Posted by Wife of The Hulk on April 29, 2004, at 15:56:41
In reply to Re: GABITRIL (tiagabine) new anti-anxiety drug?????, posted by screamer on April 7, 2004, at 23:14:46
> I had an extreme psychotic episode on gabitril, I was increased to 16 mgs a day on fri and became extremely depressed. The following day I was sick and vomited right after I took my meds (just gabitril at that time of day, nothing else) so I took more, but was no where near the OD level my doc warned me about. All I remember after that is waking up from a nap, then I remember being in an ambulance. What happened in between my husband told me about the next morning when he picked me up from the hospital. I guess I laid right back down for another nap, woke up a little later, changed my clothes and came down stairs. Unfortunately, my parents, sister, niece and nephew were visting, my husband and my two kids were also there. They said I was pacing, and bumping into things real hard, but apparently not feeling anything, I kept falling down and when they talked to me, well my mom said I looked at her like she was speaking a forgien language. Finally they sat me down, but I wouldn't stay, my husband and my father, both well over 200lbs were holding me down and I started screaming my head off, that went on for awhile until they decided to call 911. When the ambulance arived, they said it took 5 of them to get me on the gerny, they strapped me down and gave me some kind of medicine for an overdose because my husband said that's all he could think of that might of happened. I remember the ambulance, there was a little bitty voice in the back of my head, saying 'what the hell are you doing?' but I could barely hear it, I was screaming and yelling and fighting so bad my IV's were pulling and my arms were bleeding, I was frantic, I thought they were hurting me, although there voices were kind enough, I didn't register that. My husband met me at the hospital and I cried and told him I was sorry, but it wasn't over, when they took me back, I started up again, screaming and fighting. I don't remember alot of what happened after that until around midnight. I guess they gave me a catscan and all I can remember about that is putting my head in something funny, they gave me a cathiter, but I don't remember that either. Around midnight, the nurse was checking on me and asking me if I knew what happened, but at that point I had no memory at all, thay asked me what medications I was on, and I drew a complete blank, I didn't actually remember until about 5am. It was the most terrifying night of my life, just to be completely out of control and have no idea what you are doing or what is happening around you. It's Wed now and I still am having a hard time talking because of all the screaming I did, my arms are bruised up and down and I am having a hard time remembering common everyday things. I would like to know if anyone out there has had similar expierences. If not, I would just like my story to be out there so others are aware that it can happen and happen so strongly that you have NO control, so please, BE CAREFUL!
> TTo sCREAMER:
Thank you for sharing your experience and my apologies for not posting this sooner!
On Tuesday afternoon, April 20th I thought I was going to check myself into a mental hospital. You see...(except for the vomiting) my husband had the EXACT same experience that you had after being perscribed 16 mg of GABITRIL and taking 1/2 pill on Saturday Night and a full pill on Sunday morning April 18th.
I will sum up the 3 worst days of my life as follows...Like you, Sunday morning my husband was a Zombie not responding and bumping into walls. i called his Doctor after observing his very abnormal behavior for 1/2 hour. Paramedics transported him to the Emergency Room which is where he had a VERY violent experience. By 10:30 am they had to call for 5 patrol cars so that the police could assist the doctors and nurses in calming my husband down. Seems he broke through a couple of wrist and ankle straps; therefore, they had to use police handcuffs. Thank God, I did not see (but heard loud and clear) what we now affectionately refer to as his role in "the Hulk".
By 4pm I was finally allowed to see him and we were told by a psychiatric nurse that because he was so violent and he tried to bite a nurse in the process, he was ordered to serve 72 hrs in a psychiatric hospital for "evaluation". Of course, they painted him as a monster and from the outside looking in, they treated him like a criminal.
What was most frustrating by this whole experience is that even though my husband did not remember being transported to the hospital or his violent behavior, he did remember taking the new perscription. We tried to convey this information to the nurse/doctors who insisted that GABITRIL would not have caused this reaction.
Thank God for friends and people that care because a co-worker who saw my stress on Tuesday morning took the time to search the internet and found your experience. When she read it to me over the phone, I got chills, cried and mostly praised God that it was the persciption and nothing more. That evening, I took a copy of your experience to the Hospital. Fortunately, the Doctor was making evening rounds and released my husband who was of course perfectly fine and ecstatic to come home!!!!
LIKE YOU, WE WOULD CAUTION ANYONE AND EVERYONE FROM TAKING THIS MEDICATION.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR SHARING. FOR US, YOUR EXPERIENCE GAVE US PEACE THAT WOULD HAVE TAKEN DOCTORS DAYS, MONTHS OR EVEN YEARS TO FIGURE OUT!
poster:Wife of The Hulk
thread:86944
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040429/msgs/341407.html