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Re: Dopamine and Serotonin » Francesco

Posted by Ame Sans Vie on September 5, 2003, at 16:13:58

In reply to Dopamine and Serotonin, posted by Francesco on September 5, 2003, at 14:15:25

Not a stupid question at all -- I suspect you're absolutely right. Though I think what stjames is trying to get across is that reuptake inhibitors don't actually *increase* the amount of any given chemical in the brain -- they simply work to make the most of the 5HT/DA/NE/etc that you *do* have.

We all know that serotonin reuptake inhibitors have the ability to cause horrible apathy/flat affect/blunted emotions, and that these are all common symptoms that often indicate a problem within the dopaminergic system. Schizophrenia (which is caused by over-activity/over-production of dopamine) often manifests 'negative' symptoms which include apathy, flat affect, and blunted emotion. Ironically, the same drugs used to treat this disorder (which antagonize dopamine) can cause these same symptoms.

I've felt the exact same apathy etc. on antipsychotics and SSRIs, which certainly leads me to believe that the SSRI causes downregulation in the dopaminergic system, and probably noradrenergic as well, to compensate for increased serotonergic activity (i.e. your brain is trying to find a balance).

So all that being said, if serotonin reuptake inhibition *does* adversely affect the dopaminergic system, and I certainly believe it does, then your social phobia theory makes perfect sense. I believe it's the D2 receptor that is primarily said to be hypoactive in social phobics... I wish I could find some more, solid information on this.


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poster:Ame Sans Vie thread:257332
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030902/msgs/257358.html