Gabapentin

[Balboa45]

Gabapentin

I had no idea that gabapentin was even used off market as a tool for quitting or cutting down Al. One of you mentioned antabuse, something I also use when not drinking in very small doses (125mg) every other day. You really can't compare the two, but you won't drink on the latter, trust me I've drank on antabuse a couple of times, won't do it again.

[StuckinLA]

Gabapentin

Gabapentin has shown some promise with anxiety and depression. There are a couple case reports (I'm not sure if there are any controlled studies) of it helping depression in a big way, where other anti-Ds have failed. It's use off-label for drinking is still in the really new territory. I can't imagine that it would work as well as bac - they're similar but mimic a different subreceptor of GABA and that's an important freaking distinction. But it's kind of the miracle pill du jour, ya' know? Good for what ails ya': nerve pain, anxiety, depression, muscle spasms and seizures, etc. and almost zero side effects.

In my personal experience I don't feel a damned thing when I take it. I've taken 600mg at a time with no noticeable effect. I have not taken it in any kind of regular way, but it's not like other meds that need to build up in your system over a period of time. And it has a super short 1/2life so it clears out of the body in about 4 hours or so.

[spiritwolf333]

Gabapentin

StuckinLA;1615435 wrote: Gabapentin has shown some promise with anxiety and depression. There are a couple case reports (I'm not sure if there are any controlled studies) of it helping depression in a big way, where other anti-Ds have failed. It's use off-label for drinking is still in the really new territory. I can't imagine that it would work as well as bac - they're similar but mimic a different subreceptor of GABA and that's an important freaking distinction. But it's kind of the miracle pill du jour, ya' know? Good for what ails ya': nerve pain, anxiety, depression, muscle spasms and seizures, etc. and almost zero side effects.

I've taken 600mg at a time with no noticeable effect. I have not taken it in any kind of regular way, but it's not like other meds that need to build up in your system over a period of time. And it has a super short 1/2life so it clears out of the body in about 4 hours or so.

Hi Stuck -Not sure if you have seen some of the most recent reports regarding Gabapentin.



News Release


Clinical Trial Indicates Gabapentin Is Safe and Effective for Treating Alcohol Dependence

LA JOLLA, CA ? November 4, 2013 ? The generic drug gabapentin, which is already widely prescribed for epilepsy and some kinds of pain, appears to be safe and effective in the treatment of alcohol dependence. The finding comes from a 150-patient randomized, placebo-controlled, double blind clinical trial conducted by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI).

?Gabapentin?s effect on drinking outcomes is at least as large or greater than those of existing FDA-approved treatments,? said Barbara J. Mason, Pearson Family Professor and co-director of the Pearson Center for Alcoholism and Addiction Research at TSRI, who led the new research. ?Plus it?s the only medication shown to improve sleep and mood in people who are quitting or reducing their drinking, and it?s already widely used in primary care?that?s an appealing combination.?

The new research was published online ahead of print by the journal JAMA Internal Medicine on November 4, 2013.

Reducing Cravings, Depression, Sleeplessness

As a relatively safe, effective and well-tolerated drug, gabapentin has the potential to fill a large gap in the treatment of alcohol dependence. About eight and a half-million Americans are thought to have the condition, yet each year only a tiny fraction of them are prescribed one of the FDA-approved medications for alcohol dependence, due in part to the limitations of the existing drugs used for treatment.

Patients who received the lower, 900-mg dose of gabapentin showed intermediate benefits compared to the high-dose group, likely reflecting what clinicians call a ?dose-response effect??a good indication that the treatment really is working.

?I think that we can now have confidence in the pharmacological effect of this drug,? Mason said.

In the new study, Mason and her colleagues randomly assigned each of 150 recently abstinent people with alcohol dependence to be treated with 900 mg or 1,800 mg of gabapentin or with a look-alike placebo. Over 12 weeks of treatment, the high-dose group ended up refraining from heavy drinking twice as often as the placebo group (45% vs. 23%) and entirely abstained four times as often (17% vs. 4%). The drug also significantly reduced the number of drinks consumed, as well as patient reports of cravings, depression and sleeplessness. None of the treated patients reported serious side effects.

[StuckinLA]

Gabapentin

Thanks, Spirit. There's still a key difference (which maybe is just me being nitpicky) in that bac treats cravings directly, whereas it seems gabapentin treats all the other crap that comes with reducing/quitting drinking. Sure, if your mood is a little better and you're sleeping OK, then it's easier to not drink if not drinking is your goal.

Which, come to think of it, is exactly where I'm at right now so I probably should start taking this stuff...

[JDizzle]

Gabapentin

I'm starting back on 1800 mg today. I'm actually going to try and not drink for a while but that usually lasts about 5 days. Gab didn't help with not drinking for me but did help with amount I drank. We will see if it starts working again.

[Juan BH]

Gabapentin

I'm glad you are taking another shot at this JD. AF time is only going to help you bro, so hang in there for a bit. You can do it!

[JDizzle]

Gabapentin

Holy crap I slept good last night. Didn't wake up once.

[spiritwolf333]

Gabapentin

JDizzle;1616461 wrote: Holy crap I slept good last night. Didn't wake up once.

