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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Elizabeth on December 1, 2001, at 15:33:29
Anyone have any experience with vigabatrin (Sabril) or tiagabine (Gabitril)? Why were you using the drug? What, if anything, did it help with? What side effects were there, if any? Do you have any other information about these drugs and their possible usefulness in the treatment of psych disorders?
TIA.
-elizabeth
Posted by Mitch on December 1, 2001, at 17:40:44
In reply to tiagabine and vigabatrin, posted by Elizabeth on December 1, 2001, at 15:33:29
> Anyone have any experience with vigabatrin (Sabril) or tiagabine (Gabitril)? Why were you using the drug? What, if anything, did it help with? What side effects were there, if any? Do you have any other information about these drugs and their possible usefulness in the treatment of psych disorders?
>
> TIA.
>
> -elizabethElizabeth, you may have already read my posts about Gabitril. Well anyhow, the behavioural neuro I saw flipped me to Gabitril from Depakote. I started at 4mg at bedtime for one week, then 4mg twice daily for another week, ...adding 4mg per day for a week(slowest titration rate recomended). He was insistent about bringing the dose all the way up to what folks with complex seizures take which is about 32mg/day. The first 4mg at bedtime doses were fairly uneventful. When I went to 4mg twice daily-I noticed an antidepressant effect after taking the daytime dosage. This was true until reached 8mg bid. That is when I started noticing cognitive dulling. But, being very faithful to the trial I continued the slow titration. About two days after I reached 12mg bid I experienced a profound facial/forehead numbness or paresthesia accompanied by derealization. I was so blanked out at work I almost didn't know where I was. I started to "panic", but there was no adrenaline rush-it was like panicking in your head without your body responding. Well, that one got ditched real quick! However, doses between 4-12mg/day did have a distinct antidepressant effect. It might be helpful for a low-dose add-on, who knows??
Mitch
Posted by ross on December 1, 2001, at 21:39:57
In reply to tiagabine and vigabatrin, posted by Elizabeth on December 1, 2001, at 15:33:29
elizabeth,
gabatril is the brand name for taga. it is an anticonvulsant. i tried it as pdoc was researching it and the field for its usefullness on anxiety since it sits on gaba. i found it at 4 mgs BID to be useless and very bad tremors. its a junk med believe me but everyones different.the high level is 34 mgs. some pdoc's use it for mood swings also. do a journal check and theres some positive twist on it.
oh i did not go on nardil yet. i figured a new cocktail and ts working all right so far. if it stops then nardil it is next month:)))
ross
Posted by Elizabeth on December 2, 2001, at 14:49:47
In reply to Re: tiagabine and vigabatrin, posted by ross on December 1, 2001, at 21:39:57
> gabatril is the brand name for taga. it is an anticonvulsant.
Thanks (although it's tiagabine, not "taga" :-) ). I know they're both anticonvulsants and have a general idea of how they work, I was more interested in hearing people's personal experiences with them.
Good luck with your cocktail. I hope what you're taking now works, but if it doesn't, Nardil is always a good thing to try. One of the reasons I am interested in vigabatrin (Sabril) is because it has an effect in common with Nardil.
-elizabeth
Posted by Elizabeth on December 2, 2001, at 14:51:51
In reply to Re: tiagabine and vigabatrin » Elizabeth, posted by Mitch on December 1, 2001, at 17:40:44
Mitch,
Thanks for the report. :-) It looks like vigabatrin might be the better choice if I want to try one of those two, but nobody seems to have tried it for psych purposes so who knows.
-elizabeth
Posted by SLS on December 2, 2001, at 16:23:51
In reply to Re: tiagabine and vigabatrin » Mitch, posted by Elizabeth on December 2, 2001, at 14:51:51
> Mitch,
>
> Thanks for the report. :-) It looks like vigabatrin might be the better choice if I want to try one of those two, but nobody seems to have tried it for psych purposes so who knows.
>
> -elizabeth
Hi Elizabeth.What do Nardil and vigabatrin have in common?
Thanks.
- Scott
Posted by Elizabeth on December 2, 2001, at 17:14:44
In reply to Re: tiagabine and vigabatrin » Elizabeth, posted by SLS on December 2, 2001, at 16:23:51
> What do Nardil and vigabatrin have in common?
GABA transaminase inhibition.
-e
Posted by Emme on December 3, 2001, at 7:25:16
In reply to tiagabine and vigabatrin, posted by Elizabeth on December 1, 2001, at 15:33:29
Hi Elizabeth,
I tried gabitril along with taking neurontin and klonopin. I did a slow titration - it took me about 3.5 weeks or so to reach 12 mg. At 12 mg, it improved my mood and helped control my anxiety. But my body couldn't tolerate it at that dose - after a few days at 12 mg I started to have painful eyes that felt swollen, headaches, a sensation of pressure in my head, shakiness, and general cruddy feeling. My doctor ordered bloodwork to rule out some sort of infection and I promptly skipped a dose and resumed at 6 mg. As soon as I did that I felt better.
Until I hit the "helpful but intolerable" dose, it wasn't too bad to tolerate. I had less cognitive dulling than with trileptal. It seemed activating at the lower doses, but it's hard to say if it was the drug or if I was just having an especially anxious week or two.
I was taking it as a mood stabilizer. My doctor thinks I am somewhere in the bipolar spectrum, with depression my worst problem. I would definitely recommend giving it a whirl, perhaps in conjunction with something else. As I said, it helped my mood, though not to the point of complete remission of my depression. I am pretty sensitive to medicines, so you may be able to tolerate a therapeutic dose better than I was.
Good luck.Emme
> Anyone have any experience with vigabatrin (Sabril) or tiagabine (Gabitril)? Why were you using the drug? What, if anything, did it help with? What side effects were there, if any? Do you have any other information about these drugs and their possible usefulness in the treatment of psych disorders?
>
> TIA.
>
> -elizabeth
This is the end of the thread.
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