How effective is gabapentin for depression?

Gabapentin use for depression is more likely to alleviate symptoms in individuals who have been diagnosed with bipolar and anxiety disorders. In order to see noticeable results, it may be necessary to take a high amount of drugs. Although it is often prescribed as anti-seizure medicine, gabapentin is effective in the treatment of cases of bipolar depression that has not responded to antidepressants. The drug, which is only available in most prescription countries, has certain risks, including addiction, dizziness and weight gain. When doctors and psychiatrists decide to prescribe gabapentin for depression, it is more likely to recommend it to patients who have fast and short -term mood fluctuations. These patients, sometimes referred to as "unipolar" disorder, tend to experience a shorter period between high and low mood. In most cases patients with this type of bipolar depression did not respond well to other regulations such as lithium or serotonin regulators.

individuals suffering from mood disorders of anxiety can also benefit from using gabapentin for depression. In most cases, patients with anxiety and depression usually do not receive a medicine unless they respond to traditional treatment. Very high doses may be needed for gabapentin to have a positive effect and drugs may be used more often than other forms of antidepressants. In addition to creating the risk of addiction, patients may still have to increase their daily dose of gabapentin.

There is a risk that patients will not see any benefits of using gabapentin for depression. Since the system of each person responds differently to medicines and doses, even a very high amount of drug does not need to be redesigned all symptoms associated with depression. Mild to medium forms of depression, which are not accompanied by high levels of anxiety or mania, can better respond to the regulatory organs of serotonin. Long -term effectiveness of the drug to treat depression has not been proven.

Using GABAPEntine for depression is somewhat controversial because too few studies have been performed to prove its effectiveness. With changes in the amount of dosage, side effects such as symptoms of addiction, daily drowsiness and dizziness have been observed. Fatigue and nausea are side effects that are sometimes serious enough to cause a small percentage of patients to stop taking gabapentin. The use of a drug may also increase the occurrence of manic episodes in patients with bipolar disorder.