Posted by Toby on December 3, 1998, at 16:16:02
In reply to My history & advice needed from Toby, Dr. Bob, etc, posted by Michael Schell on December 2, 1998, at 10:58:18
Ever been on Anafranil? Just a thought.
Switching from one stimulant to another requires no tapering or complicted switchover... just stop one one day and start the other the next.
Sometimes a stimulant is enough to take away the sexual side effects without buspar. Other things to try for the sexual side effects are L-arginine 2000 mg 2 hours before intercourse, periactin 2-8 mg 2 hours before intercourse, or a drug holiday (stop the medication on Friday, have your "date" on Saturday, and restart the medication on Sunday).
Stimulants are addicting to addicts. However, if you do not use ilicit substances and have not ever done so, it is unlikely you will abuse a medication given to you for therapeutic reasons. A slightly different alternative to the major stimulants might be to use fenfluramine which will boost the serotonin and possibly help the OCD while also helping with the fatigue. Yes, this is part of that controversial weight loss combo, but used alone there has never been a problem with it. Tell your doctor to look it up in the literature. Fenfluramine is a good augmenting agent for OCD.
No dietary restrictions on the stimulants.
If you do switch to Celexa, you may not need the buspar (if you are really only using it for the sexual side effects) as I understand from many patients that it hasn't been causing that like the others do; on the other hand, some say it causes it as well. Since Celexa is an SSRI just like all the other things you've been on, my hope for a difference is small (sorry, I'm raining on this). However, I don't see that you have been tried on Zyprexa (which some say has helped their sleep and yet helped their energy, too; one patient I have is now out in the yard doing things he hasn't been able to do in several years). That may be an alternative.
poster:Toby
thread:1434
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/19981201/msgs/1459.html