Gabapentin for Bipolar Disorder User Reviews (Page 4)

• tklim
• Taken for 10 years or more
• August 2, 2019

"Just need to express this observation. The info provided by FDA, for almost everything, is a mile long. Including so many adverse effects, some even duplicated, I can't discern the real issues to be watchful. At any rate, Gabapentin has been helpful to me for many symptoms, from mood stabilizer, chronic pain, & essential tremors. The dosage varied, however, I never experienced any concerns due to adverse effects. A positive response, and cross symptomatic issues. Has been helpful for all aforementioned issues, with Little to no adverse issues."

• Jillyy
• November 22, 2014

"I found it to be helpful but at a pretty high dose and I wouldn't call it a cure all but it really has helped with me. I am someone that doesn't handle and respond to typical antipsychotics and certainly not good on anti-depressants. I am mixed state right now because the doctor reduced my meds by 600 mg without a reason. It drove me to all kinds of emotions."

• Krisi...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 12, 2017

"I have been taking this medication for a while. I have found that my body has been getting used to this medication the whole time. I have had bad side effects. However, now I don't seem to have any side effects. My doctor mentioned the max dose a day is 3600mg. Taking lower doses helps but it does not help the way 3600mg helps. It is my first day on 3600 and I feel good. The gabapentin is working well. Hopefully this dose stays the same in terms of effect and i can live the rest of my life on this dose, because right now i feel i can maintain relationships, go to school, and take care of what i need to take care of. Good luck with gabapentin."

• Anony...
• October 22, 2023

"I had no side effects, but started slowly and never went past 300mg, 3 times a day. It's calming on me, but that's about all - no great, miraculous cure! Still, I've kept it, with a minimum of Lamictal and minimum of Klonopin, because it's a mood stabilizer. Name another one without side effects! It gives a good, sound sleep and I've had NO mania, but I've now got a terrible case of clear Bipolar 1. I am delicate due to old age though. Whoever you are, whatever your states, I advise you to take it easy - start with lower than the lowest, initial doses of everything. If everyone did that, there would be very few negative reviews on here. And if you're staring in a miserable cliche, don't blame what... Well, I'd rather not think about it!"

• Kippey
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 22, 2020

"By far not everyone’s experience but my brush with gabapentin was scary. I was only prescribed 300 mg per day. The first day I took it I felt sedated. Second day is when I experienced my first intrusive suicidal thoughts. This scared me but I continued to take it as prescribed, thinking that with all the positive reviews here things would surely get better. The third day was spent daydreaming about my suicide. Fourth day had me thinking about death. By the fifth day these effects subsided along with any anti-anxiety effects the medication had on me. This is a black box warning for this drug, by the way."

• driving...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 21, 2014

"Psychiatric nurse decided to change antidepressant (trazodone). Caused psychotic episode. Hospitalized and psychiatrist decided not to put me back on antidepressant (Lexapro) that I was taking before trazodone. Bad move. They put me on gabapentin for several months. Angry most of the time. Irritable. Unhappy. Finally getting off gabapentin. Didn't help mood (made it worse), didn't help anxiety (I had to take more Ativan). The use of gabapentin was off label and a very bad idea. "

• Gone...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 22, 2017

"Took this drug for 6 months. It did nothing for my mood, but it added inches to my waistline. Worse, it made me scatterbrained as hell, kinda in a sneaky way as I slowly titrated, so that I didn't realize how bad it had affected my brain till I was off it, & suddenly I wasn't a super ditz anymore."

• Joeyyy
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 29, 2016

"Gabapentin (Neurontin) made me sleepy, helped only a tad bit eith my anxiety, and did nothing to help with my mood swings. I might as well have taken a sugar pill as a mood stabilizer. When I stopped gabapentin, I threw up/was nauseous, dizzy, had chills, could not sleep,vand my whole body was in pain for WEEKS- And I even tappered off it, not cold turkey. Dtay away from this evil stuff."

