Gabapentin can affect mood and may cause depressive symptoms, though this is considered a rare side effect. While it is primarily used to treat seizures and nerve pain, some individuals have reported experiencing feelings of sadness or worsening depression during treatment. While studies don’t typically show effectiveness for improving symptoms of depression, there is evidence that gabapentin may have some benefit for anxiety disorders. A rat study found that gabapentin produced behavioral changes suggestive of anxiolysis, or feelings of calmness. Gabapentin is a nerve pain medication and anticonvulsant that has proven to be effective for people who have hard-to-treat depression or other mood disorders. Gabapentin is also used to manage a condition called postherpetic neuralgia, which is pain that occurs after shingles. Gabapentin works in the brain to prevent seizures and relieve pain for certain conditions in the nervous system. It is not used for routine pain caused by minor injuries or arthritis. Gabapentin is an anticonvulsant. Detailed Gabapentin dosage information for adults and children. Includes dosages for Restless Legs Syndrome, Epilepsy and Postherpetic Neuralgia; plus renal, liver and dialysis adjustments. In one study, women with anxiety, who were previously treated for breast cancer, were given gabapentin 300 mg or 900 mg daily. Compared to placebo (a pill with no medication in it), both doses of gabapentin improved anxiety symptoms after 4 and 8 weeks. A very small study also found that gabapentin was helpful for treating social anxiety disorder. Gabapentin has been associated with various psychiatric side effects, including depression. Patients taking this medication have reported significant personality changes and heightened feelings of depression, aggression, and suicidal ideation. While it’s not typically a first-line treatment for depression, some patients with bipolar disorder have found relief from mood swings when gabapentin is added to their treatment regimen. There is no clear evidence for gabapentin therapy in depression, PTSD prevention, OCD, or other types of substance abuse. Limitations of available data include variation in dosing between studies, gabapentin as monotherapy or adjunctive treatment, and differing primary outcomes between trials. Gabapentin is not commonly used to treat depression, but some recent studies indicate it may treat anxiety, alcohol withdrawal, and alcohol use disorder. A normal dose of gabapentin for adults can be anywhere from 100 mg to 3600 mg each day. Reports have indicated that some patients may experience new or worsening symptoms of depression or anxiety as a result of taking gabapentin. Patients with a history of psychological disorders are particularly vulnerable to these mental health side effects. Gabapentin is available as: Gabapentin tablets. It’s available as 300- and 600-milligram tablets (Gralise) and 600- and 800-milligram tablets (Neurontin or generic gabapentin). Gabapentin oral solution. The oral solution contains 250 millgrams of gabapentin per 5 milliliter (50 mg per mL) Neurontin or generic gabapentin. Gabapentin capsules. For Neuropathic Pain "Not good for me. It caused so many other problems and made me almost immobile. Severely dropping glucose levels was one. Depression, anxiety, dizziness. All inclusive. I weaned myself off of it and all those problems went away. I now consider it a dangerous drug. Is gabapentin a good option for treating anxiety disorders? This is what research says and why caution is important. Clinical observations indicate that some patients experience improvements in depressive symptoms when using gabapentin. A variety of research has supported this assertion, noting correlations between gabapentin use and mood enhancement in specific populations. Though gabapentin has many potential uses, it can cause side effects. Read more about 13 gabapentin side effects here. Learn about the side effects of gabapentin, from common to rare, for consumers and healthcare professionals. Gabapentin (Neurontin) is a prescription drug. It comes as an oral capsule, an immediate- or extended-release oral tablet, and an oral solution. For Anxiety "I am someone who has a whole laundry list of problems (bipolar II with psychotic features, depression, generalized anxiety, ADHD, panic disorder, and dpdr) so that means I have to take a ton of medication and have been in therapy since I was 13. I just started gabapentin at 300 mg 3x a day and my anxiety is almost nonexistent.
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