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Have Been With Psychiatric. Have Been Prescribed Gabapentin. If Administered Less Dosage Acting Abnormal. Why?
I am a grief counselor and taking care of a 50 year old female who has spent the past two weeks in a psychiatric
unit and released several days ago. One of the medications prescribed is gabapentin with a daily dosage of 2400 mg
My question is this: While in the unit on a lesser dosage she was not acting abnormally (seeing people who weren't there, imagining flying objects and almost incoherent at times). The dosage was increased 50% on release from the unit. Your comment?
unit and released several days ago. One of the medications prescribed is gabapentin with a daily dosage of 2400 mg
My question is this: While in the unit on a lesser dosage she was not acting abnormally (seeing people who weren't there, imagining flying objects and almost incoherent at times). The dosage was increased 50% on release from the unit. Your comment?
Tue, 30 Apr 2013
Hello
Welcome to HCM
The symptoms in your patient in unit were seeing people who were not there, imagining flying objects and incoherence are definitely not normal. She was having hallucinations. For treatment of hallucinations and other psychotic symptoms management with antipsychotic drugs is needed. Gabapentin is not an antipsychotic medicine. It is currently mainly used in neuropathic pain. Decreasing or increasing the dose may have effects but certainly hallucinations are not one of them. I would like to know about her other medicines also.
Thanks
Dr. Seikhoo Bishnoi, MD
Welcome to HCM
The symptoms in your patient in unit were seeing people who were not there, imagining flying objects and incoherence are definitely not normal. She was having hallucinations. For treatment of hallucinations and other psychotic symptoms management with antipsychotic drugs is needed. Gabapentin is not an antipsychotic medicine. It is currently mainly used in neuropathic pain. Decreasing or increasing the dose may have effects but certainly hallucinations are not one of them. I would like to know about her other medicines also.
Thanks
Dr. Seikhoo Bishnoi, MD
I find this answer helpful
Hello,
Thanks for choosing health care magic for posting your query.
As you have asked for a direct comment, my answer will be direct. Gabapentin 2400 mg is a very high dosage for this kind of illness. Moreover if there was no abnormal behaviour there was no need to increase in dosage. Further such illnesses are better treated with behavioural therapy and cognitive therapy.
Hope I am able to answer your concerns.
If you have any further query, I would be glad to help you.
In future if you wish to contact me directly, you can use the below mentioned link:
bit.ly/dr-srikanth-reddy
Wish you good health,
Dr. Srikanth Reddy M.D.
Thanks for choosing health care magic for posting your query.
As you have asked for a direct comment, my answer will be direct. Gabapentin 2400 mg is a very high dosage for this kind of illness. Moreover if there was no abnormal behaviour there was no need to increase in dosage. Further such illnesses are better treated with behavioural therapy and cognitive therapy.
Hope I am able to answer your concerns.
If you have any further query, I would be glad to help you.
In future if you wish to contact me directly, you can use the below mentioned link:
bit.ly/dr-srikanth-reddy
Wish you good health,
Dr. Srikanth Reddy M.D.
I find this answer helpful
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