Skip to main content
Tags: stuttering | stuttering help | stuttering treatment | how to stop stuttering | stutter help | therapy for stuttering

Stuttering: Top Drugs That Work

Friday, 15 October 2010 10:57 AM EDT

Stuttering or stammering is a speech disorder. It is medically referred to as a "disfluent speech disorder." It is not restricted to speech alone, but includes sounds, syllables, and words that are either prolonged or repeated, disrupting the normal and casual flow of speech. Associated symptoms of stuttering may include rapid eye movement such as blinking and tremors of the lips and the jaw. Stuttering treatment helps people improve their communication and enhance the quality of their lives. Stuttering may either be a childhood problem or may develop during later stages of life as an aftereffect of drug use, tumor, stroke, or an injury to the head.
 
Because stuttering has a strong neurological component associated with it, there are a number of drugs available to deal with the problem.
 
Stuttering help can be found through drugs like Alprazolam (Xanax). This anti-anxiety agent works by calming the senses to improve the quality of speech. Citalopram (Celexa) is a drug that works at the neurotransmitter level. Its active ingredient acts as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor.
Clomipramine (Anafranil) is a serotonergic drug that also works in the same way.
 
Experiments show that only a minority of patients who seek help for stuttering through drug treatment alone respond with increased fluency. People who undergo drug therapy for stuttering exhibit only a very slight reduction in stuttering. A combinatorial approach has now been developed for treating stuttering.

Dopamine antagonists, prescribed by psychiatrists, are currently being used to treat stuttering. Haloperidol (Haldol), an age-old dopamine antagonist, is no longer prescribed due to its associated side effects. This has been replaced with newer medications that work selectively by targeting specific dopamine receptors. Both dopamine and serotonin are neurotransmitters that cause excitation upon their release. Medications that help stop stuttering act on the dopamine D2-receptor of the brain. Another dopamine antagonist is Risperidone (Risperdal) which reduces stuttering by about 50%.
 
A common feature of these drugs is their effectiveness in the therapy for stuttering only in low-stress situations. To deal with high-stress situations, medical practitioners and psychiatrists may suggest other drugs such as Olanzapine (Zyprexa), which is known to reduce stuttering by around 33%, Pimozide, and Tiapride.
 
Drug testing is currently being conducted on Pagoclone, the newest medication for stuttering. Scientists suggest that this may provide the ultimate therapy for stuttering because it deals with inhibiting the release of both the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin.
 

© Newsmax. All rights reserved.


FastFeatures
Stuttering or stammering is a speech disorder. It is medically referred to as a disfluent speech disorder. It is not restricted to speech alone, but includes sounds, syllables, and words that are either prolonged or repeated, disrupting the normal and casual flow of...
stuttering,stuttering help,stuttering treatment,how to stop stuttering,stutter help,therapy for stuttering
403
2010-57-15
Friday, 15 October 2010 10:57 AM
Newsmax Media, Inc.

Sign up for Newsmax’s Daily Newsletter

Receive breaking news and original analysis - sent right to your inbox.

(Optional for Local News)
Privacy: We never share your email address.

PLEASE NOTE: All information presented on Newsmax.com is for informational purposes only. It is not specific medical advice for any individual. All answers to reader questions are provided for informational purposes only. All information presented on our websites should not be construed as medical consultation or instruction. You should take no action solely on the basis of this publication’s contents. Readers are advised to consult a health professional about any issue regarding their health and well-being. While the information found on our websites is believed to be sensible and accurate based on the author’s best judgment, readers who fail to seek counsel from appropriate health professionals assume risk of any potential ill effects. The opinions expressed in Newsmaxhealth.com and Newsmax.com do not necessarily reflect those of Newsmax Media. Please note that this advice is generic and not specific to any individual. You should consult with your doctor before undertaking any medical or nutritional course of action.

 

Interest-Based Advertising | Do not sell or share my personal information

Newsmax, Moneynews, Newsmax Health, and Independent. American. are registered trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc. Newsmax TV, and Newsmax World are trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc.

NEWSMAX.COM
America's News Page
© 2025 Newsmax Media, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
Download the Newsmax App
NEWSMAX.COM
America's News Page
© 2025 Newsmax Media, Inc.
All Rights Reserved