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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 73 to 97 of 103. Go back in thread:
Posted by MB on January 4, 2002, at 23:37:26
In reply to Re: GABITRIL (tiagabine) new anti-anxiety drug????? » MB, posted by Mitch on January 4, 2002, at 16:41:43
> Just before I was diagnosed BP I went to college the first time and made it through the first fall semester, but when Spring semester started I was in the middle of a very bad depression (late Fall-early Winter episodes I had been having since I was a little kid). I only made it to class half the time, then dropped out. I tried to go back a few years later and made it another two years (on Lithium+diazepam), then sank into another depressive episode in late November and dropped out again shortly into the begining of the next Spring semester (back in '88). I had a job offer from a high school friend to start working construction jobs and travel around a lot. It was so different from the life I was leading at the time (always broke-studying-depressed), I jumped at it and left school for several more years. I pretty much was off meds altogether for quite awhile-but construction work slows a LOT during the wintertime and coincided with my depressions and it fit well for me. Well, I got into a fight with my boss, lost my job, had a bad wreck, got very depressed, went back on lithium, and finally got leveled out again. This time Prozac had been around for a little while and my doc suggested I try some with my lithium. WOW, what a difference! I was back in school within a few months and stayed in there until I finished. I don't think I could have done it without the Prozac. As far as being able to juggle working/school, etc., it isn't as difficult as you might imagine, it is just very tiring. Semesters would end-I would just collapse and sleep 10+hrs/day for a week or two after finals. Once you get into the regimen of doing all that it becomes easier (especially when you are not severely depressed anymore!).
I also dropped out of college a number of times. I got great grades (most of the time) but I would always start self-medicating with the ol' recreationals and drop out. I got on medication, but it never really worked with the drugs (also, I probably had the wrong med combo). It wasn't until I had been "sober" for six months that I was able to go back to school, but at that point I had quit my meds cold turkey. I had been on Paxil for two years when I went to rehab. Once I got the booze out of the old system, the side effects of Paxil really kicked in (funny that they didn't kick in before that...) and I was sleeping 14 hrs a day and gaining weight like crazy. I'd go to work at 3:00 pm (sushi chef), work until 11:00 pm, get in bed by 12:00 am, and crawl out of bed at 2:00 pm. I got off the Paxil and it was like I finally "got my soul back". It was like part of the movie Pleasantville where the black and white town is infused with color. I had energy, finally, and I could eat a meal and feel *full* afterwards (what a concept). It wasn't long, though, before I was an anxious, depressed, raging freak again. Without the meds, I need about three hours a day where I can just sit, do nothing, and focus on calming down and not killing myself. This need for ~20 extra hours a week to just sit pretty much precludes the course load I would like to take. Plus, with the OCD, I spend too much time on projects (e.g., turning in 20 pages when the assignment only called for eight--this might be manic, too). Well, I hope that with the right combo and some good therapy I can have the stamina you did and FINALLY GET THROUGH SCHOOL!!! Lord knows it's been 10 years since I started out on getting a degree. Yikes.MB
Posted by Mitch on January 5, 2002, at 10:15:14
In reply to Re: GABITRIL (tiagabine) new anti-anxiety drug????? » Mitch, posted by MB on January 4, 2002, at 23:37:26
> I also dropped out of college a number of times. I got great grades (most of the time) but I would always start self-medicating with the ol' recreationals and drop out. I got on medication, but it never really worked with the drugs (also, I probably had the wrong med combo). It wasn't until I had been "sober" for six months that I was able to go back to school, but at that point I had quit my meds cold turkey. I had been on Paxil for two years when I went to rehab. Once I got the booze out of the old system, the side effects of Paxil really kicked in (funny that they didn't kick in before that...) and I was sleeping 14 hrs a day and gaining weight like crazy. I'd go to work at 3:00 pm (sushi chef), work until 11:00 pm, get in bed by 12:00 am, and crawl out of bed at 2:00 pm. I got off the Paxil and it was like I finally "got my soul back". It was like part of the movie Pleasantville where the black and white town is infused with color. I had energy, finally, and I could eat a meal and feel *full* afterwards (what a concept). It wasn't long, though, before I was an anxious, depressed, raging freak again. Without the meds, I need about three hours a day where I can just sit, do nothing, and focus on calming down and not killing myself. This need for ~20 extra hours a week to just sit pretty much precludes the course load I would like to take. Plus, with the OCD, I spend too much time on projects (e.g., turning in 20 pages when the assignment only called for eight--this might be manic, too). Well, I hope that with the right combo and some good therapy I can have the stamina you did and FINALLY GET THROUGH SCHOOL!!! Lord knows it's been 10 years since I started out on getting a degree. Yikes.
>
> MB
Booze can really disrupt your sleep architecture and make you sleep-deprived even though it seems you have slept enough. I think sleep-deprivation (no matter what the reason) tends to self-perpetuate itself (and hypersomnia-likewise). That may explain why I didn't have a lot of trouble with a few hours sleep every nite (once I got used to it). When you get bogged down with a lot of courseload and work in school you will begin to "self-schedule" and assign yourself appropriate amounts of time to do projects (it took me about four or five semesters to get that down). It was like boot-camp with my ADHD! I have to makeup sticky notes with color-coding all sorts of crap to stay on track, otherwise I will procrastinate all the way down to the deadlines and get more and more agitated.
