Shown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by tensor on March 30, 2005, at 8:55:20
Hi all,
Have you have any success with Buspar as an antidepressant augmentor? If you had please let me know what other AD's you took. Do you still take it, if not, why?
Thank you,
Mattias
Posted by zeugma on March 30, 2005, at 13:50:35
In reply to BUSPAR AD Augment, posted by tensor on March 30, 2005, at 8:55:20
hi.
I had success with buspar as an AD augment. I added it to a subtherapeutic dosage of nortriptyline (40 mg) and suddenly felt better.
I have continued to take it because I feel better on it than off it. I've discontinued it several times, before coming to the conclusion that it was actually doing something for me. I've used it to augment nortriptyline at therapeutic dosages (75-100 mg) and Strattera (which I consider an AD, despite its official indication, and which I no longer take because it caused unbearable fatigue and depression after a while). The dosage of buspirone that seems optimal for me is 30 mg bid. Anything more than that and it starts to feel like an antipsychotic, and has the AP side effect (for me) of compounding my already severe lethargy. Of course, it was first tested as an AP, and proved to be worthless in that regard even in dosages of up to 375 mg/day.
The problem with buspar is that it simply isn't what it was marketed as- an 'anxiolytic', since that term inevitably draws comparison with benzodiazepines, and the truth is that ven an AD such as imipramine has more in common with benzos than buspar does. Imipramine was actually found more useful in treating benzo withdrawal symptoms than buspirone. (Of course, the success was relative. Probably imipramine blocked panic attacks, in the population studied, and this made the d/c less severe for some, since panic disorder is yet another of the myriad indications for which buspirone is useless.)
The one disorder for which anecdotal evidence supports buspirone's efficacy is PTSD, oddly enough. It also sometimes works as a remedy for SSRI-induced sexual side effects. Buspar is an example of a drug that has so many mechanisms of action that it ought to be much more effective than it is. It's also possible that it's a very slow-acting med, and since its indication is for anxiety,most give up on it prematurely. That's the line taken by the authors of the "Manual of Clinical Psychopharmacology". I don't know if this claim is motivated by benzophobia, by attachment to a pet theory (that the 5HT-1A receptors are the important ones in the therapeutic action of SSRI's), or by astute observation. It is true that buspirone is a drug that works better in theory than practice.-z
Posted by tensor on March 30, 2005, at 14:13:10
In reply to Re: BUSPAR AD Augment » tensor, posted by zeugma on March 30, 2005, at 13:50:35
Hi Zeugma,
You're taking nortrip for major depression, right? I suffer from treatment-resistant depression and nortrip has been in the spotlight for awhile, i might be switching to it soon. I currently take remeron and ixel, remeron was once godsend for my depression but is now more like a sleep aid. I was thinking of augmenting ixel with something, i've tried lithium without success.
I once tried buspar as an anxiolytic and for social phobia, but did nada. I got head zaps and d/c after a month or so. It's more interesting as an AD augmenter, it's true it looks better on the paper but IMO every AD does.
I happy that you get relief with both nortrip and buspar, if ixel proves to be no success i will probably join the nortrip league :-)Best wishes,
Mattias
Posted by ed_uk on March 30, 2005, at 15:35:14
In reply to Re: BUSPAR AD Augment » tensor, posted by zeugma on March 30, 2005, at 13:50:35
Hi Z!
How cool that you replied. I sent Mattias a babblemail this afternoon to say that you'd had success with buspirone!
Ed.
Posted by zeugma on March 31, 2005, at 15:30:13
In reply to Re: BUSPAR AD Augment » zeugma, posted by tensor on March 30, 2005, at 14:13:10
it's true it looks better on the paper but IMO every AD does.>>
That's only too true.
I hope the Ixel works for you. If not, the nortriptyline league is probably better than it looks on paper, unlike so many others :-)
Best wishes,
z
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