Posted by Elizabeth on June 14, 2001, at 15:12:52
In reply to WHY do SSRIs cause weight gain???, posted by super on June 14, 2001, at 12:47:22
> I'm puzzled, and this is an entirely intellectual matter for me since I can't even tolerate SSRIs, BUT why do they cause weight gain? I was just reading an article that stated that compulsive overeating is a result of seratonin deficiency. If SSRIs increase seratonin in the brain, wouldn't they help you eat less and therefore loose weight?
The "serotonin deficiency" hypothesis is just that: a guess. (Although an awful lot of Redux was sold based on that guess.) Serotonin is considered a neuromodulator, a neurotransmitter which has long-term effects on many functions of the brain. Last I checked, 14 different serotonin receptor subtypes had been identified. Like other receptor subtypes (e.g., alpha- and beta-adrenergic receptors), the various types of serotonin receptors have different effects, some of which may oppose each other. Because different people have different numbers and levels of sensitivity of each type of serotonin receptor, it should be expected that serotonin reuptake blockade will have different clinical effects on one person than on another.
The specifics of SSRI-associated weight gain are not known for certain, but one hypothesis is that down-regulation of the 5-HT2c receptor subtype is involved.
-elizabeth
poster:Elizabeth
thread:66469
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010612/msgs/66490.html