Gabapentin (Neurontin) is a medication originally developed for the treatment of epilepsy. Gabapentin has limited usefulness in the treatment of anxiety disorders such as social anxiety disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder, in treatment-resistant depression, and for insomnia.

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Posted by Bullheaded

Social Anxiety Background
Since earliest memories.

Other Treatments
All by different doctors:
During teens was prescribed: Celexa, Zoloft, Paxil, Prozac, Effexor.
Earlier this year: Wellbutrin XL, Xanax, and Ativan.

Treatment Experience
I was prescribed Neurontin (gabapentin) by my psychiatrist after my SPECT scan showed overactivity in certain parts of the brain.

The first week while I was on 300-600mg once at night I slept for a full 8 hours. Then it stopped helping me sleep. However, I used to wake up with severe nausea and headaches. I can't remember when I didn't wake up with headaches and nausea, so this pill took care of years of that problem. That was 2 months ago.
I'm now on 600mg 3 times a day. Honestly, other than the morning stuff (that I am EXTREMELY grateful for not having), I don't feel any different. Other people say they see a change, but my brain plays tricks on my moods and other people's reactions a lot.

He recently prescribed me Klonopin (clonazepam) to take at night to help with sleep now and to take care of my ongoing anxiety that I feel the Neurontin has had no effect on. I have a feeling he's going to switch me to a competitor of Neurontin next visit.

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Posted by Ginny

Treatment Experience
My husband has suffered with anxiety his entire life...however, a couple months ago he was prescribed Neurontin for shingles pain. He gets chronic recurring shingles. His anxiety and agitation level have significantly increased. I believe it is the neurontin as the dose was increased last week and I again noticed a difference. He stopped taking it yesterday. I wonder if anyone can tell me how long side effects last from this drug. He was so agitated and anxious, the dr. gave him ativan for a couple of days.

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Posted by Akira90125

Treatment Experience
At 300 mg three times a day, Neurontin did nothing to alleviate my social anxiety. What it did do was give me horrible nightmares and a LOT of hypnagogic hallucinations.

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Posted by Noca

Treatment Experience
I took Gapapentin 900-2400mgs for pain once post op and another time over a period of 2 weeks. All it ever did was put me to sleep. It did nothing for pain or anxiety.

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Posted by Micliph

Social Anxiety Background
severe/extreme social anxiety for 2 years.

Other Treatments
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (13 weeks), Citalopram, Valerian, Phenibut, Xyrem, Phenylethylamine (PEA) and many more.

Treatment Experience
I'm a dane so excuse me for grammar mistakes.

I have tried Gabapentin (Neurontin) only one with alone with no other drug combined.
I took 4x 300mg tabs and when the drug should start to work (30 min), then I went down to the city centrum to shop which usually is very hard for me.

I went into a pizza restaurant and felt naturally calm, no anxiety at all and it that situation I would normally freeze up, stutter and probably walk outside to smoke a cigarette and calm down while my pizza were being made.

But I stayed in the restaurant with no anxiety at all - which was euphoric for me (not because of the drug!, but because anxiety was gone for a while..) I felt so naturally calm and as like I never had social anxiety disorder.

The effect lasted for a couple of hours and the conclusion must be that this drug works wonders for me.

But I don't really know how harmful the drug is (and addictive), so I guess further investigations requires before I use more of the drug.

feel good, and keep up the hope for us anxiety sufferes.

kindly regards Mike.

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Posted by UltraShy

Treatment Experience
It does nothing positive nor negative at any dosage level.

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Posted by Foh_Teej

Treatment Experience
Most of the time, water seems like it has more effect than gabapentin. Other times I felt really weird almost like a being high while taking it. Either way, did jack for anxiety that I could tell.

I took 2x 400mg a day... well when I actually took it

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Shared by Not So Nervous Nelly

Social Anxiety Background
Recovered SA sufferer currently on medication for maintenance

Other Treatments
Lexapro.

Treatment Experience
I am surpised to hear that Neurontin is used for SA.
Neuronton is anti covulsant used for seizures and nerve pain. Unless you nerves are misfiring, I doubt it would help unless there some research that says it works for SA that I am unaware of.

