Posted by morgan miller on September 17, 2010, at 13:34:17
In reply to entirely possible, I think, posted by Christ_empowered on September 17, 2010, at 11:35:42
While I do believe that many or most medications cause structural and functional changes in the brain that may translate to some form of damage, if someone feels good on an AD or other medication over a long period of time, and they take good care of themselves, eating well and exercising, there probably will not be any noticeable damage that interferes with someone's function and feeling of well being, especially as long as they continue taking the medication. The only reason why I had any problems after 7 years of being on Zoloft is because 5 months after stopping it I experienced a severe mixed episode, as a direct result of stress and undiagnosed bipolar, not as a result of changes in my brain that took place after being on Zoloft for 8 years. I know this because after being diagnosed I looked back over the years and realized I experienced my first mixed episode when I was 22, before I had ever been on medication. I could make the argument that excessive alcohol consumption contributed to this first mixed episode though.
After getting off Zoloft I actually functioned and felt very similar to the way I did on Zoloft. I believe on the reasons why the transition went the way it was a result of my constant religious workout/exercise routine. Being in great shape and exercising the right way can do wonders for the health and resilience of your brain.
I have several friends that have been on SSRIs and got off them and do not complain of any long term issues that they could associate with some form of brain damage. I just think it really depends on the individual and there is not the epidemic that there appears to be. We cannot continue to rely on just the people that report about their negative experiences on the internet. There are many many many people taking AD's out there that never come on to the internet because they just don't experience anything bad enough to report. So, we really don't know how the ratio between people suffering from AD use and people that are not. This issue definitely needs some close attention and extensive study.
Morgan
poster:morgan miller
thread:962635
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20100917/msgs/962751.html