I have just been prescribed 100 of gava for shingles pain but I also have severe depression. any suggestions?
Sorry to h ear you have Shingles..That is the pits! The gabapentin should help as it blocks nerve pain. Gabapentin takes time to build up in the system so may not work until you are over the Shingles??? Having Shingles is depressing but nothing to be ashamed of. No one knows if or when they will come down with it. Did you have depression prior to this?
Hello michele,
Depends on who you ask, and im talking doctors as well. Which i am NOT one, so check with yours. My experience- 47yr old/w mild bi-polar, acute PTSD and periods of severe depression. My psychologist prescribes me 300 x2daily (among many other things).My biggest concern and hers as well, is i have exhibited suicidal tendencies in the past. So this is something she watches for in our appointments, as suicidal thoughts, and even attempts can be a problem with this drug. Gabapentin affects your serotonin levels, so it WILL have an impact on you emotionally. I would be interested to know the medication you take for the depression, but i digress. Not here to pry. Be VERY careful. It could work well for you, or you could end up making your depression much worse.
I wish you well, and keep your head up. Quick caveat. When i quit smoking 15 years ago, it was hard. But i did something my friends laughed at. I put a pack of unopened cigarettes on my kitchen table, and every day for two weeks when i got home from work i would look at them as i passed by and say to my self "you don't own me, i own you!" Well, now every morning i get up and tell my depression the same thing.
I'm bipolar and I find gabapentin, which I take for fibromyalgia, has a side effect which HELPS my bipolar. I also take prozac 10 mg. I don't think 100 mg of gabapentin is enough to do anything. I take 1200 mgs per day