Loon-A-TiK Posted October 6, 2006 Share Posted October 6, 2006 hiya- my pnurse just RXed me Symmetrel for my lactation due to risperdal. this is an old-school drug that is commonly used for EPS. when i asked him why, he claimed that my lactation is a form of EPS and that this should help with it, and that the RISPERDAL REP told him this so he wanted to try it. on me, of course. lol. so, do you think there's any merit to this idea? i'm not the pharma-expert. i called my uncle who is a pharmacist and he said it is possible my prolactin will go down a little and my lactation could be effected, but even he wasn't really too sure about what it was going to do, besides make damn sure i don't have any EPS (which i no longer do anyway). calling all pharma-people- what's your take? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loon-A-TiK Posted October 13, 2006 Author Share Posted October 13, 2006 so far, and i've taken it for about a week, it is doing nothing. i have the same amount of lactation as before. maybe i need to give it longer to work. i just want it to work NOW. of course i don't want to wear lined bras all the time because i lactate, or explain to my boyfriend that i'm not pregnant, just having risperdal side effects (which he actually believes NOW). risperdal is the only AAP that is saving me. i want it to work out. i need a hormone check done to make sure i'm not damaging my body (too much) and that the risk is worth the benefit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velvet Elvis Posted October 13, 2006 Share Posted October 13, 2006 Are you taking that at the same time as adderall? Symmetril (amantidine) was originally used as an anti-viral. It was later found to have properties as a dopamine agonist (?). If you take it at the same time as adderall, they could compound each others effects, drastically increasing each others side effects, increasing the likelihood of psychosis. I'm pretty sure that if it was going to do anything, it would have done it by now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
resonance Posted October 13, 2006 Share Posted October 13, 2006 I'm suspicious of the notion that lactation is a form of EPS. I don't have any education in neurology, but in all the stuff I've read on EPS, there are no hormonal symptoms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velvet Elvis Posted October 14, 2006 Share Posted October 14, 2006 yeah. EPS is balance and coordination. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LikeMinded Posted October 17, 2006 Share Posted October 17, 2006 noemie and Loon-- For some reason, I'm getting the impression that Loon's pnurse thinks that every AAP/AP side effect is a form of EPS, but I'm not sure. EPS by definition involves the ExtraPyrmidal tract (a pathway in the brain), and I'm not sure that the EPT is known to affect hormones. I'll check on that ASAP. VE-- It's also been proposed that akathisia (psychological and physical) is a manifestation of EPS. There's also a corresponding "tardive akathisia" that's been seen. I've always been under the impression that anything dopamine-affecting has always had an attraction to the breast tissue. Apparently, as per a few seminars I attended at work, the boobs are loaded with "sigma" receptors, which also happen to get stuck to by many dopamine drugs (namely dopamine blockers, like Risp and Z). So it looks like there's the possibility that in addition to changing your hormones, that AAPs are attracted directly to the breasts and exert something there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loon-A-TiK Posted October 19, 2006 Author Share Posted October 19, 2006 VE- Adderall has been RXed but not implemented because medicaid hasn't kicked in and it is too expensive for me to buy. i should clarify that in my signature. herrfous- interesting information! i was also wondering why this EPS stuff would benefit my breasts. i don't know if it is just me, but i have noticed a bit of a decrease in the lactation. now i have to make it come out as before it would just flow on its own. maybe the stuff is helping, or maybe my brain thinks it does. no matter what, i am experiencing less lactation. also note, i went from an estrogen/progestin based birth control pill to a progestin one. i don't know if that matters at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velvet Elvis Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 VE-- It's also been proposed that akathisia (psychological and physical) is a manifestation of EPS. There's also a corresponding "tardive akathisia" that's been seen. OK. Etymology time. EPS stands for extrapyramidal side effects, that is side effects affect the extrapyramidal motor system. This is the area of the central nervous system that deals with balance, inertial compensation, orienting, and things of that nature. If it is not a side effect which has its effect on the extrapyramidal motor system, by definition it can not be EPS. qed. I wasn't aware there was any question about akathisia being EPS. http://www.smithsrisca.demon.co.uk/motor-systems.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akathisia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extrapyramidal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LikeMinded Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 VE-- I was more specifically referring to the psychological akathisia. I'm not entirely sure if it's granted that it's tied to mainline EPS. And trust me, all of the running around, rocking, and foot-tapping in the world would not have relieved my "sense of inner tension" that happened on Zyprexa. In any event, thanks for bringing up the idea that not all AP symptoms are related to the EP tract. I'd mentioned it earlier, in the belief that Loon's pNurse was wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loon-A-TiK Posted October 19, 2006 Author Share Posted October 19, 2006 while i noticed a decrease in lactation, which could have all been in my head or have something to do with my new birth control, i decided to tell him it doesn't work. since it doesn't work, i'm not taking it anymore! yes! one less pill to remember! the risperdal rep told him that. i'm not sure where the drug company got that from. i asked my pnurse today and he said that it related back to prolactin. i'm not sure how, but ok, whatever, i'm not versed in pharmacology. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LikeMinded Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 the risperdal rep told him that. i'm not sure where the drug company got that from. i asked my pnurse today and he said that it related back to prolactin. i'm not sure how, but ok, whatever, i'm not versed in pharmacology. eh don't get me started on pharma reps. My pdoc in Indiana had a policy of taking their samples and promotional materials, and then subsequently telling them to (in more germane terms) fuck off. Then they stopped visiting his office, eventually. =D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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