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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 3 of 3. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by tanafofana on March 25, 2003, at 17:10:57
What options are available for testing neurotransmitter levels? Surely there is something that is accurate! I am so tired of the %$*#$% guesswork on what my problem is!
Posted by stjames on March 26, 2003, at 17:22:31
In reply to testing levels, posted by tanafofana on March 25, 2003, at 17:10:57
> What options are available for testing neurotransmitter levels? Surely there is something that is accurate! I am so tired of the %$*#$% guesswork on what my problem is!
No there is not. But depression has nothing to do the amount or levels of neurotransmitters.
Posted by worrier on March 26, 2003, at 18:05:44
In reply to Re: testing levels, posted by stjames on March 26, 2003, at 17:22:31
> > What options are available for testing neurotransmitter levels? Surely there is something that is accurate! I am so tired of the %$*#$% guesswork on what my problem is!
>
> No there is not. But depression has nothing to do the amount or levels of neurotransmitters.
>
>>I think there are some ways to test neurotranmitter levels, although it's obviously not commonly done. I've been out of the field for a long time, but in the mid '80s to early '90s while in grad school we were looking at serotonin levels in monkeys and how they related to social behavior. In a nutshell dominant monkeys had significantly higher levels of serotonin than low rankers. Outside labs did the blood analysis, but obviuosly they had some way of measuring it. I guess the real question is, would it help pinpoint appropriate treatment? My guess is not really, everyone seems to rspond so differently to all these meds...it doesn't seem to be as simple as "add a bit of serotonin or subtract a bit of norepinephrin and all will be well." Wish it was. I too am frustrated by all the trial and error stuff. But we must hang in there and eventually something will work.
This is the end of the thread.
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