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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Christ_empowered on July 14, 2016, at 20:36:39
I had some problems pop up and I actually took my neurontin. I'm prescribed 100mgs x2 daily, as needed, on top of my usual combo. I almost never take it, but the pharmacy almost always fills it.
Thing is...maybe I should take it...I'm calmer, my mood is better, and my obsessive weirdness is down a couple notches.
Would this sort of response keep going with regular use? What kind of doses do people usually take, especially people on other meds for more severe problems? When I first tried it, the doctor prescribed 300 x 3, but that threw me for a loop. Since I don't like hydroxyzine, the doctor lowered the dose and kept in the combo as an as needed sedative.
Does neurontin keep working, at the same dose, for most people? I'm thinking maybe I could ask for an increase in neurontin and actually take it on a regular basis instead of adding something or asking for an increase on the lamictal (only on 100mgs currently).
Thanks in advance for the input.
Posted by J Kelly on July 15, 2016, at 6:39:35
In reply to neurontin, posted by Christ_empowered on July 14, 2016, at 20:36:39
Hi CE,
> I had some problems pop up and I actually took my neurontin. I'm prescribed 100mgs x2 daily, as needed, on top of my usual combo. I almost never take it, but the pharmacy almost always fills it.
I'm sorry I don't recall but I'm assuming that you take Neurontin for anxiety. 100mgs x2 is a low dose from what I've observed.
>
> Thing is...maybe I should take it...I'm calmer, my mood is better, and my obsessive weirdness is down a couple notches.If this is true, is there any reason not to take it?
>
> Would this sort of response keep going with regular use? What kind of doses do people usually take, especially people on other meds for more severe problems? When I first tried it, the doctor prescribed 300 x 3, but that threw me for a loop. Since I don't like hydroxyzine, the doctor lowered the dose and kept in the combo as an as needed sedative.I have a family member that takes 300x3 plus as needed later in the day. His mood has benefited consistently for quite a while from Neurontin. He says it helps his over all mood but does little for his anxiety.
My therapist takes large doses for hot flashes (which I'm pretty sure you don't have :) She says its successfully used for many conditions in large doses including even headaches.
>
> Does neurontin keep working, at the same dose, for most people? I'm thinking maybe I could ask for an increase in neurontin and actually take it on a regular basis instead of adding something or asking for an increase on the lamictal (only on 100mgs currently).Seems worth a try as you are currently on a very low dose. The people that I know/have known taking Neurontin have been very happy with it.
>
> Thanks in advance for the input.Good luck!
Jade
Posted by jonhed on July 15, 2016, at 13:33:58
In reply to Re: neurontin » Christ_empowered, posted by J Kelly on July 15, 2016, at 6:39:35
I was on 1200mg in the morning, just one dose per day and felt good.
For me, smaller doses does me anxious, if it didn't make me anxious i would have keep eating it.If you want my tip?
Increase the lamictal if you're happy with the effects lamictal gives you.
I think that lamictal is very very good, and superior to gabapentin.
This is my(!) opinoin, not everyone feels the same. that is my disclaimer.
Please can i ask you something?
Do you feel any side effects from lamictal?
Cause i beginning to think that i should jump on that medication again.... if you know what i mean.
I'm looking for cognitive side effects and heartproblems, that is my concern.
Everything else if fine by me.
I was on 200mg for awhile and felt great, but had to stop due to the dangerous interactions with the drugs i was on then (i'm an former addict). But that was 5 years ago when the psych ward thought i was bipolar, which i'm not, but i still felt good in it.
Just can't sort out what side effects that caused by drugs and what was just from lamictal.I would greatly appreciate if you could answer them questions for me :-)
Posted by Christ_empowered on July 15, 2016, at 17:04:44
In reply to Re: neurontin, posted by jonhed on July 15, 2016, at 13:33:58
heart probems w/ lamictal?!? That's new to me...
I was on 30/Abilify and 1200/Trileptal. I was having problems with depression. I'd tried Prozac (dropped it too early on in trial) and then Tofranil (too many side effects), so then the new shrink (its a clinic...doctors come and go...) added Lamictal. I only take 100mgs.
It does help. I was still depressed after adding in the full 100mgs/day, so the doctor added in Wellbutrin. I take the SR, so its 200mgs tablet 2x daily. Works well. My best guess is that the Lamictal is keeping my mood more level and probably boosting the Wellbutrin...something like that, anyway.
I may have to ask about going to 200mgs/day. That seems to be a fairly standard dose. I haven't had any major problems. I did have some cognitive weirdness and sedation once I got up to 100mgs. Keep in mind that I also take a full 30mgs/Abilify and a full 1200/Trileptal, and I'm prone to lethargy and concentration problems when depressed (and depression, especially psychotic depression, is my usual mood state...or was, before wellbutrin...), so I don't know that I can put too much blame on the Lamictal.
Now, I will say that I do Orthomolecular. Its old school, from the 50s...b-100 complex, grams of niacinamide, grams upon grams of vitamin c, high dose vitamin E, plus other stuff I added in because...well...why not? Point is...if nothing else, I think the high (sometimes massive) dose supplements reduce side effects considerably. I used to get a tremor and stiff gait from just 15mgs/Abilify. Now I tolerate a full 30mgs plus other stuff and I have 0 EPS, no dysphoria, no cognitive problems, etc. etc. etc.
So...Lamictal has been good for me, but I didn't get the full effect until the doctor added Wellbutrin. Kinda makes sense...Lamictal to keep the mood from swinging any lower and prevent future mood episodes, then wellbutrin to actually treat the depression+concentration problems. Intuitively, that makes sense (to me).
I will say that anticonvulsants can depelete your body of needed vitamins, especially B vitamins and I think C and E as well. I do Orthomolecular, so I'm fairly certain I'm well covered in that regard. If you opt to take an anticonvulsant, I'd recommend some high dose vitamins to prevent any deficiencies ((just throwing that out there)).
Keep us all posted on what you and your doctor come up with.
Posted by jonhed on July 16, 2016, at 8:43:02
In reply to Re: neurontin, posted by Christ_empowered on July 15, 2016, at 17:04:44
no no no, i was just asking if you had felt any heart problems while on lamictal (i'm a hypochondriac , as a diagnose so it's for real.)
Thanks for the answer, and i was experiencing a tremendous amount of eps when i was on a low dose of abilify back when it was new, but when i upped the dose to 30, i felt less eps.
Good to hear that it's working for you but don't you feel very sedated from all them tranquilizers together?
I've been on the medicines you have now too and felt very sedated.
I just wonder if lamictal would be a option for me with my current regimen of methadone, klonopin and memantine...
Thanks for the answers!!
Ps. I think that memantine has been the best mood stabilizer for me, an i've tried valproate, lamictal and neurontin.
Posted by Escapee on August 8, 2016, at 10:45:11
In reply to neurontin, posted by Christ_empowered on July 14, 2016, at 20:36:39
I've tried gabapentin twice. On its own which did diddly sh*t and as part of a combo. Still not much better, so I switched to pregablin. Much better.
Escapee.
This is the end of the thread.
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