Posted by SLS on September 26, 2012, at 1:09:55
In reply to Re: Do antidepressants do more Harm than good ? » poser938, posted by SLS on September 26, 2012, at 0:25:47
It occurs to me that there is a well-known drug that produces persistent psychobiological effects long after it is discontinued: lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). LSD is predominantly a serotonin receptor agonist (stimulator). It effects many receptors, but it is its stimulating the serotonin 5-HT2a receptor that is regarded as producing hallucinations. I imagine that this is modified to some degree by the ability of LSD to affect dopamine and norepineprine receptors along with producing glutamate release.
LSD does a lot of stuff.
- Scott-----------------------------------------
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lysergic_acid_diethylamide#Pharmacodynamics
"Pharmacodynamics
LSD affects a large number of the G protein coupled receptors, including all dopamine receptor subtypes, and all adrenoreceptor subtypes, as well as many others. LSD binds to most serotonin receptor subtypes except for 5-HT3 and 5-HT4. However, most of these receptors are affected at too low affinity to be sufficiently activated by the brain concentration of approximately 1020 nM.[79] In humans, recreational doses of LSD can affect 5-HT1A, 5-HT2A, 5-HT2C, 5-HT5A, and 5-HT6 receptors.[1][80] 5-HT5B receptors, which are not present in humans, also have a high affinity for LSD.[81] The psychedelic effects of LSD are attributed to its strong partial agonist effects at 5-HT2A receptors as specific 5-HT2A agonists are psychedelics and largely 5-HT2A specific antagonists block the psychedelic activity of LSD.[79] Exactly how this produces the drug's effects is unknown, but it is thought that it works by increasing glutamate release in the cerebral cortex and therefore excitation in this area, specifically in layers IV and V.[82] LSD, like many other drugs, has been shown to activate DARPP-32-related pathways.[83]"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lysergic_acid_diethylamide#Flashbacks_and_HPPD
"Flashbacks" are a reported psychological phenomenon in which an individual experiences an episode of some of LSD's subjective effects long after the drug has worn off, usually in the days after typical doses. In some rarer cases, flashbacks have lasted longer, but are generally short-lived and mild compared to the actual LSD "trip"
"Although flashbacks themselves are not recognized as a medical syndrome, there is a recognized syndrome called Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder (HPPD) in which LSD-like visual changes are not temporary and brief, as they are in flashbacks, but instead are persistent, and cause clinically significant impairment or distress. The syndrome is a DSM-IV diagnosis. Several scientific journal articles have described the disorder"
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Perhaps it is not so difficult to imagine SSRIs as being capable of producing persistent adverse effects long after their discontinuation.
- Scott
Some see things as they are and ask why.
I dream of things that never were and ask why not.- George Bernard Shaw
poster:SLS
thread:1026432
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20120922/msgs/1026692.html