Posted by linkadge on July 10, 2015, at 18:07:18
In reply to Re: Reserpine, posted by Christ_empowered on July 10, 2015, at 11:02:02
Yeah, reserpine is a very interesting substance. I remember reading that it actually was the first substance to sucessfully go through a trial as an (get this) antidepressant! There is so much that we don't know.
It seems to be used by herbalists for anxiety, agitation and insomnia. Interestingly there are case studies of it being helpful in bipolar disorder (mania and mixed states), and as an ajunctive to antipsychotics. In studies, it counteracts many of the effects of methlyphendate and PCP, but not amphetamine.
Of course, it has a different mechanism to conventional antipsychotics which block dopamine receptors rather than depleat dopamine.
It also lowers blood pressure, through a central effect on norepinephrine.It seems to primarily deplete catecholamines dopamine and norepinephirine. In agitated depression, it might be beneficial to combine this with an SSRI, to shift the brain towards serotonin predominance. The fact that it purportedly relives insomnia is interesting.
poster:linkadge
thread:1080308
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20150629/msgs/1080431.html