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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 22 of 22. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by michel on April 29, 2000, at 17:52:28
I´m taking sulpiride with excellent results, but I´ve read it could induce extrapyramidal symptons in 30% of uusers, even parkinsonism and tardive diskinesia, as other neuroleptics. Is that true? Is amisulpride better in this sense? Can anybody help me?
Posted by AndrewB on April 29, 2000, at 21:43:51
In reply to sulpiride, posted by michel on April 29, 2000, at 17:52:28
The answer to your question is depends; it depends what you are taking it for and at what dose you are taking it. Sulpiride in a sense is two drugs in one (so is amisulpride). At a low dose it can be used for depression, anxiety and fatigue. At high doses however it has a quite different and many ways opposite effect and it is used for schizophrenia.
Posted by AndrewB on April 29, 2000, at 21:56:59
In reply to sulpiride, posted by michel on April 29, 2000, at 17:52:28
Sorry, I posted my message before I was finished!
If you are taking it at high doses for schizophrenia, then yes it can cause all these side effects. Amisulpride then I believe is a better choice with less side effects. But I'm not sure about this. Certainly talk to your doctor about your options concerning newer generation neuroleptics that have fewer side effects including amisulpride.
But if you are taking it at low doses for depression, anxiety, or fatigue then you certainly WON'T experience any of these side effects.
Now if you are taking it for depression or fatigue, please tell me all about your experience. I would love to hear. How has it helped you specifically. What are your side effects, if any. What is your diagnosis. Dosage. How long did it take to work. Where do you purchase it from.
Thank you for any information you are able to pass on to me. Congratulations on your success.
Best wishes,
AndrewB
Posted by michel on April 30, 2000, at 16:29:39
In reply to Re: sulpiride, posted by AndrewB on April 29, 2000, at 21:43:51
I take 50 mg daily, in addition to Zoloft, 100mg., for depression. I couldn´t read your second message. I´d thank you more info.
Posted by AndrewB on April 30, 2000, at 17:22:50
In reply to Re: sulpiride, posted by michel on April 30, 2000, at 16:29:39
Sorry, I posted my message before I was finished!If you are taking it at high doses for schizophrenia, then yes it can cause all
these side effects. Amisulpride then I believe is a better choice with less side
effects. But I'm not sure about this. Certainly talk to your doctor about your
options concerning newer generation neuroleptics that have fewer side effects
including amisulpride.But if you are taking it at low doses for depression, anxiety, or fatigue then you
certainly WON'T experience any of these side effects.Now if you are taking it for depression or fatigue, please tell me all about your
experience. I would love to hear. How has it helped you specifically. What are
your side effects, if any. What is your diagnosis. Dosage. How long did it take
to work. Where do you purchase it from.Thank you for any information you are able to pass on to me. Congratulations
on your success.Best wishes,
AndrewB
Posted by michel on April 30, 2000, at 21:41:21
In reply to Re: sulpiride; Michel I've reposted message 2, posted by AndrewB on April 30, 2000, at 17:22:50
>
> Andrew: here´s the info you ask me.
My diagnosis is chronic depression and social phobia, I guess. I´ve taking Zoloft, 100 mg, for several months -quite good, actually. But my doctor thought I could go better, and prescribed sulpiride, 50 mg. Great results: I feel much better, self-confident and more empathic. I don´t understand why it´s not on sale there in the US, unless it really has serious side-effects. Are you sure at low doses it hasn´t? What about long term? In my country -Uruguay, a little place in South America- it´s sold under prescription, and it costs five American dollars 20 cmps, 50 mg.
Hope this info is useful for you. If you know a link or something on this med, please refer me. Thanks,
Michel
Posted by michel on April 30, 2000, at 21:54:18
In reply to Re: sulpiride; Michel I've reposted message 2, posted by AndrewB on April 30, 2000, at 17:22:50
>
>I´ve forgotten to tell you: no side effects, till now. Can you believe it? Wonderful med. Thoug I´m still afraid of tardive diskinesia.
Posted by AndrewB on May 1, 2000, at 0:44:15
In reply to Re: sulpiride; no side effects, posted by michel on April 30, 2000, at 21:54:18
> >
> >I´ve forgotten to tell you: no side effects, till now. Can you believe it? Wonderful med. Thoug I´m still afraid of tardive diskinesia.Michel,
Thank you for giving me your information. I feel the same way about amisulpride, a very similar medicine. And believe me, you won't get tardive diskinesia, your doctor can confirm this. Women can get some significant side effects like missed menses but men tend to be side effect free at the low doses.
