Posted by Peter on March 30, 2003, at 2:35:30
In reply to Re: SSRI Induced Drop in Dopamine » Peter, posted by Ron Hill on March 29, 2003, at 20:57:37
?Chief among the brain?s reactions to artificially elevated serotonin levels is a compensatory drop in dopamine.?
> I've heard this as well. In fact, when I used to take SSRI's alone or with a mood stabilizer, the emotional blunting would always occur. But my pdoc and I discovered that I also usually developed a craving for alcohol, I suppose to stimulate the numbness. This is all indicative of the 'seratonin/dopamine see-saw.' And this is a primary reason for why I now take a dopamine-acting drug along with an SSRI. Each time I've taken the stimulant/SSRI combo, my numbness and alcohol craving no longer occur.
Though this combo has worked in the past, as my doc said, the seratonin/dopamine relationship isn't always so clear-cut. Sometimes dopamine can be indirectly INCREASED, as opposed to decreased, by an SSRI. This is what we're hoping for as I continue the prozac. I'm quite sure the adderall is to some extent compensating for a possible serotonin-induced dopamine deficiency, but obviously it isn't doing it in a consistent, sufficient way. Thus my consideration of wellbutrin add-on. But we'll see how the latest prozac increase works. Thanks for your input,
Peter
poster:Peter
thread:214166
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030329/msgs/214286.html