![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 25 of 59. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by hok on January 24, 2003, at 13:19:37
Has anybody been using anything other than stimulants, nicotine, or caffeine to enhance the reward pathway and increase the dopamine response in the VTA?
Unfortunately, I still have found that frequent dosings of coffee and nicotine are superior to Focalin or Adderal XR, and cause less adverse effects (besides the obvious health probs caused by the smoking). Most stimulants cause me way too much hyperfocus, agitation, and rebound effect.
If anybody else is battling treatment-resistant depression and has found success with some sort of dopamine augmentation via supplements or medication, I'd like to know about it.
Specifically, has Dex been more effective in fighting anhedonia or is Methylphenidate the obvious winner still? I've never tried Dex and remain curious.
Also, has anybody been trying any supplement (e.g., NADH) and had any success?
As for the Wellbutrin angle, I tried it for a couple of weeks and found it way too agitating.
Don't think it was for me but might be open to another trial down the line.Any suggestions?
Posted by cybercafe on January 24, 2003, at 13:48:06
In reply to fighting anhedonia by increasing reward pathway, posted by hok on January 24, 2003, at 13:19:37
> Unfortunately, I still have found that frequent dosings of coffee and nicotine are superior to Focalin or Adderal XR, and cause less adverse effects (besides the obvious health probs caused by the smoking). Most stimulants cause me way too much hyperfocus, agitation, and rebound effect.isnt hyperfocus what you want? if theres too much, can you decrease the dose?
agitation -- can you try adding a benzo?
don't you develop a tolerance to caffeine fast? thats my problem
i'm trying to find a good drug for ADD myself...
i also find caffeine more effective than ritalin, but that might be because i'm taking an antipsychotic :(
Posted by linkadge on January 24, 2003, at 13:51:10
In reply to fighting anhedonia by increasing reward pathway, posted by hok on January 24, 2003, at 13:19:37
Omega 3 is supposed to be powerful in increasing
certain dopamine production.
Linkadge
Posted by Larry Hoover on January 24, 2003, at 14:22:03
In reply to fighting anhedonia by increasing reward pathway, posted by hok on January 24, 2003, at 13:19:37
> Has anybody been using anything other than stimulants, nicotine, or caffeine to enhance the reward pathway and increase the dopamine response in the VTA?
>
> Unfortunately, I still have found that frequent dosings of coffee and nicotine are superior to Focalin or Adderal XR, and cause less adverse effects
(snip)If you find nicotine useful, you needn't smoke to obtain it. You could use nicotine patches or nicotine gum. At least you'd be avoiding the adverse lung effects.
Lar
Posted by hok on January 24, 2003, at 15:07:53
In reply to Re: fighting anhedonia by increasing reward pathway » hok, posted by Larry Hoover on January 24, 2003, at 14:22:03
Oh, I should mention I'm also on Lexapro, 1-2 grams of Omega-3, and a lot of vitamins/minerals (B's, C, Zinc Magnesium, 5HTP).
I agree that the fish oil has helped, although subtley. That's why I'm looking for something much more effective for the VTA dopamine pathway.
As to clarify what I meant when I said that "stimulants make me 'hyperfocused'". I mean to say that it's great at keeping me focused to repetitive tasks. The big However is that it blunts all my faculties of creativity and ability to associate. My conversational ability becomes slow and awkward and my emotions are shunted. Lowering the dose hasn't helped either. Over the years I think I've had enough exposure to focalin, methylph., and Adderal XR to know they're not for me. I haven't tried the regular Dex and would be curious to see how I'd respond to it though.
I had a little success with a recent 2 week trial of Strattera. It caused a lot less irritability. However, there were some considerable side effects, including heart palpiations, anorgasmia, dryness, and rebound effect at night. My doctor said that Strattera does actually give a slight boost to dopamine receptors even though it is a NARI. All said though, Strattera still doesn't come close to reducing my core symptoms of anhedonia and lack of motivation. Caffeine and nicotine, and to a lesser degree, the stimulants, do a better job at this.
As for SAM-e, I'm aware of its connection to boosting dopamine, but the cost factor as well as lot of friends' reports of increased hostility/irritability when taking it, make it an unlikely candidate.
So I'm still open to any other suggestions on the dopamine angle. Thanks.
