Need advice on Neurontin

[HyperInHell]

I was recently given a perscription for Neurontin after telling my psychiatrist that I needed a mood stabilizer that would also help with anxiety. Thing is, I have been reasearching the drug online, and there seems to be a lot of negativity related to it. A lot of people are saying that it simply doesn't work. I am even hearing about lawsuits due to some very nasty side effects.

I am schizoaffective with major anxiety. Currently I am taking Buspar for the anxiety. My psychiatrist also put me on Seroquel for my intrusive thoughts, but I figured that I would just try a mood stabilizer first. I really don't mind having bizarre thoughts if they are not horrifying, and they are only horrifying when I am experiencing depression. When I was on Zoloft I was having grandiose thoughts that were extremely creative and entertaining. I had no wish to shut them up... even though they weren't "normal." These days I go back and forth between depression to hypomania, and when I am hypomanic I don't object to my bizarre thoughts either.

Again what I object to- majorly- is the intrusive thoughts that come with the depressive state. They are brutal. Mental torture doesn't even begin to describe it. My mind is diseased and trying to kill me. I figure that if I go on a mood stabilizer I won't be in a depressive state that gives me these sorts of thoughts or a manic state that makes me annoy everyone I come in contact with.

Yet I am not sure Neurontin is the answer. The thing that I am the most worried about is nightmares. I had horrible vivid nightmares whenever I took Zoloft. I even had them when I took Buspar before I went to sleep, so now I just take it in the morning. I heard that Neurontin could give you nightmares too. I also don't want to get fat or have stomach problems. Any advice would be highly appreciated, because right now I am feeling that any route I take- medication or no medication- is going to be a gigantic pain in the ass.

[MoparGuy1991]

Schizoaffective, as I am sure you are aware, is essentially a combination of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Both schizophrenia and bipolar, allowed to go untreated, cause lasting permanant changes in your brain through a process called kindling. I don't think I need to tell you these are not positive changes.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sorry to get off topic for a second.

I have a concern here.

Is that bipolar kindling phenomenon really true? I asked my doctor about it because I was rather concerned about it after I read an article describing it, and he told me that I shouldn't be worried about that. I showed him that article as well. Anyway, he doesn't buy into that theory.

My doctor does integrative psychiatry where he uses both conventional medications and orthomolecular/nutrional supplemental approaches.

I read, though, that SSRI's, when given to bipolars cause manic reactions and cycling, and kindling results. I thought serotonin was supposed to be calming and relaxing! But it doesn't appear to be.

In the last 2 years, I took Lexapro on 3 different trials lasting 1-3 months each. I also took Zoloft for 1.5 months as well. I was wasn't on any anti-depressant for very long. On some occasions, Geodon was mixed with those SSRI's. On the 2nd trial of Lexapro and on the Zoloft trial (especially when they were mixed with Geodon), I had some bad manic reactions. About 2 weeks after taking Geodon with Lexapro (on the 2nd trial), I noticed my mood cycling seemed to be triggered more easily and even started to happen spontaneously (this wasn't happening before). It seemed like I went from rapid/ultra rapid to ultradian cycling after those 2 weeks. My big worry is that this is still happening long after discontinuing that combo.

Some history: I've had bipolar since I was a child (it's called child-hood onset bipolar). I was diagnosed at only age 12. I stayed on medication for 7 years, and my compliance was always pretty good. I've only had one period since diagnosis where I was unmedicated. But it was for only 6 weeks which wasn't that long at all. This was almost 2 years ago in early 2004 before I went on the Geodon and Lexapro combo. We had no insurance between that time.

Does this mean that I have permanent changes and damage to my brain. Can kindling really happen faster than you think (in a matter of weeks or months)? Or does it take years to become evident. Could the interaction between Geodon and Lexapro have caused that?

I'd hate to find that I"m more treatment resistant now!

[HyperInHell]

Ok, so I'm on Neurontin now. Besides being dizzy and having vivid nightmares (will probably go on Sereqoul soon) I am also having a problem with speech. I keep stuttering and slurring.

