Posted by Jay2112 on February 15, 2022, at 15:30:59
In reply to Re: The Ritalin Vs. Dexedrine debate, and more..., posted by undopaminergic on February 15, 2022, at 5:35:27
> > Ritalin just seemed way to strong for me, even at smaller doses.
> >
>
> That is peculiar, because Dexedrine is (dose-dependently) much stronger than Ritalin. Ritalin is just a reuptake inhibitor, while Dexedrine is a releaser. If I recall correctly, a reuptake inhibitor (in the studies I read it was cocaine) can increase synaptic dopamine up to 175% or so of baseline in the nucleus accumbens, whereas amphetamines can achieve several hundred percent.
>
> While I have forgotten the precise figures, the point remains that amphetamines elevate dopamine more than reuptake inhibitors.
>
> Of course, it is still true that you feel a stronger effect, but it is likely not due to higher dopamine elevation.
>
> -undopaminergic
>I did not know that about Ritalin (it being less stronger than Dexedrine). I was just going by from various comments on different websites. I just found Ritalin turned my anger up by about 300 percent..it was horrible feeling that way...I was ready to kill! uggh. Dexedrine (and it's twin, Vyvanse) just feels so smooth, a tad bit artificial, but like my brain is functioning at a really comfortable speed. I find myself, sometimes, rushing through the day to get my tasks done before it's effects start to wear off. And, 'coming down' off it is very gentle, and doesn't make me 'crave' more of it.
From what I understand, it kind of 'bursts' dopamine from the receptor..as well as, less so, serotonin and norepinephrine. I also seem to respond well to psuedophedrine, which I understand does a similar action but to just norepinephrine. I take the extended release almost daily. But, this may explain why/that I don't respond to reuptake inhibitors well...at all, really. In fact, I have quite an adverse reaction to reuptake inhibitors. Forcing that neurotransmitter to stay in the synapse is a no-go for me, and I think may be part of the reuptake inhibitor's failure for many...and their failure in many. Ironically, though, when I am feeling really, really anxious and depressed, one single, very high dose of an SSRI dissipates the bad feelings, at least for a day or so, at the most. I find that quite peculiar.
One drug I am experimenting with is desipramine. It is, mostly, a norepinephrine reabsorption blocker. It has a much, much smaller anticholinergic effect than nortriptyline. As well, it has been shown to slightly extend and enhance the effects of amphetamine. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2065713/) Besides being bipolar (with having very, very few "switches" with amphetamine), I have extreme asthenia, and SRI/SNRI's cause switching to major dysphoric mania. (I feel like the most intense piece of sh*t and get extremely angry..to an extreme point of intense distress, with murderous and suicidal throughts. Only high dose antipsychotics bring me down).
Even high, or regular, doses of desipramine make me feel like the above, and I take a very miniscule dose, along with high dose carbamazepine, clonazepam, and Lyrica (pregablin).
So, I really think the mechanism of SRI/SNRI's is greatly flawed. I tried Nardil four times, and was blasted into dysphoric mania, as well as having the "cheese" reaction after less than a week of use. (And had strongly stuck to the low tyramine diet.) My psychiatrist said that some people that he has seen, and read about in the literature, seem to be wired chemically to not be able to tolerate MAOI's, even though that is rare. He tries MAOI's with almost every patient he has, usually with success. His father was also a psychiatrist, and ironically, I had him as my first psychiatrist. But, the problem was he (father) diagnosed me as unipolar, depressive. But, I am lucky to have such an open-minded shrink.
Jay
Humans punish themselves endlessly
for not being what they believe they should be.
-Don Miguel Ruiz-
poster:Jay2112
thread:1118605
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20220128/msgs/1118615.html