Posted by yxibow on March 26, 2007, at 3:44:04
In reply to Re: Guess It's Over No Meds It's Me/Phillipa, posted by jonathanupr on March 26, 2007, at 2:01:46
> from what I've experienced and also some info I picked up from some psychopharmacological research, when looking at the effect benzos have upon the individual over a period of time, there is a gradual tolerance build up....
There can be tolerance, it depends on the individual, certainly -- I've experienced it, but it can be reversed by slowly returning your benzodiazepine level to zero, flushing out and then rinse and repeat. Of course that leaves a quandary for people who at the same time have and anxiety disorder such as Panic Disorder and the like who depend on Xanax and other substances to keep them in check.Then again there are people who have been on the same Valium prescription since 1962.
I've read in places that taking GABA supplementation can readily help fight off such tolerance (as the benzo receptors seem to depend on the GABA being available, if no GABA then it doesn't matter if the receptors are stimulated or not, there'll be no inhibitory effect in the CNS).
Alas, GABA supplementation will go in the body and pretty much out the body. It has no capability to cross the blood brain barrier. Only Neurontin and Lyrica do because they are modified GABA analogues and can cross the gate.
> Also, I've taken Gabitril the past year and a half with great success (a low dose of 4 mg, anything beyond that makes me so mentally blocked), and this has helped a lot with keeping the Klonopin tolerance down. The GRI effect has seemingly kept up without waning, as everytime I take the Gabitril in the evening I feel the effect, and it's actually rejuvenating me these days rather than sedating me as it had been before.
I am glad you have had good success with Gabitril. Its one of the last AEDs I haven't tried because it can overmodulate GABA and in some cases cause seizures. But I'm sure your doctor is well aware of the potential.
> So if the receptors aren't doing the trick, maybe see if the GABA is there or not (Picamillon is a decent supplement for GABA, not a god-send or anything but decent).... if that doesn't ignite it, then it couldn't hurt to try a GABA Reuptake Inhibitor (Gabitril has seemingly been either good or negative for people, I don't get the negative).
Have you actually tried Picamilon -- I'm leery of being a guinea pig for some strange Russian Neurontin like thing?
poster:yxibow
thread:743655
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070320/msgs/744279.html