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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by porkpiehat on August 20, 2011, at 12:11:40
Hi everyone
My Celexa/lamictal combo can make me overly ruminative, impulsive, and leaves a lot of my social anxiety unaddressed unless I go up much higher then the side effects get much worse. I'm reconsidering adding buspar again to address these issues.
I tried buspar two years ago and it really helped with the concentration and social anxiety and some sexual side effects of the celexa. Ultimately I felt it made me sad and very irritable and there was a very clear feeling of coming up and down off it due to its short half life, which I would obsess over.
I still take 5mgs buspar at night to help with the Celexa sweats and also to be a little less scattered when I leave the house. I have begun using it during the day sporadically if I find I'm getting super racy or panicky.
I am again infatuated with my ability to speak and read clearly, and not be instinctively averse to sex, not be afraid of people, and be less impulsive, after taking a daytime 5mg two days in a row. But I'm afraid of falling back down the rabbit hole of obsessing and hyper self-awareness.
Has anyone had any luck using buspar with their SSRI's in this fashion without enduring this crappy roller coaster?
Would love any advice! thanks
Posted by Phillipa on August 20, 2011, at 12:37:14
In reply to anyone successful with Buspar?, posted by porkpiehat on August 20, 2011, at 12:11:40
Years ago took a small dose of buspar 5mg with benzos and didn't notice anything different on it. Do you feel you have other options? Phillipa
Posted by bleauberry on August 20, 2011, at 12:56:27
In reply to anyone successful with Buspar?, posted by porkpiehat on August 20, 2011, at 12:11:40
I've been hanging out at pbabble for a really long time and honestly I can't remember hardly anyone ever doing real well with buspar. Maybe a couple, but I'm not sure maybe they were at a different forum. In any case, I do not understand it as a common prescription because I just haven't seen it perform well very often. If anything, I've seen people usually get more trouble from it than benefit.
If it is calming, anti-panic, and such that you are in need of, there are some great botanical meds that can do that and boost overall health at the same time. IMO, prescription artificial meds should be last in line, not first, except in medical emergencies where a doctor has to do something serious immediately.
By botanical meds I'm talking herbs. Many are as potent or more so than meds, and have multiple benefits in addition to the desired ones. In your case I'm thinking of things like Lemon Balm, Valerian, Passionflower, Skullcap, Licorice, Japanese Knotweed, Cordyceps, Rhodiola. Somewhere in that list is a plant or two that will improve your overall status and combine fine with meds, though the ultimate goal should be to strengthen the entire body's chemistry enough that the meds can be weaned off of.
Posted by Christ_empowered on August 20, 2011, at 16:16:29
In reply to Re: anyone successful with Buspar?, posted by bleauberry on August 20, 2011, at 12:56:27
BuSpar did not help me, even at 60mgs/day. I didn't see why docs were pushing it on me. Niacinamide (b3) @ 3grams daily does more than BuSpar ever did.
They say BuSpar can boost antidepressants, like if you're kinda sorta responding to a reuptake inhibitor, adding BuSpar can turn you into a responder. But that doesn't seem to be your situation.
Posted by linkadge on August 20, 2011, at 19:49:11
In reply to Re: anyone successful with Buspar?, posted by Christ_empowered on August 20, 2011, at 16:16:29
I really don't mind buspar at all. I think its really helpful. Perhaps not a monotherapy, but useful.
Linkadge
Posted by SLS on August 20, 2011, at 22:50:52
In reply to anyone successful with Buspar?, posted by porkpiehat on August 20, 2011, at 12:11:40
> Hi everyone
Hi.
One must consider the potential for any psychotropic treatment to precipitate negative psychiatric side effects in an individual, including Buspar and Celexa.
Look at Viibryd (vilazodone). Like Buspar, Viibryd is a serotonin 5-HT1a partial agonist. It is also a serotonin reuptake inhibitor. Viibryd should be anxiolytic as well as antidepressive, perhaps more so than gepirone (a failed antidepressant with 5-HT1a partial agonism and putative anxiolytic properties). The bottom line is that Viibryd does what a combination of Celexa and Buspar would do except that Buspar is a dopamine receptor antagonist and Viibryd is not. Perhaps this is where the dysphoria and irritability comes from. I'm really not sure that these things cannot be produced by 5-HT1a agonism. However, I don't think the clinical trials of gepirone showed this.
By the way, Viibryd demonstrates a pro-sexual effect in some people. It is probably generated by 5-HT1a agonism. I am not aware of it having an effect on 5-HT2c (formally 5-HT1c) receptors, another site important for sexual arousal. However, one must take into consideration that 5-HT2c receptors will be stimulated by the increased synaptic concentration of serotonin resulting from 5-HT reuptake inhibition. There is a delicate balance between these two receptor sites to maintain healthy sexual function. Perhaps this explains the variability in reports by patients as to how this drug affects their libido and orgasm.
I defer to Linkadge to review and correct my comments, as he is better than me at remembering drug mechanisms and interactions.
- Scott
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