Posted by Elizabeth on March 26, 2002, at 20:52:38
In reply to Re: About Possible ADD - Speed anyone?, posted by BarbaraCat on March 26, 2002, at 0:51:19
No thanks. :-)
Seriously...
> The bottom line of my question is, how do speed-type drugs affect those with serious affective/anxiety disorders? - BCat
That's not something that can really be predicted or generalized about -- "serious affective/anxiety disorders" covers a lot of territory. Amphetamine was often used as an antidepressant before TCAs and MAOIs were discovered (about 1960) and even for a while afterwards. Stimulants won't necessarily trigger (hypo)mania, although that's one thing to watch out for. And of course, they can exacerbate panic disorder, although they don't always (especially if you're taking something else, like an AD or a benzo, to treat the panic).
A couple of years ago, I was at the memorial service for a relative (the relationship is too complicated to explain) who had died, and my brother and I were talking about him. It turned out that he'd been depressed (this was before I was born) and had taken amphetamine for years. It seems to have worked for him (although he went on a TCA later on, simply because the standard had changed). Just FWIW.
best,
-elizabeth
poster:Elizabeth
thread:97068
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020322/msgs/100405.html