Posted by Jack Smith on May 19, 2003, at 14:23:30
In reply to Re: SSRI's and Parkinsons » Jack Smith, posted by ace on May 19, 2003, at 3:13:19
> > I am just curious why, if this is true about Parkinsons, we don't see Parkinsons in people that have been using TCA's for years. Anafrinil is just as potent a seratonin reuptake inhibitor as any ssri????
>
> Parkinsons results in dopamine depletion, not serotonin probs.
>I know that but the theory is that SSRI's by their seratonin reuptake mechanism somehow depletes dopamine. I do not think that Parkinsons is going to be a long-term effect of the SSRI's. The only psychiatric drugs with proven long-term side effects are anti-psychotics (of course, I could be wrong, and also MAOI's can have the long term side effect of death if you mix them with the wrong drugs).
Ace, I think you feel as strongly as I do that drug therapy is a good thing and that there are a lot of anti-drug nuts out there crying about how these medications are so horrible. I think the criticisms of SSRI's are by the same people. SSRI's did not work well for you and they don't seem to do it for me either anymore. BUT they are great for some people, they generally have less side effects than other drugs and, I think most importantly, their wide popularity has caused drug companies to invest billions in newer better medications and revolutionary treatments for depression. Older drugs are often more powerful but I think you cannot disagree that the more drugs that are available for people like us the better.
Just my two cents,
JACK
poster:Jack Smith
thread:95961
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030514/msgs/227688.html