I hope you can give us another update in about a month. It is so important to hear success stories.
Wishing you continued well being,
AndrewB
Posted by michel on May 1, 2000, at 16:33:03
In reply to Re: sulpiride; no side effects, posted by AndrewB on May 1, 2000, at 0:44:15
> > >
> > >What´s made you choose amisulpride over sulpiride?
Posted by AndrewB on May 2, 2000, at 0:13:00
In reply to Re: amisulpride vs. sulpiride, posted by michel on May 1, 2000, at 16:33:03
> > > >
> > > >What´s made you choose amisulpride over sulpiride?Michel,
Amisulpride has had a lot of studies done on it showing that it is effective for depression and has normally little or no side effects in men. Because this information was available on it I decided to try it. I don't know if amisulpride is any better or worse than sulpiride at the low doses we take these medicines at. I've looked at the literature and they seem very similar. Why don't you ask your doctor if he thinks there is a difference. I'd love to know what he says.
It is funny that you say sulpiride has really helped wiht the social phobia. Amisulpride has really helped my social anxiety. I wonder if amisulpride and sulpiride may just be the best things out there for social anxiety. It seems to be a bit of a secret with no studies having been done to show how well these meds can work for social anxiety.
Best wishes,
AndrewB
Posted by michel on May 3, 2000, at 19:14:55
In reply to Re: amisulpride vs. sulpiride, posted by AndrewB on May 2, 2000, at 0:13:00
> > > > >
>I´ve been feeling persistent palpitations on these days. I´ve searched at Internet Mental Health (www.mentalhealth.com) and there it´s mentioned as a side effect of sulpiride. This may be a reason to change to amisulpride. What d´you think?
Posted by AndrewB on May 4, 2000, at 3:10:20
In reply to Re: sulpiride - adverse event reported, posted by michel on May 3, 2000, at 19:14:55
> > > > > >
> >I´ve been feeling persistent palpitations on these days. I´ve searched at Internet Mental Health (www.mentalhealth.com) and there it´s mentioned as a side effect of sulpiride. This may be a reason to change to amisulpride. What d´you think?Michel,
Sorry to hear this. How long has this been going on.
I have no mention in my information of cardiac palpitations from amisulpride. But if this is a rare effect it is possible my information wouldn't mention it.
I would consider giving amisulpride a try if your palpitations are persisting. Let me know if you decide to switch.
Take care,
AndrewB
Posted by carolina on May 4, 2000, at 20:03:16
In reply to Re: sulpiride - adverse event reported, posted by AndrewB on May 4, 2000, at 3:10:20
> > > > > > >
> >I´m on amisulpride and it´s great. Try it, Michel!
Posted by AndrewB on May 5, 2000, at 0:33:37
In reply to Re: amisulpride try it!, posted by carolina on May 4, 2000, at 20:03:16
> > > > > > > >
> > >I´m on amisulpride and it´s great. Try it, Michel!Carolina,
It is so good to hear that amisulpride has helped you. Would you be able to tell me more about your experience with amisulpride. What is your diagnosis. How has amisulpride helped. Any side effects. How long have you taken it. What dosage. Are you taking other ADs. Where did you order it from.
Thanks for helping out,
AndrewB
Posted by Anna P. on June 28, 2000, at 15:11:03
In reply to sulpiride, posted by michel on April 29, 2000, at 17:52:28
> I´m taking sulpiride with excellent results, but I´ve read it could induce extrapyramidal symptons in 30% of uusers, even parkinsonism and tardive diskinesia, as other neuroleptics. Is that true? Is amisulpride better in this sense? Can anybody help me?
Hi Michael,
I just got Sulpiride, and tried the first day for my fatigue and lethargy. I feel fine. I don't know what will happen next. I didn't respond to amisulpride, as the anxiety is also a part of my depression.
Are you still taking it? Do you take it with something else?Anna P.
I have Mianserin just in case, but I've read it's too sedative.
Posted by Anna P. on June 28, 2000, at 15:26:21
In reply to Re: sulpiride/Michael, posted by Anna P. on June 28, 2000, at 15:11:03
> > Hi Karen,
How are you? Iwas doing very bad, and I just got sulpiride. I was struggling for such a long time with Tianeptine which finally started to cause slow moving (akathisia).
