Posted by larryhoover on September 4, 2011, at 16:49:09
In reply to Do antidepressants alter dopamine for the worse?, posted by Michaelho on September 4, 2011, at 6:58:16
> I have been prescribed a Trycyclic called elavil. I read a post on here in 2009, stating that antidepressants lower dopamine function permanently. Is this still the common opinion?
>
> Why have I been given a trycyclic AD for anxiety and not an ssri? Don't TCA's cause more side effects?Sorry for getting side-tracked, and not answering your question. It took me a while to look into it. I can find no evidence to support either temporary or permanent suppression of dopaminergic function. In fact, chronic antidepressant treatment seems to sensitize dopaminergic receptors.
Yes, TCAs have more side-effects in a statistical sense, but you can't apply statistics to individuals. Your practictioner likely chose this treatment for you based on your responses to his questions. Drug selection is the art within the science, and I wish you success with this treatment choice.
Lar
poster:larryhoover
thread:995799
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20110902/msgs/995839.html