Posted by zeugma on January 1, 2006, at 16:21:11
In reply to Buspar stories? Weight gain?, posted by Racer on January 1, 2006, at 15:38:26
more of an antidepressant than an anxiolytic.
it did not cause weight gain. Nothing short of Provigil can cause me to gain weight. So perhaps my biochemsitry is so atypical as to be of no prognostic use whatsoever.
But the theory about this drug is that it is effective, but has a slow onset of action, and has been used (foolishly) in the past as a way to taper off benzodiazepines- imipramine is a better choice for that, and a far more potent AD as well. IMO it is (or was) mismarketed as an anxiolytic- its close chemical relative gepirone has been through trials in the U.S. as an antidepressant and found effective, but thanks to FDA policy has not received approval. Evidence of gepirone's efficacy:
Gepirone ER would be far more effective than buspirone, mainly because of buspirone's unstable pharmacokinetics. There are similar reports when comparing Concerta to immediate-release methylphenidate, etc. But the FDA in its wisdom has put the brakes on gepirone, perhaps because companies such as Lilly and Wyeth could not throw their prestige behind the new drug. Buspirone is worth a shot, though, and perhaps a three-times-daily dosing schedule.
-z
poster:zeugma
thread:594004
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20051231/msgs/594017.html