Posted by TSA West on March 31, 2002, at 9:08:40
In reply to Serotonin overdose and Effexor, posted by andi on March 31, 2002, at 8:13:08
It is true that Effexor is 5 times as potent an inhibitor of the serotonin pump than it is as an inhibitor of the norepinephrine pump (http://www.preskorn.com/cgi-bin/sp.pl?words=venlafaxine&wt=be&bl=an&IMAGE1.x=0&IMAGE1.y=0&d=/columns/9911.html). But however, venlafaxine is much weaker than most serotonergic drugs according to Figure 1B of Preskorn's on the previous webpage. Its 80% reuptake inhibition on the platelets at 75 mg does not compare with a tiny 20 mg fluoxetine dose producing the same 80% inhibition.
If a clinician confirms that what you really have from Celexa is serotonin "over-load," then the dosage range of 25-50 mg of venlafaxine sounds adequate for you. You may want to keep on hand some propranolol (5HT1a antagonist) or cyproheptadine as backup.
> When I took my first dose of Celexa 20 mg, I had a serotonin overdose from it. I did not take any more. Now a new pdoc wants me to take Effexor XR. If I overdosed on the serotonin of low-dose Celexa, wouldn't I also overdose on this more powerful Serotonin drug? Drugs are in drawer while I sit and stew over it.
poster:TSA West
thread:101080
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020327/msgs/101091.html