Posted by Kath on August 15, 2000, at 8:51:33
In reply to Re: SSRI's Brain Damage? » Kath, posted by Cam W. on August 14, 2000, at 20:36:05
Once again, Thanks Cam,
That makes me feel better. I had already asked my doctor & pharmacist before I started taking Celexa & they both assured me that as far as they knew there was no reason to be concerned.
I would like to discuss my daughter's situation with you. She has taken the MAOI, Manerix a couple of times before & stopped both times because she felt better. (She took if for numerous months.) This time she has taken 225 mg pills a.m. for 2 months. When it was upped to 300mg am dose (to avoid sleep disturbance) she had nausea & vomitting as well as insomnia. All this time she wasn't feeling any better, whereas the other times it worked like a charm. The dose has been upped again slightly (not sure how much) & she says she thinks she's feeling a LITTLE better, but nauseated.
A couple of times over the last couple of months she got very ill & was vomitting repeatedly. She wondered if this could be caused by Manerix or by possibly low blood sugar, although once it was right after eating. Her doctor couldn't figure it out & she's just had complete blood work done & everything's normal.
She doesn't know what to do. For some reason she's dead against taking SSRI's - I think she feels they haven't been around long enough to know what long-term effect they have on the brain (I'll share your info with her on that issue). You mentioned potential worse long-term effects from MAOI's - what are the details on that?
If she continues Manerix, would it be appropriate for her to add SAMe 'til the Manerix kicks in? Can people take SAMe by itself for depression? Do you know how it works? She's interested in herbal alternatives for depression.
Any thoughts on all this?Thanks, Cam Hugs, Kath
> Kath - I have not heard or read anything that suggests that SSRIs cause brain damage. Neither have I heard that other currently available antidepressant have caused brain damage.
>
> The only thing that I have heard (at a presentation) was that since the introduction of effective antidepressants (esp. MAOIs and TCAs) may be implicated in the increased incidence of bipolar disorder since the Second World War. I have been unable to find any corroborating evidence of this. I believe that the presenter was thinking out loud when he said this.
>
> When someone says that a drug may cause a certain effect over the long term, they should provide evidence to support their theory. SSRIs have been on the market for about 20 years. So far there have been no indications of SSRIs causing any sort of brain damage.
>
> There is a longitudinal (ie long term) study that is ongoing that is studying the children of moms who took Prozac while they were pregnant. The first of these are now in their 20s and, so far, these kids have not displayed anymore mental disorders than would be expected by chance. It seems to me that if an SSRI were to do any damage to a brain, it would more likely occur when that brain is developing. We have not seen this.
>
> TCAs and MAOIs have been around longer. These antidepressants have far more potentially harmful side effects. Still, there have been no long term brain damage seen when these medications were taken appropriately.
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> The above is my take on the situation. I could be wrong, but for the most part, I think my statements are accurate and verifiable.
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> Also, "Prozac Backlash" has drawn criticism from all corners of the psychiatric community.
>
> Hope this helps - Cam.
poster:Kath
thread:42806
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000811/msgs/42942.html