Posted by MB on December 20, 2001, at 0:38:02
In reply to Re: GABITRIL (tiagabine) new anti-anxiety drug????? » MB, posted by Mitch on December 19, 2001, at 23:22:55
> Wow!,
>
> I had a relatively decent antidepressant response to Gabitril up to a certain level-about 12mg/day. It sure enough does flatten out your mood. Hmmm..this seems to be a certain spot that others have posted about as well (where the benefits start to switch over to unpleasant side-effects). BTW, "cooling" such hot-spots can be successful with Lithium, Depakote, Topamax, Tegretol, Trileptal, Lamictal, etc.-not just Gabitril.
> Personally---I would back off to 8mg/day and explain that reaction to this doctor and ask him if something else would work better given your adverse reactions to the med. I couldn't stand the stuff above 12mg/day.
>
> So, (IMHO), I believe your doc's assessment of the *fundamentals*-you need a mood stabilizer(s)+SSRI+psychostimulant. I also have done well with that combo (that's the combo I am on NOW-Neurontin+Klonopin+Celexa+Wellbutrin, I am counting the WB as a pstim). You are just getting a bad reaction to the Gabitril. Ask him to switch you to a different MS. Geez- Depakote, Neurontin, Lamictal. I just haven't heard any success stories with Gabitril. I had the worst derealization experience with Gabitril at 24mg/day.
>
> MitchHey Mitch,
I think you're right that the Gabitril might not be the best MS for me...but I still want to give it one more try with a much slower upward titration this time. Before I start switching meds, I want to be 100% sure (or at least close to it) that it's not tolorable. This is more for my own weird obsessive reasons than for any good logical reason. I remember during my first ride on the AD merry-go-round some years ago. If I didn't like the side effects of a drug, I'd switch to a new one within a few days. Then, if I didn't like the side effects of the next drug, I would start obsessing (I mean *really* obsessing) about whether or not I had given the previous drug a good chance (maybe a lower dose would have worked? maybe this? maybe that? etc.) and I would want to go back to it for another try and the doc would be like, "Nope, we've already tried that, let's try something new." I would obsess over the "what ifs" until I drove myself crazy. So, I'm going to try a slower titration and then, if I still can't tolorate the Gabitril, I will call it an unequivocal failure and ask to have my MS changed (another reason I want to give the Gabitril another chance is that i just bought 120 pills yesterday--ouch!). The doc said that the next MS he would want to try if Gabitril didn't work would be Trileptal. Have you heard anything one way or another about its efficacy in treating rage/anger problems? Is it bacically a "safer Tegretol"?Out of curiosity, what type of titration schedule did you use to get up to 24 mg?
Take it easy,
MB
poster:MB
thread:86944
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20011213/msgs/87491.html