Posted by djmmm on March 27, 2002, at 9:39:54
In reply to So, is the answer ''WE DON'T KNOW''??, posted by Janelle on March 27, 2002, at 1:37:23
Hey Janelle...there could be several reasons why one ssri works for one person and not another...some may metabolize drugs better (or worse) than others, individual neurochemistry may effect efficacy, etc.
SSRIs all differ in potency and selectivity. Some people may respond better to a SSRI like Prozac that is less selective to serotonin--meaning, that it effects other neurotransmitter systems--while others only respond to more potent and selective SSRIs like Paxil or Celexa, or even a SSRI like Zoloft which has some effect on dopamine levels...
remember, the mechanism of these medications is still somewhat "in the air" The antidepressant effects from SSRIs may be a result of a chain reaction of sorts...only partially related to what they were fundamentally designed to do.
...but the official answer *is* "We don't know"
poster:djmmm
thread:100486
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020327/msgs/100549.html