FWIW, Prozac is like night/day compared to Paxil as far as energy goes. You might even experience some agitation on it if you start out on a big dose. I started out on 20mg capsules and I was ok....for a few days. When it started to build-up in my body it got to where I would barely sleep at all. Whew! I was wired for sound. My pupils were dilated and I was all sweaty. I had to start reducing the dose after about ten days on 20mg. I cut it in half to 10mg/day for several more days, and I was still too wired! I settled on 5mg/day for about another month or so and then finally reached a point where I spread a 20mg capsule (in juice) out over an entire week. That was my maintenance dose for several years. I just needed to push it up during the winter. I took my lithium at bedtime. Prozac is probably a really good choice-just watch out on the dosage.Mitch
Posted by MB on January 5, 2002, at 13:08:54
In reply to Re: GABITRIL (tiagabine) new anti-anxiety drug????? » MB, posted by Mitch on January 5, 2002, at 10:15:14
> > I also dropped out of college a number of times. I got great grades (most of the time) but I would always start self-medicating with the ol' recreationals and drop out. I got on medication, but it never really worked with the drugs (also, I probably had the wrong med combo). It wasn't until I had been "sober" for six months that I was able to go back to school, but at that point I had quit my meds cold turkey. I had been on Paxil for two years when I went to rehab. Once I got the booze out of the old system, the side effects of Paxil really kicked in (funny that they didn't kick in before that...) and I was sleeping 14 hrs a day and gaining weight like crazy. I'd go to work at 3:00 pm (sushi chef), work until 11:00 pm, get in bed by 12:00 am, and crawl out of bed at 2:00 pm. I got off the Paxil and it was like I finally "got my soul back". It was like part of the movie Pleasantville where the black and white town is infused with color. I had energy, finally, and I could eat a meal and feel *full* afterwards (what a concept). It wasn't long, though, before I was an anxious, depressed, raging freak again. Without the meds, I need about three hours a day where I can just sit, do nothing, and focus on calming down and not killing myself. This need for ~20 extra hours a week to just sit pretty much precludes the course load I would like to take. Plus, with the OCD, I spend too much time on projects (e.g., turning in 20 pages when the assignment only called for eight--this might be manic, too). Well, I hope that with the right combo and some good therapy I can have the stamina you did and FINALLY GET THROUGH SCHOOL!!! Lord knows it's been 10 years since I started out on getting a degree. Yikes.
> >
> > MB
>
>
> Booze can really disrupt your sleep architecture and make you sleep-deprived even though it seems you have slept enough. I think sleep-deprivation (no matter what the reason) tends to self-perpetuate itself (and hypersomnia-likewise). That may explain why I didn't have a lot of trouble with a few hours sleep every nite (once I got used to it). When you get bogged down with a lot of courseload and work in school you will begin to "self-schedule" and assign yourself appropriate amounts of time to do projects (it took me about four or five semesters to get that down). It was like boot-camp with my ADHD! I have to makeup sticky notes with color-coding all sorts of crap to stay on track, otherwise I will procrastinate all the way down to the deadlines and get more and more agitated.
> FWIW, Prozac is like night/day compared to Paxil as far as energy goes. You might even experience some agitation on it if you start out on a big dose. I started out on 20mg capsules and I was ok....for a few days. When it started to build-up in my body it got to where I would barely sleep at all. Whew! I was wired for sound. My pupils were dilated and I was all sweaty. I had to start reducing the dose after about ten days on 20mg. I cut it in half to 10mg/day for several more days, and I was still too wired! I settled on 5mg/day for about another month or so and then finally reached a point where I spread a 20mg capsule (in juice) out over an entire week. That was my maintenance dose for several years. I just needed to push it up during the winter. I took my lithium at bedtime. Prozac is probably a really good choice-just watch out on the dosage.
>
> Mitch
Well it seems like you are as sensitive to meds as I am. I often wonder if mine is a body intolorance (endocrinological?) or a mind thing (brain chemistry?). I seem to have exorbitant tolorances to drugs that feel good, but low low tolorances to drugs that have crappy side effects. There seems to be a corrilation between this phenomenon and the fact that I only react to the negative things in life. Things that usually make people happy have little positive effect on me emotionally, but the bad stuff sure has a negative impact!!I am going to start on a very low dose of Prozac. The Trileptal is supposed to increase my tolorance to the Prozac, but the fact that I''m often wired, shaky and sweaty on the Trileptal worrys me a lot. I tried to decrease the Trileptal dose and the irritability and anger that ensued was frightening. I just wonder if this is the right treatment algorithm. The AE helps, but the autonomic stimulation and malaise is too much (but then again, I go through periods when I'm very sedated, and the timing is unpredictable). This stuff is so hard to figure out. Also, when I lie down, I cant tell when I'm awake or asleep. It's really trippy: I started to feel weak and sick so I lay down and thought that these pills were muscial acts and that I was a rock star and that if I could perform the right musical act in the right city at the right time I could save the world. Also, I feel last night like my fingers were someone elses. These kind of psychotic breaks scare me and I don't have them when I'm not taking the antiepileptics. This whole thing is lame (but at least I'm not raging...what a trade off, huh?)