Posted by Jack Smith on January 24, 2003, at 16:56:56
In reply to Re: fighting anhedonia by increasing reward pathway, posted by hok on January 24, 2003, at 15:07:53
MAOI's definitely have an effect on dopamine. Have you considered them?
Posted by Ritch on January 24, 2003, at 22:44:11
In reply to fighting anhedonia by increasing reward pathway, posted by hok on January 24, 2003, at 13:19:37
> Has anybody been using anything other than stimulants, nicotine, or caffeine to enhance the reward pathway and increase the dopamine response in the VTA?
>
> Unfortunately, I still have found that frequent dosings of coffee and nicotine are superior to Focalin or Adderal XR, and cause less adverse effects (besides the obvious health probs caused by the smoking). Most stimulants cause me way too much hyperfocus, agitation, and rebound effect.
>
> If anybody else is battling treatment-resistant depression and has found success with some sort of dopamine augmentation via supplements or medication, I'd like to know about it.
>
> Specifically, has Dex been more effective in fighting anhedonia or is Methylphenidate the obvious winner still? I've never tried Dex and remain curious.
>
> Also, has anybody been trying any supplement (e.g., NADH) and had any success?
>
> As for the Wellbutrin angle, I tried it for a couple of weeks and found it way too agitating.
> Don't think it was for me but might be open to another trial down the line.
>
> Any suggestions?No suggestions, but here are some neato links I dug up:
http://www.neurosci.pharm.utoledo.edu/MBC3320/nicotinic.htm
http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nm/journal/v8/n5/full/nm0502-447.html
http://psycprints.ecs.soton.ac.uk/archive/00000133/
Posted by JohnL on January 25, 2003, at 5:27:22
In reply to fighting anhedonia by increasing reward pathway, posted by hok on January 24, 2003, at 13:19:37
My depression is characterized primarily by anhedonia. I tried for years and years all the common drugs to battle it. It wasn't until I started getting into drugs that affect dopamine that I saw improvement. I do believe the anhedonic component of depression is dopamine and norepinephrine related.
I take a cocktail that is very effective at targeting anhedonia. It is 20mg Prozac, 5mg Zyprexa, 300mg Adrafinil, and 150mg of the herb Rhodiola Rosea.
Prozac doesn't have any direct action on dopamine. But it does have indirect action. Zyprexa has direct action on dopamine, both increasing it in certain parts of the brain and decreasing it in other parts. Adrafinil is primarily a norepinephrine drug, but does have indirect effects on dopamine d2 receptors. Rhodiola has action on serotonin, dopamine, and beta-endorphins. None of these drugs on their own are good enough. But together they work in fantastic harmony.
I've tried all the stimulants. They worked, in a way. But to me it was very artificial. They basically made me feel good by making me high. It was artificial. And it felt very very addicting. And when it wears off, look out below.
For depression characterized by anhedonia, some of the better drugs for treating this, in my opinion, are: Amisulpride, Adrafinil, Zyprexa, sometimes Risperdal, a little Prozac in the background, possibly Mirapex, and Desipramine. Other dopamine drugs such as Wellbutrin or Deprenyl I found useless.
I think you are on the right track. If you were looking at just the SSRIs, I would then have to say you were on the wrong track. I have rarely seen increased serotonin make anhedonia go away. It does seem to be a dopamine/norepinephrine thing a lot more than a serotonin thing.
Posted by jflange on January 25, 2003, at 22:12:28
In reply to Re: fighting anhedonia by increasing reward pathway, posted by JohnL on January 25, 2003, at 5:27:22
hok:
Oddly, when Buspar is added to an SSRI, it apparently boosts dopamine. Do not know about Lexapro, but here's a link to a study of Buspar with fluoxetine that shows its dopaminergic effects.
http://www.biopsychiatry.com/busmech.htm
On a personal note, since adding Buspar to my SSRI (Zoloft), I have found relief for the first time since cigarettes, though I still "caffeinate". Many seem to find buspirone a paltry medication, especially when taken alone, but I can vouch for its positive effects in combination with an SSRI. The cocktail is activating without causing mania, jitters, or any of the negative s/e's you describe from the stims (I have never tried them).I agree that "coffee and cigarette" doses work well for the dopamine-effect you are looking for, but after awhile, I found the effects of a cigarette short-lived (thus the need for dosing). Caffeine alone is not so useful, in my experience. And now, alas, generic buspirone is FAR cheaper than cigs, or any other nicotine product. So here I am!
jflange
Posted by Ron Hill on January 25, 2003, at 23:54:45
In reply to fighting anhedonia by increasing reward pathway, posted by hok on January 24, 2003, at 13:19:37
> Also, has anybody been trying any supplement (e.g., NADH) and had any success?----------------------------
Hok,Have you tried NADH?
