Posted by linkadge on January 15, 2007, at 17:43:12
In reply to Re: Stims vs conventional ADs, no crashing, AD theory » psychobot5000, posted by laima on January 15, 2007, at 16:27:14
The serotonin theory is very weak.
There are only a limited number of studies showing that serotonin breakdown products are lower in depression. Studies involving serotonin depletion are conflicting and do not fully support a serotonin hypothesis.
Let us even suppose that metabolite levels of serotonin are low in depression. That could be an indicator of a lot of things. It is interesting to note that SSRI's and MAOI's actually lower the levels of serotonin breakdown products by inhibiting the metabolism of serotonin. So, SSRI's or MAOI's are not fixing any of the observable differences in depressives.
YOu take a paitent with low levels of serotonin breakdown products, put them on an SSRI, and now their serotonin breakdown products are even lower.
What on earth does that say?
It says nothing about what is wrong, nor does it even say that the drugs correct anything.
For all we know the low metabolite levels are a result of undermetabolism of serotonin. Ie metabolism pathways are already sluggish.
Its really just a bunch of B.S. to make the layman thing its all technical, and that the drugs are space age, and that psychiatry is so advanced.
Linkadge
poster:linkadge
thread:721931
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070113/msgs/722628.html