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Old 06-11-2014, 02:11 PM
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mrsD mrsD is offline
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mrsD mrsD is offline
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mrsD's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Great Lakes
Posts: 33,508
15 yr Member
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Here is an explanation of GABA...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamma-Aminobutyric_acid

This neurotransmitter is not typically used in treatment of depression. It is predominately for anxiety and drugs like Valium and Klonopin which affect GABA receptors are also muscle relaxers and have some antiseizure effects. The most common GABA agonists are benzos, like Valium. They may be used WITH antidepressants for some patients with agitated depressive symptoms. But not all people taking antidepressants get that side effect or have that type of depression to begin with.

I'd visit a good drugchecker like this one and plug in all those drugs your wife is using:
http://www.drugs.com/drug_interactions.html
You will find that vagifem and estradiol are both estrogens, and typically not used together.

I'd say just now without doing all the research in detail that her 3 psychiatric drugs that affect serotonin in the brain could easily be interacting in some negative way with behaviors.
SSRI drugs are notorious for negative effects on libido and sexual functioning. Long term use of SSRI drugs lower dopamine in the brain, which results in loss of pleasure and motivation. Effexor is a mixed serotonin and norepi drug and the norepi portion could easily raise blood pressure, increase anxiety and cause insomnia.

The use of many drugs like you list is called an RX drug cocktail and the potential interactions are complex and still being discovered even. If you can get a hold of a pharmacologist specialist who could evaluate this mixture of drugs, I think you will find that adjustments in dosing, or changes in the drugs themselves might be worthwhile.

When a person is taking so many RX drugs that affect the brain and neurotransmitters there, significant long term effects are possible. Many drugs are not tested for long term use, so post marketing data is all you have to go by.

This site has Medwatch reports to the FDA listed for most drugs.
http://www.drugcite.com/
This site is very helpful to put side effects in perspective that have been reported after the drug reaches the market. Drug inserts do not always have post marketing information.

Here is the list for Abilify:
http://www.drugcite.com/?q=Abilify

It has most of the drugs used today listed either by brand name or generic. You can click on any field and it will expand with more information.
I've given the Abilify link because listed there are many of the side effects you give that are troubling your wife.

I hope things work out for you and your wife eventually.
Your caution to not use any supplements that affect neurotransmitters when using RX drug combinations that are very potent in this regard, is valuable, so thank you for posting that.

Gaba oral supplements don't really work well (except for one called PharmaGaba which is specifically an exception. ), because gaba does not get into the brain, like drugs do. To affect the brain, an agonist drug is typically prescribed therefore... like Valium etc.
The brain has a barrier called the blood brain barrier that screens out many things. Here is an article explaining that in more detail:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood%E...3brain_barrier

Take care.
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eva5667faliure (06-19-2014), Lara (06-11-2014)