Re: Geodon or Gabitril? Desperate! (southern cal help :>)

[Guest guest]

Hi Becky,

I would immediately try to join the group below, because I

think you truly need to find a doctor/psychiatrist that you have

complete confidence in near you soon. I am sure that your doctor

will do things for your ASD loved one, but it seems that you may want

to find one who is more successful than your present one.

Join this group soon: LA FEAT is Los Angeles Families for Effective

Autism Treatment (presently 273 members, fairly active group).

I lurk this site, because my brother lives there. He tells me great

things about the suburb he is in for friends he knows that have

autistic loved ones. He lives in Torrance.

Do you rememeber how you joined this group? Go to Group and

then type in the search box " Find a Group " box then type in the blank

box " LA Autism " (when I did it, the search produced it as no 2 on the

list), then hit " Search " . Once you find the group, then click

the " JOIN GROUP " hyperlink. You may need to wait a couple of days,

but at least you will be in a Group specific to LA and the

surrounding counties.

You should also go immediately to the website:

http://www.tacanow.com/Resources/default.htm

I am posting the link to resources, then go to " Doctors Medical "

hyperlink on the left side of the webpage or I believe you can scroll

down (my son has our new computer, so I am using the old one ....ugh)

This website is one of the best in the United States and it is for

you folks in Southern California.....:>)

Additionally, go to UCLA website for autism:

http://www.autism.ucla.edu/index2.php

The UCLA Autism Center known as CART would also be a good place to

call if you continue to struggle with his medications.

Hope this helps

Mark

> > > > > >

> > > > > > I have been reading the posts here for about six weeks

and

> > > have

> > > > > > responded to one or two posts. I have a question

regarding

> > > > > medication

> > > > > > that was prescribed to my AS daughter by her Medi-Cal

> > doctor.

> > > > Does

> > > > > > anyone have experience with either Geodon or Gabitril and

> > what

> > > > > were

> > > > > > the side effects and/or withdrawal symptoms? I am not

> > getting

> > > > any

> > > > > > answers from her new doctor-I put her on my insurance to

> get

> > a

> > > > > better

> > > > > > psychiatrist.

> > > > > >

> > > > > > She had basically been on Tegretol for her rages for

about

> 8

> > > > years

> > > > > > and Welbutrin and Lexapro for her anxiety/depression for

> > about

> > > a

> > > > > > year. She also had Xanax as needed for panic attacks. We

> > moved

> > > a

> > > > > year

> > > > > > ago and even though she was able to go to the same

> community

> > > > > college

> > > > > > she had to take 2 buses to get there and two buses to get

> > > back.

> > > > > The

> > > > > > new home and bus changes made her anxiety around other

> > people

> > > > > really,

> > > > > > really bad so she asked her Medi-Cal doctor to switch her

> > from

> > > > > > Lexapro/Welbutrin to something else. He had her stop

taking

> > > the

> > > > > > Lexapro/Welbutrin immediately without any weaning off and

> > > start

> > > > > > taking Geodon, Seroquel and Amitriptiline. This increased

> > her

> > > > > anxiety

> > > > > > so he told her to take more Geodon and kept telling her

to

> > > take

> > > > > more

> > > > > > until she was up to 400 mg/day. He then put her on

Gabitril

> > > for

> > > > > the

> > > > > > anxiety from the Geodon and that caused even MORE

anxiety,

> > > which

> > > > > he

> > > > > > responded to by telling her to increase the Gabitril.

> > > Basically,

> > > > > > within two months she went from Lexapro 60 mg/Welbutrin

> > 300mg

> > > XL

> > > > > and

> > > > > > Xanax 1mg as needed to Geodon 400mg/Gabitril

400mg/Serequel

> > > > > > 200mg/Amitriptiline-I don't remember the dose.

> > > > > >

> > > > > > At this point she was just a basket case, crying all the

> > time,

> > > > not

> > > > > > able to concentrate enough to read-she's a book-worm-and

> > could

> > > > > barely

> > > > > > watch TV at night with me. She also could not sleep AT

ALL.

> > > The

> > > > > > doctor told her that these were just side effects and

would

> > go

> > > > > away.

> > > > > > Yeah, right.

> > > > > >

> > > > > > I put her on my insurance and she saw her new doctor on

> July

> > > > 1st.