• elf_1...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 3, 2017

"A lot of people seem to really like neurontin for bipolar disorder. My experience unfortunately was not that great. I took it as an add-on to lamictal after I had a couple manic outbursts from taking lamictal alone. Gabapentin initially helped with anxiety symptoms (mental + physical) and really helped calm me down, help me sleep, etc. However, it dragged me back down to severe depression. I couldn't feel good about anything on it. Even when my doctor and I experimented with different dosages for lamictal and gabapentin, I couldn't find a good balance. Mostly I just experienced depression. I'm being taken off gabapentin soon. I really wanted this medication to work, but the benefits did not make up for the negatives."

• Rubanda
• May 30, 2016

"I started the once daily Gabapentin last week and am now on 1200 mg/day. I was taking it for back pain and later realized it is also used for bipolar and anxiety problems, which I also suffer from. I don't feel much of a difference mentally, but I feel drugged during the day. It feels like I took a sleeping pill and am walking around doing my work trying to keep my eyes open. I am not sure whether this is connected to the drug or it just happened for another reason. In fact, this drugged feeling happened to me twice before I took the drug, but now it happens everyday. Not sure what's going on."

• kimmu...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 8, 2015

"Gabapentin, I take for my bipolar depression and anxiety. The med lifted my deep depression and my anxiety vanished. I could functional at a normal level in society again, my concentration probs were helped greatly ! However, despite the great results, the med caused horrific hot flashes and profuse sweating and I had a full hysterectomy in 2004, which I had menopausal hot flashes/profuse sweating, then they vanished until I took Gabapentin !! Med is great 4 bipolar symptoms & anxiety, clarity of the mind, but, beware !! May cause debilitating and very miserable times of constant hot flashes and profuse sweating, day & night, followed by moments of freezing ! Hot & cold from one minute 2 the next, all day & all night."

• jacka...
• July 7, 2010

"Used since 1996 for bipolar disorder (available only as Neurontin then). Seemed immediately effective. Now taking minimal (300 mg) dosage daily. Not aware of any side effects, except it may help my sleep a bit."

• TETRO
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 5, 2022

"Gabapentin has made my life liveable and manageable. When I first started taking it almost a year ago, the only side effect I had was I was extremely tired, and pushed through for 3 days. After those 3 days, I had no side effects, at all. I no longer have symptoms of Mania and Depression that are unmanageable. Whenever I do feel some very mild depression come on, I can combat it and care for it with the appropriate coping skills, thanks to gabapentin (and therapy). Now I am functioning on a level I never thought possible of myself. Gabapentin has made me able to LIVE life and not just feel like I am existing."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 8, 2012

"I want to ask if gabapentin works in small doses. I take 300 mg 2 times, but I feel for 4 hours pushed down, but I can do my homework. I take also as stabilizer Depakote 2000 mg, but I'm not stable only with Depakote, so my doctor told me to try gabapentin."

• Tjmzz
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 23, 2015

"Worked for the first 3 months I took it. Went up gradually to 400mg 3x a day. After this time was up was when I was increased due to the mood swings becoming a lot worse. If only it worked for longer!!"

• AH333
• November 2, 2015

"An absolutely horrific drug for treating Bipolar 2. I was prescribed 100 mg/day to start and upon waking, after the first night that I took it, I knew immediately something was wrong. I felt utterly drugged. I was off-balance and in an aggitated haze. My thoughts were muddled and I had most intensely "down" day I had had in months. It was a really bad day trying to just make it through. I called my dr and she said to stop taking it immediately. No good. I would stay far far away from this off-label drug."

