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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 uncouth on May 22, 2013, at 18:02:59
Hi all
haven't posted in a while.
just started buspar last week, in addition to a cocktail (strattera, vyvanse, namenda, gabapentin for sleep) for bipolar 2 depression which is mostly in check, but definite mood swings still and low motivation.i had never tried buspar before, and sent my doc the buspar melatonin paper that has been mentioned elsewhere on this PB and which i came across a few months ago, and since i was already on melatonin for sleep, and buspar has low side effect profile, we thought it might be worth trying.
i destabilize on SSRIs/ especially cymbalta very quickly, ESPECIALLY in summertime (seasonal bipolar).
started buspar last week at 15mg bid. went up to 30mb bid after a few days. bad deal. i read buspar acts like a totally different drug with and without an SSRI.
we also added it to help with some baseline anxiety / social anxiety stuff. but it felt anti-serotonergic and i've been quite irritable. I backed off and am at 15mg bid.
anyway long story, but would just love to get feedback on what people's experiences with buspar has been, at 15mg or higher bid. what should i expect since im taking it without an SSRI? do you have to taper up? am i right to feel an "antiserotonergic" effect? does it ever have a/d properties on its own?
we'll see how this goes with the trial of 3-5mg melatonin time release at night!
Posted by Hugh on May 22, 2013, at 18:37:09
In reply to Buspar WITHOUT SSRI, WITH melatonin, posted by uncouth on May 22, 2013, at 18:02:59
15 mg bid may be too much. One of the Buspar/melatonin studies I read used 15 mg once a day, at bedtime. A case study where it helped a bipolar woman used just 5 mg of Buspar and 3 mg of melatonin at bedtime.
Posted by Phillipa on May 22, 2013, at 22:31:02
In reply to Re: Buspar WITHOUT SSRI, WITH melatonin, posted by Hugh on May 22, 2013, at 18:37:09
Hugh do you know why when first released the dose was 5mg? What caused to rise in doseage? Thanks Phillipa
Posted by Hugh on May 23, 2013, at 14:13:39
In reply to Re: Buspar WITHOUT SSRI, WITH melatonin » Hugh, posted by Phillipa on May 22, 2013, at 22:31:02
> Hugh do you know why when first released the dose was 5mg? What caused to rise in doseage? Thanks Phillipa
I wasn't aware of that. I took Buspar fifteen years ago, but only briefly because it caused suicidal ideation. I think I took 15 mg a day. Who knows, maybe just 5 mg would have helped me. Sometimes less is more. Here's the case study where 5 mg of Buspar and 3 mg of melatonin helped a woman with bipolar and treatment-resistant depression.
http://www.alphagalileo.org/viewitem.aspx?itemid=62284&culturecode=en
Posted by porkpiehat on February 23, 2015, at 16:58:27
In reply to Re: Buspar WITHOUT SSRI, WITH melatonin, posted by Hugh on May 23, 2013, at 14:13:39
Hugh I know it's two years later, but did this experiment work out for you? I am trying Buspar again for the third time and I'm hoping it will magically go differently.
It helped me greatly with concentration/reading/social anxiety but also made me extremely irritable after a few weeks. Some suggested it was a Bipolar reaction.
>
> I wasn't aware of that. I took Buspar fifteen years ago, but only briefly because it caused suicidal ideation. I think I took 15 mg a day. Who knows, maybe just 5 mg would have helped me. Sometimes less is more. Here's the case study where 5 mg of Buspar and 3 mg of melatonin helped a woman with bipolar and treatment-resistant depression.
>
> http://www.alphagalileo.org/viewitem.aspx?itemid=62284&culturecode=en
>
>
Posted by Hugh on March 4, 2015, at 23:03:38
In reply to Re: Buspar WITHOUT SSRI, WITH melatonin » Hugh, posted by porkpiehat on February 23, 2015, at 16:58:27
I haven't taken Buspar since the late '90s. I don't want to mess with it anymore. What dosage are you taking? Are you taking melatonin as well?
This is the end of the thread.
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