Posted by Elizabeth on July 20, 2001, at 0:17:41
In reply to Re: Tell me about Buspar?, posted by sl on July 19, 2001, at 21:57:37
> In a nutshell: If it's in the plasma that means it's not being broke-down/used, right?
Something like that, yeah. It is confusing.
> Yeah, I've tried that too. That's why I'm only planning on 12 credits. That's the minimum required to be full-time.
1 class = 4 credits? (My school had a different system; the average class was 12 credits.)
> > > I'm almost positive it was RN. And can't Registered Nurses prescribe?
> > No. Nurse practitioners can, though.
>
> Hrm. She must have done more than I thought when she left the room. Cuz I suspect it's a government-funded type thing and couldn't afford to mess around. (might lose funding!)I think the government probably sanctions these cost-cutting measures.
> Since I wasn't dumb enuf to have babies [I wouldn't be able to care for], I don't get public assistance.
Really. What state are you in?
> You gotta be disabled (on SSI, I don't qualify)
Oof. Which one is SSI?
> Can you belive that my lousy $888/month disqualifies me from food stamps? Even tho my rent is more than HALF that!?
I can believe it. Public assistance is pretty worthless in the US, for the most part. (Some states do have pretty good Medicaid programs, though.)
> I hope she does call. My doc and her nurse know me pretty well, they know my financial situation is precarious at best, and they know I'm intelligent enuf to know when something's wrong.
That's good -- you have allies. < g >
> And by the way, there ARE side-effects to this Buspar. I'm going to ask you about them later on....
I'm sorry to hear that. I hope they're not too problematic.
> I know they have only certain drugs available, so maybe that plays a part in the way it's run too. Actually, maybe she didn't HAVE klonopin, it's a schedule something-drug right? More controlled?
It's Schedule IV. Buspar isn't a controlled substance, although you do need a prescription for it.
> > Tolerance isn't the same as addiction, either. (The definition I'm using is the one in DSM-IV, "substance dependence.") Anyway, I wouldn't say that Klonopin is not addictive at all, but I think the risk is minimal.
>
> Okay, I see. So it could be used with extra care.Sure. I think that Klonopin is probably less addicting than Xanax or Valium because it takes longer to work and I don't think I've known anyone who found it pleasurable in a recreational sense. But even Xanax and Valium can be used safely. You know best (in your heart of hearts) whether you are in danger of becoming addicted. Just be honest with yourself, and you'll be fine.
> I mentioned it to my friend and he said "my gf has a bottle laying around from last summer, they gave it to her to sleep and it knocked her out for 14 hours!". I thought about asking him to send it, but ...well, I'd really rather go legal, y'know??
Sure. I feel the same way (but I don't try to push my opinion on other people who don't feel the same way).
> She knows that I'm already on Wellbutrin and it works for me, so the depression isn't there, just the nagging worry and ruminations. (I avoid thinking about certain things so the things that DO get stuck are fairly benign, but it'd be nice to let my mind wander!)
I do that too, but I'm confused as to how that would affect her choice of anxiolytic.
> > No, I just leave a message saying I'm looking for a psychiatrist and would like to speak to them to find out if we'd be a good match.
>
> Hrm. I saw one lady once, I said we didn't click, and they tried to insist I see her again to make sure. Bleh.Nope. They're working for you; they don't get to tell you that you can't fire them. I think that's pretty straightforward.
> I never get the opportunity to choose, anyway, so I guess it doesn't matter how I'd go about it. I'm jobless and probably will be right til school starts and then I'll be a student. :/
Which is even worse in some ways (you're actively spending money on school, or going into debt from loans).
> That's nice of him. I remember once I had a psychiatrist who had an office downtown, and I'd just drop in and pick up sample meds, but eventually it came time for anotehr appointment and I couldn't afford it. :(
It sounds like it wasn't worth it anyway if you just went in to get samples.
> > Hopefully your records aren't full of glaring errors, so they will actually give her a good idea of what your story is rather than a distorted one!
>
> *heh* I'm afraid the file is rather thick.It's probably thick with flat-out mistakes, too.
> Allergies and chronic depression (dysthymia?) do that and there used to be big stomach problems that I now control with diet. :P I hope she skims the most recent parts tho.
Maybe it would be good to leave a message telling her that the recent parts are the most important, then.
> I didn't see much specifically about treating depression with BuSpar. I did see that I could take up to 60mgs.
There's not a lot, but Buspar definitely is an antidepressant at higher doses (the effective range is around 45-90 mg).
> I'm increasing the dose about every other day, since the side-effects are ...well, different.
I'm curious.
> And we still won't be at square one, we'll have ruled out ONE option.
Not really. If you don't take it long enough to know whether it works for you, you haven't learned anything from that trial.
