago, I started taking gabapentin for a herniated disk. I immediately noticed a feel-good feeling. That is now the main reason I continue to take it. People are warned to not stop taking this abruptly. THEY MEAN IT! I recently had surgery to remove my fibroids, and I stopped taking gabapentin due to all the other medicines I was having to take. Shortly after stopping abruptly, my husband said something to me I didn't like that hurt my feelings, and I THREW A PLATE OF FOOD AT HIM! I have never in my life done this. Afterwards, I found out that anxiety is also a symptom of abruptly stopping meds. Make sure to wean off slowly."
"I was on every type of class of bipolar medications and the side effects were worse than the condition. I have been taking gabapentin at night for a year now and I love it. It does not make me fuzzy or groggy the next day and my moods are manageable most of the time. In the long term, I prefer gabapentin."
"I struggled all my life with major depression and hypomania. I have had diagnoses everywhere from ADD, Major Depressive Disorder, General Anxiety Disorder, and PTSD (I am a cancer survivor). FINALLY, a highly experienced state psychiatrist properly identified me as non-specific bipolar with rapid cycling. Over a ten-year prior period, I had tried Zoloft, Lexapro, Zyprexa, Ritalin, all the benzos, several antipsychotics, and many illegal substances, to no avail. When I finally met the doctor who diagnosed my bipolar disorder, he prescribed gabapentin as a mood stabilizer, as well as a sleeping aid (Ambien), and Zoloft (the only antidepressant that ever worked for me). I have been on this regimen for almost 3 years now and I fully believe it has saved my life!"
"After numerous trials over the past 15 years, I've yet to find anything that had such a profound effect so quickly. I've been taking Effexor and 3 Ativan per day to control extreme anxiety and depression. While it worked for some time, I recently started rapid cycling bipolar episodes. Now, I'm taking a small dose of Lithium and just added Gabapentin... the lift was immediate after the first dose... woke up feeling good for the first time in a long time. Today was the same. If this continues, I've found the wonder cure."
"I have bipolar disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. I was prescribed gabapentin for my anxiety after my doctor realized that I had an addiction to Ativan. No amount of Ativan could help my anxiety. I wasn't sleeping, could barely function, and was calling into work sick very often. The first night I took gabapentin, I finally slept through the night and I made it through an entire week of work without calling in sick. My anxiety hasn't completely vanished, but gabapentin has been such a lifesaver. I'm currently on 200mg three times a day (sometimes I take an extra 100mg if it's a bad day). I highly recommend it."
"I have bipolar disorder, chronic depression, and anxiety, and gabapentin has helped tremendously without the use of other narcotic medicines. Yeah, it makes you feel a little loopy for the first few weeks, but after that, it does a wonderful job calming the nerves. One day, I decided to go off it, and the next day, I had insane mood swings until I started it back up 2 days later, and then it was like night and day. So that's how I know this stuff works. While I was off it, I threw my back out, and after going back on it, my back pain was virtually gone. Killed two birds with one stone. It does make my face more oily than normal, along with minor fatigue and added hunger, but other than that, I love it."
"I have had various treatments for bipolar over the last 7 years but was unhappy with weight gain. I was put on gabapentin for my sciatic nerve pain and soon realized my low moods had lifted, enabling me to have a better quality of life. Six months ago, I was able to stay off my other meds for bipolar and just take the gabapentin."
"I've been taking gabapentin for 12 years. I used to have feelings of major irritation and maybe a little paranoia. An example of something that used to happen before I took these was I would be at work, flipping out thinking my mom and my boyfriend (at that time he was painting my parents' house) were messing around. Which would NEVER EVER happen. Not only was our son there but so was my father, lol. They also kind of disliked him. Point is when I started the gabapentin, I laughed at the thought so hard cause it was so ridiculous, I still laugh at the foolishness of it. So I take them every 5 hours, and if I had forgotten them, my mom or my friend would notice because I would be so irritable. They would be scared to remind me."
"I have a diagnosis of Bipolar 1 spectrum that has been classified as treatment-resistant as no meds have allowed for me to have much success without dire side effects or polarizing symptoms. I was put on 100mg, 3 times a day. After 4 years of major rapid cycling mood symptoms, Gabapentin worked immediately with no side effects. It's so strange to wake up feeling great and to go to sleep at night feeling great. I even have made many new friends and had several job offers since I started this miracle drug. No depression or mania for 2 weeks. So incredibly grateful."
"I have had chronic cluster headaches for years and generalized anxiety disorder, panic attacks. I was diagnosed about a year and a half ago with Bipolar 2. Neurontin was given to me for nerve pain, which it didn't help. But for anxiety, panic, living with a feeling of constant uneasiness and dread, it is LIFE-CHANGING for me. I no longer have to live in that horror. It honestly was a horror. So this is what living feels like! I am unable to express my gratitude to the doctor who prescribed this to me. Absolutely LIFE-CHANGING. If you suffer from any of the aforementioned conditions, it's worth trying. It works within 25 minutes of taking it. There's no prolonged waiting period. I take 800mg 3 times a day."
"I have been using this medication for quite some time. 300mg 3 times a day. It almost completely erases irritability without hindering my ability to think clearly. In fact, it helps my concentration considerably. I am able to focus on the task at hand without freaking out about why things aren't working right."
"I love gabapentin! I take 600 - 1200 mg a day and I am happy again. I was on other medicines plus Celexa for depression but still had horrible anxiety and crazy mood swings. I now take my gabapentin and 100 mg of Seroquel and I have no anxiety and I feel better overall. I am not really sleepy either."
"I have been on gabapentin 600mg three times a day for a while for my fibromyalgia, and it works great for that. My psychiatrist just increased it to 800mg three times a day for my bipolar depression and anxiety, and it is really helping with that too. I noticed the first day on 800mg that I felt calmer and happier. I am happy."
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