Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

Spanish

French

OBJECTIVE:

To report the effects of gabapentin in a patient with concurrent depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and review the use of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in PTSD.

CASE SUMMARY:

A 37-year-old Latin American woman was being treated for major depression and PTSD. While the depressive symptoms were in remission, she reported a significant reduction in the frequency of her flashbacks after gabapentin was added to venlafaxine. She did not receive any type of psychotherapy. The flashbacks recurred after she discontinued gabapentin.

DISCUSSION:

While the improvement reported by the patient may have been related to a placebo effect or spontaneous recovery, treatment with gabapentin may have played a role in alleviating the flashbacks. Other published reports suggest that AEDs have a beneficial effect on some PTSD symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS:

AEDs may be of some therapeutic value in patients with PTSD. Future controlled studies are warranted to investigate the effectiveness of these agents.

Keywords

gabapentin kindling posttraumatic stress disorder

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 4th ed. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association, 1994.

van der Kolk

. Psychopharmacological issues in posttraumatic stress disorder. Hosp Commun Psychiatry 1983; 34: 683–91.

Schatzberg

. New indications for antidepressants. J Clin Psychiatry 2000; 61 (suppl 11): 9–17.

Hamner

, Frueh

. Response to venlafaxine in a previously antide-pressant treatment–resistant combat veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder. Int Clin Psychopharmacol 1998; 13: 233–4.

Smajkic

, Weine

, Djuric-Bijedic

, Boskailo

, Lewis

, Pavkovic

Sertraline, paroxetine, and venlafaxine in refugee posttraumatic stress disorder with depression symptoms. J Traumatic Res 2001; 14: 445–52.

Lipper

, Davidson

JRT

, Grady

, Edinger

, Hammett

, Mahorney

, et al. Preliminary study of carbamazepine in post-traumatic stress disorder. Psychosomatics 1986; 27: 849–54.

Stewart

, Bartucci

. Posttraumatic stress disorder and partial complex seizures (letter). Am J Psychiatry 1986; 143: 113–4.

Wolf

, Alavi

, Mosnaim

. Posttraumatic stress disorder in Vietnam veterans: clinical and EEG findings, possible therapeutic effects of carbamazepine. Biol Psychiatry 1988; 23: 642–4.

Szymanski

, Olympia

Divalproex in posttraumatic stress disorder (letter). Am J Psychiatry 1991; 148: 1086–7.

10.

Ford

The use of anticonvulsants in posttraumatic stress disorder: case study and overview. J Trauma Stress 1996; 9: 857–63.

11.

Fesler

. Valproate in combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder. J Clin Psychiatry 1991; 52: 361–4.

12.

Clark

, Canive

, Calais

, Qualls

, Tuason

. Divalproex in posttraumatic stress disorder: an open-label study. J Traumatic Stress 1999; 12: 395–401.

13.

Hertzberg

, Butterfield

, Feldman

, Beckham

, Sutherland

, Conner

, et al. A preliminary study of lamotrigine for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder. Biol Psychiatry 1999; 45: 1226–9.

14.

Berlant

. Topiramate in posttraumatic stress disorder: preliminary clinical observations. J Clin Psychiatry 2001; 62 (suppl 17): 60–3.

15.

Berlant

, van Kammen D

. Open-label topiramate as primary or adjunctive therapy in chronic civilian posttraumatic stress disorder: a preliminary report. J Clin Psychiatry 2002; 63: 15–20.

16.

Markowitz

, Finkenbine

, Myrick

, King

, Carson

. Gabapentin abuse in a cocaine user: implications for treatment? (letter). J Clin Psychopharmacol 1997; 17: 423–4.

17.

Berigan

. Gabapentin in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder: a case report (letter). Primary Care Companion J Clin Psychiatry 2000; 2: 105.

18.

Brannon

, Labbate

, Huber

Gabapentin treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (letter). Can J Psychiatry 2000; 45: 84.

19.