Neurontin

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Sasha - 10 Feb 2004 18:19 GMT

I tried Neurontin for a week or so a few years back as adjunctive treatment
along with lithium for Bipolar Disorder. It made me really sleepy and I
stopped taking it.
After yesterday's episode I would be happy to be sleepy if anything helps.
My neurologist had mentioned putting me on Neurontin after I was allergic to
Trileptal. I said no, it made me too sleepy, but I have reconsidered,
especially since other anticonvulsants have worse side effects. So I am
wondering if anyone here takes Neurontin and if the sleepiness sidde effect
goes away after a time. Also I want to know if it causes weight gain. The
info I've read seems to say that it doesn't really, or only a few, but I
would like to have first hand info about that.

Thanks,
Sasha

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Bob - 10 Feb 2004 18:28 GMT

> I tried Neurontin for a week or so a few years back as adjunctive treatment
> along with lithium for Bipolar Disorder. It made me really sleepy and I
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
> Thanks,
> Sasha

Hi

We had talked about this recently and I thought you had said that you were
taking other meds at that time along with the Neurontin and that they might have
been the cause of the sleepiness.

I take 1900mg of Neurontin per day and have no sleepiness problems at all. If
anything, it decreases my appetite and I'm having trouble maintaining my weight.
I'm currently down about 20 lbs from my "normal" weight and having trouble
maintaining that. Most of it was lost a couple of years ago when I had
pneumonia, but I never gained it back.

Bob

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Sasha - 10 Feb 2004 18:38 GMT

> > I tried Neurontin for a week or so a few years back as adjunctive treatment
> > along with lithium for Bipolar Disorder. It made me really sleepy and I
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
> taking other meds at that time along with the Neurontin and that they might have
> been the cause of the sleepiness.

Yes, I was taking lithium and possibly another psych med too which I don't
remember. I just remember being kind of sleepy even without the Neurontin.
I posted again in order to get more responses, although your response about
it was greatly appreciated.

> I take 1900mg of Neurontin per day and have no sleepiness problems at all. If
> anything, it decreases my appetite and I'm having trouble maintaining my weight.
> I'm currently down about 20 lbs from my "normal" weight and having trouble
> maintaining that. Most of it was lost a couple of years ago when I had
> pneumonia, but I never gained it back.

Well, I'm sorry you can't maintain your weight, but weight loss would be
welcome for me as I still need to lose 10 - 12 pounds of medication weight
gain from this other med I was taking last year. I would love to have to
force myself to eat instead of always being hungry. So that is one person
without weight gain. Good so far.

I see my neurologist next week, but I'm thinking of seeing him sooner and
seeing if he will try me on Neurontin, which was his first choice for asking
me about. I have this stupid phone phobia though, and hung up already. I
had an episode yesterday, although it was not as intense, it was still
really bad and then I felt tired and depressed the rest of the day. I guess
the Trileptal wore off. I don't want to go through it again.

Sasha

> Bob

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gaross - 11 Feb 2004 04:15 GMT

"Sasha" wrote in message

> "Bob" wrote in message
> > > I tried Neurontin for a week or so a few years back as adjunctive

treatment

> > > along with lithium for Bipolar Disorder. It made me really sleepy and I
> > > stopped taking it.
> > > After yesterday's episode I would be happy to be sleepy if anything

helps.

**G* If you called him this week, and he could either phone the prescription
to your pharmacist (If he agreed that it would work for you), or you went to
pick it up from him, then by the time you go to see him next week, you might
have taken it long enough if they had to do any Bloodwork :-o that it
would save you a second trip later for any tests.
Some of the Meds. I took, whenever I changed (e.g. from Dilantin to
Tegretol), I had bloodwork part way through getting to a target dose, then
~2 weeks after reaching the target, to see that I was absorbing the Tegretol
properly.
If that's how they test for Neurontin also, that would get you started
before your next appointment and you'd see how it was working, instead of
having more auras? or whatever the effect you had, described below this
week.
If you told him about the episode yesterday (I marked below with **s),
maybe they'd agree to adjust your current dose or change any meds. sooner.
Of course, he'd also know if it is free of any conflicts with the other
prescriptions you currently are using too. /G.

> > > My neurologist had mentioned putting me on Neurontin after I was

allergic to

> > > Trileptal. I said no, it made me too sleepy, but I have reconsidered,
> > > especially since other anticonvulsants have worse side effects. So I am
> > > wondering if anyone here takes Neurontin and if the sleepiness side

effect

> > > goes away after a time. Also I want to know if it causes weight gain.

The

> > > info I've read seems to say that it doesn't really, or only a few, but I
> > > would like to have first hand info about that.
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> > We had talked about this recently and I thought you had said that you were
> > taking other meds at that time along with the Neurontin and that they

might have

> > been the cause of the sleepiness.
>
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>
> > I take 1900mg of Neurontin per day and have no sleepiness problems at

all. If

> > anything, it decreases my appetite and I'm having trouble maintaining my

weight.

> > I'm currently down about 20 lbs from my "normal" weight and having trouble
> > maintaining that. Most of it was lost a couple of years ago when I had
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
> >
> > Bob

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Sasha - 12 Feb 2004 00:13 GMT

> **G* If you called him this week, and he could either phone the prescription
> to your pharmacist (If he agreed that it would work for you), or you went to
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> Of course, he'd also know if it is free of any conflicts with the other
> prescriptions you currently are using too. /G.

Well, I think I have decided to wait until next week. I feel fine now. I
just saw my psychiatrist who referred me to the neurologist and she said
that it is best to wait until the Trileptal is good and out of my system
before trying anything new and that is what the neurologist had said too
when he told me to see him again in two weeks. I was just wanting something
sooner because of the episode Monday. My psych doc said it was probably
just the Trileptal levels dropping. I may call my neurologist sooner if I
have another episode. I'm just afraid it might be worse next time, but then
sometimes I go weeks without having one... Well thanks for the advice
anyway.

Sasha

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Bob - 12 Feb 2004 01:30 GMT

> > **G* If you called him this week, and he could either phone the
> prescription
[quoted text clipped - 25 lines]
> sooner because of the episode Monday. My psych doc said it was probably
> just the Trileptal levels dropping.

Yes, it could have been partially due to a withdrawal effect of the Trileptal
and also due to the fact that you had no drug protection when the Trileptal
blood level went too low. Starting the Neurontin would have counteracted both
effects.

> I may call my neurologist sooner if I
> have another episode.

That's a little too late, isn't it?

> I'm just afraid it might be worse next time, but then
> sometimes I go weeks without having one...

Neurontin will possibly help make certain of that.

> Well thanks for the advice
> anyway.
>
> Sasha

Bob

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