Posted by JohnX on April 14, 2001, at 5:23:28
In reply to Help! Konopin and Now Neurontin, posted by [email protected] on April 13, 2001, at 15:44:45
> Please Please!!! If anyone has any information on Neurontin, I would love to know. I have been on Klonopin for 2 years now, taking 2 mg a day. It started out for anxiety/panic, but now I've been diagnosed with Cyclothymia...just south of the border of Bi-polar! My doctor wants to put me on Neurontin, but it's not even FDA approved for pyschiatric indications yet! Has anyone out there been on this medication, and if so, what are your side effects? Do you know any other websites that might be helpful. Also, How Do I Get OFF Klonopin...everytime I try and wean off slowly and over time, I inevitably get anxiety and moody, irritable, angry, depressed, etc. Thanks for any help!!!
Hi,Neurontin is in a class of medications called anti-convulsants. They act by stabilizing neuronal impulses. Generally these medications get FDA approval for epilepsy. Other examples include Depakote & Lamictal.
Klonopin is generally prescribed for anxiety, but it is also an anti-convulsant. However, the anti-convulsant effect of Klonopin can wear off over time. It has been studied for the use in epilepsy, but it is not generally used because of the poop-out effect.
The reason that the medications like Depakote or Neurontin or Lamictal do not have FDA approval for psychiatric disorders is due to the prohibitive costs for the manufacturers to do the clinical trials in these areas. Usually they just go for epilepsy approval, and then the meds are prescribed to treat many other symptoms like bipolar (manic-depression), migraines, tingling/numbness in extremeties, etc.
It is common practice for medications to be prescribed for things outside their FDA approval. I wouldn't worry about this. Neurontin of the anti-convulsants is one of the better meds that also can treat anxiety symptoms, so I would say your doc is on the right course.
Hope this helps and good luck.
-John
poster:JohnX
thread:59720
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010411/msgs/59787.html