MB
Posted by MB on January 5, 2002, at 13:18:28
In reply to Re: GABITRIL (tiagabine) new anti-anxiety drug????? » Mitch, posted by MB on January 5, 2002, at 13:08:54
I feel bad that I get so negative sometimes. It's just that I feel sicker and crazier than I did before I went to this place and I've bacically spent the entire (month long) Winter break on my back and school starts in two days and I am a wreck and pissed off. I know I'm not the only one with difficulties, and my negativity is probably not helpful. It's hard to be positive all the time, though.
MB
Posted by Mitch on January 5, 2002, at 14:11:21
In reply to Re: GABITRIL (tiagabine) new anti-anxiety drug????? » Mitch, posted by MB on January 5, 2002, at 13:08:54
> Well it seems like you are as sensitive to meds as I am. I often wonder if mine is a body intolorance (endocrinological?) or a mind thing (brain chemistry?). I seem to have exorbitant tolorances to drugs that feel good, but low low tolorances to drugs that have crappy side effects. There seems to be a corrilation between this phenomenon and the fact that I only react to the negative things in life. Things that usually make people happy have little positive effect on me emotionally, but the bad stuff sure has a negative impact!!
I think it is a little of both (physical and mental intolerance). There was a poster here that mentioned something about a real syndrome and it was called "multiple chemical sensitivity" or something like that. I think this has something to do with how you are "hard-wired" as well. The seizure hypothesis in relation to bipolar and rage attacks, etc., may really be onto something. There are AED's that *increase* seizures in people with epilepsy-so it's not as simple as "take an AED" and seizures will be reduced-it has to be the right one.
> I am going to start on a very low dose of Prozac. The Trileptal is supposed to increase my tolorance to the Prozac, but the fact that I''m often wired, shaky and sweaty on the Trileptal worrys me a lot. I tried to decrease the Trileptal dose and the irritability and anger that ensued was frightening. I just wonder if this is the right treatment algorithm. The AE helps, but the autonomic stimulation and malaise is too much (but then again, I go through periods when I'm very sedated, and the timing is unpredictable). This stuff is so hard to figure out. Also, when I lie down, I cant tell when I'm awake or asleep. It's really trippy: I started to feel weak and sick so I lay down and thought that these pills were muscial acts and that I was a rock star and that if I could perform the right musical act in the right city at the right time I could save the world. Also, I feel last night like my fingers were someone elses. These kind of psychotic breaks scare me and I don't have them when I'm not taking the antiepileptics. This whole thing is lame (but at least I'm not raging...what a trade off, huh?)
>
> MBI don't think it is really psychotic "breaks". I believe it has more to do with derealization and depersonalization experiences-which may be related to some type of seizure-like activity. Also there are folks that have DR/DP as a distinct disorder (I think JahL here is one).
I would sound off about this stuff to your doctor! He sounds receptive and willing to find something that is going to work.
> I feel bad that I get so negative sometimes. It's just that I feel sicker and crazier than I did before I went to this place and I've bacically spent the entire (month long) Winter break on my back and school starts in two days and I am a wreck and pissed off. I know I'm not the only one with difficulties, and my negativity is probably not helpful. It's hard to be positive all the time, though.
>
> MB
That's OK. You are probably just stressing about going back to school. Also, it does *seem* that your moods are cycling every few days. I would guess that when you start a little Prozac some of this angst will settle down and you will feel calmer and more energetic.Mitch
Posted by MB on January 6, 2002, at 9:12:08
In reply to Re: GABITRIL (tiagabine) new anti-anxiety drug????? » MB, posted by Mitch on January 5, 2002, at 14:11:21
> > Well it seems like you are as sensitive to meds as I am. I often wonder if mine is a body intolorance (endocrinological?) or a mind thing (brain chemistry?). I seem to have exorbitant tolorances to drugs that feel good, but low low tolorances to drugs that have crappy side effects. There seems to be a corrilation between this phenomenon and the fact that I only react to the negative things in life. Things that usually make people happy have little positive effect on me emotionally, but the bad stuff sure has a negative impact!!
>
> I think it is a little of both (physical and mental intolerance). There was a poster here that mentioned something about a real syndrome and it was called "multiple chemical sensitivity" or something like that. I think this has something to do with how you are "hard-wired" as well. The seizure hypothesis in relation to bipolar and rage attacks, etc., may really be onto something. There are AED's that *increase* seizures in people with epilepsy-so it's not as simple as "take an AED" and seizures will be reduced-it has to be the right one.
