Posted by yxibow on April 10, 2009, at 2:14:59
In reply to Dopamine depletion: A myth?, posted by SLS on April 9, 2009, at 8:10:25
> Yes, I have heard for years that SSRIs cause dopamine depletion, and that this might be responsible for the induction of apathy/amotivation/anhedonia or a loss of therapeutic effect ("poop-out"). However, where is there scientific evidence to support this notion? I would say that chronic SSRI usage might produce a change in the activity of neural pathways afferent to dopaminergic structures and circuits. However, to think that neurons actually run out of neurotransmitter seems unlikely to me. They probably are just not being stimulated to release the dopamine that they keep in storage.
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> What do you think? Is there any scientific evidence that demonstrates that an SSRI can produce dopamine depletion downstream?
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> - Scott
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I'm not sure about long term effects but I know, at least by evidence based psychiatry that a large dose of Luvox appeared to 'downregulate' dopamine. To this day with my orphan disorder the source of D2 accentuation is unknown, but before I started on Seroquel I did try a test with high dose Luvox. It helped a bit with the bright lights and the milieu of other symptoms.(See Luvox posting)
So if that's an example of depleting in the present sense, then I guess that fits in that picture.
There is one exception to current SSRIs -- Zoloft actually has a very minor action at D2, possibly blockading like an AP, but its unclear.
-- Jay
poster:yxibow
thread:889611
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20090408/msgs/889764.html