Posted by Scott L. Schofield on January 30, 2000, at 15:46:26
In reply to Re: "Suicide linked " "Question for Adam...", posted by Ant-Rock on January 30, 2000, at 13:36:12
> Hi Adam,
> My name is Anthony, and I was hoping you could help me out with some info. You mentioned having some negative effects while on Serzone.
> A few years back I had a very bad adverse reaction to the drug Amoxapine, which I was taking for depression. My nervous system went into some kind of shock, with my legs feeling like rubber and a severe worsening of my depression. I had tried many different meds in the past and never had a bad experience before with AD's.
> Anyway,
> Three years later while taking a small dose of Risperdal, also for depression, I had another severe and lasting reaction much like the Amoxapine one.
> I guess I was wondering if you could tell me whether these two meds are in any way related or if their mechanism of action are similar. You seem to have a grasp of the way these meds can "cause" positive or negative reactions.
> Thanks again Adam, or anyone else reading this with any feedback they can provide.
>
> Anthony
Dopamine.These two drugs have in common the ability to block (antagonize) dopamine receptors. Amoxapine (Ascendin) is derived from loxapine, an antipsychotic tranquilizer that probably works because of its ability to block DA receptors. I too experienced a worsening of my depression while taking amoxapine.
This is one tricyclic that should never have made it to market. Even the pilot-studies that were done in the beginning of the approval process yielded several cases of EPS (extrapyramidal symptoms). These phenomena include abnormal or uncontrolled movements (dyskinesia), feeling like you want to crawl out of your skin (akathisia), tremor, muscle rigidity, and more. EPS are common side-effects seen with the DA-blocking antipsychotics, and are usually deemed to be an acceptable trade-off for the benefits these drugs can bring. However, such liabilities for an antidepressant like amoxapine would be hard to justify.
My negative reaction to amoxapine over fifteen years ago was one of the facts that I felt corroborated a theory I had developed by that time regarding the major role that dopamine function may play in my case.
Perhaps such a bad reaction to amoxapine is an indicator that pro-dopaminergic drugs like MAO-inhibitors, amineptine, pergolide, low-dose amisulipiride, or psychostimulants may be worthwhile looking in to.
- Scott
P.S.
There are probably people out there for whom amoxapine may be the only drug that works for them. I'm sure they can think of plenty of reasons for why it was a good idea to approve it.
poster:Scott L. Schofield
thread:19909
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000128/msgs/20118.html