Gabapentin turning irritable mania into tolerable hypomania? (and helping Asperger social phobia)

[JohnQ]

I really don't have a clue what's going on with the gabapentin but all I know is that my quality of life is better with it than without any meds. I have bi-polar with irritable mania almost daily, then I also have aspergers (or PDD-NOS, haven't been officially diagnosed but I'm on the spectrum for sure).

I found this case report about it - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3000199/

But here is what happened to me. I have always been miserable. I'm not looking for pity, just explaining the situation. With the aspergers I've always been a "loner". I'm 30 now and I have no friends, and no job. I get by on SSI/Medicaid from the bi-polar causing mayhem in my life. I was barely hanging on and really at the verge of death about 8 months ago. Then I had a bi-lateral neuropathy due to a genetic disorder that weakened the sheath of my nerves and the way I slept on my side cause "limp wrist" and both of the tops of my forearms to go completely dead making my hands useless. Then the intense pain started. I got on 900mg of gabapentin. I remember feeling like that neruopathy was the best thing that ever happened to me for some reason (didn't know I had aspergers at the time).

Basically before, I'm 95% irritable manic with the racing thoughts that leads into terror panic attack loops. Sometimes I fear I am in actual hell. Then my mind seems to just snap and shut down and I go very depressed and do not want to do anything but sleep, and even in sleep I'm haunted by constant nightmares.

So with the gabapentin, it knocks out the depression, and oddly increases the mania to 24/7 basically, but it's closer to hypomania than irritable mania. I feel better. I feel more productive. But I feel like I'm on the opposite side of the spectrum, instead of talking too little to people socially, now I talk too much! I don't want to be annoying.

I am seeing a psychiatrist in a month or so when I can get an appointment now that I got the Medicaid and can afford to go. I just wanted to share this because in a way it saved my life in a very strange way. But I think things can be better. I don't want to be hypomanic all the time even if it does make me be able to be social and more productive and happy.

I also want to be calm sometimes, be stable, have normal sleep, be able to read books. Not be hypomanic all the time, but I would hate to lose the hypomania all together! So I don't know what to do but I hope the psychiatrist will. And in the time I have before my appointment I want to research all I can and find other experiences so I can have information to take to my new doctor.

It's so crazy. My arms shutting down really saved my life. After my arms got mostly better I got off the gabapentin and went right back into that horrid state of irritable panic and mania loops into madness. I found out I had a refill left and it's like a miracle all over again. I don't know if this is the answer, or even part of the answer. But I know I would not make it much longer in my former state, but I can make it like this. But I do want to be more stable. Maybe use the gabapentin for ridding depression when it hits and when I go in public for the Aspergers, then take my clonazepam (or go to ativan again) for when I ever have panic attacks (but maybe Seroquel could stabelize that, I have no clue).

There's my story I appreciate any comments!

JQ

[Indigo 'n dye]

Hi JohnQ.

I used gabapentin for neuropathic pain for many years, but never noticed it having any _real_ effect on my depressive state or my moods. Thus, I am not qualified to respond to your experience.

Hopefully, someone with more direct experience will be along and comment. Meanwhile, hello and welcome.

[wemble]

i take gabapentin PRN for anxiety 300mg 2x a day. when i was coming out of my last manic state, i went through a really irritable, awful period and my pdoc said i could up it if i really needed to for a short term for the irritability. it definitely took it away.

my pdoc said it's not the best mood stabilizer but seems to work really well for anxiety, particularly starting around 300mg (taken once or twice a day). i wouldn't be surprised if it helped take some of the nasty edge off your mania.