I am have bad anxiety, panic attacks and depression and have tried 3 different SSRIs, all of which made me feel MORE anxious and crazy. My doctor suggested this med. Can anyone tell me the difference in the experience of taking this vs. an SSRI? I am hoping it has an immediate calming affect with no chance of making me feel manic, more anxious, scared or agitated like the SSRIs all tend to do. Any advice/shared experiences very much appreciated! Thank you!
Gabapentin Experience?
Question posted by BostonJS37 on 8 Sep 2014
Last updated on 5 June 2023
11 Answers
I have been taking 300 mg capsules twice a day for about 6 months for generalized anxiety. It took some of the edge off, but it did not totally control it. I am now on escitalopram and clonazepam in addition to the gabapentin. I'm hoping to be able to get off the clonazepam eventually. The gabapentin may work for you too - it's worth a try - but be sure you get 300 mg because lower dosages might not do anything.
It can take as little as a week to start feeling some improvement but for some users it can take more like a month to feel the full effects.
This is a link to gabapentin side effects and you should also read the section on psychiatric side effects
under Professional Info:
https://www.drugs.com/sfx/gabapentin-side-effects.html
These are user reviews on the effectiveness for anxiety disorders:
https://www.drugs.com/comments/gabapentin/for-anxiety.html
I wouldn't count on a lot of help with depression unless it's caused by the anxiety problems.
Noooooo calming effects noted by me it kinda helped with neuropathy in my feet, kinda like a lightning storm in my feet going lightning rod to lightning rod took it for 25 years & then 1 morning woke up & my left leg was all swelled up like a elephants
Gabapentin helps with severe nerve pain from shingles in my legs. It also helps me sleep and stops restless leg syndrome.
BUT: Beware- if you stop taking it you will be throwing up "dope sick" for 3-4 days and it is just unbearable- literally cannot leave the house- severe nausea, diarrhea, cannot eat. It also makes you breathe very shallow at night and you might wake up trying to breathe but your lungs will not move- terrifying!
HOWEVER: For severe neuralgia related to shingles it works well. JUST DON'T RUN OUT! YOU WILL BE REMEMBERING ME WHEN YOU RUN OUT- THROWING UP NONSTOP FOR 3-4 DAYS NO JOKE!
The discontinuation of psychotropic medications should always be done with a tapering dosage schedule supplied by your prescriber. Sometimes over weeks and sometimes even for months depending on how long you've been taking it and at what dosage.
ALWAYS inform your doctor if you decide to stop taking this type of medication.
Do NOT stop abruptly or miss doses. Some people will start having symptoms within hours of a missed dose.
Gabapentin works well for my everyday anxiety, won't stop acute panic though, but have less attacks.
I was only on this drug for one week and developed severe tremors in both arms. Called my doc . and she weined me off.
I can tell you from experience that after my dose reached 900mg a day (doc wanted me up to 3000mg) I started seeing trails from lights and driving was not safe I felt realty angry and had to stop and it did nothing for the condition I have. but on the other hand my daddy-in-law had Parkinsons and it helped with his RLS so he slept a little better.
I take: klonopin - one 1mg in the morning and one in the evening before bedtime. I also take: 1Celexa/day; 1 - 25 mg of Lamictal in the evening; 1 Zoloft in the evening; 3 100 mg of Seroquel for sleep. Plus now I am on the Gabapentin and a cream for my autoimmune disorder - I take 300 mg of Gabapenin twice a day. The only problem with any of my medications is that the Gabapentin makes me dizzy/lose my balance - I have to be very cautious
as to walking through doorways - going down stairs - getting up and sitting
down - if I'm not careful about these side effects I will fall or bang up against
a wall. They say that that will go away after I've been on the medication for
awhile - and I am seeing a decrease of all these balance problems.
The "cocktail" of medications I take is for depression and suicidal thoughts,
which have gone away. I feel fine(except for my arthritis) and for (my arthritis which I have throughout my body. I am 73 years old but don't look it and
even though I have some problems - my "cocktail" of meds. are a Godsend..
I would never take more than i am taking the Gabapentin. It seems to do the
trick.
I would suggest you go to a psychiatrist - they know how medications
work together and those that don't. Some anti-depressants will make you feel wired - get off of them right away, because the feeling will not go away.
I hope that I have been of some help by telling you a bit about my own
problems. Try what I have suggested and good luck to you. God bless.
Trish
Not every drug is suited for everyone which is why there are so many on the market. Adding to that, there are off-label uses for many. What works for me may not work for you and vice versa, which complicates things for doctors. I am taking 1800 mg of gabapentin for nerve pain. My son takes 900 mg fo his, my one cat takes 300 mg for hers and a different one takes 30 mg for his. Yeah it even works on cats. It's not unusual to have to try not just different dosages but different drugs altogether or different combinations. Sometimes there isn't just one drug. Unfortunately it can take time to find the right medication.
Gabapentin is not a SSRI. It has been used for many different things. It has been used as an anti-depressant, anti-convulsive, nerve pain (neuropathy) and probably others. I take it for nerve pain but in conjunction with citalopram and lamictal I have noticed a positive difference in my bipolar. If you gave the other drugs sufficient time to work and were weaned off properly (supervised by your physician) then you have nothing to lose by at least trying it. If you doubt your doctors competency then maybe you should get a second opinion, otherwise I would follow his instructions.
I still say that Klonopin is an excellent anti-anxiety medication and recommend that you try it.
I am taking Gabapentin for an autoimmune disease called Prorigo Nodularis,
it relieved the maddening itching that goes along with the disorder and is healing all the sores that I have from the disorder - along with some Calcipotriene Cream rubbed onto the sores morning and night. So, if you
research Gabapentin you will see that this drug is used for many things.
The medical community has normally used Gabapentin for seizures, but
have discovered that it is used for many different problems.
Good luck on trying Klonopin for your anxiety.
Bless you.
Trish
Drs may prescribe it for depression for some unknown reason. Its not for depression and won't do a thing for it.
Kaismama, you are correct - Klonopin is for anti-anxiety.
No, Gabapentin will treat anxiety, even if it says it will - it won't.
Have you ever tried Klonopin??? Good anxiety drug.
I take it and have been on it several years - it works every time.]
I can't believe your doctor has prescribed Gabapentin for anxiety when there
are so many newer ones on the market. Try another doctor and mention
what you have taken and why, then ask him about Klonopin. Ask him to
write a prescription for you. It works.
Blessings to you and good luck. Please let us know how you make out.
Trish
In my answer I meant to say, NO, Gabapentin will NOT treat axciety, even if it says it will - it won't.
Trish Schiesser
Here's my question, how long did you take each one of the ssris? Did you give them a chance? I don't see that gabapentin will help anxiety. Have you tried buspar?
I took Paxil for 3 days and by the third night I needed my mother who is a nurse to sleep in the same bed as me because it was making me so jittery and agitated. I absolutely cannot tolerate those start up side affects as my anxiety is already at a 10. There HAS to be other antidepressant options that do not have those initial affects and have an immediate calming affect.
Before I answer, please tell me what you have tied before and the scenario for each, by that I mean, how much time was each one given before changing to another, and, how much time elapsed between med changes, meaning, how much time to wean off one before beginning another, and finally, were all those three prescribed by the same Dr.
Related topics
depression, anxiety, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, gabapentin, doctor, ssri
Further information
- Gabapentin uses and safety info
- Gabapentin prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Gabapentin (detailed)
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