• Parviz Malek-Ahmadi.
• Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, 3601 4th St., Lubbock, TX 79430-8103, USA. psychld@ttuhsc.edu
• Ann Pharmacother. 2003 May 1; 37 (5): 664-6.

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

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