Posted by JohnX2 on April 17, 2002, at 21:21:54
In reply to Re: JohnX2 - question for you » rainbowlight, posted by JohnX2 on April 17, 2002, at 20:46:48
> > John, Can you please answer a question for me. I noticed in one of your other posts that you mentioned a med making you feel flattened on a higher dose. I just added Zoloft to my Lamictal/Remeron/Risperdal combo. I noticed when I am taking a 25 mgs. or 37.5 mgs. dose that I felt pretty good mood wise. I bumped it to 50 and started feeling sedated/flattened/depressed even. Could it be that maybe it is just too much? I have noticed this happens to me with other meds too? Is there an explanation for this? And if you know, how to avoid it?
>
> Hi RainbowLight,
>
> Well, in my case I think what may be happening is the following (I'll try not to get too detailed, plus there is some scientific wild ass guessing):
>
> Medicines that increase serotonin reuptake like Zoloft, Prozac, Luvox, Paxil, etc , may indirectly in certain areas of the brain cause dopamine to be decreased. There are different types of serotonin receptors, and when more serotonin hits a class of these receptors less dopamine is released in certain areas of the brain. I believe this can cause side effects like anxiety, sexual dysfunction, flat emotions, teeth grinding/jaw tension (I get this).
>
> I'm not sure in your case why the medicine makes you feel more depressed and tired (what was your diagnosis again OCD?), I actually feel more "wired". But my emotions go very flat (I just feel very numb), and I get bad tension headaches and jaw tension.
>
> I have found that medicines that can block specific serotonin receptors, or medicines that just slow down the firing rate of hyperactive serotonin help to alleviate my problems.
>
> This includes mainly Serzone (blocks the bad serotonin receptors). Remeron may also help , but it didn't work for me. Zyprexa, Risperdal and most of the other atypical antipsyhotics have the same properties.
>
> Klonopin and Topamax (I believe mediate hyperactive serotonin firing).
>
> Thats about all I know. I don't know if my neurological quirk is relavent to what you are feeling.
>
> I've tried a bunch of other anticonvulsant medications but they didn't help me.
>
> Topamax, Klonopin, and Serzone are my antidotes.
> I haven't exhausted the other atypical antipsychotics, but I did try Zyprexa, it seemed to help a little, but not like Serzone. Remeron did squat (although it blocks the same serotonin receptor..).
>
> Who knows..A lot of conjecture.
>
> JohnRainbowLight,
hmm, why don't you just stay on the lower dose?
John
poster:JohnX2
thread:103361
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020416/msgs/103375.html