Posted by CamW on February 18, 2013, at 21:40:33
In reply to Re: Zoloft Anxiety at first? » CamW, posted by PrettyLady on February 18, 2013, at 21:12:33
> Cam: So, are you saying that the SSRI is causing some of my serotonin receptors to die off?
"Die off" may be too harsh a term. The post-synaptic serotonin receptors (those receiving the serotonin for the presynaptic (sending) neurone to carry the electrical signal on down the line of neurones. The excess post-synaptic receptors are no longer needed & just resorb into the body.
> Is this why, after 14 years of antidepressant use, durring the 8 month break I took from antidepressants I was more depressed than when I ever started them?
A couple of things could be happening. Fairly often, after stopping, then restarting an SSRI, the SSRI, for some reason, seems to take longer to elicit an antidepressant effect. In others, a change in SSRIs is required, as the original antidepressant no longer seems to work. I really do not know why this happens, but it does.
>
> I'm not trying to be negative, I'm just trying to understand. The antidepressant will still work now, right? Or did I lose too many receptors from the past antidepressant use?It is not the loss of receptors causing this phenomenon. The body can remake, or reduce. those receptors fairly easily, in most cases. It may take 4 to 6 weeks to see a significant antidepressant effect upon reintroduction of the old SSRI.
I hope that this is clear; I know I tried to put a lot of info into a limited space. - Cam
poster:CamW
thread:1038364
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20130205/msgs/1038396.html