Experience of Pagoclone

[chrondog06]

I saw this article about a person who was part of the Pagoclone study. The drug looks promising. Here is what he had to say.

Experience of Pagoclone
A reader has sent me this report on his experience on Pagoclone:



The drug hasn't completely 'cured' me, but has helped tremendously. What I say to the folks in the clinic is -- am I supposed to sound like the folks on tv? So nice and so polished? Sometimes I do. Sometimes after a caffeine high, I just rip through my speech like an auctioneer.

I'm also getting a little more bold. I talk to people in public who I wouldn't have a year ago. At the pizza place, I now ask to change marinara sauce to garlic. Also, I never suffered from anxiety. I'm very laid-back. I have a rough time saying my name and introducing myself. But it's gotten a little better. I still drag out my first syllable, but it's not as long as it used to be. And I'm able to jump right into whatever I need to say so the listener doesn't think twice about it. Honestly, I feel that maybe the drug is relaxing me a bit more. That it's sort of forcing me to slow down my verbal output. It's strange. And as you said about the placebo effect, it's uncertain about what else is happening after I start speaking more fluently -- confidence builds, words are easier, I start smiling more, etc.

I've had absolutely no side effects from this as all. Then again, this is all just me. Your mileage will, of course, vary. I think once the next phase of this trial is over, I might get off the drug for a bit just to see what happens. I'm curious about the confidence effect. And the fact that I'm maybe thinking about slowing things down a lot more to make it easier. I'm also talking to my son more -- and not stuttering. He might have an effect.


Posted by Tom Weidig at 11:09 AM

[Standingtall]

Wow, thanks for sharing.

[sally]

Forgive me if i may of misread the current articles on the drug Pagaclone recently.

But i read that even though Phase 3 of the drug Pagaclone trials will start in 2007, one of the investing companies pulled out was and replaced by another.

The company that pulled out said though Pagaclone did show promise, it did not meet the companies high expectations.

In other words Pagaclone should of worked on more people in Phase 2 of the drug trial that it actually did. But Phase 3 will still go ahead though.

However, i still do not know why we have to wait 3-6 months for the results of Phase 3 though. I mean can they not do it sooner.

[studentdoc]

Forgive me if i may of misread the current articles on the drug Pagaclone recently.

But i read that even though Phase 3 of the drug Pagaclone trials will start in 2007, one of the investing companies pulled out was and replaced by another.

The company that pulled out said though Pagaclone did show promise, it did not meet the companies high expectations.

In other words Pagaclone should of worked on more people in Phase 2 of the drug trial that it actually did. But Phase 3 will still go ahead though.

However, i still do not know why we have to wait 3-6 months for the results of Phase 3 though. I mean can they not do it sooner.

Do you have a source of the company pulling out? That's interesting! I know it happened before when Pagoclone was being used for anxiety and that was Pfizer who pulled out but I didn't hear about anything recent.

The reason phase III is taking long to start is because they need the OK from the FDA and the F stands for Federal and we all know how slow government agencies are.... :mad:

Thanks OP for the story!!

[3FingerBrown]

There was an article in the New York Times about 5-6 weeks ago about drugs being developed that didn’t exactly sound ready yet. Pfizer was testing the aforementioned drug Pagoclone for panic disorder and anxiety and wasn’t impressed. Indevus then got a patent to use the drug to treat stuttering.
I don’t know which phase the article is referring to but it stated that 55% on the drug improved while 36% improved with a placebo… I wouldn’t call that great.

Not that I want to get political but I have a number of ailments and have had much exposure to the pharmaceutical industry.
Let the FDA takes it time and make sure the drug is safe. The FDA has gotten too cozy with the drug companies and they have dangerously rushed too many drugs to market in recent years. Industry profits became more important than protecting public health.

They’ve pulled at least 1 dozen dangerous drugs off the market in the last 10 years.
As for a drug that got too speedily rushed to market, I was on Vioxx for a year and Celebrex for at least a year before that. Both members of the dangerous and overpriced cox 2 inhibitor class.

Indevus used to be Interneuron Pharmaceuticals and they were part of the fen-phen debacle.
Let the FDA do its job.
Thankfully, medicine is now understanding that stuttering is at its base a neurological disorder, the title of the NYT article was… “To Fight Stuttering, Doctors Look at the Brain”.

It’s a great article and I credit it kick starting my awakening process. Article mentions the emotional toll and how its still one of the last diseases that people are allowed to make fun of.

Did you read that? Stuttering is a neurological disease. You are not weak or crazy and YOU NOR YOUR PARENTS ARE AT FAULT FOR YOUR STUTTER. The article also mentioned that it seems to be genetic, reading posts on here I’d say they are on to something with the genetic thing. Personally, I was adopted.

Our brains simply behave differently. I wonder if pagoclone changes the way the brain handles speech and treats the cause of the problem or if it just alleviates symptoms… as in our stutters.