Yeah, finding the right one is probably important. With AEs it seems like it would be more important than with the SSRIs since many AEs work via different mechanisms. With the SSRIs it seems like a person is simply looking for an acceptable side effect profile, while with the AEs, a person is also looking for a med with the correct *primary* action.
> > I am going to start on a very low dose of Prozac. The Trileptal is supposed to increase my tolorance to the Prozac, but the fact that I''m often wired, shaky and sweaty on the Trileptal worrys me a lot. I tried to decrease the Trileptal dose and the irritability and anger that ensued was frightening. I just wonder if this is the right treatment algorithm. The AE helps, but the autonomic stimulation and malaise is too much (but then again, I go through periods when I'm very sedated, and the timing is unpredictable). This stuff is so hard to figure out. Also, when I lie down, I cant tell when I'm awake or asleep. It's really trippy: I started to feel weak and sick so I lay down and thought that these pills were muscial acts and that I was a rock star and that if I could perform the right musical act in the right city at the right time I could save the world. Also, I feel last night like my fingers were someone elses. These kind of psychotic breaks scare me and I don't have them when I'm not taking the antiepileptics. This whole thing is lame (but at least I'm not raging...what a trade off, huh?)
> >
> > MB
>
> I don't think it is really psychotic "breaks". I believe it has more to do with derealization and depersonalization experiences-which may be related to some type of seizure-like activity. Also there are folks that have DR/DP as a distinct disorder (I think JahL here is one).
> I would sound off about this stuff to your doctor! He sounds receptive and willing to find something that is going to work.
Well, the severity of the DP/DR does seem dose dependent, and he did give me permission to drop the dose back until I could "tolorate" it (and we could "tinker later once on all three meds). I put tolorate in quotes because it is such a subjective term, i.e., "tolorate" = "what I am *willing* to put up with". A little DR/DP as I'm falling asleep is kind of neat and makes for some trippy dreams (and is excellent material for psychoanalysis) but I'm *not* willing to put up with it with while I'm up and about (e.g., at school or driving). I've had *severe* derealization on high doses of benzodiazepines and I'm getting scared this might be a latent condition that will emerge if I'm not careful. That's a scary thought. I don't know what the relationship is between DR and psychosis. My Grandmother was paranoid delusional and it was really bad; she suffered so much. I'm scared to death of developing that.
> > I feel bad that I get so negative sometimes. It's just that I feel sicker and crazier than I did before I went to this place and I've bacically spent the entire (month long) Winter break on my back and school starts in two days and I am a wreck and pissed off. I know I'm not the only one with difficulties, and my negativity is probably not helpful. It's hard to be positive all the time, though.
> >
> > MB
>
>
> That's OK. You are probably just stressing about going back to school. Also, it does *seem* that your moods are cycling every few days. I would guess that when you start a little Prozac some of this angst will settle down and you will feel calmer and more energetic.
>
> Mitch
I think I am stressing a little about school...I knew I wouldn't be cured during the month break, but I wanted to feel a little better, not worse, when I went back. Yesterday, I did some deep breating and focused on the fact that my fears about school were irrational: that I'm going to flunk out, that I'm going to have a psychotic break in class, that I'm never going to graduate, that I'll end up crazy on the streets, ad infinitum. I passed Calculus 10 years ago on LSD (which certainly didn't help the ol' brain chemistry a bit!! lol)...I think I'll be OK with a little Trileptal wooziness. I have to remember that a lot of my worrying about the meds is part of the original condition that's being treated...and as I get better, I'll obsess less about a side effect here or a side effect there.thanks for all the support
and positive words,
MB
Posted by Mitch on January 6, 2002, at 11:40:53
In reply to Re: GABITRIL (tiagabine) new anti-anxiety drug????? » Mitch, posted by MB on January 6, 2002, at 9:12:08
Posted by beardedlady on March 1, 2002, at 8:15:13
In reply to Re: GABITRIL (tiagabine) new anti-anxiety drug????? » MB, posted by Mitch on January 4, 2002, at 10:25:25
I don't have anything but insomnia--and panic related to not sleeping. It developed three years ago, when my daughter quit nursing (and I had a few other crises). I've been on Serzone, after tries with Zoloft, Trazadone, Zanax. It has worked great! But now, because of the BLACK BOX (liver failure), I have to go on something different. My doctor prescribed Gabitril. I'm scared to death, of course.
Does anyone know if this is supposed to work? I'm afraid of all the side effects, even though my doc said I'll only be taking 4 to 8 mg. (I'm not depressed or anything else--except about this!) I took 2mg. last night and had a panic attack (just from the anxiety of the whole situation, though; I don't think it was the Gabitril. Or was it?). I finally took a sleeping pill so I could get some sleep.
Serzone had no sexual side effects, no weight gain, nothing. It was the best thing for me. So I am not looking forward to changing meds. Is there another drug out there (not a benzo) that might work? Should I feel safe with Gabitril?
Please help!
