Posted by zeugma on May 15, 2004, at 12:00:51
In reply to Re: query for psychopharmocologists, posted by King Vultan on May 14, 2004, at 16:43:26
Interesting. I was able to find absolutely nothing regarding a differential effect of Strattera on the dopamine system in comparison to the tricyclics. The only thing I turned up (and it's very dubious, since the dose the elicited the highest response in rats is approximately eight times the dose I use) is that Strattera, unlike other NE reuptake inhibitors, blocks K+ channels. This boosts the levels of all the amines, and has an antidepressant-like effect in behavioral tests.
For what it's worth, Strattera does seem to have a much more specifically 'alerting' effect than nortriptyline. But this could simply be a combination of much faster absorption rate (nortriptyline takes 8 hrs. to reach peak plasma levels, while Strattera takes an hour or less), lack of H-1 sedation, and greater affinity for the NE transporter itself. While I can't dismiss my pdoc's claim, what you say doesn't corroborate it either. So I will keep looking, and will have more questions for my pdoc at next visit.
Meanwhile, reducing nortriptyline to 50 mg has resulted in a lessening of fatigue, allowing me to begin a mild exercise regimen, which is starting to lift my mood. At the same time, increasing Klonopin to .5 mg bid is causing less of the late-afternoon/evening 'meltdowns' that were depressing, to say the least, and made me fear that I would lose my job, since these meltdowns would always occur in the presence of my colleagues.
poster:zeugma
thread:346261
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040515/msgs/347142.html