Gabapentin is sold under the brand names Horizant®, Gralise® and Neurontin®. Because there is limited research on how effective gabapentin is at reducing anxiety symptoms, it’s not typically the first medication a licensed physician will recommend for treating anxiety. Her anxiety decreased to 0/10 within 48 hours of increasing gabapentin, and she remained in remission on gabapentin monotherapy for the next 70 days despite ongoing psychosocial stressors. At the end of this period, she started to develop some depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire 9 score of 17), though her anxiety remained mild. This is true for all gabapentin products, which can cause withdrawal symptoms like anxiety, agitation, and nausea or vomiting. More seriously, stopping treatment with gabapentin abruptly can lead to seizures. If you want to stop taking gabapentin, don’t make any changes without talking to your prescriber. Gabapentin has also been used off-label as a treatment for anxiety disorders. It’s possible that your psychiatric provider may prescribe gabapentin to help alleviate some of the symptoms associated with these mental health disorders. Although evidence is limited, some studies show gabapentin can help with anxiety symptoms. One 2020 review suggests gabapentin may help with different types of situational anxiety, Gabapentin FAQs, answered: Knowing how long gabapentin takes to work, and what to expect while taking it, can help you get a better understanding of your treatment. Gabapentin for anxiety dosage In studies, gabapentin doses for anxiety range from 300 mg to 3,600 mg daily. Gabapentin isn’t usually used to treat anxiety alone. More often, it’s given to ease anxiety symptoms for someone who also has depression or bipolar disorder. (Anxiety is commonly Previously presumed to have a low abuse and misuse potential, gabapentin has been commonly prescribed for the treatment of anxiety disorders. 10, 11 While pregabalin has shown efficacy for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in two RCTs, 12, 13 the authors could find no such RCTs done for gabapentin. 9 One randomized, double-blind, placebo Since gabapentin stimulates GABA production, it can help reduce excessive activity in the brain that can trigger or exacerbate the above conditions. Gabapentin for Anxiety Although gabapentin may be prescribed to treat anxiety disorders, it is not FDA-approved for this use and is instead prescribed off-label. Gabapentin may have benefit for some anxiety disorders, although there are no studies for generalized anxiety disorder. Gabapentin has less likely benefit adjunctively for bipolar disorder. Gabapentin has clearer efficacy for alcohol craving and withdrawal symptoms and may have a role in adjunctive treatment of opioid dependence. While anxiety drugs like Neurontin have their place for helping cope with anxiety, they're not something that you should generally be solely relied on. As for Neurontin itself, the results are fairly mixed. Gabapentin may take longer to produce noticeable effects, and its benefits for anxiety may emerge more gradually as the dose is titrated. Both medications share similarities in that they help modulate excitatory neurotransmitters, leading to a calming effect that can alleviate anxiety symptoms. I’ve struggled with anxiety for over 7 years. Tried many SSRI’s and SNRI’s and buspar. Minimal help. Supplemented with klonopin (posted this recently as a topic). I just started using 300 mg gabapentin (100 mg in morning and 200 mg) in evening). Seems to be helping. Anyone else using it? By reducing anxiety levels, gabapentin may help create a more relaxed state conducive to falling asleep and staying asleep throughout the night. This dual action could lead to improvements in overall sleep quality that go beyond what might be achieved by targeting sleep issues alone.
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