Varenicline and Bupropion: Soaring Again With EAGLES?

Topics: Addiction | Addiction Treatment | Bupropion | Chantix | Co-occurring disorders | Dual diagnosis | FDA Warnings | Medication | Pharmacology | Research | Research Update | Side Effects | Smoking Cessation | Smoking Cessation Agents | Substance Use | Substance use disorders | Suicidality | Suicide | Tobacco | Varenicline | Wellbutrin

Review of: Anthenelli RM et al, Lancet 2016;387(10037):2507–2520 Varenicline (Chantix) and bupropion (Zyban and others) are effective treatments for tobacco use disorder, but their use (and sales) took a big hit in 2009 when the FDA slapped both with black box warnings linking them to psychiatric complications, including suicidal ideation. Although

The Psychopharmacology Algorithm Project

Topics: Antidepressant Augmentation | Antidepressants | Antipsychotics | Bipolar Disorder | Bupropion | Depression | Depressive Disorder | Escitalopram | Lamictal | Lamotrigine | Lithium | Mood Stabilizers | olanzapine | Psychopharmacology | Psychopharmacology Tips | Wellbutrin

TCPR: What would be the biggest change in practice if psychiatrists followed your algorithms?Dr. Osser: One area is bipolar depression. This is a disorder where there is an exceptionally large deviation between what the evidence says and what people are doing, especially when it comes to antidepressants. They are still being used rampantly, even in pati

Optimal Antidepressant Doses in Major Depression

Topics: Antidepressants | Bupropion | Citalopram | Depression | Depressive Disorder | Escitalopram | Fluoxetine | Mirtazapine | Paroxetine | Pharmacology | Pharmacology Tips | Research | Research Update | Sertraline | SSRIs | Venlafaxine | Wellbutrin

Review of: Furukawa TA et al, Lancet Psychiatry;2019;6(7):601–609 Type of study: Systematic review and meta-analysis Most antidepressants do not have a linear response curve. In other words, the benefits level off as the dose goes up. If the dose gets too high, the side effects start to outweigh those diminishing returns. What’s not clear is whe

Inflammatory Biomarkers in Depression

Topics: Bupropion | C-Reactive Protein | CRP | Depression | Depressive Disorder | Dopamine | Exercise | Inflammation | Laboratory Testing in Psychiatry | Medical Comorbidities | Norepinephrine | Nortriptyline | Nutrition | Obesity | Treatment-Resistant Depression | Wellbutrin

TCPR: What is inflammation? Dr. Miller: Inflammation is the body’s natural response to infection or wounding. It’s important for survival, but if it goes on too long it damages the body in various ways. It contributes to heart disease, cancer, metabolic disorders, and neurodegenerative disorders. Ultimately, it can change set points in the brain th

Highlights From This Issue

Topics: Bupropion | C-Reactive Protein | CRP | Depression | Depressive Disorder | Dopamine | Exercise | Inflammation | Laboratory Testing in Psychiatry | Medical Comorbidities | Norepinephrine | Nortriptyline | Nutrition | Obesity | Treatment-Resistant Depression | Wellbutrin

Inflammation contributes to treatment resistance in depression and can be measured with a blood test, C-reactive protein (CRP). An elevated CRP predicts a favorable response to certain antidepressants, as well as specific lifestyle interventions. Nuedexta’s expanded use in dementia is based on questionable efficacy, but it is safer than many

Wellbutrin Augmentation: When Does It Work?

Topics: Depression | Treatment-Resistant Depression | Wellbutrin

Each month, Editor-in-Chief Chris Aiken, MD, gives advice on a different practice challenge. Dear Dr. Aiken: In the July/August 2018 issue, you wrote that ­bupropion (Wellbutrin) augmentation does not work in ­treatment-resistant depression (TRD). So why do we see it work so often in practice? Dr. Aiken: When all of the studies are averaged tog