Posted by cache-monkey on September 15, 2004, at 15:22:15
In reply to Re: GAD/Dysthymia/Smoking: Buspar (or Cymbalta or ...? » cache-monkey, posted by alesta on September 15, 2004, at 15:04:46
<< this study says that prozac *increases* dopamine! this contradicts everything i have read/know about ssris....it is pretty common knowledge that the SSRIs substantially *decrease* serotonin, which is why there is the anhedonia, sexual side effects, akathesia, etc., so i would not place any merit on what this study says, personally.. >>
It turns out that Prozac is a little different than the other SSRIs in terms of how it affects dopamine and norepinephrine. According to another study published in Psychopharmacology (link to abstract below):
"Fluoxetine, citalopram, fluvoxamine, paroxetine and sertraline similarly increased the extracellular concentrations of serotonin from 2- to 4-fold above baseline. However, only fluoxetine produced robust and sustained increases in extracellular concentrations of norepinephrine and dopamine after acute systemic administration. ... Amongst the SSRIs examined, only fluoxetine acutely increases extracellular concentrations of norepinephrine and dopamine as well as serotonin in prefrontal cortex, suggesting that fluoxetine is an atypical SSRI."
[ Abstract at
http://www.biopsychiatry.com/fluoxdopnor.htm ]Of course, this study (as well as the one I mentioned earlier) was undertaken using rats rather than humans. The in vivo properties might be different for humans...
<< hope something works for you..i'm not asking you to do anything drastic at all..do try the buspar at a higher dosage if you like..i was just giving you my thoughts and observations on each of these options, as you requested, and throwing some ideas out there for you, as well as are the others here... >>
Oh, I wasn't trying to imply that anyone was suggesting I do something drastic. I guess that for me I have some apprehension with respect going on Cymbalta. So, even though I mentioned it as something I'm considering, I still see it as a little bit more drastic than upping the BuSpar.
Thanks for the input!
cache-monkey
poster:cache-monkey
thread:390925
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040915/msgs/391152.html