Posted by marshall on April 14, 2002, at 20:54:50
In reply to Gabitril to Replace for Serzone to Treat Insomnia?, posted by beardedlady on March 1, 2002, at 8:15:13
> I don't have anything but insomnia--and panic related to not sleeping. It developed three years ago, when my daughter quit nursing (and I had a few other crises). I've been on Serzone, after tries with Zoloft, Trazadone, Zanax. It has worked great! But now, because of the BLACK BOX (liver failure), I have to go on something different. My doctor prescribed Gabitril. I'm scared to death, of course.
>
> Does anyone know if this is supposed to work? I'm afraid of all the side effects, even though my doc said I'll only be taking 4 to 8 mg. (I'm not depressed or anything else--except about this!) I took 2mg. last night and had a panic attack (just from the anxiety of the whole situation, though; I don't think it was the Gabitril. Or was it?). I finally took a sleeping pill so I could get some sleep.
>
> Serzone had no sexual side effects, no weight gain, nothing. It was the best thing for me. So I am not looking forward to changing meds. Is there another drug out there (not a benzo) that might work? Should I feel safe with Gabitril?
>
> Please help!Listen: The chance of getting liver failure from Serzone is 1 in 250,000 patient-years. Means you have a 1 in 250,000 chance every year you're on it. Consider your chances of dying in a car wreck are 1 in 5,900 in the U.S. and being struck by lightning is about 1 in 11,000. Put that into perspective. I've known several people who got anxious about Serzone, quit it, then returned. Consider trazadone as the most similar drug to Serzone (generic name nefazadone)especially for insomnia.
Gabitril isn't related to Serzone in any way except it's a psychotropic. It's claim to fame as an anxiolytic is interesting: there's only one reference TOTAL, of a German group using 15mg. a day in 4 patients for panic, and one couldn't tolerate it. There's also an "open field" rat study showing Gabitril will inhibit a rat's normal inclination to be furtive and avoid an open field. Tests are underway. Seems to have a lot of side effects.
Posted by mozart on July 31, 2003, at 14:36:04
In reply to Re: Gabitril to Replace for Serzone to Treat Insomnia?, posted by marshall on April 14, 2002, at 20:54:50
I just got to this board searching for information about Gabitril, as I am partaking in a double blind study of its efficacy for treating Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Well, I know I am not getting a placebo! When I got up to 6mg in the morning and 6mg in the evening, I had a very bad day. Nausea and incoherence lasted about 4 hours. Apparently I took the two dosages about 9 hours apart, instead of 12. The reason I searched out this board is because I have a strange symptom, which no one has ever seen before. About 6 years ago, all of a sudden my abdomen tightened up, and I have felt pressure ever since. It is unrelenting and nothing has ever been able to release this pressure. Has anyone out there in cyberspace ever experienced this? I have gotten a complete physical workup with everything negative (I guess that's good). So I tried yoga, behavioural therapy, hypnosis, acupunture, and now I am going the drug route. Any hope?
Posted by rowanda on September 3, 2003, at 19:33:58
In reply to GAD, posted by mozart on July 31, 2003, at 14:36:04
I am on a similar study for Gabitril, and feel vastly better after a week. NO wierdo effects--except--a terrible taste in my mouth most all the time. I also discovered last nite that they do not mix well with much of anything--had an accident, cut my hand pretty bad and took a Vicodin. Wow--actually thought I might not get to bed. But for the anxiety-so far, its great.
Posted by Brynner on October 23, 2003, at 20:04:53
In reply to GABITRIL (tiagabine) new anti-anxiety drug?????, posted by 3 Beer Effect on December 14, 2001, at 22:42:11
I have been on several medications over the years. I have been told I was psychotic, I have been told I am bipolar, I have been told alot of things. I have taken trilifon, stellazine, Paxil, Prozac, Nardil,zyprexa, tegretol, lithium, neurotin. You name it, I have taken it. I hold a full time job (as a therapist) and have always functioned fairly well despite a few hospitalizations where they were trying to figure out what was wrong with me. I have recently weaned myself of all medications (very slowly) and what I have found is that I am extremely anxious. I did not recognize it as such years ago, but am quite aware now that this is my core problem. Neurotin does help with this, but I am curious about gabitril and if this might not be a better med for me. I truly would like to be med free, but I find this anxiety to be almost incapacitating. I don't mind taking medication if it is necessary and the correct one for me. I do however get irritated with myself, that I have let psychiatrists prescribe medications for me that are potentially harmful (anti-psychotics) when unecessary. I would like to know more aobut people's experiences with Gabitril,especially if one has tried both Neurotin and Gabitril.
Posted by DepNYer on October 24, 2003, at 10:38:41
In reply to Re: GABITRIL (tiagabine) new anti-anxiety drug?????, posted by Brynner on October 23, 2003, at 20:04:53
I have been on both Neurontin and Gabitiril for GAD. I found Neuronitn of only marginal help and Gabititril ineffective. That doesn't mean you shouldn't try it, we're all different.
