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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Phyl on November 18, 2002, at 10:32:41
I was just wondering what the effect of an AD would be on a perfectly well-adjusted individual (rare?) who has no history whatsoever of depression, anxiety, etc. Do they test these AD's on people with no need for AD? What does the AD do for (to) them? Is there absolutely no affect; the med just gets passed through the system.
Sorry if this is a dumb question but I have never taken any meds before ...
Thanks.
Posted by Larry Hoover on November 18, 2002, at 10:48:12
In reply to This might be a foolish question....., posted by Phyl on November 18, 2002, at 10:32:41
> I was just wondering what the effect of an AD would be on a perfectly well-adjusted individual (rare?) who has no history whatsoever of depression, anxiety, etc. Do they test these AD's on people with no need for AD? What does the AD do for (to) them? Is there absolutely no affect; the med just gets passed through the system.
All medication has to be tested on healthy people first, unless there is clear knowledge that taking it will make them sick.
People who criticize SSRIs often argue that the drug companys' testing showed serious side effects in normal people taking the meds. That's not a fair argument. You have to also look at the population for whom the drug is intended. If you gave insulin to a normal person, it would make them ill. For someone with a faulty pancreas, it will make them well.
Because a normal person could not benefit from antidepressant or antianxiety effects (by definition), the only effects that could be observed would be negative ones (those that we trivialize by calling side-effects). Normal people taking SSRIs (for example) had side effects, like agitation, sexual problems, etc.
> Sorry if this is a dumb question but I have never taken any meds before ...
> Thanks.In my humble opinion, the only dumb question is the one that is never asked.
My answer is my opinion, and may differ radically from other people's opinions.
Posted by BrittPark on November 18, 2002, at 11:22:07
In reply to This might be a foolish question....., posted by Phyl on November 18, 2002, at 10:32:41
As far as I know all of the ADs on the market in the US would have little effect on non-depressed people, except for the side effects. This is not necessarily a good thing, because it implies that drug companies have almost certainly passed over promissing ADs because they affected (in a positive way) non-depressed people. There was an AD on the market in Europe called ameneptine, which made non-depressives feel better than normal. It was never approved (because it had "abuse" potential) in the US, and was withdrawn from the market, under heavy pressure from the US, in most other countries. Sad, since it was the only selective dopamine reuptake inhibitor on the market.
Britt
Posted by Geezer on November 18, 2002, at 12:58:10
In reply to Re: This might be a foolish question..... » Phyl, posted by BrittPark on November 18, 2002, at 11:22:07
Britt,
I like your point about ameneptine (it should be hammered home far more often than it is). It is unfortunate that Federal Bureaucrats can deny relief based only on moralistic judgement.
Posted by Mats on November 18, 2002, at 14:50:36
In reply to Re: This might be a foolish question..... » BrittPark, posted by Geezer on November 18, 2002, at 12:58:10
SSRI works in rising serotonin levels in the synapses by blocking its reuptake pump. It will do that regardless of depressed subject or not.
Theres no mystery in changing ones levels of monoaminos in the brain and couse alternation in mood.
We do have illegal drugs that are capable of it, dont we?To your question...
Ofourse a, by criteria, non depressed subject will experiense an anti-depressiv effect.
Posted by Denise528 on November 18, 2002, at 16:25:58
In reply to This might be a foolish question....., posted by Phyl on November 18, 2002, at 10:32:41
Hi Phyl,
No it's not a dumb questions, I used to wonder about that when I first ever started taking ADs, I even remember asking my Doctor how he thought they might effect him. I personally believe that they might make some supposedly "normal" people feel better. From reading prozac nation the author was saying that prozac makes some people better than well.
Having said that my current boyfriend has tried them and he didn't notice any difference apart from some tiredeness and my ex boyfriend actually wanted viagra but the doctor decided his lack of libido was due to some underlying depression (which it wastn't), he was put on Seroxat and he hated it.
I imagine that like us depressed people, ADs help some "normal" people and not others.
Denise
Posted by qwerty6400 on November 18, 2002, at 17:07:46
In reply to Might be a dumb queston....., posted by Phyl on November 18, 2002, at 16:33:18
The companies always say there will be no effect on someone who is not depressed. But I don't believe that; it seems akin to saying alcohol will only have a mood-boosting effect on unhappy people.
There are lucky people that never have to worry about their mood, but I have doubts that they comprise a majority of the population.
> I posted this earlier, but it is in cyberspace somewhere.
> I just wondered how Lexapro would affect a person with no problems whatsoever...no history of depression or anxiety, etc. What would Lexapro do? Would it just go through that person's system? Do they test AD's on "normal" people -- those who are very well-adjusted, happy, etc. (Are there such lucky people?) Does anyone know?
> Thanks.
Posted by BrittPark on November 18, 2002, at 20:34:21
In reply to Re: This might be a foolish question..... » BrittPark, posted by Geezer on November 18, 2002, at 12:58:10
Actually It's a wonder to me that opioids and amphetamines haven't been targeted by the feds and their "war on drugs". Maybe they actually care about people in physical pain. They keep the amphetamines around, I suppose, because they need to be available for military personnel.
;)
Britt
Posted by GeekUKII on November 19, 2002, at 5:42:54
In reply to Re: This might be a foolish question..... » Geezer, posted by BrittPark on November 18, 2002, at 20:34:21
I would say that SSRI AD have an effect on 'normal' people aswell. As the blocking of seretonin reuptake will leave more round the synapse trigering more responses. The drug companys probably say no effect as they are probably using a depression rating scale to judge the effect; if the person scores 0 before and after treatment then there would be no-effect.
As I say this is purely on my own reasoning
M
This is the end of the thread.
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