Posted by JackD on December 18, 2004, at 23:13:27
In reply to Re: LEW, please read this, posted by linkadge on December 18, 2004, at 15:55:39
Sorry if I sounded condescending Linkadge, I was just annoyed because I had already gone out and tried to explain my insights into NMDA antagonists and nobody seemed to pay my posts any
mind. Anyway, addressing Lew, if you want to try memantine, have my doctor consult yours,
usually doctors need to be reassured that something has been attempted before going out on a
limb. They're scared to death over liability, and for good reason. You can also have your
doctor call Forest Laboratories and ask them about their current study using Namenda 40mg a day for depression. If that doesn't soften her up, then man, I'll ship you some of my memantine
myself damn it!Oh and by the way, I don't think, nor was I ever suggesting that, opiates are practical for
treating depression. HOWEVER, because the same systems activated by opiate drugs are linked to
depression causes me to consider any opiate-related drug as having potential to cure certain
depressions. Nevermind the specific details about my conjecture, I mean for God's sake, no one has anything even close to a proper perspective of how the brain behaves.What I'm getting at is that I don't personally believe you or anyone should use straight up
opiates to handle their depression. I guess it's like comparing extacy to paxil. Sorry it's
the best analogy I can think of right now, but here it is: one of MDMA's primary attributes is
its ability to cause a cascade release of serotonin (which by the way ultimately ends up
producing neurotoxicity for reasons I'd rather not discuss due to their irrelevance). Now
someone who feels especially drawn to this drug could infer that since the main mechanism of
MDMA is serotonin release, an SSRI would be the answer. That's logical enough and could be
true, but again what I'm getting at is that there's much more to the picture in this example
and than meets the eye. Ecstasy does so much more than make someone who is serotonin-deprived
satisfied, it triggers all sorts of other unecessary (and unhealthy) side-effects. Yes a
massive increase in serotonin levels is one of the actions of MDMA's, but this key component
MUST be isolated in an optimal treatment strategy for many reasons. For this far from perfect
example an SSRI could quite possibly be a much better, safer, and effective solution.Now in regards to direct opioid agonists, or should I say, the "pain-relieving pleasure pills
that are sometimes abused rather than admistered properly". one should seek a combination of
chemicals that specifically and discriminately alleviates their ailment. Alcohol affects GABA
and serotonin and the opiate system, but that doesn't mean it's a good answer for someone in
search of an antidepressant. Effexor, Tramadol, Remeron and Namenda are far more specific and
therefore far more practical for treating conditions that require treatment with something
targeting the opiate system. Give it a shot and see, maybe the opiate system is the key to
treating your problem.But please just make sure to follow my advice and use the right medications. Then maybe you
can explore other avenues and possibly even expand upon how you experience euthymia.P.S. I'm so so sorry if I come off sounding pompous with all the alliteration and big words,
it's just that it's finals week at my school and I've been writing papers for endless hours
with little sleep. The strange writing style you see is just subconscious reflex or rather
residue resulting from repeatedly rehearsing rhetoric and rhythme. Okay okay sorry, that one
was intentional, but hey, good luck to you Lew.
poster:JackD
thread:430919
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20041217/msgs/431503.html