eGADs. More Pills.
If you have Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), you’ve probably tried all manner of addictive meds: Valium, Ativan, Klonopin, etc. I don’t have GAD, but I have Jewish Neurotic Disorder, so I take a wee bit of Ativan every night. I live in fear of becoming addicted, particularly after bad experiences with Klonopin.
But whatever your fears, there may be some good news: Some non-addictive, non SSRI anticonvulsants may be useful in treating GAD — at least according to a new article in Psychiatric Times.
The rationale for the use of anticonvulsants in anxiety disorders is supported by neurobiological underpinnings that make these compounds a likely alternative for short-term treatment in patients who do not respond to benzodiazepines or who have a contraindication (an addiction disorder, respiratory problems, or who are at risk for falls). However, data are limited, and current criteria for levels of evidence and lines of treatment recommendations suggest strong evidence only for pregabalin in patients with GAD with or without comorbidity (Table 2).
Pregabalin and gabapentin have been shown to be promising in social phobia. Data about gabapentin in panic disorder are somewhat mixed; they suggest a possible role only in patients who are moderately to severely affected. In any case, these compounds must still be considered second- or even third-line treatment.
Further studies are needed on the neurobiology of anxiety disorders and neuropharmacology of anticonvulsant drugs to develop pharmacological treatment strategies that target symptom patterns and patients’ needs.
The author of the study is Marco Mula, MD, PhD, a research associate and consultant in neurology and neuropsychiatry in the department of clinical and experimental medicine, section of neurology, The Neuropsychiatry Research Group at the Amedeo Avogadro University in Novara, Italy. At the top of the piece, it says, “Although he received no financial support for the preparation of this article, Dr Mula reports that through the years he has received travel support and speakers fees from various pharmaceutical companies who are involved in the manufacture of antiepilectic drugs, including Novartis, Pfizer, UCB-Pharma, Janssen-Cilag, and Sanofi-Aventis.” You can decide for yourself if that disqualifies him for offering objective evidence. I take no position one way or the other.
Can Anticonvulsants Help Patients With Anxiety Disorders?
liz | 1:18 PM | BIG PHARMA, meds
Gabapentin is Neurontin which now carries a sucide warning. Sounds like a really bad idea to me.
Gabapentin was been a godsend to me. I was suffering from almost paralizing anxiety. I wasn’t housebound, but it was horrible just trying to get to work. Once there, I seemed to be okay, but I would have horrible bouts of anxiety. After several weeks of this, I finally called my pdoc and she was first going to try Lamitcal (sp?), but it was $80/month WITH my insurance and I had asked for something generic because I was short on money. She ended up putting me on Gabapentin and with a week or so, I felt like I lost 5 lbs. No more horrible weight on my check, no more almost panic attacks just trying to get into the parking garage at work. We later tried Topamax because it is suppose to help you lose weight. It didn’t balance my mood and I ended up gaining weight. I’m back on Gabapentin for less than 2 weeks and I can already feel a difference in my mood.
But that’s my story. I’m finding out the more I read about mental illness, the meds associated with it and other people’s reactions to them, I may be atypical. I’ve taken Zoloft, Effexor, Prozac, Wellbrutrin (2/Day and the XR) and other than Wellbrutrin giving me a tummy ache and a crappy doc who didn’t question my requests for larger doses of Prozac (I’m a “generous” woman) so it made my depression much worse, I’ve had relatively little problems with antidepressants. I do have to watch changes in dosages. I do have to give myself more time between dosage changes (like a month or so). My increase from 75 mg of Effexor to 150 mg included a stint of taking the new Effexor drug (Pristiq) at 50mg (with my 75mg Effexor) because I couldn’t afford another ’script at 37.5mg of Effexor. All my pdoc had samples of was Pristiq. After about a month or so, we moved to 150 mg and I’ve been fine.
But then again, that is what has worked for me and I realize it won’t work for everyone.
I actually have an appt coming up with a nuerologist as I have heard that primdone/mysoline can combat anxiety and help with familial tremor that elderly people are associated with. My family has that temor and mine is starting in my mid thirties.
Then again Inderal has a multitude of uses one of which is for anxiety and the other being a preventitive for migraines, I take inderal as well as 5 other psych drugs and I seem to be headed backwards
My prescription company actually asked me if I wanted a lower cost Seroquel. I said it went generic?? No but it’s used for the same thing. Same for the Lexapro. Scary Scary when your pharmacy benefits try to cut you a break if you will take the alternative.
Shouldn’t my Psych Doc decide first?? He said Seroquel, so I want and have been taking it for four years and again with the lexapro.
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