Posted by sarah1980 on September 21, 2003, at 4:52:04
In reply to Re: I need the truth about Dexedrine. (long post), posted by matthhhh on September 20, 2003, at 13:19:23
I have never heard of stimulants being used for OCD or an anxiety disorder. From all I know of pharmacology it would seem really strange for a stimulant to help either of those, although I know that it could make either worse... However, one should be pragmatic. If the treatment is using particularly small doses and it works than I can't see any problem. I would be more inclined to think the person would better off and much more likely to be responsive to Paxil (the drug of choice for both) or Zoloft, or as a third route an anti-anxiety agent such as low dosages of benzos. If none of these things worked then I would think that it would be an unusual next choice, but if it does the job i can't say it is wrong. I could never say a medication is wrong for all people for all purposes. I just think that one should weigh the potential costs and benefits and make a thoughtful, knowledgeable decision about what path they should take. But I was not the psychiatrist who saw you or the person in your hypothetical.... so perhaps there are more complex issues at hand. For example if someone has ADHD that is severe enough to cause the person anxiety about how they are acting it would make a lot of sense to try a stimulant. Psychology is a science of trends, not absolutes.
poster:sarah1980
thread:260543
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030917/msgs/262118.html