Naked Science Forum
Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: crimsonknight3 on 28/06/2012 11:57:19
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I wonder this because I've read and been told that the likely cause of chronic depression is that the receptors aren't working properly, so tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) inhibit the reuptake of both serotonin and norepinephrine and (SSRIs) have fewer side effects and Certain SSRI medications have been shown to lower serotonin levels below the baseline after chronic use, despite initial increases. This has been connected to the observation that the benefit of SSRIs may decrease in selected patients after a long-term treatment. So why is this all related to serotonin, if increasing the serotonin or prolonging its presence doesn't work in a lot of cases of depression, why hasn't there been more developments in researching the cause of depression on a physical scale rather than emotional? As i mentioned in the first sentence, I read an article on new developments in the physical causes of depression yet since then there has been no new news and this is going back at least 6 months. I've been on TCA's and SSRI's and neither seem to modify my mood, i only feel side effects with some and nothing with others. I've been on amitriptalyne for a while now but thats mainly because they help me sleep and i without them im a borderline insomniac. Thanks :)
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I think there are other antidepressants that alter other neurotransmitters, like Effexor and Wellbutrin, but serotonin is the one that has been the most tied to the limbic system and mood. What do you mean by physical cause? Like when a person is depressed but cannot attribute it to any circumstance in his life, or any particular beliefs about himself, other people or the world?
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Yes, recently there have been studies that have shown that some people have no visible cause for depression yet they still feel a low mood. I say this because it seems to me that targetting the serotonin receptors seems to be like shooting a rocket at a fly, it's a very broad spectrum, personally out of all the anti depressants i've been on, none have elevated my mood in any noticable way and even coupled with councelling or therapy and a better understanding of myself they still don't improve my mood, the only thing any have done for me is help me sleep better which i am grateful for but am now being taken off them.
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I stopped taking antidepressants because I didn't like the side effects. I read that 40 minutes of aerobic exercise was found to be as effective as antidepressants. I thought, that sounds like an interesting experiment - I wonder if it's true. So I tried it for a year. And yes it worked, actually I think a little better than antidepressants. But - you really, really have to do it almost every day, like at least 5 or 6 times a week, and no skipping days and working out twice as long the next time. It has to be consistent. Heart rate should be up between 120 - 140.. It took about 3 or 4 weeks to start noticing an effect. And it helps with sleep too. The only draw back is it is time consuming for most people.
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In answer to your last post cheryl, my resting heart rate is 110-120bpm every day so what should my exercise be? Ive seen drs about my fast heart and after having my heart tested for 24 hours ive heard nothing back from them which they say is an all clear in other words.