Posted by King Vultan on August 13, 2004, at 23:45:50
In reply to ADHD SSRI Meds Cause High Blood Pressure (?), posted by Lonely on August 13, 2004, at 19:14:26
I have a couple of suggestions for consideration, probably neither of which his doctors will agree with, but here they are, anyway:
1) The tricyclic AD desipramine is sometimes used for adult ADD and does act as an appetite suppressant for some but not all people (I lost a few pounds on it and am not at all overweight to begin with). It can raise BP at lower dosages but will tend to decrease BP at higher dosages because of its alpha adrenergic blockade. It is considered to be an "activating" antidepressant.
2) The MAOI Parnate is one of the few drugs from the non-stimulant class that has demonstrated efficacy for ADHD. This drug can cause a BP increase in the period of time immediately after taking it, but there is also an overall anti-hypertensive effect because this is an MAOI. Some patients can experience significant drops in BP, which can be a serious drawback for people with normal blood pressure but is not necessarily a bad thing for people whose BP is high to begin with.
This drug also does not tend to induce weight gain as many antidepressants do and may also act as an appetite suppressant for some people (It is stimulating and has a structure very close to that of amphetamine). Of course, this is an MAO inhibitor, with all the associated dietary and OTC drug restrictions. It is an excellent antidepressant, but all things considered, may really be too dangerous a drug to take in your husband's rather problematic situation. I only suggest it because like the desipramine, it can both lower appetite and blood pressure, while having some efficacy for attention disorders.
Todd
poster:King Vultan
thread:377374
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040811/msgs/377438.html