Gabapentin Source of Debate in Treating Bipolar Disorder or Mental Illness
In the battle against mental illness like bipolar disorder or depression, patients have an increasingly larger list of options, such as counseling or group therapy in combination with medication. One medication, gabapentin, has been used to help treat patients with mood disorders, evoking both praise and skepticism – especially for patients who have not responded to other medications.
Primarily used to stop seizures and for helping patients with nerve disorders like neuralgia, gabapentin has been explored in recent years to help treat addictions or mental illness, such as mood disorders or depression. The drug, also known as Neurontin or Gabarone, is different from other drugs for mood disorders in that it may create positive changes where other drugs have failed. It also shows a relatively low occurrence of side effects.
For patients with bipolar disorder, the quick changes in mood are life disrupting and can make it very difficult to maintain social relationships or a positive work or home environment. Those who have not found relief with drugs like carbamazepine or valproate may find higher levels of success with gabapentin.
To date, there are not a high number of published scientific research findings on the use of gabapentin and mood disorders, but some patients with complex conditions have shown improvements with the medication. It has also been used for extended periods as a maintenance drug for people with manic mood conditions, which can be described as unusually high moods or unusually aggressive moods, or higher than normal levels of energy.
Gabapentin has also been explored for anxiety problems and to treat people who have a mixture of mood disorders. A typical dose may be 300 mg daily, often at nighttime. The dose can be elevated after five days. If prescribed for a mood-regulator, some patients have taken dosages of up to 2,000mg or higher.
The length of time patients have seen positive outcomes from gabapentin for mood disorders or depression varies. Some patients report results within just a couple of weeks; other say more time is needed to see a change.
The side effects that may be most bothersome from gabapentin are drowsiness, becoming dizzy and sometimes vomiting or nausea. If taken with alcohol, side effects can become worse. The medication has been used for children in several countries, but is not approved in the U.S. for young children.
Some controversy has surrounded the use of gabapentin for treating mood disorders like bipolar disorder. The FDA issued a fine to gabapentin’s manufacturers for claiming its successes toward treating biploar disorder without first receiving official FDA recommendation.
Several open study trials were conducted to explore the drug’s benefit for bipolar disorder, with apparent positive outcomes, but at least three other studies since say no positive changes have been found with the use of gabapentin toward the disorder. A 2003 study published in the Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy explores the off-label uses of the drug, prompted by increasing numbers of the medication being prescribed for mood disorders, even though it has not been approved by the FDA for these purposes.
Though it is a source of controversy and continued research, gabapentin, and other drugs like it, may help encourage new solutions to the complex challenge of bipolar and mood disorders.
