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How do you taper off an antipsychotic? Swapnil Gupta gives a practical approach, and discusses dopamine hypersensitivity, a controversial theory that suggests antipsychotic withdrawal can cause dyskinesias, prolactinemia, and rebound psychosis. Read More

Does ADHD bring creative strengths? Can stimulants dampen creative thought? New research suggests they can, but the effect varies by patient. Read More

Does Abilify cause more weight gain than Seroquel?

Last October, we published a table on mood stabilizer side effects that raised an understandable alarm among astute readers. The table, which was based on a 2020 meta-analysis, suggested that aripiprazole (Abilify) has a greater chance of causing weight gain than quetiapine (Seroquel). What the table failed to specify was that the figures were based on long-term maintenance studies. Read More

SSRIs are often used to reduce irritability, but questions about they can cause violence have loomed over these antidepressants since the early 1990’s. This new study, with 700,000 patients followed over 7 years, suggests they can. Read More

Roundup

CBT for Benzo Withdrawal. Medications have largely proven unsuccessful for benzodiazepine withdrawal, but CBT looked promising in this meta-analysis of three randomized controlled trials. Compared to gradual tapering without CBT, the addition of this psychotherapy allowed an extra 1 in 3 patients to successfully come off their benzodiazepine. A therapist... Read More

Buspirone: Still Effective After All These Years?

Buspirone (Buspar) is approved for generalized anxiety disorder, but its efficacy there is often questioned. Here we find out how it stacks up against the benzos and SSRIs, and explore its off-label potential in depression, sexual dysfunction, alcoholism, traumatic brain injury, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Read More