Posted by Viridis on October 25, 2003, at 2:51:04
In reply to Re: GABITRIL (tiagabine) new anti-anxiety drug?????, posted by Brynner on October 23, 2003, at 20:04:53
Neurontin was very relaxing the first couple of times I took it, then did nothing (at any dose) for two years, so I stopped it recently with no withdrawal. I've only tried Gabitril here and there (2-6 mg) and it just made me sleepy. However, my pdoc says that his colleagues really like it for agitated states. It didn't do much for me, but we're all different.
I'd try clonazepam -- that seems to be one med most people here agree is good for anxiety and mood stabilization, and it certainly works well for me.
Posted by KarenE on October 29, 2003, at 11:23:34
In reply to Re: GABITRIL (tiagabine) new anti-anxiety drug?? » Brynner, posted by Viridis on October 25, 2003, at 2:51:04
I have been taking Lexapro (20mg) and Welbutrin (150mg twice daily) for quite some time now and Gabitril (2mg) was recently added to my medication. I have only been takng i for a week or so now but in th past few days I have experienced a dull aching chest pain accompanied by slight nausea. I am wondering if anyone has any information on adverse side effects of Gabitril, and Gabitril in conjunction with Lexapro and Welbutrin.
Also, does anyone believe, as I suspect, that 2mg daily is insufficient and will make no noticeable difference in the anxiety that is affecting every aspect of my life?
Posted by further on November 9, 2003, at 21:05:31
In reply to Re: GABITRIL (tiagabine) new anti-anxiety drug??, posted by KarenE on October 29, 2003, at 11:23:34
> I have been taking Lexapro (20mg) and Welbutrin (150mg twice daily) for quite some time now and Gabitril (2mg) was recently added to my medication. I have only been takng i for a week or so now but in th past few days I have experienced a dull aching chest pain accompanied by slight nausea. I am wondering if anyone has any information on adverse side effects of Gabitril, and Gabitril in conjunction with Lexapro and Welbutrin.
>
> Also, does anyone believe, as I suspect, that 2mg daily is insufficient and will make no noticeable difference in the anxiety that is affecting every aspect of my life?Having recently, after three kinds of therapy and several psychiatrists, come to understand that my underlying problem is actually anxiety, and not the million other things that they've been treating me for, well my cursed nonspecifc anxiety continues to rule and disrupt my life. But I sort of digress.
To get to your question, I'm currently becoming quite interested in Gabitril for it's anxiolytic effects and so have been reading a great deal about it. Unfortunately, I have only one answer for you, which would be to your final question, which would be that I believe your feeling to be correct about the dosage level.
However, I just ran across an article regarding a very small scale study which found Gabitril to be effective in reducing anxiety. They started with a small dose such as yours, and then increased it over time to more like 10 mg a day in seperate doses, if memory serves. So it could well be that your doc is just starting off slowly and has an actual plan. Let's hope. If he doesn't seem to be ramping up the dosage over time, then if I were you, I'd suggest that he do.
Here's that link...
http://www.personalconsult.com/articles/gabitrileffectiveness.html
Just some more tidbits of hopefully fairly accurate info that I've run across.I'd certainly be interested in hearing anyone's experiences with it, at higher doses and for extended periods, as it continues to sound very promising to me.
Further
Posted by jtevers on November 16, 2003, at 13:09:44
In reply to Re: GABITRIL (tiagabine) new anti-anxiety drug??, posted by further on November 9, 2003, at 21:05:31
i have been on combination neurontin and an antipsychotic (seroquel) for several years now ... i want my life back ...
i have gained 60 lbs. in two icrements of 30 over 2 years that SEEMED to corelate with increases in my dose of neurontin.
doctors have repeatedly explained that the gain has been due to my antipsychotic, but i remain unconvinced...
the weight is also exercise and diet unresponsive... does any of this sound familiar?
i am also considering a switch from neurontin to gabatril and am trying to determine what the equivalent dose to 1800 mgs of gabapentin (i take 600 3x daily) might be ... it seems most cognitive problems materialize at higher doses or with rapid titration????? any isight is highly appreciated.
john
Posted by Carina on December 4, 2003, at 21:38:58
In reply to Re: GABITRIL (tiagabine) new anti-anxiety drug??, posted by further on November 9, 2003, at 21:05:31
Hi,
I haven't been actually diagnosed with anything, but do experience bouts of depression...haven't noticed a certain pattern...just feel depressed alot..especially in the winter. I know that is a seasonal thing. I get stressed very easy and experience anxiety and have panic attacks. Lately I have not been able to sleep. I stay up until early morning and then want to sleep all day. I have gained about 40lbs and can't seem to do anything to lose it. I have no motivation and am very irritable. I've been on Paxil, Depakote, Zoloft, Wellbutrin, Wellbutrin XL and Prozac. My doctor has prescribed Gabitril to help me sleep. I'm concerned that it will make me feel even worse then I do now and also make me gain even more weight. Has anyone experienced weight loss or gain on this drug? Thankyou for any info you can give me.