• HLC
• June 26, 2015

"I just started 400 mg a day its only day two but my first night sleep was amazing the deepest sleep I've ever had woke up groggy and not feeling up to much but I got better thru the day and now I've read comments saying other people felt loopy and groggy first couple weeks so I hope it dose even out"

• Anony...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 9, 2023

"I'm old, have bipolar I but not horrendously, and started to have drug intolerances, including to Sertraline 50mg., Hydroxyzine and old antihistamines, all of which are calming, and maybe to 250mg divalproex sodium. Lithium didn't suit me, but I used to be all right with just 50 of sertraline and 250 mg of Dapakan. No more! I'm trying Lamotrigine 50 with Gabapentin 300×3/day...as of three weeks. I sleep too well, but don't mind, have no more nightmares until gabapentin wears off, but I'm still agitated, no mania. Nothing so far has gotten rid of a half-my-life, persistent, low level depression. I do not want to do a thing, can nage, but have stayed lying down half of the time for 30 years. Nothing helps so far. I never have side effects from anything; and I think most people would have very few if they started with half or less of the initial dose. These disorders we have cause violent bad effects, or miraculous help...soon! I stopped Seroquel after a few hours of being angry."

• Mcdr
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 2, 2017

"I take two 300mg capsules before sleep. So effective at helping uninterrupted anxiety free and healthy sleep I was able to stop taking my nighttime dose of lorazepam. 600mg 2 hours before bed takes about 2 hours to make me adequately sleepy. 900mg left me unable to get up in the morning for work although this might change in time. Amazing drug!"

• Bochris
• September 27, 2017

"I have taken 100mg twice daily for a few years for bipolar, nerve pain and fibromyalgia. I find I am still in great need of a mood stabilizer, but it does help with the pain. I don't do well with medications and if I try to increase the gabapentin I get too sleepy."

• shosh...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 13, 2016

"Bipolar disorder successfully treated with gabapentin for 4 years -900mg daily.Then in Dec 2015, I had general anesthetic for broken leg operation. Then 6 weeks later, fell into deep depression with uncontrollable crying. Convinced this is result of anesthetic. Can anything reverse this state?"

• Anonymous
• July 14, 2021

"Gabapentin is the best medication I’ve ever tried, I’m 48, bipolar and recovering opiate addict. My doctor put me on 300mg - 3 times a day for acute withdrawal from the opiates that I had been taking for 17 years, and a oxy addiction. It really did help instantly for me, I was sweating . Vomiting and cramps for like 6 months, working full time was a nightmare, I seriously was close to living on the edge, I had lost 36 pounds, everyone was shocked when they saw me, my dad cried so many times. Anywho, everyone has a story right. Please do yourself a favour, get on Gabapentin, I’m on 600mg 3 times a day now, off opiates yay!!! One thing I must tell you in conclusion, once on Gabapentin, never ever, miss a dose...I went on a trip and forgot to bring it, I ended up in the hospital with what I thought was a heart attack, besides that it’s freakin amazing trust me, try it.....the feeling on it is so calming too."

• Sarah
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 19, 2022

"Gabapentin has been a live saver for me, truly. I suffer from chronic lower back pain caused by degenerative disk disease, sciatica, and herniated disks. I couldn’t walk for a week because my back hurt so much and nothing was working at all. I finally was able to get gabapentin and within hours I was a brand new person. Walking just fine now. I don’t want to live without it. It also has helped with my mood and anxiety! 10/10 recommend!"

• Alley...
• July 11, 2022

"I have been experiencing debilitating anxiety as part of a bipolar 2 depressive episode. Nothing was cutting the anxiety in spite of increasing lithium and seroquel and clonazapam. My psychiatrist recently prescribed gabapentin (300 mg at night). Within a few days my anxiety completely disappeared. Unbelievable. So thankful that we tried this medication."

• Amy...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 14, 2021

"This medicine has helped me with my Neuropathy. My Alcohol cravings, my anxiety , mood swings, sleep. I had been on resperidol, remron, zoloft, prozac, xanax, valiume, klonopin wafers, and may more this combined with Cymbalta 30mgs 1 morning 2 night, Welbutrin 300mg 1 morning and Gabapentin 600mg 3 x daily with counseling and my psychatrist has changed my life. I am 39 and been taking meds since I was 15. Finally something works I almost gave up but I am glad I didn't. Greatfulllll Lady,"