Talk:Gabapentin
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—{{}}I have been prescribed gabapentin for my rehmatoid arthritis pain. This is the first time I have been without pain for over five (5) years. The drug has little or no adverse side effects and is much safer than some other drugs used to treat pain.
- It's quite an unusual choice, as the RA pain is initially inflammatory and later simply frictionate. Gabapentin is typically used in neuropathic pain (pain due to compression or damage to nerves). Nevertheless: good to hear, and I hope the benefits will be sustained! JFW | T@lk 20:20, 6 November 2005 (UTC)
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- I was given it for disc pain - one of my lumbar region discs has a major issue which has yet to be diagnosed. It is helping me "function" while I wait for my MRI, medical evaluations, etc (YAY! US Medical system for being so slow), and for chiropractic care to hopefully work.
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- I did want to mention side effects, but not being a professional in the health care arena, i didn't want to edit the page: Side effects include short term memory difficulties (I can't remember if I took my medicine, or why I got up, etc), constipation, and a slight tired feeling where you kind of want to take a nap. For the first 3 days, until my body got used to the drug,a side effect was a complete and total high - I was totally stoned. This effect wore off as my body got used to the medicine.
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[edit] Gabapentin & PTSD
As a non-professional, I didn't want to edit this page, but hopefully one or more of you are monitoring a RSS of the discussion page...
For context, I'm an individual with a 25+ year history of chronic anxiety &-> depression disorder(s) (mostly social) who has responded very dramatically to Gabapentin in the last six months, so of course I'm enthusiastic about the drug. A few comments about possible edits to the article.
- I found the information about the off-label use of Gabapentin very interesting.. is that a 90% prescription rate for psychiatric purposes? If so, the article 'buries the lead' in this respect, and the introduction should make more mention of the topic.
- My impression is that, in Canada at least, Gabapentin is being looked at seriously with specific regards to PTSD. I don't know if that's true elsewhere, of if the results have be anything other than the usual (vaugely promising, but mostly inconclusive). Pending node-local standards of attribution (ie, if you can verify this to your satisfaction), PTSD should probably get a specific mention in the list of anxiety disorders.
- Secondhand, I've heard of research with regards to the treatment of fibromyalgia with Gabapentin.
- One of the reasons that doctors are so willing to casually try Gabapentin is that it has a substantial history of use with well-understood and medically insignificant side effects, due to the original epilepsy population. This puts it in a different category than most modern psychiatric drugs, and would be significant information to psychiatric clients looking up the entry. And, of course, it's excreted by the kidney rather than the liver.
I'm afraid I have to run at the moment, but I hope I've been not-non-helpfull... my intent is to keep an eye out for replies. Thank you for reading this comment.
ml 12:10, 29 April 2006 (UTC)~
[edit] Gabapentin and Anxiety
People might possibly be interested to hear my small anecdote:
I have lots of anxiety. From a young age (14?) I was prescribed ativan - basically a fast-acting form of valium. I was taken of that for a reason that's a much more interesting anecdote, but I'll skip that here. Also, I was later diagnosed as bipolar and some time after that put back on ativan. But I built up a tolerance to it and it stopped being usefully effective.
To get to the point, I asked to be put on something else, so my psychiatrist put me on gabapentin. Of course, part of the choice was my manic-depression, but my point is I'm on it mainly for anxiety.
Forgive me for rambling, I just took some gabapentin. But I'm just writing this to vouch that ativan¹ is sometimes used primarily for anxiety, and it works (for me).
Mqduck 14:16, 9 May 2006 (UTC)mqduck
1. I think Mqduck meant to write gabapentin here, although this is speculation. Ativan is indeed used as a episodic treatment for anxiety. ml --69.49.44.11 17:47, 30 July 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Dosage?
I've been prescribed 200 mg / day for lower back pain. I have not noticed any results or side effects. (I take it just before bed to avoid drowsiness). Is 200 mg too light of a dose? My doctor said if I wanted to take more I could go up to 400 mg but have not done so (yet). Tron 18 10:02, 20 November 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Gabapentin for hot flushes
Quick PubMed search found one mention of gabapentin use for hot flushes in a male patient undergoing antiandrogen treatment for prostate cancer: PubMed
and several trials of gabapentin for hot flushes in postmenopausal women/women undergoing treatment for breast cancer. These seemed the most interesting:
Guttuso T Jr, Kurlan R, McDermott MP, Kieburtz K (2003). "Gabapentin's effects on hot flashes in postmenopausal women: a randomized controlled trial". Obstet Gynecol 101 (2): 337–45. PMID 12576259.
Pandya KJ, Morrow GR, Roscoe JA et al. (2005). "Gabapentin for hot flashes in 420 women with breast cancer: a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial". Lancet 366 (9488): 818–24. PMID 16139656.
I'll leave a relevance assessment/rewording in the article to other editors. Fvasconcellos 19:26, 20 November 2006 (UTC)
Hi From: ((C TLC YORKIES)) (( Ohio)) Date: 12/07/06
I have no clue as to use this page. But I was just put on this medication and Oh MY Gosh.......My body says Thank you to my Dr. I am very sleepy and am taking 2 300 mg 3 x a day. I had neck Surgery and it's been down hill since and I don't heal well anyway.. but man. do I feel so much better It took away that tingling in my back, now, my elbows still hurt, There is so much that Iv got going on so I won't go there. But whewww IT feels So good not to hurt...... Was good to read what others have said. Take Care and GOD BLESS _ & Merry Christmas !!! To All
