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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 4 of 4. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by snapper on August 26, 2004, at 22:03:27
Hey all, just a couple of quick questions for anybody who is or has been on gabitril. On 6-8-04 my pdoc started me on 12mg hs and 4mg am. I am not really sure if it is doing me any good or not but wanted to see if anybody out there has had these kind of potential s/fx...I do NOT have a history of seizures and he started me on this med to help control my anxiety as I could not be on any benzos as I was initiating a course of what was supposed to be 12 ECT treatments.Gabitril was a med selected because it was supposed to provide anxiolytic effects but not interfere with the ECT. Anyhow my anxiety kept getting worse and worse and the suicidal type of agitation and anxiety and insomnia and the whold process of fear and anxiety assosciated with having the ECT to begin with was jacking me up! Even though I had previously had a course of ECT treatments in 2001 that were pretty effective, I was not nearly as filled with as much anxiety. So to get to the main point of my post....I chose to have the pdoc d/c the ect and treat the anxiety part of my illness. He kept me on 16mg Gabitril per day and added 20 mg valium which helped a ton with the agitation, sleep and overall anxiety. Then a month later I had to convince him to add back in Effexor and he did at only 75mg am. The main things I guess that I am wondering is the following.
I feel mean and hostile, sarcastic to my family and sometimes feel like yelling and cussing at people. Sometimes I feel like throwing s*it even though I don't act on these feelings and impulses. There is a lot of family tension in my house on a day to day basis and a lot of times when things get stirred up, it's all I can do to bite my tounge. I guess what I am asking and saying is how do I know if this the Gabatril or the ever so common anger rage and hostility that are assosciated with the bipolar spectrum? I can't tell. Also I seem to be having word finding difficulties off and on (worse than I remember before the ect and Gabitril)I don't know what the h*ll is wrong with me and I don't wan't to be mean and hostile but it is on the tip of my tounge and mind much more often than I like.BTW fwiw my dx are ... BP II , OCD, personality disorder NOS all this crap with atypical dep features and mixed bipolar features that wax and wane dep on what is going on around me. I could continue but wont, and sincerely thank anybody that reads this and has any in put. OH btw does anybodys' mood disorder tend to make them feel just generally ill? Malaise...almost like a really chronic flu?
thanks
snapper
Posted by gardenergirl on August 26, 2004, at 22:57:43
In reply to Gabitril ??'s, posted by snapper on August 26, 2004, at 22:03:27
Hi Snapper,
I'm sorry this has been more difficult than your previous experience. I hope you get to a point where you either don't need to consider the ECT again, or you are able to go ahead with it.I recently started Gabitril for insomnia, which is also an off-label use. My pdoc started me on 2 mg hs and said to go up to 4 mg if no effect. I think I may have an effect with my early awakening on 4 mg, but the jury is still out.
What strikes me about your post is a couple of things. First, using Gabitril for anxiety is also off-label, so it may not be as proven and as efficacious for anxiety as other more proven meds. But it is a fairly benign med...low side effect profile, very few drug interactions, etc. So I can see why your doc wanted to try it.
The literature I have read suggests that you may have started out with a pretty high dose. Even for anti-convulsant adjunctive treatment, they recommend you start at 4 mg and titrate up weekly until you reach the maxium of (I think) 56 mg spread over two doses. One of the SE's reported is nervousness, so perhaps you had an agitation reaction on the higher starting dose. Incidentally, my only noted SE so far is heartburn even if taking with food and milk. Impaired memory and specifically, word finding problems are associated with Gabitril. So rest assured (at least as best you can) that this is a med SE and not a more serious symptom.
One thing I have noticed in the last few days is that I am less inhibited at sharing my irritation. I am doing it however, not by being in a rage or anger, but rather I'm swearing a bit more publicly than I usually do (I'm a lady after all...;)....) and I'm demonstrating "feisy" behavior, or what Racer might call "malicious glee." For example, I intentionally teased my dissertation chair the other day and pushed his buttons and enjoyed it. It was lighthearted in spirit, but definitely felt kind of bold for me. Perhaps at a higher dose I might have a similar reaction to you? There's nothing in my documentation of this med, however, that explains this. I was blaming it on being punchy from being so sleep deprived. But maybe there is something about the Gabitril.
I have atypical depression as well. I am on Nardil, which the recent dose increase likely is responsible for the insomnia. I do sometimes feel a malaise that is hard to explain. T do think it's related to my depression. And also, being aytpical, when I do laugh at or smile with someone they seem confused. You're depressed? You don't look like it...How annoying is that? Aren't I allowed to have some flexibility in my emotions? I guess not if you have not- atypical depression.
Anyway, enough rambling. Took my Gab over an hour ago, so I should head to bed. Hope some of this helps.
Warmly,
gg
Posted by SLS on August 27, 2004, at 7:22:36
In reply to Gabitril ??'s, posted by snapper on August 26, 2004, at 22:03:27
Hi Snapper.
I would bet that what you are experiencing is the result of your taking Gabitril. First of all, you started out at too high a dosage. Second of all, many people, myself included, have reported that Gabitril actually increased anxiety an produced cognitive side effects. It made me feel foggy and somewhat irritable along with the anxiety. It was worse at 8mg than it was at 4mg.
Gabitril seems to produce an anxiolytic and hypnotic effect for some, and exactly the opposite for others. Some prominent researchers have concluded that Gabitril has no mood-stabilizing properties.
- Scott
Posted by justplainflakey on August 27, 2004, at 8:33:10
In reply to Gabitril ??'s, posted by snapper on August 26, 2004, at 22:03:27
When I tried gabitril earlier this year I also had feelings of hostility and insomnia. I checked out a few web sites for side effects and sure enough they were there. I tapered and quit the gabitril and felt much better. Hope this helps.
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