Was it the Gabapentin (or strong liquor-jk)?

[JDizzle]

Gabapentin

No I stayed sober last night. All I did was a whole bunch of heroin, but that is sober since I didn't drink..... Totally freakin kidding.

It was the gab I suspect. I didn't drink or take anything else. I'm most likely going to drink Friday to test it out. I noticed too that when I over drink, I am drinking liquor. They just go down too fast for me. I'm going to try just beer and wine (AA folks feel free to crack all the BB jokes u want ). I drink those slowly and that seems to be where I had success more in the past.

[spiritwolf333]

Gabapentin

JD -let us know how that heroin works out for you (jk). You are too damn funny sometimes. I am beginning to suspect that their may be more good to Gabapentin than I first thought. I really need to become more informed on baclofen vs. gabapentin. But from what all I have read, both are very similar acting, but the gabapentin has many fewer side effects.

[JDizzle]

Gabapentin

For me (only) they worked the same.....while continuing to drink. I went to 120 mg of bac and got some controlled drinking. I slowed down on dose and when I went back to 120, it didn't work the same. The jury is still out on gab. I'm saying for ME they worked the same. Keep ur panties untangled. I'll report soon. I just hope I get the same sleep tonight. Ahhhhhhh!!!!!


Wolf, r u still considering tapering down on bac? I think ur a good candidate to try gab (better than me) since u want to stay sober.

[Juan BH]

Gabapentin

I also have a couple of questions for you JD:

Do you feel any kind of anxiety relief with the Gab (I see limited information on this in wiki) ? (For that matter, do you think you have any kind of problem with anxiety? Did you notice anything there with bac?)

What about cravings? I am fuzzy here. It sort of sounded like you had craving relief initially, but maybe the Jury is out on that. You don't usually drink daily though, right? Have you noticed any change in the frequency or intensity of your cravings?

[spiritwolf333]

Gabapentin

I found this thread earlier and thought it might be useful to some:

https://www.mywayout.org/community/f2...use-51066.html by bruunhilde on my way out -07-14-2011

"This is a medication worth trying if you have anxiety or depression and anti-depressants haven't worked. This pill made me feel better in one day, and my alcohol cravings have almost disappeared. I would like to attribute this to my personal revelations, but the physical craving has almost gone and I have doubts (sorry to say) that it's all due to positive thinking and spirituality. I think some of it is due to gabapentin. So I looked it up for this post: Check this out!

From the sometimes faulty but loveable Wikipedia - some serious amazing info on this drug being used for addiction. As well, at doses of 300mg or so, I don't get all the cranky side effects that topiramate and baclofen give me. Gabapentin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I only take it once a day if that, I skipped the last two days because it made me a little buzzy like I'd had caffeinated tea before bed. But that could be me going AF too....

This link was incredible, it's reviews of people who were depressed... Neurontin for Depression - User ratings & reviews - Revolution Health"

I am just trying to keep an open mind to medications that may be more helpful than baclofen.

[StuckinLA]

Gabapentin

There are case reports of gabapentin being kind of like a miracle-pill for depression where other ADs have failed, but sadly I don't have the time right now to redo my own research and post links. Sorry.

At the same time, re: Ne's post on her thread, gabapentin and baclofen are not in any way the same thing. I do not know the biochemistry here at all, but - and I'm getting this from the Wiki - gabapentin is a GABA anolog:

"Gabapentin was initially synthesized to mimic the chemical structure of the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), but is not believed to act on the same brain receptors."

Whereas baclofen is a GABAb agonist:

"Baclofen produces its effects by activating the GABAB receptor."

The important part - from what I know - is that gabapentin doesn't work on the same receptors as it was initially supposed to, and more importantly baclofen is the ONLY specifically GABAb agonist. Whatever the heck that means.

Please, anyone else feel free to jump in and correct me.

[spiritwolf333]

Gabapentin

StuckinLA;1617013 wrote: There are case reports of gabapentin being kind of like a miracle-pill for depression where other ADs have failed, but sadly I don't have the time right now to redo my own research and post links. Sorry.

At the same time, re: Ne's post on her thread, gabapentin and baclofen are not in any way the same thing. I do not know the biochemistry here at all, but - and I'm getting this from the Wiki - gabapentin is a GABA anolog:

"Gabapentin was initially synthesized to mimic the chemical structure of the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), but is not believed to act on the same brain receptors."

Whereas baclofen is a GABAb agonist:

"Baclofen produces its effects by activating the GABAB receptor."

The important part - from what I know - is that gabapentin doesn't work on the same receptors as it was initially supposed to, and more importantly baclofen is the ONLY specifically GABAb agonist. Whatever the heck that means.

Please, anyone else feel free to jump in and correct me.

Sounds like you and NE have gabapentin covered. Someone should inform Dr. George Koob -new director at the NIH-Alcohol and Abuse of your and Ne's Wiki findings.

Dr. Koob headed up the research for gabapentin at the Scripps Institute. Furthermore, Dr. Koob and Dr. Ameisen had several conversations regarding Baclofen. Dr. Ameisen was well pleased that Dr. Koob was aware of baclofen and that Ameisen had done a self-study. Also, Scripps has performed research regarding alcoholism using both baclofen and gabapentin.