Psychiatric effects from Sabril
A psychologist and neurologist reviewed reports of a number of double-blind, placebo-controlled studies of Sabril (vigabatrin), in which the Sabril was used as add-on therapy for partial epilepsy. When they compared the reports of various psychiatric disorders among patients taking Sabril and those taking the placebo, they found that the only significant increases were in cases of depression (12.1% with Sabril vs. 3.5% with placebo) and psychosis (2.5% with Sabril vs. 0.3% with placebo).
Fewer than one-fifth of the cases of depression were serious; most were considered mild. The psychosis generally lasted only a short time and went away when it was treated with medication or when the dose of Sabril was reduced or stopped.
Here's a link to a summary of this study:
Levinson DF, Devinsky O: Psychiatric adverse events during vigabatrin therapy. Neurology. 1999;53(7):1503-1511. PMID: 10534259
Reviewed February 2004 by Steven C. Schachter, MD, epilepsy.com Editorial Board.
