Gabapentin for Bipolar Disorder User Reviews (Page 2)

• sug...
• February 13, 2016

"I have been on gabapentin 600mg three times a day for a while for my fibromyalgia, and it works great for that. My psychiatrist just increased it to 800mg three times a day for my bipolar depression and anxiety, and it is really helping with that too. I noticed the first day on 800mg that I felt calmer and happier. I am happy."

• TyA...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 21, 2016

"I started this medication about a week ago. I am diagnosed with Schizoaffective Disorder (Bipolar Type) as well as unspecified anxiety disorder. I was constantly dreading things and felt guilty for no reason. My anxiety bothered me to the point it made me vomit. I started on 300mg 2x a day and it has been amazing. It does not cure it but it takes away a lot of anxiety for me. I would definitely recommend this med."

• Not...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 23, 2018

"I have rapid cycling bipolar disorder, and I am telling you, NOTHING else worked but gabapentin. I take 300 mg once in the morning and once at night, and it helps control my rage and levels me out. I had no weight gain with this and literally no other side effects. And if I accidentally skip a dose, I don’t have major withdrawals. I can definitely tell if I skipped a dose, but I don’t get sick. This has been my miracle medication, and I finally have my life back after fighting what seemed like a hopeless battle for 6 years straight. I even went medication-free for a few years because I thought nothing would ever work. I finally know what it feels like to have normal emotions again."

• bob...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 20, 2019

"Was prescribed this for my right hip avascular necrosis and realized that it made me a happy, normal person, so I told my doc it helped my bipolar. I suffered an awful 2 years of alcohol withdrawal which could have been eased by this medication, however, my VA doc was subpar and didn't know or care that this drug could have been advantageous for me during my hell-like 2 years after quitting alcohol. It pays to go to a private practitioner. Don't believe the naysayers, they are wrong, it's a #1 drug for anxiety, bipolar, and alcohol detox."

• Car...
• April 17, 2015

"After 8 months of sleep problems caused by anxiety, I started to take 3x300mg. The first two days were amazing. No more anxiety when falling asleep and during the day. After 5 days, I started noticing anxiety again, so I went up to 600x2 300x1. It's a totally miracle drug. No more anxiety, I feel calm and relaxed in social situations, and have proper deep sleep. I love it!"

• com...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 8, 2013

"I have neuropathic pain, seizures, and bipolar disorder, all of which can be treated by Gabapentin. At first, it seemed like I wasn't taking anything, but after getting on 3600mg/day, it has really improved my life. My pain is tolerable, the simple-partial seizures are well managed, and I am calm all the time. It took a large dose to work for me, but I am glad I tried it. My only complaint is that if I stand up quickly, I get dizzy. But relative to everything else, I don't mind."

• Kno...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 24, 2015

"I have been on every medication. I was diagnosed with Bipolar when I was 16. I am now about to turn 35 and have never been as stable as I am now since I started Neurontin. This is the first time I have had success for my bipolar disorder. And it even helps me with my depression. Somehow I get out of bed every morning, which rarely ever happened. I am able to take care of my children now. And it even seems to help me with my pain."

• bab...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 24, 2014

"I started taking gabapentin experimentally to treat chronic depression and am now prescribed 1800mg a day. At doses of 2700mg, I experienced a significant improvement in impulse control and depression in general. Went from being a shut-in to going for walks and enjoying my time in the company of others. At the lower dose of 1800mg a day, I don't experience much improvement, save for a decrease in depressive symptoms. I'm looking forward to a larger dose if my doctor okays it."

• Mal...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 25, 2019

"I found that 600 mg gabapentin can help me express myself in untapped ways. It doesn’t make me say things out of character like drugs or alcohol, it can help me, I guess, relax enough to be at ease. I don’t use it every day, but when I do use it, I often learn something about being more gentle, or an ability to be patient and make an effort to have solid conversation. I don’t get a feeling like an opioid, I don’t take it after work like some kind of cure-all, but I will take it if I’m looking to be my least bound-up self. It also has improved my sex life and relationship skills."

• Brv...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 3, 2016

"I started taking this for bipolar 2 disorder and am prescribed Xanax for anxiety. My doctor started me out at 100mg of gabapentin (3x/day) after using Topamax to treat my bipolar disorder. The Topamax worked great for my mood, but caused me to lose too much weight, and constant paresthesias in my arms, legs, and even face. This medication works the same way without the side effects! (I'm now at 300mg 3x/day) I haven't even had need for my Xanax because this helps so much with my anxiety as well! And it doesn't make me drowsy like Xanax does. I'm so happy I came across this and asked my doctor to try it. I hated antipsychotics but wanted to control my symptoms. I thought that was a no-win situation, but gabapentin is my answer!"