I try Sulpiride the first time, and started to feel fine.
Please tell me about your experience, how long were you taking it,dosage, etc.
Also, I'm panicking about the weight gain from it, but it looks like I have no choice.Anna P.
Posted by KarenB on June 28, 2000, at 20:41:56
In reply to Re: sulpiride/Karen B, posted by Anna P. on June 28, 2000, at 15:26:21
Anna,
It's been months now with the Tianeptine, right? And still no relief? I had given it a trial last year and for me it was worse than taking nothing at all. Personally, I need something more energizing and I did not find Tianeptine to help in the area of fatigue.
When I took Sulpiride, it was under the brand name Dogmatil. Is that what you have? If so, I took one capsule, 3x a day. I took it along with a psychostimulant, Amineptine, which is sadly no longer available. A possible alternative psychostimulant might be Adrafinil, 300mg 2x a day. The max recommended for fatigue/depression is 300mg 4x a day. I will trial this soon and plan to split the tabs and start with 150mg, 2x a day and work up after a few days. Adderall is another possibility.
For me, the stimulant alone did only part of the job and the Sulpiride alone did only part of the job - but together - bingo.
I remember your symptoms as fatigue, heaviness and apathetic depression - that's you, right? Sounds like me.
With the Adrafinil you can make an assessment in less than a week, unlike most other ADs. The Sulpiride, as I remember, took effect almost immediately, as well. So, if it's not going to work, you'll know very quickly. I took the Dogmatil and Amineptine 1/2 hr before getting out of bed in the morning. 1/2 hour later, I had both the desire, energy and attitude to get up and face the day.
The weight gain for me was not major (5-10 lbs.) and I felt so good, I WANTED to exercise so it was not difficult to control. I actually ended up losing weight because I was able for the first time to be cinsistent with an exercise program. With more energy and motivation, I cooked and ate more healthily, as well. The only other side effect from the Dogmatil was complete cessation of menstrual periods. This was great. No more PMS, no more headaches. This doesn't happen for everyone but it is a possible side effect.
Keep us updated, OK? I'll be interested to see how it works out.
Karen
Posted by Anna P. on June 28, 2000, at 22:24:01
In reply to Re: Sulpiride - Anna, posted by KarenB on June 28, 2000, at 20:41:56
> Anna,
>
> It's been months now with the Tianeptine, right? And still no relief? I had given it a trial last year and for me it was worse than taking nothing at all. Personally, I need something more energizing and I did not find Tianeptine to help in the area of fatigue.
>
> When I took Sulpiride, it was under the brand name Dogmatil. Is that what you have? If so, I took one capsule, 3x a day. I took it along with a psychostimulant, Amineptine, which is sadly no longer available. A possible alternative psychostimulant might be Adrafinil, 300mg 2x a day. The max recommended for fatigue/depression is 300mg 4x a day. I will trial this soon and plan to split the tabs and start with 150mg, 2x a day and work up after a few days. Adderall is another possibility.
>
> For me, the stimulant alone did only part of the job and the Sulpiride alone did only part of the job - but together - bingo.
>
> I remember your symptoms as fatigue, heaviness and apathetic depression - that's you, right?> Yes, Karen. That's me. I will keep you updated, and than you for your quick response. Also, good luck with your treatment.
Anna P.
Posted by SLS on June 29, 2000, at 7:20:10
In reply to Re: Sulpiride - Anna, posted by KarenB on June 28, 2000, at 20:41:56
Dear Karen,
> When I took Sulpiride, it was under the brand name Dogmatil. Is that what you have? If so, I took one capsule, 3x a day. I took it along with a psychostimulant, Amineptine, which is sadly no longer available. A possible alternative psychostimulant might be Adrafinil, 300mg 2x a day. The max recommended for fatigue/depression is 300mg 4x a day. I will trial this soon and plan to split the tabs and start with 150mg, 2x a day and work up after a few days. Adderall is another possibility.
I just started taking sulpiride. The brand name is Sulparex, and I am getting it from a pharmacy in London. I have been taking 50mg of sulpiride in the morning for the last 6 days. I think I feel a slight improvement for the first few hours after taking it, but it disappears quickly. I am getting impatient because my doctor wants me to continue taking 50mg for another week. I want to feel better yesterday.What was the total dosage of Dogmatil that you took?
