# Gabapentin good for dopamine???



## michael10364 (Feb 4, 2011)

i have ran across an article talking about Gabapentin beiing used foor Restless Legs Syndrome, does this mean that Gabapentins pharmacology indirectly increases dopamine?

i have been trying to do my own research but my thoughts are very foggy lately, but does anyone have any info on this?


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## CD700 (Apr 22, 2010)

http://www.neurotransmitter.net/epilepsy_drug_reference.html

Possible Mechanisms of Action: 
Gabapentin binds to the alpha(2)delta-1 and alpha(2)delta-2 regulatory subunits of voltage-gated calcium channels (33). Gabapentin binds with higher affinity to the alpha(2)delta-1 subunit (33). It does not bind to alpha(2)delta-3 or alpha(2)delta-4 subunits (34). Gabapentin is also an agonist at GABA-B gb1a-gb2 heterodimer receptors (35, 36). In addition, gabapentin exhibits a complex interaction with NMDA receptors (37). The drug may either target certain combinations of NMDA receptor subunits or intracellular processes that affect the phosphorylation states of NMDA receptors (37).


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## viper1431 (Jun 6, 2012)

Can't see any mention of a link with dopamine.
It's action seems to be on the calcium channels responsible for telling muscles to contract etc.


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## michael10364 (Feb 4, 2011)

i was hoping to find some information about an indirect way of increasig it. such as how 5ht2c antagonism inndirectly increases the release of dopamine. i may just have to run this by my pdoc.


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## viper1431 (Jun 6, 2012)

You looking for a treatment for restless legs or was it just an example?

Low dose amisulpride will indirectly increase it by blocking autoreceptors.
umm high doses of effexor or extreme doses of zoloft will too, and imipramine.. not sure those ones are indrect though, they just block DA reuptake.

Maoi's of course, sergaline for da/ne if you don't want all the effects of the full ones.

Only other i can think of is abilify although more as a partial agonist. the DA agonists are the more common treatments for restless legs.


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## SimonRushton (Dec 7, 2013)

From what I have found so far Gabapentin has little or no affect, at least not directly, on the levels of dopamine produced by the body.

From the reports I've read so far the specialists don't exactly know how Gabapentin helps with pain relief. A theory is that it involves the binding of gabapentin to a specific parts of the calcium channels on neurons. A quote I found explains it better.

"This binding reduces calcium flow into the nerve cell, which reduces the release of some signaling molecules involved in pain processing,"

Unfortunately Gabapentin, in the sense that I have experience of it, is being used to manage the pain caused by Fibromyalgia as opposed to treating the root cause of the pain.

I hope this helps. I've also sent you an e-mail via forum.


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

When I tried Gabapentin years ago it did nothing. It might as well have been a sugar pill. On a positive note, it has no side effects.


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