Hello,


I see that you say that your a Recovered SA sufferer currently on medication for maintenance, i have had social anxiety with depression for all my 3 years of life and i have tried over 30+ medications and comboniations but none has worked, since you have thankfully recovered can you please tell me which medications have helped your recovery?
Thanks,
Joseph

After living with social and general anxiety all of my life I decided to seek prescription treatment as talk therapy never helped.
The Doctor prescribed Gabapentin, starting with 100 mg at night and after
4 months I am now on a maintenence dose of 300-400 mg per night.

My diagnosis is Generalized anxiety disorder on the bipolar spectrum not considered to be a high level. I do not suffer with major depression, had previous to this medication a relentless and constant low level of anxiety, social anxiety in particular with obsessive thinking and worrying. My external appearance always presents calmness so most people have no idea of the storm that raged inside. In addition I am a strong introvert and sensitive to constant noise, crowds, pollution, and certain energies.

At first I felt tired during the day, but slept better. The vivid and sometimes disturbing dreams have resolved and now I sleep well and have very well managed symptoms. It's not perfect, but I am able to do many things now I just could not bring myself to do before out of fear and am able to think properly without the clutter and noise in the brain.
If I forget a dose, I do have some trouble sleeping but don't feel as though my symptoms are "coming on". I don't know if I will be on this medication for long term, however at this point in my life it has helped me so much that I can't imagine going back.

In my short experience and in the research I have done on this drug, it does not seem to have any long term side effects. Time may reveal a different story, however this drug has been in use for other medical reasons since 1994.

I have been taking Neurontin for several months. It was prescribed to me after several other anti-anxiety meds did not work. I started out on 100mg 3 x a day and this did nothing. He tripled my dose to 300mg 3 x a day and it seemed to making a small difference. My dose was finally raised to 600mg 3 x a day and it does make a small but noticeable difference but this seemed to fade with time, maybe I got tolerant to it. Also it helps as an adjunct to my therapy for bipolar disorder. Overall, I recommend it. I didn't have any serious side effects, just slight sedation at times.

i only took neurontin for about a month with no positive effects, very minimal negative, but i was freaked out about the potential for weight gain.

Neurontin, by itself, has no effect on me, but when combined with klonopin and zoloft it does control my panic attacks.

I have been on gabapentin for about 2 years now. I haven't talked to my doctor about my major depression and SA at all because I have a lot of other really major health issues. Anyway, the Neurontin was prescribed to treat nerve pain for me and now I feel like somewhat of an expert on this drug. I had absolutely no side effects at all with this drug, people often mistakenly think it acts as a narcotic when it does not. Also, 300mg may seem like a large amount but it definitely is not for gabapentin. I remember going to my doctor after I was first prescribed 300mg once a day and she said that is an incredibly low dose and the only purpose for starting at 300 is to introduce the drug to your system.

So I gradually increased the dosage and now I'm up to 600mg 4 times a day. Not even sure if it has helped what it's prescribed for (my nerve pain). But if I miss taking a certain dose by an hour or 2 I am ready to kill someone. This drug definitely helps my depression...if I miss taking any pills it is bad news. Now I just need to tell my doctor I am taking this for mood purposes...

hum well i am looking into asking my doc for Neurontin (Gabapentin) when i go in beacuse i have been told it does wonders for sa but from this blog posts i may rethink that avenue. anyway

HI!


I was on this and I can say that PREGABALIN is many times better.
Expensive though.

Gabapentin didn't really help much. But on pregabalin pepole were telling me how good I sounded, how calm I'd become, etc

-MBL

Supposedly Neurontin is one of those drugs that they prescribe for anything and everything under the sun. Having said that, I did notice a decrease in my anxiety after taking this med, but it was short lived. If I missed a dose, I could feel it. Perhaps it was a placebo effect? I ultimately had to stop taking Neurontin because it dangerously suppressed my breathing.

I started on Pregabalin back in 1999 or so, during a research study. They ended the study prematurely, and switched me over to Neurontin/Gabapentin. I had responded very well to Pregabalin. I'm currently taking 800 mg, four times a day. My social anxiety is fairly well controlled at this point.. I also take 100 mg of Zoloft for some OCD symptoms. Zoloft can send me over into hypomania.

i am one 1 600 mg gabapentin a day the doctors descrbed me with 4 times a day well then i am on the moon,so i was giving this to stop taking rivotril,but look at it from another angle gabapentin have same withdrawal and rivotril so the hospital doubled my problems
i dont know what gabapentin is for i tryed it in the day take it off the market