Posted by MB on January 3, 2002, at 20:53:48
In reply to Re: GABITRIL (tiagabine) new anti-anxiety drug????? » MB, posted by Mitch on January 3, 2002, at 9:28:11
> > Well, at 150 mg, the Trileptal gave me insomnia. Then, when I increased the dose to 300 mg, I didn't notice a change until the third night at that dose, after which I slept 14 hrs. Maybe I'm just catching up on the sleep I missed when I first started taking it. Also, today was the third day without caffeine...that can cause hypersomnia too. I just took my bedtime dose an hour ago (I take it a little early so I can get it in with some food) and I don't notice any sleepiness. Maybe I'm adjusting! All in all, it is really tolorable. I realize how much I disliked the Gabitril!! One weird thing, though: When my last dose started to "kick in" I began to have the physical sensations of a panic attack but it never got too bad...just dissipated
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> I would hazard a guess that it will probably be a little while and at somewhat higher doses of Trileptal before you are going to see what it is going to be like taking longer-term. I believe the dose "target" for seizures (as monotheraphy) is 1200mg/day (600mg/bid). Usually when you get into the range used for epilepsy you are more likely to see a lot of unwanted side effects (I am thinking here of cognitive sfx). Maybe your pdoc will be "nice" and you will get a good response before you get "there". Trileptal is related to Tegretol. I knew someone in college that had been on lithium for about 20 years for bipolar (he was a Navy vet)and he complained about the cognitive sfx of his lithium and they switched him to Tegretol. He definitely liked it a lot better. It would be nice to hear about a Trileptal success since Tegretol can cause nasty blood disorders (rare, but dangerous).
So, what is the target dose of Trileptal in treating "rage attacks"? I haven't been diagnosed as bipolar, but I assume the dose to treat hypomania would be about the same needed to treat bad anger outbursts?? I'm at 450mg a day (150 tid). At this point, I don't think I would be willing to go any higher. I'm just starting to feel "icky". Not really sick, but a general malaise. I haven't really felt like leaving the house for about three days, and I feel like my depression is getting worse. Kinda depressed and chilled and headachy...I've come close to falling over in the shower a few times. That's OK when you're drunk because you feel so good, but when you feel shitty and you keep falling over, is it worth it? Also, I'm feeling a discomfort in my right side that I think is my liver. I've felt it a few times after I've had alcohol poisoning. I don't think I'm really happy with this stuff. But, then again, I've never been happy with medications: no benifit, all side effects. That's why I got the spect scan...figured that on the "right" med, I'd be willing to put up with the side effects, because I'd be feeling better in my mind. The AE merry-go-round is turning out to be very similar to the AD merry-go-round. How long do you give one of these meds (AE) before you know if the side effects are going to go away?...starting to get discouraged,
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> > > > Wellbutrin makes me extremely irritable (unless I pop some Xanax when it starts to kick in). I don't know that much about Provigil. I took something called adrafinil (similar to modafinil??) years ago. I don't think I liked it...it was like drinking too much coffee. Do you know the differences between modafinil and adrafinil?
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> > > > MB
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> > > I think that modafinil is a metabolite of adrafanil. I believe the FDA won't let adrafanil in due to liver toxicity concerns.
> > > I have had *some* irritability attributable to the WB. But, it is very short lived-I don't ruminate/adrenalize for hours afterwards. That is nice because I have taken other meds that increased hostility and I couldn't *put it down* (Effexor, Remeron, Buspar).
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> > > Mitch
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> > What about Adderall, how did it affect hostility/anger? Also, have you heard about the Serzone--liver connection? I just read about that on Medline. I think I may not ask the doc about Serzone after all.
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> > MB
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> I had some intermittent grouchiness from it-but I don't think it was the Adderall so much as the fact I wasn't taking an SSRI with it (SSRI's really calm me down). The main thing about Adderall that was just so dramatic was the improved sleep quality, daytime alertness, and NO cycling. Nothing else ever just flattened it out like that-so weird.
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> Yes, I heard about the Serzone. I read about some isolated cases of liver probems associated with it before they had to include the warning in their script info., but I thought it was too rare to get that concerned. Actually, the thing about Serzone that I don't like is that it has too many metabolites (WB does too) and hits too many receptors (like Remeron).
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> Mitch
That's too bad, because I thought Serzone was a good drug. I never got to stay on it more than a couple of weeks...got taken off of it because of a symptom that turned out not to be the Serzone. I would give it another try, but the liver thing scares me. I've drunk enough alcohol over the past ten years to kill 12 armies. My liver needs some kindness, probably for the rest of my life!MB
poster:MB
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URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020103/msgs/88689.html