Antidepressant medications which increase serotonin neurotransmitter levels can depress dopamine levels. Decreasing dopamine level can increase depression, impulsivity and suicide risk in depressed patients, who were previously dopamine deficient. "When physicians prescribe serotonin enhancement medications to dopamine deficient patients, patients sometimes become more depressed, impulsive and suicidal," said Dr. Rick Sponaugle, Medical Director of Florida Detox.
Many depressed patients do not improve with Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) Antidepressants, such as Prozac, Paxil or Zoloft. Prozac and Paxil only increase serotonin and norepinephrine activity. When serotonin is increased above normal levels with medication, the brain downregulates dopamine production. Dopamine downregulation explains why some patients become suicidal on "antidepressants."
Physicians must differentiate which "happy chemicals" require adjustment. There are five main "happy chemical" neurotransmitters, serotonin, dopamine, glutamate, norepinephrine and acetylcholine. Deficiency in any of these, can produce clinical depression.
Recent PET brain scan studies clearly reveal dopamine activates the human "pleasure center" (nucleus accumbens). The dopamine D2 receptor within the pleasure center appears to be our happy receptor. PET studies can accurately measure the difference in D2 activity among different patients.
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Tuesday, February 12, 2008
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