Posted by KarenRB53 on January 26, 2010, at 10:50:38
In reply to Re: Prozac dosage questions, posted by Brainbeard on January 26, 2010, at 4:09:17
> > What is the difference between a reuptake inhibitor and a reuptake disinhibitor?
> >
> > Thanks, Karen
>
> A reuptake inhibitor blocks the reuptake of a neurotransmitter in the synapse, making more of the neurotransmitter hang around in the synaptic cleft, which means that receptors sensitive to that neurotransmitter will be flooded by it. So, a serotonin reuptake inhibitor basically makes your brain soak in serotonin. The consequences are an even more complicated story.
>
> There doesn't exist such a thing as a reuptake disinhibitor. Prozac and other drugs are a dopamine and noradrenaline disinhibitor. It means that by 'antagonizing', which means blocking, certain receptor subtypes, they block the brake on certain neurotranmitters. Prozac is a 5HT2C-antagonist. 5HT2C receptors are a serotonin receptor subtype (5HT=serotonin) that put a brake on dopamine and noradrenaline. So if you block the functioning of these receptors (i.e. 5HT2C-antagonism), they can no longer put a brake on dopamine and noradrenaline and hence these neurotransmitters are 'disinhibited', i.e. they are boosted.
>
>Thanks for explaining so I could understand. I believe that part of my problem is that my pdoc keeps putting me on SSRI's and I think that I need some Norepinephrine also. I've checked out what norepinephrine does and I think that seratonin alone is causing some of m problems with depression, anxiety, lack of motivation etc. I'm wondering if it would be best to add something to the Celexa that would give me the Norepinephrine or to switch to another AD that affects both seratonin and norepinephire. I do become hypo easily so I have to be careful of that. Any suggestions appreciated.
Thanks, Karen
poster:KarenRB53
thread:904045
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20100122/msgs/935030.html