Gabapentin in the treatment of bipolar disorder

Gabapentin, a relatively new anti-epileptic drug (liED), is emerging as a therapeutic option JOr treatment refractory and rapid-cycling bipolar illnesses.Pharmacotherapy JOr bipolar disorders traditionally involves oalproate, carbamazapine, or lithium, drugs which are associated with numerous adverse effects.Conversely, gabapentin has an attractive pharmacokinetics profile and relativelyje w side effects.There are no large randomizedcontrolled clinical trials to date examining gabapentin's role in mood stabilization.However, informal reports have cited encouraging results in up to 80% ifpatients and general tolerance to side ifJects.Thesefin dings make the new drug a possible choicefor patients who haveJailed to respond to traditional agents or developed side effects which interfere with medication compliance.