-- Ron
Posted by bozeman on January 26, 2003, at 0:12:32
In reply to Re: fighting anhedonia by increasing reward pathway, posted by Ron Hill on January 25, 2003, at 23:54:45
Have no idea if this will work for you . . . but Siberian Ginseng helped me when I was at my worst, and without the feeling of "artificiality"
>
> > Also, has anybody been trying any supplement (e.g., NADH) and had any success?
>
> ----------------------------
> Hok,
>
> Have you tried NADH?
>
> -- Ron
Posted by Ron Hill on January 26, 2003, at 0:14:39
In reply to Re: fighting anhedonia by increasing reward pathway » hok, posted by Larry Hoover on January 24, 2003, at 14:22:03
> If you find nicotine useful, you needn't smoke to obtain it. You could use nicotine patches or nicotine gum. At least you'd be avoiding the adverse lung effects.
>
> Lar
------------------Larry,
I think it's more than just the nicotine. It's also (maybe primarily?) the MOI-A and MOI-B effects.
-- Ron
P.S. By the way, I enjoy your posts. They are typically quite informative.
: Life Sci 2001 Feb 2;68(11):1231-41 Related Articles, Links
2-Naphthylamine, a compound found in cigarette smoke, decreases both monoamine oxidase A and B catalytic activity.Hauptmann N, Shih JC.
Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA. hauptman@neotherapeutics.com
Cigarette smokers exhibit a lower monoamine oxidase (MAO; EC 1.4.3.4) activity than nonsmokers. MAO is located in the outer membrane of mitochondria and exists as two isoenzymes, MAO A and B. MAO A prefers 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin), and MAO B prefers phenylethylamine (PEA) as substrate. Dopamine is a substrate for both forms. 2-Naphthylamine is a carcinogen found in high concentrations in cigarette smoke. The results of this study show that 2-naphthylamine has the ability to inhibit mouse brain MAO A and B in vitro by mixed type inhibition (competitive and non-competitive). The Ki for MAO A was determined to be 52.0 microM and for MAO B 40.2 microM. The inhibitory effect of 2-naphthylamine on both MAO A and B catalytic activity, supports the hypothesis that smoking decreases MAO activity in vivo, instead that smokers with lower MAO activity are more prone to become a smoker.
PMID: 11233991 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Posted by not exactly on January 26, 2003, at 4:39:45
In reply to Re: fighting anhedonia by increasing reward pathway, posted by JohnL on January 25, 2003, at 5:27:22
> My depression is characterized primarily by anhedonia.
Mine too. Your experiences & conclusions sound familiar & relevant.
> 20mg Prozac, 5mg Zyprexa, 300mg Adrafinil, and 150mg of the herb Rhodiola Rosea
Wow - I've heard of lots of magic cocktails, but that's a really interesting and unique mix! You say none of the components are adequate by themselves, which I can believe. But have you tried systematically eliminating single drugs from the combo to verify that you actually need all 4?
Prozac? I've tried it; couldn't stand it. Hostility the very first day, and it went downhill from there. Orgasms were impossible.
Zyprexa? I tried 2.5 mg once. When I woke up 24 hours later I can't say I felt any better.
Adrafinil? Never tried it, but I'm on modafinil (Provigil) now, and I understand they're _very_ similar (correct me if I'm wrong about this). It definitely helps with my motivation & focus, and somewhat with my mood & anhedonia. Unfortunately makes the background anxiety a bit worse. And there still seems to be something missing, but I can't remember what it is (my memory, perhaps?).
Rhodiola Rosea? Never even heard of it. I'll have to look this one up. I'd be interested in hearing about your experience with it.
It has certainly been my experience that most antidepressants and psychotheraputic drugs are useless (or worse) for me. Anything that boosts Serotonin (SSRI's, Effexor, even 5-HTP or St. John's Wort) kills my orgasms. Remeron and TCA's (tho I haven't tried desipramine) made me feel poisoned.