> > > > > He

> > > > > > told her to stop the Geodon and Gabitril and

Amitriptiline

> > and

> > > > put

> > > > > > her on Zoloft 50mg and increased the Seroquel to 400mg.

He

> > > also

> > > > > did

> > > > > > not tell her to wean off the Geodon/Gabitril just to stop

> > > taking

> > > > > > them. Well, at this point I had been researching

everything

> > > > about

> > > > > > these two drugs on the Internet because her Medi-cal

doctor

> > > was

> > > > > > clearly giving her the wrong medicine for the past 2 1/2

> > > months.

> > > > > > Everything I read told of bad reactions to both

medications

> > > and

> > > > > > severe withdrawal symptoms. I told her to go down by 1

pill

> > a

> > > > week

> > > > > > for each medicine based on my experience with other psych

> > > drugs

> > > > > that

> > > > > > I had been weaned off of. This means that she immediately

> > went

> > > > to

> > > > > > 300mg Geodon/300mg Gabitril/and 3/4 of the dose of

> > > > Amitriptiline,

> > > > > > which I can't remember. So, for three weeks she went down

> by

> > > > 100mg

> > > > > of

> > > > > > each medicine but also took the Zoloft and the Seroquel.

> The

> > > > > fourth

> > > > > > week-within 24 hours of taking the last pill of Geodon

and

> > > > > Gabitril

> > > > > > she was having " panic attacks all day and all night long "

> as

> > > she

> > > > > put

> > > > > > it. We made an emergency appointment with the doctor

three

> > > days

> > > > > later

> > > > > > and he increased her Zoloft to 100mg and also increased

her

> > > > > Seroquel

> > > > > > to 600mg and gave her Ambien to sleep.

> > > > > >

> > > > > > This was on the 18th of July. It is now 45 days later and

> at

> > > our

> > > > > last

> > > > > > appointment on Friday he increased her Zoloft to 150mg

and

> > > > > increased

> > > > > > her Seroquel to 1000mg. She is still not any better.

> > > > > >

> > > > > > He does not know if what she is still feeling is

withdrawal

> > > from

> > > > > the

> > > > > > Geodon/Gabitril so he doesn't want to try any other anti-

> > > anxiety

> > > > > > medication except the Seroquel which she swears does

> nothing

> > > for

> > > > > her.

> > > > > > She is still waking up in the middle of the night and has

> to

> > > > take

> > > > > > another Ambien to go back to sleep.

> > > > > >

> > > > > > So to sum it up, since the middle of April she has had

> > > increased

> > > > > > anxiety and panic attacks for 2 1/2 months because of the

> > > switch

> > > > > to

> > > > > > Geodon/Gabitril and maybe withdrawal from the

> > > Lexapro/Welbutrin?

> > > > > >

> > > > > > Since the middle of July-another 45 days-she has had her

> > > already

> > > > > > horrible anxiety increase to " panic attacks all day long "

> > from

> > > > the

> > > > > > withdrawal-MAYBE-of Geodon/Gabitril and/or the switch to

> > > Zoloft.

> > > > > >

> > > > > > This has now been going on for more than 4 months and I

> > don't

> > > > know

> > > > > > what to do. She is so miserable and had to drop her fall

> > > college

> > > > > > classes.

> > > > > >

> > > > > > Does anyone have ANY information on these two drugs,

> > > > > Geodon/Gabitril

> > > > > > and whether the withdrawal symptoms would last this long-

45

> > > days

> > > > > from

> > > > > > July 15th? I know I said I researched other boards but I

> > would

> > > > > like

> > > > > > just one person to tell me that yes, this is withdrawal

and

> > it

> > > > > will

> > > > > > get better. So if you have any real-life experience with

> > > > > either/both

> > > > > > of these drugs could you let me know?

> > > > > >

> > > > > > We went to ANOTHER P-doc for a second opinion but he was

> > even

> > > > > worse

> > > > > > than the Medi-cal doctor because he told us that he could

> > give

> > > > no

> > > > > > opinion since HE hadn't been treating her!

> > > > > >

> > > > > > Any help/encouragement/alternative treatments/apricot pit

> > > > > > treatments/witch doctor or Shaman advice would be really

> > > helpful

> > > > > > about now!

> > > > > >

> > > > > > Becky

> > > > > >

> > > > >

> > > >

> > >

> >

>