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Re: Dexedrine vs Ritalin for Adult ADD

Posted by tancu on September 28, 2002, at 23:38:50

In reply to Re: Dexedrine vs Ritalin for Adult ADD, posted by Fuddman on September 27, 2002, at 14:30:43

In reply to Fuddman, it is misleading to suggest that ritalin causes the brain to "constantly" send out "large amounts of dopamine and eventually they get depleted". In order for ritalin to have this effect one would have to "constantly" take it. Of course, "over-dosing" in this manner would have grave effects--brain damage--and probably something akin to amphetamine psychosis, atypical or drug-induced parkinsonism, etc. In fact, the current "theory" is that ritalin (and amphetamines) either stimulates the release of dopamine and serotonin or it blocks the re-uptake of dopamine and serotonin, or it does both. Taken as prescribed, however, the effect of each dose would begin at 15-30 minutes and typically peak at 90-120 minutes, and the effects would last about 2.5-4 hours. So, if you're taking 3 doses/day, that leaves about 12 hours during each day when the ritalin is not "active". It seems logical, then, that during this twelve hour period the body would have ample time to synthesize more neurotransmitters in order to maintain a healthy balance. The medical community would not prescribe any medicine that haphazardly depletes the brain of neurotransmitters. I also want to point out that dopamine is synthesized by the body from the amino-acid "tyrosine" (not from "l-phenylaline"). The brain is not the sole source of dopamine. It is also produced by the adrenal-glands--located on the kidneys. Finally, there is no evidence to indicate that simply "increasing" one's intake of meats and dairy products will lead to an increase of dopamine in the brain. Currently, the only way of actually measuring the levels of neurotransmitters in a "living" brain is to measure the amount of their broken down remnants taken from cerebro-spinal fluid--a crude measure at best.


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