What dosage did you start with, and how did you increase it?
Are you still taking Dogmatil?
I wish you the best of luck with the adrafinil. If adrafinil is similar to modafinil (Provigil), it probably helps to increase the activity of dopamine neurons in the areas of the brain involved with motivation and reward. Dogmatil may exert its antidepressant effects by activating the same areas, but in a different way. Combining sulpiride and adrafinil sounds like a very good strategy.One thing that I would like to mention is that JohnL has described that adrafinil has a "therapeutic window" for him. There is a dosage that is just right - not too low and not too high. After he began to respond positively at a certain dosage, he tried to increase it further. After the increase, he began to feel less well. When he reduced the dosage back to what it had been before the increase, he felt well again. This may not necessarily be the case for you, but it is something to be aware of.
Good luck. I hope to be able to watch you get well.
Sincerely,
Scott
Posted by Johnturner77 on June 29, 2000, at 8:56:54
In reply to Re: sulpiride/Michael, posted by Anna P. on June 28, 2000, at 15:11:03
> > I´m taking sulpiride with excellent results, but I´ve read it could induce extrapyramidal symptons in 30% of uusers, even parkinsonism and tardive diskinesia, as other neuroleptics. Is that true? Is amisulpride better in this sense? Can anybody help me?
>
I don't believe extrapyramidal effects are an issue at AD doses. I am not as familiar with Sulpride, but Amisulpride is a neuroleptic at high doses and an AD at low doses. This is because it preferentially blocks dopamine at presynaptic sites. So at low doses it actually increases dopaminergic activity. I beleve Sulpride acts in a similar way. Therefore, at low doses, it might actually work to prevent extrapyramidal symptoms. I hope someone will correct me if this isn't correct.
Posted by SLS on June 29, 2000, at 10:59:03
In reply to Re: sulpiride/Michael, posted by Johnturner77 on June 29, 2000, at 8:56:54
> > > I´m taking sulpiride with excellent results, but I´ve read it could induce extrapyramidal symptons in 30% of uusers, even parkinsonism and tardive diskinesia, as other neuroleptics. Is that true? Is amisulpride better in this sense? Can anybody help me?
> >
>
>
> I don't believe extrapyramidal effects are an issue at AD doses. I am not as familiar with Sulpride, but Amisulpride is a neuroleptic at high doses and an AD at low doses. This is because it preferentially blocks dopamine at presynaptic sites. So at low doses it actually increases dopaminergic activity. I beleve Sulpride acts in a similar way. Therefore, at low doses, it might actually work to prevent extrapyramidal symptoms. I hope someone will correct me if this isn't correct.
Sulpiride is indeed similar to amisulpride, both in stucture and function in the ways you describe. I don't think either of these drugs can help prevent EPS, but it is hoped that they are not as likely to produce them at the low dosages used for depression. I’ll keep an eye out for more concrete evidence that this is the case. Sulpiride does cause EPS, including tardive dyskinesia. I am not sure that it is significantly safer in this regard than the older neuroleptics. Some of the studies I have seen indicate that it may not be. By contrast, the newer “atypical” neuroleptics, which include Zyprexa, Risperdal, Seroquel, and Clozaril, are less likely to cause EPS and can even help minimize those that are produced by the other classes of neuroleptics.Since I am taking sulpiride, I too would like to compare the rates of occurrence of EPS between it and amisulpride. There’s a mess of literature to look at and interpret. I think studies of newer drugs tend to be more lenient when evaluating their potential to produce adverse effects.
Please pass the salt.
- Scott
Posted by liz.mcaulay@ellisgrant.co.uk on March 27, 2001, at 9:01:36
In reply to Re: sulpiride/Michael, posted by Johnturner77 on June 29, 2000, at 8:56:54
Dear All
My son has just started to take Sulpride 200mg per day for schizophrenia. He has been on about 7 different medications and so far this seems the best one. The reason his psychiatrist has put him on this is because he was last on Stelazine and I noticed that he had started to show abnormal tounge movements (although slight)I was very worried regarding TD and thought that this might be the first signs. I am still worried because this is an older type medication and worry that it may just be masking the symptoms. Although in general he seems much more alert,is holding down a full time admin job and leading a normal life really.
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