Posted by Mitch on January 2, 2002, at 22:34:13
In reply to Re: Depakote, posted by Tedr on January 2, 2002, at 21:36:10
> > 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
I really wonder if a lot of this has to do with propaganda by pharmaceutical sales reps. I have been waiting in my pdocs office on more than one occasion and listened in on their spiel. Some of it seems very informative and helpful, but they really do "push" the off-label potential uses of everything they sell and they do discredit other manufacturers products with very careful misinformation. I will say that the neurologist I saw told me that he liked Neurontin because it "wasn't being pushed by Parke-Davis" for psychiatric applications. Whether that was a good thing or not-I don't know. It could be that Parke-Davis is developing pregabalin and it is a clever marketing strategy-who knows? All I can say is if you look where the money is you can learn a lot of the truth. Benzodiazepines are probably the cheapest and most helpful psychiatric medications that can be manufactured on the planet. It makes me wonder about the newest wave of benzophobia the US is starting to re-experience once again (the first wave being in the late '70's). Also, who has patents on amphetamines and MAOI's?? You are going to have the most negative info on anything that has been around long enough. "Old" meds are really going to be painted as nasty/addictive/dangerous etc. to sell newer stuff that basically just looks good theoretically on paper (Gabitril). A GABA reuptake inhibitor? It *must* have anti-anxiety effects-your pdoc will listen to their sales reps spiels and go for it.
Mitch
poster:Mitch
thread:88258
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20011222/msgs/88592.html