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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by rainbowbrite on March 5, 2005, at 23:09:06
I feel like I may have asked soething similar before but if I did it didn't soak in....can soemone explain to me what drugs do to our brains? When you take an AD for an extended period of time...do we become dependent on it? Is it inevitable that we will then crash if we go off it? Also, what about sleeping pills? Im just wondering if anyone really knows what is going on in our brains when we take drugs....like could we be damging ourselves? (putting aside our illnesses) Last one, when chidlren are prescribed drugs will it interfere with the normal development of their brains?
Thank you
rain
Posted by rainbowbrite on March 5, 2005, at 23:44:20
In reply to a few drug questions...anyone??, posted by rainbowbrite on March 5, 2005, at 23:09:06
If a person responds well to an SSRI and does not to a drug that affects dopamine or norepinephrine and vice versa, well....does that mean that there are actually 2 types or even 3 types of depression? I don't mean for it to sound so simplified but I can't help it lol
Posted by alexandra_k on March 6, 2005, at 1:16:03
In reply to Another One?, posted by rainbowbrite on March 5, 2005, at 23:44:20
> If a person responds well to an SSRI and does not to a drug that affects dopamine or norepinephrine and vice versa, well....does that mean that there are actually 2 types or even 3 types of depression?
Depends on what criteria you want to use to define 'types'. You could do it that way. I think I read something about them finding 5 different kinds of xxx (maybe dopamine??) receptors. Further research should let us know whether drugs that target specific kinds of receptors will help people more and give them less side affects. Still need to develop the drugs... Still need to test the drugs...
But you could type them like that. Yes. Better way of typing it than behavioural symptoms (IMO).
Posted by alexandra_k on March 6, 2005, at 1:24:56
In reply to a few drug questions...anyone??, posted by rainbowbrite on March 5, 2005, at 23:09:06
> can soemone explain to me what drugs do to our brains?
Different drugs do different things to our brains.
>When you take an AD for an extended period of time...do we become dependent on it?
Is an AD an anti-depressant? I don't think they are typically considered to be physically addictive.
>Is it inevitable that we will then crash if we go off it?
No. The idea is to keep them up for a couple of years (I think) and then you could come off them and be ok. But it is kind of thought that a maintenence dose may PREVENT relapse. If it may do this then it may be worth just keeping on taking the medication...
>Also, what about sleeping pills?
They tend to be physically and psychologically addictive. They may work wonders to start with but people typcially find that they need increased ammounts to have the same effect. After a while you need to take them just to have the possibility of a good nights sleep because there is no way that you are going to get any sleep without them. The quality of sleep is typically different depending on whether it is a natural or a drugged sleep too.
I came off sleeping tablets a couple of years now. I didn't go to sleep for 4 days. Needed to go into hospital for a bit. Eventually... My sleep came right. I sleep pretty okay now.
>Im just wondering if anyone really knows what is going on in our brains when we take drugs....
Nobody knows the complete story of what they do or how they work. All we know is that they do work. Most of 'ém were discovered by accident.
>like could we be damging ourselves? (putting aside our illnesses)
There is a risk of long term usage. Tardive Dyskinesia with taking antipsychotics (especially the older ones) at high dosages over long periods of time, for example.
I guess you have to weigh up how much benefit you get from the medications. Because there are risks, yes.
>Last one, when chidlren are prescribed drugs will it interfere with the normal development of their brains?
Don't know. Some can... But then some drugs save lives and improve peoples functioning immensely. Have to think about the benefits and weigh the risks...
>
> rain
Posted by MM on March 6, 2005, at 2:22:52
In reply to a few drug questions...anyone??, posted by rainbowbrite on March 5, 2005, at 23:09:06
Um, I can't answer any of your questions with any kind of authority, other than my experiences.
What do drugs do to our brains? The AD's, which is one you asked about, change our brains' environment while we're on them...There is usually more of a chemical in our brain than there was organically/naturally (or more of that chemical available...ya I probably shouldn't even answer these because I am quite the amateur). Have you ever been to mcmanweb.com? I found the articles on AD's and other meds to be some of the most helpful things I've read on them. What exactly reuptake is is kind of hard (for me) to explain, so I won't try, but that might be a good specific thing to ask about. I personally don't know what exactly classifies as "dependent" but I had some horrible withdrawl experiences (physical, mental/emotional) with SSRI's and I've heard that qualifies as addiction. Does a crash mean go back to where we were or become worse? I did become worse because of the withdrawl....Got on other meds so I don't know if they made me forever worse after that, although I do have personal hunches that my brain was forever changed, in a way I don't like. I think, yes, whenever you take a drug, you COULD be damaging yourself, but it doesn't mean you are. I don't know much about sleeping pills. I was given AD's from the time I was 14 on, which I think is pretty young, and I do think that changed my brain/personality, but I can't be sure what my brain would have been like had I not been on the meds. Is a depressed child's brain a normal brain? Even if it's not, I'm not sure the meds we have now are what can fix it. I guess it depends what you mean by normal development. I'm sorry I can't answer your questions, and you might think this post was a waste of time. I'm sorry if it was one, but it was meant to be helpful if possible. I hope you get some actual helpful responses :D.
The bottom line I have found for a lot of this stuff is that there is a huge grey area.
MM
Posted by Phillipa on March 6, 2005, at 16:59:45
In reply to Re: a few drug questions...anyone?? » rainbowbrite, posted by MM on March 6, 2005, at 2:22:52
I know that an SSRI keeps your brain from using up it's supply too quickly. This is accomplished by not letting the serotonin leave your brain too quickly. Very basic, but I'm not complex. Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by rainbowbrite on March 7, 2005, at 9:17:23
In reply to Another One?, posted by rainbowbrite on March 5, 2005, at 23:44:20
This is the end of the thread.
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