1. Stuttering and Medications City of Chicago NSA Chapter March 26, 2015

2. DISCLAIMER Nothing in this presentation should be construed as medical advice (I AM NOT A DOCTOR) None of this information should be construed as expert knowledge (lots of Wikipedia references…) You should ALWAYS consult your doctor before trying any medication There is no drug currently available that has been proven to have a safe, effective effect on fluency enhancement

3. To date, there are no drugs that specifically target stuttering Anecdotal and minimal research is available for some medications formulated for other diagnoses Most drugs investigated thus far are for mood/mental health disorders

4. Surface vs. Subaquatic

5. SLDIAOJW;EOJDSKL??? SSRIs: depression, generalized anxiety disorder, OCD, eating disorders, stroke recovery, premature ejaculation Anxiolytics: decrease anxiety Antipsychotics: schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, psychosis, dementia

6. Side effects… Antipsychotics Weight gain, headaches, dizziness, nausea, movement disorders, depression, sexual dysfunction, blood pressure, blurred vision, constipation, dry mouth, osteoporosis, diarrhea, sedation, anxiety Diabetes, stroke, cognition changes, pancreatitis, seizures, myocardial infarctions Antidepressants (SSRIs) Heart problems, bleeding, sexual dysfunction, withdrawal, suicide risk, photosensitivity, bone fractures

7. A few, so far... Alprazolam: anxiolytic, benzodiazepine (Xanax) Citalopram: antidepressant SSRI (Celexa) Risperidone: antipsychotic (Risperidal) Olanzapine: atypical antipsychotic (Zyprexa, Lanzek) Clomipramine: tricyclic antidepressant (Anafranil, Clofranil) Pagoclone (zopiclone): anxiolytic

8. Research Case studies: single/few patients followed closely Large trials: lots of patients, control groups Anecdotal: “Hey guys it worked for me!” Pagoclone is currently undergoing trials specifically for stuttering/fluency enhancement Research is for TREATMENT, not CURES (Maguire et al)

9. Gerald Maguire

11. Anecdotal Reports Change in mood/emotional states Change in fluency Side effects Permanency http://medsforstuttering.blogspot.com/

12. Read More/References http://www.stutteringhelp.org/alprazolam- citalopram-and-clomipramine-stuttering http://www.stutteringhelp.org/alprazolam- citalopram-and-clomipramine-stuttering https://www.mnsu.edu/comdis/kuster/journal/osborn e5/drugs.ppt https://www.mnsu.edu/comdis/kuster/journal/osborn e5/drugs.ppt http://www.naturaltherapyforstuttering.com/stutteri ng-medications.html http://www.naturaltherapyforstuttering.com/stutteri ng-medications.html http://medsforstuttering.blogspot.com/