Was thinking about trying Lamictal instead of Neurontin. The first time my psychiatrist suggested it I said no because I was afraid of getting the rash, but now I'm hearing that if you don't take too much of it you're fine.

I don't want to talk like this anymore. Does Lamictal effect speech?

[thorjansen]

I've been on 900 mg. Neurontin for about 9 months. It was originally prescribed for nerve damage due to a neck and shoulder injury. When I don't take it, my neck and shoulders feel like I'm in a Mixmaster. Anyway, I tended to be kind of anxious before I was on it (I'm professionally depressed too, on Wellbutrin for that), and the anxiety pretty much disappeared.

[Guest Llamanator]

Okay, here's the deal.

How long have you been on Neurontin? A couple of days? Give it more TIME!!!

A couple of days is not enough time to gauge a reaction, unless it's something like a severe spreading rash, acute suicidal behavior coming out of nowhere, or something just as serious. Because side effects tend to lessen or go away. If it's annoying and just kind of pisses you off, well, live with it for a while. Then go ask about another med.

It will greatly help your credibility with such things. Refusing Lamictal because you might get a rash probably didn't (hint: dangerous rash highly not likely).

I like Neurontin now. Had I gone by the first couple days, I would have flushed the stuff and never looked back. A lot of that had to do with once-daily dosing, but still.

Mimi

[Ocracoker16]

Ok, so I'm on Neurontin now. Besides being dizzy and having vivid nightmares (will probably go on Sereqoul soon) I am also having a problem with speech. I keep stuttering and slurring.

Was thinking about trying Lamictal instead of Neurontin. The first time my psychiatrist suggested it I said no because I was afraid of getting the rash, but now I'm hearing that if you don't take too much of it you're fine.

I don't want to talk like this anymore. Does Lamictal effect speech?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think it is reasonable to consider Lamictal.  With Lamictal you are getting more of a first line moodstabilizer.  I remember when I tried Neurontin in the hospital as a substitute for Lithium.  It was a disaster for me in the 8 days before I was readmitted.  I have read that a lot of doctors think that it is not an acceptable stand alone mood stabilizer, but it is great for anxiety because of its effect on GABA.  I didn't feel like Lamictal helped with my anxiety.  However, it works well on bipolar depression and helps people with avoiding mania triggering AD's.  I think that taking the Seroquel might help with the intrusive thoughts as well as your anxiety.

Katie

[myrkkyhammas]

Ok, so I'm on Neurontin now. Besides being dizzy and having vivid nightmares (will probably go on Sereqoul soon) I am also having a problem with speech. I keep stuttering and slurring.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

that's precisely why i switched from seroquel to risperdal to neurontin, heh.

I don't want to talk like this anymore. Does Lamictal effect speech?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

no.

[Breeze]

I'm with the "stick it out for awhile" group. How much are you taking? Do you think perhaps, this could be, uh, something you are paying a little too much attention to?

I took neurontin for 6 months for anxiety. I had to stop because it was too sedating. BUT, I found that I really liked the liquid better than the pills. The liquid is straight neurontin, not gabapentin. It's more expensive, but there is a difference. I still take 1200 mgs at night for sleep. I sleep great.

Here is another tip I learned for bad dreams. I listen to some music for about 30 minutes before I fall asleep. Actually 9 times out of 10, I wake in the middle of the night with the music still playing. Not only are my dreams better, but I wake far less anxious and not reaching for the klonopin bottle in the morning - something I have done for 5 years.

If you are interested pm me and I'll turn you onto the name of the series of CD's I have found. I swear, the combo of meds and this music, is really made my sleep much better, and me less anxious.

Breeze

[StrungOutOnLife]

I don't want to talk like this anymore. Does Lamictal effect speech?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

no.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It's happened:

Paradoxic reaction to lamotrigine in a child with benign focal epilepsy of childhood with centrotemporal spikes. (1999)

Her school performance then deteriorated insidiously, with poor memory and concentration, clumsiness, stuttering, and emotional lability.