> Yeah, I read the pamphlet, I've got the Dividose ones. The jar is 60 15mg strips, so that meant to me that they think I should take 30mg/day too. ;)
At least. I would bet that people with severe anxiety need higher doses just like people with depression do.
> > Wow. If you only have six weeks to lick this thing, you're cutting it close.
>
> *sigh* Well, I can try. If it's not gone...well, we'll keep working on it. But as long as the depression is treated successfully, it should be okay to let the anxiety slide a little.I hope so. For me, residual anxiety has been a major source of trouble.
> I'm going up to 30mg. Depending on what you say about the side-effects....which're weird.
I really want to hear this. < g >
> I remember looking at "Urinary Hesitancy" and thinking "gee, that's what that problem was called when I had it on Effexor." But that was mild and now it's...bad. It takes me like 30 seconds and CONCENTRATION to pee, even if I need to badly!
That's pretty weird, yeah. Opioids (like the buprenorphine that I take) cause that sort of thing, but I can't think of a reason why Buspar would. There's a drug called bethanechol (Urecholine) that could help. It also alleviates dry mouth.
> Does that seem like a side-effect that'd fade away after longer use? Should I be waiting til that gets better before I up the dosage, like I would with more standard side-effects? Will it get worse if I don't wait?
I think increasing the dose slowly would be warranted; I don't know if it will go away but it should get at least somewhat better. It really does stink that you can't have even a small amount of Klonopin to get you through the *long* wait until the Buspar works (if it works).
> The other thing seems to be that I'm hungry all the time, and it takes a LOT of food to fill me up.
That's something that can happen with a lot of antidepressants, although I've never heard of it being caused by Buspar. I'm sort of getting a bad feeling from your description of the side effects of this drug -- it sounds like it might not be worth it to try and stick it out with the Buspar.
> I ate a big pb&j for dinner 3 hours ago, and an hour later I could've eaten again.
How big could a pb&j be???
> I used a blend called "Nighttime herbs" from NOW. It had valerian and I think hops and some other stuff.
I've tried valerian and kava as well as a couple of mixtures that included valerian and some other stuff. It doesn't seem to do anything.
> But I ran out, and I can't afford the $7 to get a new jar. *heh* I've had that dilemma before...OTC stuff that I have to pay for, or heavier prescription-stuff that I can get free. :/
Go for the prescription stuff. < g >
> > I moved recently and I had a hard time finding a pdoc in the area who would consider prescribing
> buprenorphine, which I really need.
>
> I don't know what that is, but that just means some docs would rule it out straight-off cuz THEY wouldn't know what it was either. :PIt's a partial agonist at mu opioid receptors. It has a lot of side effects, and although it is only a Schedule V controlled substance (less controlled than, for example, Klonopin), it's hard to get because it's an opioid and because it only comes in an injectible formulation in the US.
> But any doc worth his degree should know that you don't stop psychiatric meds cold turkey anyway, and give you at least enuf to taper off safely!
Seriously. Some of them don't seem to understand that they aren't supposed to just make you fend for yourself in the way of medication!
> > > If there's anything I've learned in my time on this board and dealing with psychiatric meds, it's that if you've got a good thing, go with it!
> > I'll drink to that! (err)
>
> *giggle* I'll have one for you. ;)Good, 'cause after an unpleasant experience with Fioricet a little while ago, I'm scared to drink on desipramine. (So make mine a Snapple.)
> That's a nice thing about Wellbutrin. I can drink socially. :)
That's true on most ADs, although there are some people who become very sensitive to alcohol when they're taking ADs. I think the tricyclics are the riskiest.
> *heh* I thought of sending it to someone who was already taking it, cuz then it'd just be the crime of sending drugs thru the mail instead of the crime of dispensing without a license. :P
Uhh...I'm not sure that distinction would be made!
> > Desipramine is cool because it's *cheap*.
>
> *heh* That was on my list when I was looking for something to replace wellbutrin (before I realized it had helped MORE symptoms than it'd missed).Wellbutrin is a good drug, even if you have to take other stuff with it. It can be combined with pretty much anything else safely, too (yes, even MAOIs). And of course, it alleviates some of the side effects that other ADs can cause.
> But Nortrip made me so damn stupid, I'm almost afraid to try another tricyclic.
I'm not finding desipramine at all sedating or impairing (I'm up to 200 mg/day, with a target dose of 300). But obviously we have different responses to drugs.
> But the good news is I finished the Nortrip last night and I finish the Prozac Saturday night. *dance*
Congratulations :)
> PS even if you don't have time to respond to the whole post right away, please respond to the side-effects questions ASAP so I know if I should still be titrating or stalled.... THANKS!
I'm afraid I probably couldn't give you a satisfactory answer; I just don't know for sure. Can you call the clinic and tell them you're having trouble with a medication?
-elizabeth
poster:Elizabeth
thread:70523
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010714/msgs/70999.html