Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 744013

Shown: posts 1 to 10 of 10. This is the beginning of the thread.

 

Cozaar Helps! Can You Believe it?

Posted by Pluto on March 25, 2007, at 1:34:15

Hi

I was on Prozac 40mg which was doing no good until my doc added Cozaar 50mg to it. Cozaar (losartan) added to arrest my blood pressure. But after a week or so on it, I definitely feel better. Like it augments Prozac!!

Neither my doc nor myself expected this. I have heard Pindolol (Visken) is used to augment SSRIs. But never heard of Losartan.

I could find this article on the web.

http://www.biopsychiatry.com/losartan.htm

Interesting isn't it?

Cheers
PLS

 

Re: Cozaar Helps! Can You Believe it? » Pluto

Posted by saturn on March 25, 2007, at 9:08:20

In reply to Cozaar Helps! Can You Believe it?, posted by Pluto on March 25, 2007, at 1:34:15

Hi Pluto...Saturn here. :)
> Interesting isn't it?

Very...I've recently been thinking about the possible role of drugs that work primarily outside the brain.

Though I really don't know how to evaluate statements like:

"The antidepressant potential of the angiotensin antagonist losartan was assessed using the mouse forced swim test."

I don't discount the possibility of its antidepressant effects. Glad to hear of your results! And thanks for posting this.

Peace...Saturn.

 

Re: Cozaar Helps! Can You Believe it?

Posted by Phillipa on March 25, 2007, at 10:56:18

In reply to Re: Cozaar Helps! Can You Believe it? » Pluto, posted by saturn on March 25, 2007, at 9:08:20

I've not heard of either of these meds what are they foreign or used for another condition? Thanks Phillipa

 

Re: Cozaar Helps! Can You Believe it?

Posted by lcat10 on March 26, 2007, at 22:10:07

In reply to Re: Cozaar Helps! Can You Believe it?, posted by Phillipa on March 25, 2007, at 10:56:18

Cozaar I take for hypertension. It's a bp medication.

 

Re: Cozaar Helps! Can You Believe it? » saturn

Posted by Larry Hoover on March 27, 2007, at 5:58:26

In reply to Re: Cozaar Helps! Can You Believe it? » Pluto, posted by saturn on March 25, 2007, at 9:08:20

> Hi Pluto...Saturn here. :)
> > Interesting isn't it?
>
> Very...I've recently been thinking about the possible role of drugs that work primarily outside the brain.
>
> Though I really don't know how to evaluate statements like:
>
> "The antidepressant potential of the angiotensin antagonist losartan was assessed using the mouse forced swim test."

Well, maybe this would help?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forced_swimming_test

A very crude measure, by any stretch, but it is a behavioural test which is thought to measure the tendency of rodents to display learned despair, something we attribute to humans in a depressed state. Alternatively, one could argue that normal mice can figure out there's no point trying to swim out of this particular situation, whereas the drugged ones haven't yet clued in.

I guess it's fair to say that antidepressant *potential* is seen, as known antidepressant agents do demonstrate sustained swimming effects in rodents.

> I don't discount the possibility of its antidepressant effects. Glad to hear of your results! And thanks for posting this.
>
> Peace...Saturn.

I'm glad to hear of this serendipitous benefit, also.

Lar

 

Re: Cozaar Helps! Can You Believe it?

Posted by linkadge on March 28, 2007, at 10:48:54

In reply to Re: Cozaar Helps! Can You Believe it? » saturn, posted by Larry Hoover on March 27, 2007, at 5:58:26

ACE inhibitors promote neurogenesis if I recall. I also recall a study suggesting that duration of ACE inhibitor usage correlated with improvements in mood and irritability.

Possably a double effect for heart disease? Ie mood benifits producing heart benifits (?)

Linkadge

 

Re: Cozaar Is No Good

Posted by DStupid on March 30, 2007, at 19:53:06

In reply to Re: Cozaar Helps! Can You Believe it? » saturn, posted by Larry Hoover on March 27, 2007, at 5:58:26

I'm actually familiar with Cozaar since my dad had given it two runs for his high blood pressure and I had the misfortune of watching him struggle over its side effects. Cozaar (an ARB, not an ACE inhibitor, a technical difference in that it doesn't produce a cough like an ACE inhibitor) is a pure blood pressure reducing medication, and, on the substantive level, it doesn't do a great job of reducing it. More importantly, as far as its psychiatric effects, while my dad was on Cozaar (standard dosage of 25 mg), he was completely uninterested in anything that was going on, was not reading, and was watching TV just to have something to do. His preference was to lie in bed during the day. He wasn't sleeping well at night, though, as Cozaar didn't have hypnotic properties. One week after commencement, he developed edema in his legs and could hardly move. He stopped taking Cozaar, only to resume several months later at his doctor's request, and quit again after several days. He expressly warned me not to take Cozaar in case I wanted to try it for my depression.

 

Re: Cozaar Helps! Can You Believe it?

Posted by Rick on March 30, 2007, at 21:40:28

In reply to Re: Cozaar Helps! Can You Believe it?, posted by linkadge on March 28, 2007, at 10:48:54

Linkadge, your father's reaction was unfortunate. But in general, ARB's have about the lowest incidence of side effects among blood pressure drugs. I'm taking another ARB, Benicar, and haven't encountered any side effects at all.

 

Sorry, above post meant for DStupid, not linkadge (nm)

Posted by Rick on March 30, 2007, at 21:57:37

In reply to Re: Cozaar Helps! Can You Believe it?, posted by Rick on March 30, 2007, at 21:40:28

 

Re: Sorry, above post meant for DStupid, not linka

Posted by ajax1 on March 31, 2007, at 20:07:22

In reply to Sorry, above post meant for DStupid, not linkadge (nm), posted by Rick on March 30, 2007, at 21:57:37

I used Cozaar for hypertension, but found it too stimulating. That's probably because I'm BPII. I always thought it might be a good antidepressant in conjunction with a mood stabilizer. It supposedly has good effects sexually, whereas most blood pressure meds negatively effect sexual abilities.
Ajax


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