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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 TomG on October 25, 2005, at 17:01:25
I talked to my doctor about trying mazindol yesterday and he couldn't find it on his PDA which he said had just been updated. I would be using it to treat negative symptoms of schizophrenia like apathy, anhedonia, lack of emotion, and anergia. My pharmacist couldn't find much either but said that it was an 'orphan' drug that was used to treat muscular dystrophy. I've also read other places that it is a weight loss drug off-label. Anybody tried mazindol or does anybody know if its still sold in the U.S.?
Thanks,
Tom
Posted by SLS on October 25, 2005, at 18:14:35
In reply to Mazindol Sold In The U.S.?, posted by TomG on October 25, 2005, at 17:01:25
Hi.
Mazindol is an anti-obesity drug that is sold in the US by Novartis and brand named Mazinor or Sanorex.
Although mazindol is a potent ligand to the dopamine transporter, it is debatable whether that actually facilitates uptake inhibition. It does seem to act as a norepinephine uptake inhibitor, though.
I will be very interested to see how well you do with mazindol. I guess you are looking to use it to treat negative symptoms. You would just want to be on the lookout for a worsening of positive symptoms.
Good luck to you.
- Scott> I talked to my doctor about trying mazindol yesterday and he couldn't find it on his PDA which he said had just been updated. I would be using it to treat negative symptoms of schizophrenia like apathy, anhedonia, lack of emotion, and anergia. My pharmacist couldn't find much either but said that it was an 'orphan' drug that was used to treat muscular dystrophy. I've also read other places that it is a weight loss drug off-label. Anybody tried mazindol or does anybody know if its still sold in the U.S.?
>
> Thanks,
> Tom
Posted by TomG on October 25, 2005, at 20:57:34
In reply to Re: Mazindol Sold In The U.S.?, posted by SLS on October 25, 2005, at 18:14:35
Hey Scott,
> Mazindol is an anti-obesity drug that is sold in the US by Novartis and brand named Mazinor or Sanorex.I found this page that said it was only approved for muscular dystrophy:
http://www.behavenet.com/capsules/treatments/drugs/mazindol.htm
Do you know how it would help in this?
> I will be very interested to see how well you do with mazindol.
Me too. I'm just a little concearned about how to educate my doctor about it. He tried looking it up on his little mobile PDR, and it wasn't listed. From the link the definition of an 'orphan' drug is one that less than 200,000 people are prescribed so maybe I have speak to the drug company in order to obtain it. My pharmacist didn't have it in stock and didn't really know much about it either.
> I guess you are looking to use it to treat negative symptoms. You would just want to be on the lookout for a worsening of positive symptoms.I am concearned somewhat about this, but my diagnosis is deficit schizophrenia or simple schizophrenia where there is an absence of positive symptoms. Possibly mazindol could trigger positive symptoms in me, but I'm not as concearned as I would be if I had another form of sz or had ever experienced any positive symptoms.
Tom
Posted by TomG on October 25, 2005, at 20:58:46
In reply to Re: Mazindol Sold In The U.S.?, posted by SLS on October 25, 2005, at 18:14:35
Posted by med_empowered on October 26, 2005, at 0:35:14
In reply to Re: Mazindol Sold In The U.S.?, posted by SLS on October 25, 2005, at 18:14:35
have you considered another stimulant...perhaps Provigil? It **can** trigger positive symptoms but..if you have a history of purely negative schizophrenia, that may be a risk worth taking. Low-dose Ritalin has also been used for the treatment of the negative symptoms of schizophrenia...the risk of triggering the positive symptoms would probably be higher than with Provigil, though.
Posted by SLS on October 26, 2005, at 8:12:10
In reply to Re: Mazindol Sold In The U.S.?, posted by TomG on October 25, 2005, at 20:57:34
Hi.
Any Internet search should confirm the use of mazindol as a sympathomimetic anti-obesity drug. It is sort of like amphetamine, but probably less dopaminergic.
> I found this page that said it was only approved for muscular dystrophy:
>
> http://www.behavenet.com/capsules/treatments/drugs/mazindol.htmThe page you cite here makes the point of describing this drug as being used for obesity.
I have been interested in trying mazindol specifically for the "deficit syndrome" that my presentation of bipolar depression possesses. I had thought it to be a very dopaminergic drug at first because it binds so tightly to the dopamine uptake transporter. It does bind to it, but apparently doesn't alter its function. I think it is still worth a try, though.
- Scott
This is the end of the thread.
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