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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Abby on December 21, 1999, at 19:50:48
Could someone please tell me precisely what
serotonergic means. From the etymology I
would assume that it means something like
'doing the work of serotonin', but scientists and M.D.s
are not always the most brilliant linguists.Lithium is described as serotenergic, but can chemicals
which selectively preventing the reuptake of serotonin also
be considered serotonergic agents as well?Abby
Posted by Noa on December 21, 1999, at 21:16:15
In reply to Meaning of the word serotenergic?, posted by Abby on December 21, 1999, at 19:50:48
Good questions. A lot of the neurochemistry is above my science capacities. I probably could learn to understand it better, but would need someone to teach me some basics.
Ok, that being said, can I ask more about lithium? Am I way off if I remember hearing that lithium affects glutemate, which is somehow connected to the breakdown of serotonin that is not taken up? Or did I dream this in my wierd and vivid AD dreams?
Posted by Abby on December 22, 1999, at 0:05:44
In reply to Re: Meaning of the word serotenergic?, posted by Noa on December 21, 1999, at 21:16:15
> Good questions. A lot of the neurochemistry is above my science capacities. I probably could learn to understand it better, but would need someone to teach me some basics.
>
> Ok, that being said, can I ask more about lithium? Am I way off if I remember hearing that lithium affects glutemate, which is somehow connected to the breakdown of serotonin that is not taken up? Or did I dream this in my wierd and vivid AD dreams?Lithium does 'stabilize' glutamate which seem
to affect the speed at which information is passed
between neurons. Crudely, too much and your manic,
too little and you're slowed down perhaps to a
depressive state. That much I know, but lithium
is described as serotenergic and I believe
dopaminergic, but nobody has explained ( at least to me)what this
means or how glutamate would affect this.
Abby
Posted by jd on December 23, 1999, at 4:33:00
In reply to Meaning of the word serotenergic?, posted by Abby on December 21, 1999, at 19:50:48
My sense has always been that *serotonergic* basically means "promoting the availability of serotonin to your brain's receptors". Offhand, I can think of three ways of doing this: (1) drugs that promote the release of extra serotonin (I think lithium is in this category); (2) drugs that block re-uptake of serotonin in the synapse (SSRIs like Prozac, Paxil, etc.); and (3) drugs that either mimic or can get turned in serotonin down the line (like 5-HTP). So, short answer, I see no reason not to call SSRIs serotonergic... though I warn that like most of us I'm just an amateur at this!
Best,
jd> Could someone please tell me precisely what
> serotonergic means. From the etymology I
> would assume that it means something like
> 'doing the work of serotonin', but scientists and M.D.s
> are not always the most brilliant linguists.
>
> Lithium is described as serotenergic, but can chemicals
> which selectively preventing the reuptake of serotonin also
> be considered serotonergic agents as well?
>
> Abby
Posted by Noa on December 23, 1999, at 5:14:56
In reply to Re: Meaning of the word serotenergic?, posted by jd on December 23, 1999, at 4:33:00
A fourth type:
MAOIs, which inhibit the enzyme that breaks down serotonin that is not taken up by the neurons, making it stay available longer.
This is the end of the thread.
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