• Jep...
• November 19, 2015

"I've always been an anxious person who stays in a state of mania and then drops into depression. This medication is basically a miracle. It works immediately and I've been taking it for 3 months now with virtually no side effects. I don't have racing thoughts anymore and my heart doesn't race a mile a minute. I have reacted to stressful situations a lot more rationally and calmly than I ever have in my life. I am also just starting to take Lamictal. I believe the combination is really effective. I also sleep so well and don't feel groggy in the morning! Really give it a shot."

• Dou...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 3, 2017

"Man, I hate big pharma. I have also worked in the field of psychiatry as a psych tech for 20 years. I was diagnosed with Bipolar I at 43, I am now 53. I have tried so many rubbish meds: Valium, amphetamines, methamphetamines (legal Desoxyn), all kinds of mood stabilizers. All of these meds were horrible. I got tired of pills. I quit taking all my meds except an antidepressant. I have a bad back, sciatic nerve issue that flared back up due to a compressed disk. It is very, very painful. I started taking this medication. After 4 days, I noticed that I was calmer, less anxious, more focused, less racing thoughts, more confidence for sure, talking to people, feeling good about making jokes, etc. Much less depressed!!!"

• Fin...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 30, 2015

"Gabapentin has been amazing for me! I have been battling bipolar my whole life. I am 50 now and have been on several antidepressants for the last 5 years. Nothing really helped. For the last couple of years, I would wake up crying for no reason and not wanting to get out of bed. The last time I went to see my doctor she asked me if bipolar ran in my family. I told her I wasn't sure but thought there might be. She put me on 300 mg. The first morning I woke up after taking the med, it had an overnight result! I did NOT cry and was able to get out of bed easier. I was amazed that my life changed so much in one day! I highly recommend anyone suffering from bipolar to try this med."

• Che...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• August 11, 2019

"Very sensitive to medications and unable to tolerate anything but Gabapentin, which was first prescribed for nerve pain, but the bonus was, in time, it became obvious it helped hugely with mood! Not free of pain, but the severity and duration are manageable with Gabapentin on board. Only downfall is short half-life, so multiple doses during the day, and I can feel some irritability creep in if I go too long between doses, overnight can fall into that category if I sleep too long. Nice to have one med cover multiple issues for me!"

• Ang...
• September 2, 2015

"I have stage 3 bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is a really bad thing, it consumes your life, taking pieces of memory and taking friends in the process. It also makes you say and do things you would never have imagined you were capable of. I managed to fall in love with my husband of 15 years and have two beautiful amazing little boys. But still, even being blessed with what I have and who I have in my life, I have tried therapy, yoga, medication after medication that failed to work. Then one day, I went to another doctor for another opinion on my diagnosis and was told the same thing. My doctor then put me on Neurontin. It has been a savior, it truly works. I urge you to try it because it works! And it isn't even a narcotic."

• Gre...
• March 1, 2017

"I've been treated with a combination of Depakote, Effexor, and Wellbutrin before, and I just felt crazier than I did before and gained about 45 pounds. So I got off meds altogether for about 15 years. Needless to say, as much as I wanted to live an unmedicated life, my rapid and severe mood swings were really making things difficult for me. After two failed relationships, I decided I'd go to the doctor and give it another shot. I feel like a brand new man! I'm just beginning my second month. In month one, I was on 200 mg taken three times a day, and I just was so calm and collected and took my time to react to things instead of flying off the handle. Now I'm on 300 mg three times a day, and this might just be perfect for me. Highly recommended."

• Bip...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 17, 2019

"I have been diagnosed with bipolar 1 for about six years now and have been on over 20 medications among antipsychotics, antidepressants, anti-anxiety, benzos, and mood stabilizers. My rapid cycling is normally so bad that I can’t think straight and have a lot of episodes. I’ve been on gabapentin for a month, and I legitimately have not felt so stable in my life. I only take 600 mg daily spread throughout the day along with Lamictal, Buspar, and Vraylar. It really feels like I can think and rationalize now, like someone who isn’t experiencing the severity of the disorder I have. I feel relatively bipolar symptom-free, and this is the first medication in 6 years that has done that for me. If you have hard-to-treat bipolar and have tried a lot, I recommend considering gabapentin as an adjunctive. It also helps me sleep soundly, so I don’t even have to take my trazodone anymore."

