Posted by conundrum on March 5, 2010, at 23:44:35
In reply to Re: low dose prozac, posted by Phillipa on February 9, 2010, at 20:17:34
For those of you not following this thread, I have been taking low dose prozac for a stimulant effect. Basically Prozac is considered the most stimulating SSRI because it is a 5 HT2C antagonist. At moderate-high doses it strongly blocks the reuptake of serotonin. HOwever at low doses it mainly acts to release Dopamine and Norepinephrine via 5 HT2C antagonism. I have been taking a low dose of an 8th of a 10 mg pill every other day to achieve this effect.
2.5 mg of prozac every other day feels way different than taking 5mg everyother day. It is like taking 1.25 mg per day.
For one thing there is no serotonergic feeling. Generally an SSRI will make me somewhat tired in the afternoon and kinda lightheaded. Also I don't have headaches that SSRIs often give me and I'm not rushing to the bathroom after breakfast. Its almost like I'm not taking anything. The only exception is some slight anxiety or agitation. The other day I felt like I was on ritalin, which didn't feel particularly good, kinda weird, stiff feeling. But even this was slight and could have been due to some situational factors.
However I don't feel any of the improvement in motivation I felt taking 5mg every other day which is like taking 2.5 mg a day. At 2.5 I can feel the serotonin via the symptoms listed above. I guess this means I need serotonin unlike what I had thought in the past. Maybe there is some NE coming into effect too since I'm taking buspar 5 mg bid(pretty low dose though), but i think the main positive effect is serotonergic. Who would have thunk it? Serotonin can help with motivation. If I increase to 5 mg everyday, it causes blunting of emotions and motivation though.
I guess I don't need dopamine. In the past I have tried ritalin, wellbutrin, NADH, caffeine, L-Tyrosine(w/B6 & VitC) on an empty stomach, and mucana puriens, and they didn't do anything at all for my mood, motivation, or anything.
I'm gonna wait a couple of days with this low dose since I said to myself I'd try it for 6 weeks. Maybe I'll just wait 5 weeks to see if there is any benefit. I know I felt a benefit by 5 weeks with the slightly higher dose of prozac.
poster:conundrum
thread:936322
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20100305/msgs/938664.html