Neurontin for bipolar treatment?

Has anyone heard of or been on Neurontin for the treatment of bipolar?

My doctor seemed sort of unsure if I am bipolar or not..... I am depressed for sure but I guess I have some possible signs of being bipolar I don't really know...... I believe I have depression related to chronic pain and anxiety. Well I am currently taking 80 mgs of prozac and 600 mgs 3xday or neurontin. I have heard neurontin can be used for anxiety and as a mood stabilizer? I remember my doctor saying if i was bipolar taking the prozac would make me worse. I'm just so confused does anyone take neurontin and can anyone give me any experiences they have had with it? Thanks :)

Hi Hopelessgirl,

Welcome to Healingwell and especially to our board. I hope you find some community and understanding here.

Stressed in Bama is right, if you even suspect you have bipolar, you should be working with a psychiatrist, not a gp -- I hope that's the situation. It's hard to tell from your post.

I have not been on neurontin, but I did a little research. It's an anti-seizure drug, which puts it into a category of drugs which happen to also work as mood-stabilizers for people with bipolar. I am bipolar II and was primarily depressed for a long time and my doctor had me on Lamictal (also an anti-seizure medication) and Prozac which worked great for a quite a while. Because I was on the mood stabilizer (Lamictal) the prozac helped me and didn't tip me into mania. Eventually we had to change my drugs but that's the way it is with bipolar, nothing works forever, you need to update the drugs as your moods fluctuate.I'm on an anti-depressant right now too. It's the balance that matters.

Let us know how you're feeling.

serafena

Hi, Hopeless,

If you can pull up pain patch recalls and get some info on there. There has been a prblem with the patches leaking and too much medicine is absorped in to the body. DO NOT PANIC.By overdose I stopped breathing and was gave a shot to get all the drugs out of my system and I was on oxygen foe a while. I am just trying to make others aware and if you research it you will see why there is concern..I hope you get a good psychiatrist that can get you on the right track if you do ondeed have bipolar.I hope I haven't scared you but since you on the patch I just wanted tp let you know to be careful and the risks.Take care.

Hugs   from stressed in bama

First, the eyes rolling back is a normal reaction to mant meds. I can't believe tour doctor didn't tell ahead of time. FIrst try 150mg of benedryl. Second, your doctor should have prescribed a medication (my husband keeps it with my meds) that can be used to even prevent this type of reaction since it usually is only an adjustment not an allergy or something indicateing you cannot take the med. Finally, as in your case or others whose dosctors have prepared them for this (older anti-psychotics & ptoentially the atypicals, some anti-depressants, and sleep meds) the hospital will generally give you a shot in the butt and you will be all better. ER's are very useful, don't suffer. Also try celebrex for pain it is the only pain killer that helps with my mind pain. I take vicodin otherwise (it can also be used for anxiety.)

I have taken nerontin in 1994 at Hard Med. Shcool in McLean hospital. I took nuerontin at high study levels. I was proved useless in my case. I had no side effects. It is good for nerve pain and is used for those who develope pain after shingles. Most doctors no long consider it a good choice for bipolars or even for seizure control.


The next similar drug is topamax, in that they hoped it would be useful as a mood stabiliing drug. Studies that came out last month (my doc went to the conference on the usefulness of topamax in bipolars) show that topamax even at threshold levels are not usually capable of controling mood dysregulation just like neurontin. It is useful if the realm of weight loss, it tends to make you very tired so I would take provigil with it (people have fallen alseep dring while on it), but the best thing is that it prevents migraines. I take 100mg. to prevent migraines. I have no side effects, although before it got my migaines under control, I took 1200mg day and night. Usually you can reduce with time for migraines.

queitpain