Posted by Simcha on October 13, 2002, at 12:49:12
The pdoc that I'm considering working with seems to think that Neurontin or Topamax would be better meds for fighting Bruxism than the Klonopin that has worked for almost 8 months.
I understand his reasoning that Klonopin can cause depression and that it interrupts sleep cycles. Klonopin also can mess with the liver after long-term use and possibly cause renal problems. The literature on Klonopin supports these claims.
Yet............
I've been doing my research on Neurontin and Topamax.
Topamax seems to come with a host of another set of issues. Glaucoma, being the most obvious. Also it may cause severe cognitive problems. There is also a tendancy to develop kidney stones on the stuff. Is this med better than Klonopin? Also, there might be some evidence to suggest that it might be mildly carcinogenic. Oh, great....cancer... Oh, and there is that odd incidence of sudden death too.
Neurontin has been shown to cause pancreatic cancer in lab animals. This is almost always fatal. Also neurontin may cause one to stagger interfering with motor skills. Neurontin also seems to be universally sedating and might cause weight gain.
OK, all three meds have side-effects. I'm on Klonopin. I know that it works for me. I do understand that something else might work better. I'm optimistic enough to be hopeful that there is a better med to fight bruxism. I do know that this pdoc cares. He has shown me that he cares even with seeing him for just one session. I know that he has my best interest in mind.
I'm just nervous about experimenting with a med change especially when it has not been shown to me that Topamax or Neurontin is any safer than Klonopin.
Please comment if you resonate and you could offer any guidance.
Thanks,
Simcha
poster:Simcha
thread:123472
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20021012/msgs/123472.html