Posted by SLS on December 5, 2003, at 13:26:38
In reply to Re: GABITRIL (tiagabine) new anti-anxiety drug??, posted by Carina on December 4, 2003, at 21:38:58
> Hi,
> I haven't been actually diagnosed with anything, but do experience bouts of depression...haven't noticed a certain pattern...just feel depressed alot..especially in the winter. I know that is a seasonal thing. I get stressed very easy and experience anxiety and have panic attacks. Lately I have not been able to sleep. I stay up until early morning and then want to sleep all day. I have gained about 40lbs and can't seem to do anything to lose it. I have no motivation and am very irritable. I've been on Paxil, Depakote, Zoloft, Wellbutrin, Wellbutrin XL and Prozac. My doctor has prescribed Gabitril to help me sleep. I'm concerned that it will make me feel even worse then I do now and also make me gain even more weight. Has anyone experienced weight loss or gain on this drug? Thankyou for any info you can give me.
I have been taking Gabitril for a little over two weeks. I don't think it makes me any more sleepy than I would be otherwise. Also, it has increased anxiety rather than decrease it. Of course it is important to acknowledge that two people can react differently to the same drug. I haven't put on any weight. Actually, I have lost a few pounds.
- Scott
Posted by Carina on December 5, 2003, at 15:22:06
In reply to Re: GABITRIL (tiagabine) new anti-anxiety drug??, posted by SLS on December 5, 2003, at 13:26:38
> > Hi,
> > I haven't been actually diagnosed with anything, but do experience bouts of depression...haven't noticed a certain pattern...just feel depressed alot..especially in the winter. I know that is a seasonal thing. I get stressed very easy and experience anxiety and have panic attacks. Lately I have not been able to sleep. I stay up until early morning and then want to sleep all day. I have gained about 40lbs and can't seem to do anything to lose it. I have no motivation and am very irritable. I've been on Paxil, Depakote, Zoloft, Wellbutrin, Wellbutrin XL and Prozac. My doctor has prescribed Gabitril to help me sleep. I'm concerned that it will make me feel even worse then I do now and also make me gain even more weight. Has anyone experienced weight loss or gain on this drug? Thankyou for any info you can give me.
>
>
> I have been taking Gabitril for a little over two weeks. I don't think it makes me any more sleepy than I would be otherwise. Also, it has increased anxiety rather than decrease it. Of course it is important to acknowledge that two people can react differently to the same drug. I haven't put on any weight. Actually, I have lost a few pounds.
>
>
> - Scott
Thanks Scott for the info. I guess I will try it out and see what happens.
Posted by Mr.Scott on December 5, 2003, at 21:41:23
In reply to Re: GABITRIL (tiagabine) new anti-anxiety drug??, posted by Carina on December 5, 2003, at 15:22:06
I did not find anything good to report about Gabitril. I definately found it weight neutral, but that may have been because I suspect it worsened my depression if anything. Certainly Neurontin worked better for my anxiety but made my face swell a bit and increases my appetite. I'm hopeful Pregabalin will will the better anti-anxiety drug. Until then Klonopin or another benzo seems to be all I can use for anxiety. I do have a bipolar condition however.
Scott
Posted by Viridis on December 6, 2003, at 0:52:43
In reply to Re: GABITRIL (tiagabine) new anti-anxiety drug??, posted by Mr.Scott on December 5, 2003, at 21:41:23
My pdoc gave some free samples of Gabatril, and said that some of his colleagues have had good success with it for anxiety patients. I've tried 2, 4, and 6 mg and all it did was make me a bit sleepy. I haven't done a real trial, just occasional use, but I wasn't very impressed, positively or negatively. Klonopin is vastly better for me for anxiety although again, I didn't give Gabatril a very serious try . I have heard that it's being used with some success for insomnia. Like so many of these meds, what works for some may be neutral (or negative) for others, so it really takes some trial and error. But there are enough meds out there now that the chances of improvement are excellent if you're just willing to put up with some failures.
Posted by Snowie on December 7, 2003, at 19:12:43
In reply to GABITRIL (tiagabine) new anti-anxiety drug?????, posted by 3 Beer Effect on December 14, 2001, at 22:42:11
Long thread here. I took Gabitril for a short period of time, maybe a little over a month. My pdoc said it was a new drug but he thought it might become a substitute for Neurontin. I don't remember if it had any side effects, but it didn't do anything for GAD or anxiety for me. Wish it had.
Snowie
> GABITRIL Filmtab Tablets (tiagabine hcl), Abbott Laboratories, PDR p. 449 is an antiepilepsy drug available in 2, 4, 12, 16, & 20 mg tablets. Antiseizure effect of Gabitril from enhancement of activity of GABA, inhibition of GABA uptake into presynaptic neurons which permits more GABA to be available for receptor binding on the surfaces of post-synaptic cells, & increases amount of GABA available in th extracellular space of the globus pallidus, ventral palladum & sustantia negra. This suggests that tiagabine prevents the propagation of neural impulses that contribute to seizures by a GABA-ergic action.
>
>
> This drug sounds like it would make a great anti-anxiety drug, since like the benzodiazepine Klonopin it enhances the effect of GABA and it an anti-convulsant and GABATRIL is not a controlled substance like the Benzodiazpines.
