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In Remembrance
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Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: SE Kansas.
Posts: 374
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In Remembrance
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: SE Kansas.
Posts: 374
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Hi haurdresser,
Gabapentin is one of the first GABA drugs on the market; they were designed to limit or prevent seizures (like epilepsy), and they do this by filling "parking spaces" on nerve receptors at synapses.
At the synapse, the sending nerve translates its electrical signal into a chemical neurotransmitter (NT) that crosses a gap before landing on the next nerve's receptor. The receiving nerve translates the chemical message back into an electrical signal that it sends to the brain.
It was thought that epilepsy was caused by electrical storms in the brain and that one way to interrupt the storms by blocking the NT from reaching a receptor on its target nerve cell; and that is exactly what GABA does. It doesn't carry any message, but it takes up a receptor that would be used by that NT. Gabitril worked pretty well.
It also works well at blocking receptors in the synapses of sensory nerve fibers. (I'm working on editing a post that describes all of this and should finish soon, so for now you'll just have to trust me when I tell you that GABAs are very useful, but the later ones have greatly reduced the side effects from gabatril.
I began with gabatril and after titrating a little, had double-vision (scary when you're driving); dizziness and balance problems; and cognitive problems up the ***, and my doc switched me to Lamictal; which worked really well. (It has some scary side effects and you should read the FDA warning).
Don't give up on the idea simply because the side effects of one drug are too severe. You could tolerate some of the others (Lamictal and Lyrica come to mind). Insurance companies want to pay for gabatril because it's the only GABA in a generic, but an explanation of it's side effects on the patient can usually persuade them to pay for the more expensive ones).
Don't just stop taking gabatril. Call your doc and let him/her schedule the rate at which you can lower dosages, and if this is medical advice, so be it: If you can't reach your doc, lower your dose by about 15% (if you have 100mg caps I would go down to 300mg), and continue at that dosage until you can talk with the doc.
There is some risk of seizures after abruptly stopping GABAs, but some of the side effects you're having pose a much greater risk for you.
Finally: I'm reading this almost four hours since you posted it, so if your hives have worsened; if you're having any mouth swelling or breathing problems, and you haven't already done it, CALL 911 NOW, and never take gabatril again. Those reactions can kill people...Vic
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Last edited by Vicc; 08-06-2007 at 04:21 PM.
Reason: add stuff
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