[sometimes]

Have any of you used Solian (Amisulpride)? Its an atypical anti-psychotic

[apislily]

I don't think amisulpride is available in the United States. I don't want you to think that your post is being ignored; you'll just have to wait for some folks from a country where it's approved to see your post!

Good luck,
apislily

[sometimes]

Thanks. i sort of forgot about that. funny that it's not available?

[CamW]

sometimes - I have absolutely no clinical experience with amisulpride, as it is not available in Canada, either. I doubt that it will ever be approved in North America. I remember reading about how well it worked as an antidepressant at low doses and as a mood stabilizer/antipsychotic at higher doses (although I cannot remember what those dosages were).

I do believe that amisulpride can be considered to be half way inbetween a traditional antipsychotic and an atypical antipsychotic, in that it's actions are similar to that of Risperdal (and other atypical mood stabilizers/antipsychotics) in that amisulpride supposedly treats the negative symptoms of schizophrenia (eg. anhedonia - lack of feeling pleasure; blunted affect - lack of outward emotional responses), but with a greater incidence of EPS (extrapyramidal syndrome, a movement disorder), as well as increased blood levels of prolactin (which can rarely lead to breat enlargement in men and menstrual changes in women). These side effects are common to the older typical antipsychotics, like Largatil (chlorpromazine) and Mellaril (thioridazine). I believe that it is because of these side effects, as well as it causing a pronounced drowsiness, that is keeping amisulpride from being approved for use in North America.

It is supposed to have a quicker onset of antidepressant action than the SSRIs, but I remember thinking that the effect sounded similar to taking a low dose of Zyprexa (olanzapine) or Risperdal (risperidone) when starting an SSRI (something that some psychiatrists that I worked with did in cases of severe depression and in other cases were SSRIs only partially effecive).

For what it's worth, I hope that this is of some help. - Cam