Posted by PeterJ on May 13, 2000, at 23:17:42
In reply to Re: Amphetamine Treatment of Mania - PeterJ, posted by SLS on May 13, 2000, at 9:03:43
> > My own personal observations is that amphetamine initially sedates me, with delayed stimulation after a few hours. Other dopaminergic drugs are almost invariably sedating and de-activating to me. These include ritalin, pemoline, bromocriptine, diethylpropion, bupropion, l-dopa, and isocarboxazid. For example, if I take ritalin, I have to lie down, and am virtual immobile for several hours. All the other drugs in the list produce similar effects.
>
> This appears to be similar to a low-dose apomorphine effect. Under a microscope, your presynaptic autoreceptors probably resemble tiny membrane-bound Arnold Schwarzeneggers.Terminator autoreceptors. That could well be. I like the image, anyway. "Hasta la vista, Dopamine.!" Maybe I should try (ami)sulpiride to negate these guys.
> My reactions to amphetamine and bromocryptine are the reverse. I experience an improvement in energy and mood from amphetamine within an hour. This effect disappears after a few more hours, whereafter I lose the improvement and get sleepy and irritable. When last I tried bromocryptine, it was in combination with Parnate and desipramine. I experienced an improvement within the first day. Unfortunately, as seems to be always the case, I lost it after three days. It's as if my gas-tank is near empty, and is quickly drained after the engine starts up and runs for a little while.Have you tried l-dopa? If the gas tank is the presynaptic catecholamine store, it might help (in combination with a stimulant) On the other hand, you could be experienceding tachyphylaxis due to a downstream effect. Either the DA receptors down regulate quickly or the cells stimulated by DA (or the cells they affect...and so on) become refractory to more stimulation.
> I don't see Provigil in your list.
I haven't tried Provigil (Modafinil) however I have tried a close cousin Olmifon (Adrafinil) which I ordered from France a few years ago. It is used there for fatigue and depression. My reasons for trying it were just what you suggest--that it produces stimulation by a different mechanism. I even spoke with the inventors of modafinil/adrafinil when they visited the U.S. for a conference.
However, much to my disappointment, a brief trial of adrafinil produced similar sedating effects to those of all the DA drugs I had tried. Not quite as severe, but definitely sedating and not stimulating.
Caffeine does stimulate me, BTW, but not in a good way. I become very nervous.
Yohimbine also was mildly sedating, too.
Peter
poster:PeterJ
thread:32741
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000508/msgs/33404.html