Thoughts

I am on Gabapentin and Buspar for Social Anxiety. I just started taking them 9/10/2010, Friday. My question is when I first take them I get strong suicidal thoughts for about 30 minutes. I then feel the medication kick in and I am fine. Is this common with these medications? Will it go away with time?

Thank you in advance!!  

[GettingOlder]

Each person reacts differently to these meds. You should really call your doctor and tell him what you've posted. He will be able to help you!

[M4Y0U]

Yes there is a link with increased suicidal thought with gabapentin like most antidepressants and mood-stabilizers. They tend to go away with time. I will tell you the same can be true with BusPar since it have a relatively short half-life it is possible that you feel a comedown from it therefore creating the suicidal thoughts/depression symptoms as BusPar is a serotonin 5-HT1A receptor partial agonist as well as having some affinities with dopamine.

A good person to call other than your doctor for quick information is your pharmacist. Their knowledge of medications is far beyond the knowledge of most GP. Also for medications it's always better to consult a psychiatrist as they this is their main job to prescribe adequate medications relative to the patient's complains.

M4

[Paxiled]

Buspar hasn't really been shown in studies to help with much of anything other than augmenting ssris, so I don't know what it's side effects are -- given that the manufacturer's own studies don't show many effects.  Gabapentin has never been approved for emotional problems, so it's being used off-label and there's therefore not much research to go on -- this med anecdotally helps many with anxiety, but it's approved use is mostly for neuropathy.  So the suicidal thoughts are more associated with anti-depressants that have been used for a long time for depression and anxiety with some success.  However, any med that affects brain function can cause suicidal thinking or anxiety or depression or fatigue or a host of side effects.  Suicidal thinking is usually associated with just starting a med and it doesn't usually last, but since we're all individuals, generalized info doesn't apply to any one of us. lt's a probability, not what actually will happen.  You have to go on your own experience, since it won't necessarily match that of the majority of users.