Gabapentin for Bipolar Disorder: As Good as It Seems?

The treatment of bipolar depression is complicated by the inadequate antidepressant effect of most antimanic drugs and the frequent induction of mania or rapid cycling by antidepressants. Depending on how one interprets the results, this report of 15 patients with bipolar depression treated openly with the novel anticonvulsant gabapentin may suggest that it has some advantages for bipolar disorder.

The patients met criteria for major depression (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale score of 16 or greater) and most continued on mood stabilizers, neuroleptics, or benzodiazepines during treatment with gabapentin (300 to 2,400 mg/day). Six weeks after the addition of gabapentin, mean HDRS scores decreased from 21.7 to 16.7 (p=0.01). Even though 8 pa…