Just wondering if anyone has had success with either Neurontin or Lamictal. I have read that it has worked with depression that has been resistant to other AD. Any info. on this would be helpful! Thanks so much. RJK

I take Neurontin along with Wellbutrin. I take a relatively small dose, 400 mg at dinner. People who take it for neuropathy take 3 or 4 times that much.

My doctor added it to my meds because I could not sleep through the night. I didn't need to be knocked out--that was one of my symptoms, waking up over and over at night and not being able to get back to sleep. I ran out of it recently and skipped a dose and spent a night from hell without it. It really makes a difference.

I do have to take it earlier in the day for bedtime use; as I said, for me, it's at dinner time. When I first began it and took it at bedtime, it didn't help.

I was on lamictal and it didn't work for me but it might work for you.

Lamictal is a mood stabilizer, not an A/D per se. Have you asked your doctor why he/she is using it? What is your diagnosis? I take Lamictal for mood stability and it works pretty good. However one possible side effect is reduced geographical/geospacial orientation abilities (see my previous post). I find that Lamictal has fewer side effects than Lithium, which gave me acne (on my back).

I have been taking Lamictal for about 4 months now. It has worked good for me and is being used to help with borderline personality disorder and the mood swings that go along with it. The biggest thing is that it make me really sleepy. I'm taking 150mg twice a day, along with geodon, effexor, wellbutrin, and trazedone.

good luck!

Thank you for your replies. Justin-time, my doctor is not using this for my treatment. I was just curious as to what others had found. I am on 15mg. of lexapro and it has not helped with my depression symptoms. I have been resistent to zoloft, depakote, and wellbutrin so I was just reading about some other alternatives. My diagnosis is bi-polarII. I suffer more from recurring depression than hypomania. I had heard that Neurontin and Lamictal were effective as mood stablizers and also helped with the depressive element of bi-polar. It helps to know that others are on the same journey seeking treatment options.

Neurontin is a great drug for me as I use it for few reasons.
Firstly, it's a great anti-depressant and you can go as high as 2600mg/day without bad side effects cause it is cleared by the body via the kidneys, not the liver, so the half life is about 6 hours.
It is great for anxiety at about 900mg/day or 300mg t.i.d.
Depression is ususally helped with 12-1400mg/day with 400mg t.i.d.
The highest a human being has been on with this drug without death is 49,000mg or 49 grams. No one needs that much, but testing has shown it to be very safe.
Gabapentin, the other name for it, was never approved for monotheraputic use in psych. It original use was for epilipsy and still is.
It is usally used with other psycho-tropic drugs but if you are well enough like I am, then there would be no problem with using Nurontin alone for those things.
It's also great to use to get off Benzo's if you are addicted seeing it has the same effect in the same region of the brain, the Gamma-Ammunibutric Acid Neural Transmitter. Tricks the brain it's getting Benzo's, kind of like Zyban and smoking but you still have to go slow but you can go a bit faster in coming off Benzo's with it, with docs approval of course. http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif
If anyone is interested in further information about Gabapentin, write me at nicholas.joseph@sympatico.ca and I will directly send you the url or page where you can learn more.
Ultimately though, it's up to your docs, so gimme a shout if you want! http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif
Cheers
Nick
Toronto Canada
Peace and Love Everyone!

Neurontin is a great drug for me as I use it for few reasons.
Firstly, it's a great anti-depressant and you can go as high as 2600mg/day without bad side effects cause it is cleared by the body via the kidneys, not the liver, so the half life is about 6 hours.
It is great for anxiety at about 900mg/day or 300mg t.i.d.
Depression is ususally helped with 12-1400mg/day with 400mg t.i.d.
The highest a human being has been on with this drug without death is 49,000mg or 49 grams. No one needs that much, but testing has shown it to be very safe.
Gabapentin, the other name for it, was never approved for monotheraputic use in psych. It original use was for epilipsy and still is.
It is usally used with other psycho-tropic drugs but if you are well enough like I am, then there would be no problem with using Nurontin alone for those things.
It's also great to use to get off Benzo's if you are addicted seeing it has the same effect in the same region of the brain, the Gamma-Ammunibutric Acid Neural Transmitter. Tricks the brain it's getting Benzo's, kind of like Zyban and smoking but you still have to go slow but you can go a bit faster in coming off Benzo's with it, with docs approval of course. http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif
If anyone is interested in further information about Gabapentin, write me at nicholas.joseph@sympatico.ca and I will directly send you the url or page where you can learn more.
Ultimately though, it's up to your docs, so gimme a shout if you want! http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif
Cheers
Nick
Toronto Canada
Peace and Love Everyone!