Posted by SLS on December 23, 2011, at 14:41:15
In reply to Re: Buspar and no motivation?, posted by SLS on December 23, 2011, at 8:06:27
> > Also, once you've been on benzos, buspar tends to not work very well.
> I thought that this claim was debunked. I don't know for sure.
Here is an interesting study. Unfortunately, it doesn't attempt to account for how the diminution of response to buspirone is dependent upon the time separating the two treatments. Perhaps something as simple as BZD withdrawal would explain this disparity.
- Scott
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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10732655J Clin Psychiatry. 2000 Feb;61(2):91-4.
Prior benzodiazepine use and buspirone response in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder.
DeMartinis N, Rynn M, Rickels K, Mandos L.
SourceDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104-2649, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:An earlier preliminary report suggested that prior treatment with benzodiazepines might predict a reduced response to buspirone in patients diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). To confirm or refute this hypothesis, the present data analysis was conducted.
METHOD:One large data set (N = 735) of GAD patients (DSM-III) treated with buspirone, a benzodiazepine, and a placebo was analyzed by dividing all patients into 3 prior benzodiazepine (BZ) treatment groups: no prior BZ treatment, recent (< 1 month) BZ treatment, and remote (> or = 1 month) BZ treatment. Using an intent-to-treat last-observation-carried-forward (LOCF) data set, acute 4-week treatment response was assessed in terms of clinical improvement, attrition, and adverse events as a function of these 3 prior benzodiazepine treatment groups.
RESULTS:Patient attrition was significantly higher (p < .05) in the recent BZ treatment group than in the remote and no prior BZ treatment groups with lack of efficacy given as the primary reason by patients receiving buspirone but not benzodiazepine or placebo. In the buspirone group, adverse events occurred more frequently in the recent BZ treatment group than in the remote BZ treatment and no prior BZ treatment groups. Finally, clinical improvement with buspirone was similar to benzodiazepine improvement in the no prior BZ treatment and remote BZ treatment groups, but less than benzodiazepine improvement in the recent BZ treatment group, leading to the smallest buspirone/placebo differences in improvement in the recent BZ treatment group.
CONCLUSION:These data suggest that the initiation of buspirone therapy in GAD patients who have only recently terminated benzodiazepine treatment should be undertaken cautiously and combined with appropriate patient education.
Comment inJ Clin Psychiatry. 2001 Aug;62(8):657-8.
PMID:
10732655
[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Some see things as they are and ask why.
I dream of things that never were and ask why not.- George Bernard Shaw
poster:SLS
thread:1005431
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20111208/msgs/1005457.html