Tiagabine (Gabitril)

<p>From: Reviving the Broken Marionette: Treatments for CFS/ME and Fibromyalgia

Tiagabine is a GABA reuptake inhibitor. It is used to treat chronic pain and small doses improve sleep quality. According to one study the pain relieving effect was similar to gabapentin, but sleep improved much more on tiagabine.28 Additionally it can help anxiety.29 Despite this, in a fairly large double–blinded study it was not found useful for PTSD.30 Tiagabine might work as an acute therapy for migraine.31

A preliminary study concluded that tiagabine may be helpful in fibromyalgia.32 Lucinda Bateman prescribes her CFS/ME patients a small dose of 2–12 mg33 and Jacob Teitelbaum uses a bit more, 5–24 mg.34 Dr.

Jay Goldstein has not found the drug helpful for CFS/ME and fibromyalgia.35

Tiagabine can sometimes paradoxically cause seizures in people with no history of epilepsy. Similar to other GABA derivatives it can cause sedation and dizziness especially when beginning treatment. Nausea and psychiatric side effects such as depression and nervousness are common, but small doses in the range of a few milligrams only rarely cause marked side effects.

Tiagabine is available in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and a few other, mostly European countries. It is somewhat expensive.</p>