Link between suicide and Neurontin?

[Andy]

I saw a television commercial where an ambulance chasing lawfirm was looking for people who knew someone who killed themselves and took Neurontin at the same time. Is there some sort of link to Neurontin and mental state, or is this just another lawyer looking for settlements with rich drug companys (with the hefty lawyer fees of course)?

[SCI-Nurse]

Any specific link is not clear but since Neurontin is taken for numerous conditions-pain, seizures, headaches, bipolar disorder, just to name a few.It seems more likely that the underlying condition is probably the cause of depression and any suicide attempts. But, this certainly should be monitored in any one taking Neurontin and any depression should always be discussed with a doctor.

CWO

[Broknwing]

There have been links to Neurontin & suicide. I know FL Medicaid has quit paying for it. I don't have Medicaid, but one of my friends does & they quit paying for his. I believe this is one of the reasons that they gave for no longer paying for Neurontin.

'Chelle
L-1 inc 11/24/03

[metronycguy]

of all the meds i have taken for neuropain neurontin was the one that made me feel better, calming effect as far as less anxiety mentally, less worrying about future and i had a very good outlook. it also worked well on the pain i had at the time..
when i developed another chronic pain from RSD, i then started thinking about suicide quite a bit after about 8 months of it,
i think if neurontin would have worked on that pain i would have been mentally better

[Wise Young]

andy, there is some evidence to suggest that Neurontin (gabapentin) is useful for treating resistant depression. As with all drugs that modulate exitability of the central nervous system, there is some prospect of depression especially at extreme doses that people are now taking for pain and when it is combined with a number of other drugs. Many other drugs have much more depressive effects on the brain. For example, almost all the benzodiazepine tranquilizers (such as valium), depressive medications such as alcohol, and narcotics/cocaine have the tendency to get the brain neurotransmitter systems to lose their equilibrium and produce mood swings that lead to highs and lows. Our brains try to reach an equipoise and any drug that upsets the balance may lead to mood swings and depression.

From my reading, neurontin appears to be remarkably good from the viewpoint of toxity and minimal effects on mood. When it was first developed as an anti-epileptic drug, it was intended to be used at much lower doses. At the present, people who take neurontin are taking a dose that his probably 10 times higher than its previously envisaged use as an anti-epilpetic drug. There is no such thing as a "good" drug, including coffee and nicotine but there are some not so bad drugs and, in my opinion, neurontin is one of them.

http://www.psycom.net/depression.cen...abapentin.html

Wise.

[jb]

i've thought about suicide before they put me on neurontin. i only think more about it after a bad day. i wonder if it increases the thoughts more than plant the thoughts aside from depression naturally brought on because of the sci. it's an interesting concept. i'm on a moderate dose now 700mg every 6hrs for a total of 2800mg/day. i'm not on antidepressants yet. what effect will that have on the depression and neurontin dose? would it even help or just add to the depression? i recently saw on primetime where some teenagers on antidepressants such as zoloft, paxil... that commited suicide. only prozac was said to be fda approved whereas the others weren't. was there anyone who in addition to the neurontin took antidepressants? maybe that medication was the problem rather than the neurontin.

[Kaprikorn1]

I have taken 2400 mg/day of neurontin for almost 2 years and have had no mental side effects or suicidal tendencies. I think if you're suicidal before it, maybe you're still suicidal on it? All it does for me is stop the neuropain...thank god!

Kap

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