Psycho-Babble Medication | about biological treatments | Framed
This thread | Show all | Post follow-up | Start new thread | List of forums | Search | FAQ

Re: Depakote

Posted by Tedr on January 2, 2002, at 21:36:10

In reply to Re: Depakote » Tedr, posted by Mitch on December 31, 2001, at 17:39:22

> > > > I recently was asked to try gabitril for augmenting and eventually trying to replace the xanax I take for GAD. I also take Wellbutrin SR for depression. The Gabitril made me very spacey and unfocused, so the Pdoc thought that I should try Depakote at 125mgs twice a day to see if this could start to smooth out the anxiety, and lessen the need for xanax. I don't particularly like the side effect profile of Depakote, and I am curious to find out if 250mgs/day would even be helpful, without still having to worry about hair loss, reduced carnitine,Selenium and other levels etc. I thought gabapentin might be a better choice because in the past, I didn't have the side effect worry and only felt a little sleepy, when I took gabapentin briefly. The pdoc though, definitely feels that I have a GABA related anxiety, and related depression problem, and feels depakote would be the best help at even the low dose, although at this dose, when I took it a few days, I still had nausea, and a funny feeling of nervousness. Thank god for xanax, and I would be resolved to take it chronically at high enough therapeutic doses, if I could get a clear cut go ahead from my physician. I would definitely appreciate any feedback especially regarding Depakote vs Gabapentin for me, and how much gabapentin might be needed to work. I reiterate, that I did feel awful on the gabitril. I think because it is not specific enough for uping only GABA-A...Thanks for the help... I currently take 1.5mgs of xanax a day and 150mgs of wellbutrin SR.
> > >
> > >
> > > Well,
> > >
> > > It sounds like Gabitril is the new med that docs are probably thinking they can wean people off benzos with. I took it and had a bad experience. I haven't heard *anyone* here have a good experience with it for anxiety (speak up-now's the time!). I *did* find gabapentin helpful for anxiety. Depakote helped some, too. I didn't gain much weight on it (about 20 lbs at 500mg/day). At 125mg twice daily you might not experience that much trouble with it. I didn't gain *any* weight with Neurontin though.
> > >
> > > Mitch
> >
> > >Thanks for the feedback on Depakote and Gabapentin. I know the doc only asked me to take a low dose of Depakote, but Gabapentin is a much cleaner med, and if it also helps with anger and rage, which I have, that would be great. Just an observation, but 20 lbs is a significant weight gain, unless you are underweight. What exactly is the weight gain attributed to with Depakote? One final thought,is that I feel that there definitely is a push by the developer of Gabitril to initiate it for Benzo treated patients. My doc said side effects would be minimal, but the PI suggests a different scenario......Thanks..Ted
>
> Well, the behavioural neurologist I saw once told me that *everyone* he has put on Depakote gains a significant amount of weight. I found that 300mg twice-three times daily of Neurontin worked very well for anger problems and didn't cause any weight gain. I would try that first, hey-if it doesn't work, then try the Depakote. I wasn't all pissed about the weight gain on the Depakote-it is just that I found Neurontin to do a better job (mainly antidepressant-wise) for *me* than the Depakote.
>
> I think there is going to be a lot of "boomerangs" with people trying Gabitril. I haven't seen anything close to a success story with it. I wonder if many docs are using it get people weaned off benzos, and if they have trouble with the Gabitril-they will just stop the Gabitril and replace it with some other non-benzo. There is a growing amount of paranoia here in the US about benzos and stimulants lately, and docs are probably worried about lawsuits.
>
>
> Mitch

> Yes, gabitril was a real bummer. I knew that after only a few days on it, worse things were going to happen like derealization and even more spaciness. My pdoc certainly thinks that gabitril is a viable replacement for the benzos. I put a call into his office today to see if I could start the gabapentin, instead of continuing with the Depakote first. I had been on gabapentin very briefly before, and only had some sedation from it. I think that if the doc would let me try it on a chronic basis, I would get a better AD effect,than what is seen with Depakote, what do you guys think? The pdoc never returned my call, so I think he is a little ticked with me that I'm not comfortable at all with the Depakote. He will probably say no to the Neurontin, and hit me with Trileptal. Maybe he just wants me back in his office to tell me so he can get the $65 for 15 rushed minutes. I do believe also that the benzos are being pushed out of a strong therapeutic niche because of unfair and unrealistic perceptions that the "gabitril loving prescribers" hold on to. For many, Benzos are the only meds that have kept them together..TR


Share
Tweet  

Thread

 

Post a new follow-up

Your message only Include above post


Notify the administrators

They will then review this post with the posting guidelines in mind.

To contact them about something other than this post, please use this form instead.

 

Start a new thread

 
Google
dr-bob.org www
Search options and examples
[amazon] for
in

This thread | Show all | Post follow-up | Start new thread | FAQ
Psycho-Babble Medication | Framed

poster:Tedr thread:88258
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20011222/msgs/88587.html