Posted by 3 Beer Effect on January 23, 2005, at 23:17:36
I have social phobia & I used to take ADD meds to help me study in college. In my experience the only dopaminergics that reduce social phobia are the amphetamines, especially Dextrostat (Adderall causes more anxiety because it contains l-amphetamine salts that release norepinephrine). I have a theory that this may be in part because amphetamines release some serotonin in addition to dopamine. But amphetamines are not a long term solution because eventually they cause depression from depletion of dopamine. Also, Dextrostat is not innocuous - it is a powerful drug that can send you in a socially dysfunctional spiral if you abuse it.
It appears on paper that Selegeline at 5-10 mg per day might be the answer to social phobia. There is a dopaminergic theory of Social Phobia & since Selegeline increases dopamine you would think it would work. But I assure you this is NOT the case. It causes terrible anxiety (partially from the fact that it is metabolized to the bad l-amphetamines that release norepinephrine). It also causes the worst dry mouth ever, which makes your breath smell bad which does not help social phobia! It also causes sweating in social situations or if you are stressed at work or it is simply warm in the room. It is not good to shake people´s hands when they are all sweaty & if you are sweaty all the time, people think you are a weirdo.
Ritalin & also Wellbutrin make social phobia worse & studies of Ritalin in rats support this idea. In fact Ritalin seems to make you, to put it crudely "socially retarded/nerdy". In fact I think all dopamine reuputake inhibitors share this trait, (I noticed that cocaine, also a dopamine reuptake inhibitor increases anxiety in a manner similar to Ritalin, although it may increase confidence, but cocaine users are usually also drunk while using to reduce the negative/anxiety producing effects.) On the other hand Dopamine releasers like dextroamphetamine/methamphetamine or serotonin releasers such as Ecstacy decrease social phobia. Meth in lower non-paranoia producing doses seems to cause a talkativeness that almost is on par with drunkeness as a cure for social phobia. But of course you will soon become a scarecrow, & a paranoid socially dysfunctional (with dyskinesias & nervous ticks) person soon if you use that stuff. Also, it causes rapid dialation & constriction of the pupils which causes hallucinations & the appearence that things such as people on the posters on your wall are talking & moving. Very scary stuff (although it is safer than Cocaine because it doesn´t raise your blood pressure as much, while 1.2 grams of pure cocaine will kill you- instead of dying of meth overdoses people usually go crazy first & become violent and/or do crazy things like climb up telephone polls (watch the TV show COPS for examples - Meth is a serious problem in this country, especially in the midwest & in California.)
The only real long term cure for social phobia are the SSRIs (i´ve had success with Zoloft 100 mg or Prozac 20 mg). Also the MAOIs Nardil & Parnate are said to work even better than the SSRIs (although i´ve never tried them & most doctors are afraid of prescribing them). Either that or you could drink in social situations, which to tell the truth, alcohol is still the best social phobia medication out there. But that will eventually cause depression, among other problems, too.
Perhaps one day they will find a medicine that duplicates alcohol´s many positive effects on the problem of shyness without its inherent problems on memory, depression, & "dumb drugness". Alcohols effects are wide ranging though, releasing Serotonin, Dopamine, increasing glutamine, potentiating GABA, & evening affecting opoid receptors. To duplicate those effects you would have to be on a cocktail of an SSRI + Dextrostat + Klonopin or barbituate or GABA increasing anticonvulsant (Gabitril?), + long acting opoid agonist like methadone. If you took such a combo you probably couldn´t even remember your name, let alone drive or go to work! It would sure make you feel good though!
I think there may be an overlooked connection between histamine release & social phobia. Social Phobics tend to blush easily which is said to be a histamine reaction. So there may be some connection to either excessive histamine release or a hypersensitivity to its effects. Also, Benadryl tends to slightly alleviate social anxiety (although it is a "dumb drug").
Cheers,
3 Beer Effect
poster:3 Beer Effect
thread:446557
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050119/msgs/446557.html