Posted by ml on October 12, 2000, at 3:22:36
In reply to PsycGrad...any info on neurontin?, posted by catherine on September 24, 2000, at 18:43:18
> Dear PsycGrad,
>
> I'd appreciate any info you have on neurontin. I'm Bipolar and tried just about everything ... affects my liver. Hence, the neurontin. Weight gain or loss documented?
> Thanks a bunch!Hi, just wanted to share some info on nuerontin I've had w/ personal experience. I was on Nuerontin for a while and though I am also diagnosed w/ Bipolar I did not take it for this. I was prescribed it for seizures. To be honest it was probably the worst drug I've ever experienced. This is not to say that Nuerotin won't be a good drug for you, I know many people who do very well on it so I do urge you to try it. Everyone is going to react differently to different drugs due to our different chemistries. I've learned it's a matter of trial and error and web sites like these etc. But no, there is no side effect of weight gain on it so don't worry about that. I experienced severe headaches depression and sleeping literally morning, noon and night the entire time I was on this drug. I could not put one foot in front of the other and even though it did controll my seizures for a while I had no quality of life laying in bed all day long. Also remember I was probably on a much higher dose than you because I was taking it for a different diagnosis so I'm sure that had a great impact on the side effects. What else do you take in combo w/ the Nuerotin? I know it doesn't work alone for Bipolar. But, don't be discouraged I have heard where others have had wonderful results when in combination with another drug used for Bipolar. I'm not aware that it causes liver damage but if it states that, it is only in people whom have been on the drug for literally 10 yrs. or more and even then it's not mandatory. I have a friend who has epilepsy and has been on Nuerontin for 27 years and he is seizure free living a normal life and no liver damage. However he does complain about constant fatigue and sleeps alot during the day. Let me know if I can help in any other way. I know and haved lived with Bipolar Disorder for all of my life and wish for the "ultimate drug" to make my life more normal,but I have yet to have found it. I live with this disease every day and still experience more "ups" and "downs" than the normal or functional person who lives "in the middle." But I don't give up and I urge you to listen to your Dr.'s and know you need medicine and just try it is all you can do. Because the other option is usually hospitalization or death. We need medicine to correct the chemical imbalance in our brains we just need to admit it. And it's worth it when you finally feel better as I have and realize that life can be wonderful. Medicine literally saved my life without it I would be dead and I'm just glad I don't have to live feeling either suicidal or manic with nothing in between. Best of luck to you!
poster:ml
thread:45221
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000926/msgs/46187.html