Drug Interactions. Mood stabilizing medications can interact with other medications to create potentially serious health consequences. Be sure to tell your doctor about all the medications you are taking, including prescription medications, over-the-counter medications, herbal supplements, vitamins, and minerals. Side Effects Gabapentin is traditionally known for being an anticonvulsant medication. However, clinical studies in recent years have shown gabapentin to be potentially beneficial as a mood stabilizer due to its ability to calm neurons in the brain. Gabapentin is a nerve pain medication and anticonvulsant that has proven to be effective for people who have hard-to-treat depression or other mood disorders. It’s also making waves in the treatment of mood disorders. While it’s not typically a first-line treatment for depression, some patients with bipolar disorder have found relief from mood swings when gabapentin is added to their treatment regimen. It’s like adding a stabilizer to a wobbly table – it helps even things out. Some research suggests that gabapentin might have mood-stabilizing properties, potentially helping with conditions like bipolar disorder. It’s like the medication is acting as an emotional shock absorber, smoothing out the highs and lows. Three types of medications fall into the category of mood stabilizers: minerals, anticonvulsants and antipsychotics. Lithium is commonly used to treat depression and mania in bipolar disorder. It was approved by the FDA in 1970 and is still used in a number of cases today. The best treatment for bipolar disorder is a combination of other medications, including mood stabilizers, anticonvulsants, and antipsychotics. Milko/E+ via Getty Images Gabapentin (Neurontin) is one of the top ten most frequently prescribed medications in the U.S. My psychiatrist recently put me on Gabapentin for as a mood stabilizer/ to address anxiety and depression ( we're exploring a possible Bipolar II diagnosis as well). I'm not taking any other meds and have had negative reactions to several SSRIs. Neurontin is an anticonvulsant, or drug that controls seizures. In cases of depression, Neurontin works as a mood stabilizer. How do I take it? Prescribing information states that Neurontin should be taken three times a day. Neurontin comes in tablet, capsule, and liquid solution forms. Drug Interactions. Mood stabilizing medications can interact with other medications to create potentially serious health consequences. Be sure to tell your doctor about all the medications you are taking, including prescription medications, over-the-counter medications, herbal supplements, vitamins, and minerals. Side Effects Each mood stabilizer may have additional side effects unique to the medication, as opposed to the common general class of medications. Examples of this might include: Depakote: potential liver damage Evidence supports gabapentin as a treatment for alcohol withdrawal and alcohol use disorder. There is sufficient evidence to consider gabapentin as a third-line treatment for social anxiety disorder and severe panic disorder. Gabapentin is currently being studied as a treatment for bipolar disorder, and there have been favorable reports regarding its potential as a mood stabilizer (82, 83). The advantages of gabapentin include the lack of interactions with other drugs in the cytochrome P450 system and the lack of protein binding ( 84 ). Gabapentin (Trade name: Neurontin) is an anticonvulsant. It is commonly also used off-label for anxiety disorders , restless leg syndrome , and in alcohol use disorder . It is structurally similar to GABA but does not directly bind to GABA receptors. gabapentin (Neurontin) Doctors most often prescribe lithium for treating bipolar disorder symptoms. Mood stabilizer medications usually need to be tapered slowly. That means you stop using Gabapentin (Neurontin) is FDA approved to treat seizure disorder and nerve pain from shingles. But it’s also used off-label to treat many other conditions, including anxiety, nerve pain from diabetes, and hot flashes. Gabapentin may be effective for anxiety, but it’s usually not a first-choice medication for this use. ing gabapentin alone, 3 were receiving antidepressant medications with gabapentin, and 1 was receiving a medi-cation (alprazolam) that may have antidepressant proper-ties. Only 1 patient was receiving mood stabilizers (lithi-um) and at a subtherapeutic mood-stabilizing dose. In 2 cases (patients 1 and 4), the manic symptoms consisted of For 1 year, 13 patients received adjunctive gabapentin with standard mood stabilizers and 12 patients received adjunctive placebo. On the basis of the CGI-BP, gabapentin-treated patients showed significant improvement from baseline to month 12. It is crucial to monitor any changes in mood or depression while taking the medication and seek medical attention if necessary.Additionally, gabapentin can interact with other medications, including opioids and certain stomach acid medications, so it is important to inform healthcare providers about all medications being taken. This list of mood stabilizer drugs is organized by mineral, anticonvulsants, and antipsychotics, including medications such as lithium (Lithobid), valproic acid (Depakote), and aripiprazole (Abilify).
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