Gabitril Description

Gabitril is a medication known as a GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid) reuptake inhibitor and is prescribed to take along with other meds to help prevent partial seizures in adults and children over the age of twelve years. Partial seizures are confined to a particular area of your brain and could be experienced as a prelude to generalized seizures, which involves the entire brain. Partial seizures have a number of forms and symptoms from simple partial seizures where there is no loss of consciousness (LOC) or a complex partial that causes impairment or a LOC.

How Gabitril Helps Prevent Seizures

GABA (Tiagabine) is one of the many neurotransmitters stored in your nerve cells that work as brain messengers. This one in particular acts as a natural nerve calming agent. Gabitril is taken to prevent the absorption of GABA by blocking it’s transporter in order to keep it available in your brain for a longer period which aids in preventing seizures. This medicine will not stop a seizure that is already taking place.

Conditions Treated by Gabitril

Epilepsy is a disorder that occurs when clusters of nerve cells signal abnormally in your brain. When the normal pattern of neuronal activity is disturbed you may experience strange emotions or behaviors, muscle spasms, and convulsions. Neurons normally fire approximately 200 times per second; during a seizure your neurons could fire as many as 500 times per second. Epilepsy is not a mental illness and is not contagious. Many children eventually out-grow epileptic seizures, but the numbers are not as high for adults with epilepsy.

Partial seizures can have many causes; epilepsy, brain tumors or infection, heat stroke, or low blood glucose. If the regular pattern of neuronal activity is disturbed in any way, you could exhibit strange emotions or behavior or begin to convulse with muscle spasms and experience a loss of consciousness. Gabitril is sometimes taken in combination with other anti-convulsant drugs. There is no cure for epilepsy, but taking Gabitril to control the seizures can allow you more freedom to do what you enjoy.

Before You Take Gabitril

Talk to your doctor about other medical conditions or allergies you have before taking Gabitril. Make sure you tell your doctor if you are pregnant, may become pregnant, or are breast feeding your infant as Gabitril may be harmful to an unborn or a nursing baby.

Precautions for Gabitril

Inform your healthcare professional of any non-prescription medications or Rx drugs you are taking and include all herbal, dietary, and vitamin supplements as they could cause unwanted side effects or change the efficacy of Gabitril in your body. Do not attempt any activities until you know how your body will react to Gabitril. Keep all medications out of children’s reach.

Possible Side Effects of Gabitril

• Diarrhea
• Lack of energy
• Vomiting or nausea
• Difficulty concentrating
• Visual disturbances

Drugs Similar to Gabitril

• Trileptal
• Zonegran
• Zarontin