Hi,

I started 120 mgs Gabapentin (a little less than half of a 300 mgs capsule) seven days ago.

My sis and my todc have noticed that I am more animated, energetic, and generally more up than I have been for a long time.


M.

Yes it s used as a mood stabilizer, how do you feel? does it feel good? are you sleeping any better?
bizi

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabapentin#Negative

in the 90's they were TRYING to use it as a stabilizer.

it's mostly used for neuropathic pain and other nervous pain, seizures and off label for migraines. those i've personally heard from who took it as a "stabilizer" either had no success or the "apparent" success wore off after the grogginess that comes with getting used to it.

i personally found that when i took the odd dose for sleep, i was much more relaxed the next day... lower anxiety. so if a baby dose (eg 100mg or even 50mg) actually had an effect on you, and you didn't get "used to it," i could see it helping you feel more "chilled out."

why were you given it? anxiety, sleep, mood stabilizer, other?

i am shocked that any doc nowadays is giving it as a mood stabilizer. for anxiety i could see trying it, and especially anxiety-related insomnia.

~ waves ~

Waves,

My internist gave it to me for nerve pain.

M.

I am a 28 yr old female with a dx of bipolar 2, ptsd, and generalized anxiety disorder. I was prescribed Gabapentin 300mg capsules 6-26-12. Was told to start with one at night and if I had no side affects after 2 days to step up dosage to one in the am and 2 before bed. With all I have been reading, (umpteen google searches and ended up here), I see mostly negative things about this drug as far as mood stabiliztion goes, so it has me concerned. Mood stabilization is what it was prescribed to me for. Almost everything I have read says it is uncommon for mood stabilization, and rarely works, some even say not FDA approved for mood stablization. My psychiatrist says she has had other patients in my demegraphic with similar issues with mood and anxiety, sleeplessness etc... and seen marked improvement for may of them. I'm not quite sure what to make of all these conflicting reports. I am confused and anxious over all of this, and wonder if I should trust the psychiatrist and stick to it until I go back in 2 weeks, see what it does or does not do for me, or exprss my concerns now and get on something else. Any suggestions or positive feedback anybody has to offer would be greatly appreciated and welcomed! Thanks

I take gabapentin, But it wasn't prescribed for mood. But I believe it
has helped my anxiety some along with my celexa generic.

I also know that when I first started it, it made me sleepy and helped
my sleep a lot. It still helps my sleep.

I take it for pain issues. I have fibromyalgia, and I take 1200 a day,
now. I've been on it for over 2 or 3 years now. I don't believe I've
ever had any side effects unlike others.

Its been a good drug for me.


I personally would say, if you trust your psychiatrist I would give
it a try. See how it goes, then decide. The only thing I would say
is if you want to wait say 4 days to start the morning dose that
would be okay. I believe I was told to wait 5 days. But remember
I take it for a different reason. And I started on 300mg too when
I started.

Donna

I know it defenitely takes time, as was my experiance with other meds. I am just so ready for something to work. Patience is what is required here, of which I have very little. However, on a lighter note, I have had it help some already for getting me to sleep. Insomnia has been one of my biggest issues for the last 10-12 years. My mind is almost always go go go, even when I am deeply depressed, but my body is dragging. It feels strange to want to do everything, to look at all that needs to be done around my home an half of me is thinking ahh, the heck with it it aint that bad, while the other half is saying get of you behind and do it. The motivation more often than not, just isn't there for me. I have to look at my son, and think about his health and safety, and push myself daily to get something done. I am hoping that I continue to have progress with this over the coming weeks. I am going to continue taking it and see how I respond. No negative affects yet accepy for a slight sluggish feeling. But I don't as that is even from the gabapentin where I experience this almost daily anyways. I guess you could say it is slight;y more noticible than before I began taking this, but not bothersome. I am actually quite calm today. Which is a rarity for me. My psychiatrist also said if this works for me, but only partially, that there where other thing she could prescribe me in combination with the gabapentin to level me out and get me functioning at an optimal level again. Lord knows I need it. Thanks for your prompt responce and input @ Dmom3005! I will be checking back in here to update after a week or so and after my 2 week progress with the psych. Heres hoping!

Hi, MaineMom,

Good news about getting some sleep!
I am on two meds that are not approved for bipolar. They help me a lot. Try not to pay too much attention to what others on the internet are saying about their reactions to meds.

After two weeks on Gabapentin, my anxiety was eased.
After a month more, my depression lifted a tiny bit.
My psychiatrist calls this a third line mood stabilizer that he does not use much in his practice. Still, he knows it works for me.

Keep a spread sheet or a mood chart of some kind to help you keep track of
1 medications
2 sleep
3 side effects
4 symptoms

You can google "mood chart" for some on line or make your own so you can keep track of your progress and bring the chart to show the psychiatrist at the next appointment.

Mari

Bizi,

I go to bed earlier than I used to.
On most nights I am getting more sleep than before.

M.

I was prescribed it 1st in 2009 for mood stabilizing, also anxiety, in hospital. I think it started high (400-500 mg/day--does that sound possible?), then dropped to 200--finally too 100 in a.m. at release.
As I've said, it was increased back to 200 for anxiety but I had speech probs that time.