Like you and your doc, we were willing to give it a try also when I had a major vocal/breathing failure several months ago, going into respiratory spasms. Didn't help me but hope it helps you. Good luck.

Can't really say that I did, except some drowsiness in the first few days. I was only on it for two months though.

With everything I'd learned on this BB and the web, I probably had more background going into it than my doctor did (as tends to be typical of many of our treatments, as we all know).

My doctor told me it would take about a month to take effect so I didn't care much about the initial drowsiness while adjusting to the doseage. I was just hoping Neurontin would ease the breathing spasms and tightness in my windpipe when I talked, starting last March. During the second month, I had a couple of bad episodes (breathing spasms that were very scary) so my doc and I decided to stop it.

I don't think the Neurontin caused the breathing spasms (as a side effect), but since things were worse during those two months, there seemed no point in continuing.

As we've all learned, different people have different reactions (both positive and negative) so good luck, if you give it a try.

I've been lurking this site since I was diagnosed with SD-AD in August of this year. By coincidence, the neurologist that I go to for migraines prescribed Neurontin to prevent the migraines. Yes, it helped and I also noticed that my throat felt less constricted. But unfortunately, I also started to feel extremely anxious and "out of control" -- not able to cope. These feelings slowly disapated as I weaned myself off the Neurontin. I was on the neurontin for two months and the anxiety crept up so slowly, that at first I didn't associate it with the neurontin.

She now has me on gabitrol - a similar seizure drug. But again, it is for migraines, not SD. I've only been on it for two weeks so it is too early to tell. Meanwhile, after weeks of acupuncture, months of voice lessons, blah, blah, blah, I finally broke down and made an appointment for a botox injection. I go tomorrow. I am still ambivalent about this, but long to talk with ease (or at least with less effort).

Welcome to the NSDA bulletin board. Glad you've decided to post, after your lurking adventure. LOL. If you've read the BB for some time, you know that this is a positive place for patient information and support regarding SD. Hope you will continue to post.

In reading your post, seems like you are doing alot of things all at the same time. That sounds very stressful. Prescription meds, alternative and now going for Botox. It also appears you are reacting to several of them, based on your description.

Like you, I did alot of things (all alternative - vitamins, massage, chiropractic, many others) for five years between 1990-1995 when I couldn't talk and ENT/med docs couldn't dx my voice problem. However, if you embark on Botox (or even the prescription meds you mentioned), it might be a good idea to s-l-o-w d-o-w-n a little and be able to fully isolate the effect each is having on you. Sometimes we all try to do too much too fast (all at the same time) with our cases and then can't figure out what worked or didn't.

Good luck, and welcome to the BB again. Please let us know where you are located so people in your regional area might be able to better support you.

I am in Teaneck, NJ.

This month marks 2 years that I have been on Neurontin after having to take Botox injections for 6 years for SD. It has worked great for me and my neurologist, Dr. Ernesto Guido currently has 2 other SD patients and he has both of them on Neurontin after my great results. I take 300mg of Neurontin in the morning and 300mg around 1pm everyday. I also take .5mg of Clonazapam in the morning and drink plenty of water.

I have not had ANY side effects from Neurontin. My doctor started me on even lower doses and ramped me up over a 3 week period so I did not feel tired as some have reported. I manage a PBS television station and I am now able to give speeches at civic clubs and talk on television and radio with total confidence that my voice will be OK. Neurontin has been a wonderful treatment for me although I'm convinced that there are a number of causes for SD and that is likely why this may not work for everyone. However a number of people have contacted me on the Internet to report that they have found benefit from Neurontin from my informatin. I'm also glad that this month marks 2 years since I had a Botox injection which at one time the only way I could utter a sound.