Posted by Viridis on March 2, 2004, at 0:52:53
In reply to Pregabalin Excitement!!! better than Xanax/Effexor, posted by jlbl2l on March 1, 2004, at 10:01:21
This really is just an extension of the previous posters' comments, but I'll add my prediction. If Pregabalin is as effective as they say it is, then it's bound to have discontinuation issues etc., just like benzos, SSRIs, etc. After all, if the effect is so dramatic re: anxiety, then people will become dependent on it and quitting likely will be very difficult, whether due to true withdrawal or simply a return to previous anxiety levels.
It's great to have another med in the arsenal of anti-anxiety drugs, but by the very nature of the condition it seems unlikely that anything that's truly effective will be free of dependency issues. In a broader sense, any med that changes brain chemistry in a major way (even if very positively) is not likely to be something you can go on and off of easily.
None of this is a criticism of Pregabalin (which I know little about), or anti-anxiety meds in general. Anxiety reduction is extremely important for one's mental and physical health, and I'm a big supporter of benzos. I just don't see how anyone with long-term anxiety issues could take a med that works, get results, and not feel compelled to take it continuously. The same goes for depression and antidepressants that work. Psychologically, and probably physically too, one is bound to become dependent.
Tolerance, abuse, etc. are separate concerns, and who knows how these will play out with Pregabalin, but if the pre-release "advertising" is true, some people probably will have to accept that this will be a long-term necessity, just as Klonopin, various SSRIs etc. are for many people.
If the meds work and improve your life, then that's what's important. I'd just hate to see Pregabalin give doctors yet another excuse to avoid the proven meds. Valium, Xanax, Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Effexor etc. were all marketed as the new "addiction" (really dependency) free alternatives for anxiety and/or depression, and all have proven to have dependency/withdrawal issues for some people, while at the same time being life-changing meds for many. I expect Pregabalin will be the same.
Of course, I'll probably try it!
poster:Viridis
thread:318977
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040228/msgs/319278.html