• Anonymous
• April 11, 2011

Gabapentin "I have been taking Neurontin 800 mg 4 times a day for several years. I can say it helped me in more ways than one. Been underweight for most of my life, and over the years Neurontin has helped me get an appetite back. Now I am the right weight for my height. Also, after 4 years addicted to Suboxone and Klonopin, I never would have been able to get clean without Neurontin. Overall I feel that Neurontin has saved my life. I haven't attempted suicide since I started on it. But for SEVERE bi-polar like I have, counseling really does help."

• Goo...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 16, 2015

"I was Rx'd gabapentin to address the agitated/mood-swingy feelings I still had after being Rx'd Lamictal to address my highly recurrent depression. Lamictal addresses the big problem of depression and gabapentin is like the final touch that makes things peaceful/balanced. I take 3-400 mg right before work (PRN) and I can get through the day stable, calm and able to focus on what I need to do. If I forget to take a dose, I'll finally realize how agitated/emotional I am by around 10:30. I'll take my dose and within an hour I'm back to normal. It's really great. No side-effects that I notice. I take it PRN, like a benzo replacement, so sometimes I'll take 2-300 mgs in the afternoon if I think something stressful is coming up. Great med!"

• Jer...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 22, 2016

"I am taking this medicine for borderline personality disorder. It has helped a lot with my symptoms. I have been sleeping better, my moods are much better, and my 'splitting' has even gotten better. It is definitely making me less depressed, too. I recommend this medicine for anyone with these symptoms or other mental conditions. My thigh has varicose veins, and that has gotten better, which is a bonus because I'm not taking it for pain. I really think this drug needs to be approved for bipolar disorder (though I don't have it) and borderline personality disorder. I hope I never have to quit taking it."

• Cec...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 23, 2022

"I have been taking Gabapentin for 4 years now. It was prescribed by my primary care physician in place of the Percocet I used to take for neurological pain initially, but I have bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, PTSD, and manic depression, so it was a perfect fit for me on the mental health side. This medicine is a miracle drug for sure! I'm calm, I'm happy, and I'm generally always in a good mood. My thinking process did an entire 360, and I no longer have those negative obsessive thoughts throughout the day. I had tried so many different medications, and nothing, I mean NOTHING helped in the past. I used to get tardive akathisia (a feeling of restlessness in the brain) from all of the anxiety/depression meds my doctor had tried to put me on. I recommend Gabapentin to anyone who is struggling with anxiety/depression and bipolar disorder. 10 out of 10 for sure!"

• Che...
• July 11, 2016

"This medicine works so well for my bipolar disorder! I've tried so many other medications to no avail. Finally, a doctor put me on this (300 mg x 3 times daily) and now I'm up to 600 mg three times daily (1800 mg daily). It works wonders! I have virtually no anxiety (I used to wake up and could literally feel the anxiety set in before this medicine) and it helps with pain as well. My doctor put me on Bupropion 100 mg twice a day also. In conjunction, these seem to really work for me. All in all, I highly recommend Gabapentin!"

• InA...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 14, 2016

"I've only been taking this medication for under a week, 300 mg x 3 times/day. Pdoc prescribed it for my BP1 and as an adjunct treatment for insomnia and anxiety. My first few doses, I felt pleasantly drugged and mellow. It had a moderate cannabinoid effect and even gave me the munchies and had me babbling. It has lessened quickly. This medication must be working on the brain's GABA receptors indeed, for I've had a general sense of well-being and calmness. Side effects: increased appetite, some minor drowsiness/loopiness, some dipsomania, and strangely, a frequent need to 'stretch out' my muscles. I'm going to continue this medication and even ask about a higher dose. More time on it will reveal how well this treats my conditions."

• Emi...
• January 21, 2016

"I cannot even tell people enough how much this medicine has saved my life. If you struggle with bipolar 2 or mood disorders, this medicine is perfect for you. I am so stable when I am on this and feel 10 times happier overall. I take this with my Adderall and Lexapro, regardless, I guarantee this medicine will work for almost anyone. Also, you need to take at least 300 mg to feel the effects."

• Jas...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 28, 2017

"This medication has changed my life. I also take Effexor. Diagnosed with bipolar. I feel calm, capable, confident, energetic, stable, and happy. I was in a terrible state before I started it, severely depressed, anxiety, anger, and I was even hospitalized for my behavior and suicidal thoughts. My only concern is what I've read about withdrawals, but it is worth it to me to have my life back."