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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 Randy on August 11, 2000, at 21:12:47
I was taking paxil for panic attacks, but I was having
side effect such as loss of sleep. So the doctor today
put me on serzone. My question is can you smoke pot while on serzone without major side effects?
Posted by Andre Allard on August 12, 2000, at 12:24:17
In reply to serzone and smoking pot, posted by Randy on August 11, 2000, at 21:12:47
Smoking funny tobaco along with serzone will not kill you if that is what you are worried about.
But, it will lessen the effects of the serzone for two reasons. First, smoking of any kind decreases blood levels of antidepressants, therebye lessening the effects of the AD. Second, once the pot wares off, specific chemicals in your brain decrease, some of these are associated with depression.
If you still want to smoke up you will have to almost double your serzone dosage to get the same effects. Also, the day after you smoke pot you will become more depressed.
So if you want to smoke pot go nuts. Just remember that smoking cannot better your depression.
Last semester, I took a class called "Effective Presentation Skills". A girl in the class who was chronic, gave a speech on the harmless effects of smoking pot. Throughout her speech, I could not help but laugh. She was trying to tell the class that smoking marijuana can better your life. I guess she was forgeting that marijuana can become addictive, it can lead to other things, and that it worsens mental health (especially somone who is depressed).
If you do not believe me then ask your pdoc about smoking pot and he will tell you pretty much the same thing.
Posted by stjames on August 12, 2000, at 13:04:45
In reply to Re: serzone and smoking pot, posted by Andre Allard on August 12, 2000, at 12:24:17
> So if you want to smoke pot go nuts. Just remember that smoking cannot better your depression.
the same thing.James here....
Mentioning "going nuts" in context of pot smoking
is way off base. All the pdocs I have seen did not
have a problem with my pot use. Have not noticed having to double my AD dose due to MJ.james
Posted by Andre Allard on August 12, 2000, at 21:12:46
In reply to serzone and smoking pot, posted by Randy on August 11, 2000, at 21:12:47
If you took 2000 people with depression and gave them all the same AD at the same dosage, but 1000 of the 2000 were chronic. I can guarantee you that the 1000 who do not smoke pot will have a greater respone to the med.
I know for a fact (through research and from pdocs) that smoking of any kind reduces blood levels of AD's.
I suppose MJ is the least detrimental of any drug out there. I would not say that it can help with depression.
Dopamine is strongly effected by THC. Once the pot is out of your system, you will have a decreased amount of dopamine levels. This decreased level of dopamine effects transmission between other neurotransmitters and the bottom line is that this cannot improve a person's mental status, especially someone with depression.
I am a prime example of the above. If I put any kind of foriegn substance into my body (alcohol, pot, mushrooms, benzodiazepines), once the drug has been metabolized I feel worse with respect to depression. Biochemically, this is understandable.
For these reasons I rarely ever dabble with any substance.
Posted by stjames on August 12, 2000, at 21:35:30
In reply to stjames, posted by Andre Allard on August 12, 2000, at 21:12:46
I would agree that some should not smoke pot.
That is very true. My previous post was just about
my situation. I should of stated that. In my case
the depression has been well controlled since 1985
with AD's. During the few break thru depressions
I have had I found pot a great comfort and the depressions
were short lived. However I agree if you are depressed
for an extended time, pot would make things worse.James
This is the end of the thread.
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