>
> Also, it appears to be superior to Neurontin since Gabitril acts directly on GABA while Neurontin is structurally related to GABA but it is not converted into GABA, or a GABA agonist, does not interact w/ GABA receptors & it is not an inhibitor of GABA uptake or degredation.
>
>
>
> Does anyone have any experience with GABATRIL and/or can comment about its anti-anxiety/social phobia potential?
>
> Thanks, 3 Beer Effect
>
Posted by godzilla on December 11, 2003, at 17:11:45
In reply to Re: GABITRIL (tiagabine) new anti-anxiety drug?????, posted by Emme on December 15, 2001, at 13:49:05
i'm on gabitril for dissociative disorder. . . i'm only on 4mg and i'm really not too sure what its supposed to do. i don't even understand anything about the illness. the doctor in the hospital just told me and my parents that i have it. i got sent to the hospital because of a suicide attempt.
Posted by Geoffrey R. on January 18, 2004, at 4:04:04
In reply to Re: GABITRIL (tiagabine) new anti-anxiety drug??, posted by further on November 9, 2003, at 21:05:31
Hello,
I am new to this group, and I apologize if this question is way off topic, but I was just wondering if anybody has tried supplementing his/her pharmaceutical medication(s)with anything like certain vitamins (eg. B-vitamins), minerals (eg. Magnesium, Calcium), Omega-3 fish oil, methylating agents (eg. SAMe, Trimethylglicine[TMG]), adaptogenic herbs (eg. Siberian Ginseng, Ashwagandha), amino acids/anti-depressants (eg. 5-Hydroxy-L-Tryptophan [5-HTP], DLPA, Tyrosine), and/or adrenal hormones (eg. DHEA, Progesterone). And has anybody noticed any mood/anxiety effects related to diet (eg. hypoglycemic conditions)? And what about stress-relieving activities (eg. "conventional" exercise, Yoga, meditation, psychotherapy, journaling/"creative activities," body work [massage, acupuncture, Reiki, etc.], etc.)? Again, I know this is off the topic, but I was just wanting to get a sense of other factors that might be involved in the lives of the people on this list, and what things, besides pharmaceutical medications, might be helping relieve your psychiatric symptoms. I have been severely depressed and anxious for YEARS, and I have had a terrible time finding any kind of relief from medications or anything else for that matter. "Finally" I have recently been able to start getting some light exercise, and I am realizing, with the help of "Eastern" medical practitioners and increased self-awareness and honesty, that I have serious energy blockages in my (energetic-level) body due to coping with traumatic experiences in very dysfunctional ways from early on in my life. I have experienced so much traumatic loss in my life, but instead of seeking support and learning to accept and experience the grief and move through it, I have constantly dissociated from this painful and overwhelming emotion and have (unconsciously) let it get stuffed and stuck in my heart (chakra). I am realizing that with all the medications I have tried through the years, nothing could have helped me as long as I was in denial of the reality of this toxic build-up of painful emotion, and was stuck in the fearful/anxious habit of avoiding awareness of this stuff and engaging in addictive-escaping-numbing behaviors. Wishfully and desperately seeking medication that could relieve me of all this agitation and depression was actually feeding in to the pattern of avoidance, because I was seeking resolution without having to do anything Willfully. I guess I'm writing this to say that I am realizing that medication cannot be expected to resolve the entire psychiatric dysfunctionality. Maybe this is obvious to most or all people. I don't know. But, in any case, I see that ultimately-- even when I hopefully find some significant relief through medications/supplements/etc. from the horrible suffering that my doctors have diagnosed as PTSD, Dissociative/Depersonalization Disorder,and Major Depression-- I must face myself and my losses and pain and grief, and dig down deep for the courage and strength and faith to accept it and let it go. For so long I was seeking numbness and emotional amnesia. I was wanting to believe that I was strong because I could endure major blows and move on like it was nothing whereas others would have totally collapsed. I had to go to the brink of spiritual death itself to finally realize that I had not escaped unscathed, and that the empowerment I thought I had was actually based in a most cruel delusion. I am so grateful to have a second chance at life despite how unbelievably difficult my life continues to be. Though I am still terrified of the painful feelings and awarenesses inside of me, I hope to return to that place in me... the place of true self-empowerment. I realize now that the numbness was actually the worst hell possible. It was lifelessness.
Anyway, I just wanted to share these thoughts. I think I am wanting to say that it seems that perhaps "we" can become a little too caught up and over-focused on medications as the ultimate solution to our psychiatric disabilities. I'm not saying they are bogus, just as I wouldn't say that putting a cast on a broken leg is a bogus treatment. Debilitating anxiety is just that, 'debilitating.' I have been taking Klonopin and Seroquel, and I just started on Lamictal. But for once, I am not expecting these medications to save me and cure me. I am just hoping that the Lamictal (along with the other stuff, etc.)can help free me up enough so that I can gain some control and strength so I don't have to constantly be living in a state of fear and terror and avoidance.
Anyway, thanks for letting me say these things. I hope it makes sense and is appropriate (to some degree) to this discussion. Good luck to all.
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