> It wasn't until I started getting into drugs that affect dopamine that I saw improvement.
Pramipexole was my first miracle cure. Fabulous! Unfortunately, it was for a drug study. After the trial, it was no longer available, and I returned to hell. I tried it again years later after it finally won FDA approval and was released as Mirapex, but didn't work nearly as well for some reason, and pooped out completely in a few months. Bummer.
Wellbutrin helped, but the anhedonia thing was only slightly improved, and my emotions were dulled. Adding a bit of Ritalin fixed most of the problems. This was a good combo that I would consider returning to if I continue to find nothing better.
Selegiline (l-deprenyl) was great in patch form (another drug study; FDA has since rejected) and worked almost as well in high oral dosage (but required MAOI diet). Cheese-safe levels of selegiline were of no benefit unless combined with phenylalanine and/or chocolate. Overall, disappointing.
> I've tried all the stimulants. They worked, in a way.
Ritalin by itself is helpful but not the answer. Dexedrine would probably be much better - it's been wonderful for acute effects, but I worry about taking it chronically - besides, who would prescribe it?
Amisulpride is high on my drugs-to-try list. Would have tried it already it if could be prescribed in the US. Have you tried it? Any thoughts on the best way to obtain it?
Also to be tried: Strattera, desipramine, Parnate.
So many drugs, so little time... [sigh]
- Bob
Posted by not exactly on January 26, 2003, at 4:56:26
In reply to Re: buspirone and dopamine, posted by jflange on January 25, 2003, at 22:12:28
Interesting! Never heard of adding Buspar to an SSRI. Getting a dopamine boost from Prozac is a good trick! Do you know if the Buspar also counters any of the negative side effects of SSRI's? Specifically, I'm wondering if it could cure the anorgasmia. I might want to try this.
- Bob
Posted by jflange on January 26, 2003, at 9:37:26
In reply to Re: buspirone and dopamine » jflange, posted by not exactly on January 26, 2003, at 4:56:26
Bob:
Somewhere on the Dr. Bob site (Psychopharmacology Tips, I think?) there is a discussion of buspirone's use in countering the sexual s/e's of ssris. Here's the link:
http://www.dr-bob.org/tips/split/SSRI-sexual-dysfunction.htmlAs you see, the reports are mixed, but at least back in the 90's, pdocs seemed to use it to treat anorgasmia on ssris. Again, this is just anecdotal information from my personal experience, but I did find that buspirone augmentation (once I settled with a dose) increased desire though it did not touch the ssri-induced delayed/extentuated orgasm. But then again, this is an ssri s/e I am glad to have!
Regardless, it is worth a try. I have always regarded the serotonin bliss-stupor to be a major factor in the sexual inhibition with ssris. Buspar really seemed to modulate this effect for me.
jflange
Posted by not exactly on January 26, 2003, at 15:21:10
In reply to Re: buspirone and ssri s/e's, posted by jflange on January 26, 2003, at 9:37:26
Thanks for the refs. Interesting reading. I'm struck by the extreme variability in _all_ of the remedies. A sobering reminder of what an inexact science this is!
SSRI's never diminished my libido (I suspect it would take high dose cyanide to do that), but it sure caused "delayed" orgasms. This might be a plus for young guys, but in my case, I wasn't sure I'd outlive the delay. :-)
BTW, I know what you mean by the "serotonin bliss-stupor" syndrome. That's why I gave up on Paxil. The world became so beautifully perfect that there was obviously no need to change anything. So I did nothing. Not sedated, just awe-inspired. Fortunately I noticed that my motivation had vanished before anyone else (like my employer) did. Fixing this SSRI s/e would be a real plus.
So I may try the SSRI + Buspar combo. But I think I'll do it "backwards". Start with the Buspar, let it do its thing (I've heard it can take weeks for full effect, kinda like an AD), optimize the dose. Anxiety is one of my problems, and maybe this will help w/o dulling my edge the way Neurontin and the benzo's have done in the past. If it works, then I'll add a pinch of SSRI (I still have some Prozac & Paxil left from previous failed attempts) and see if my orgasms go away again.
Trial-and-error is a bitch. Bad enough there as so many psychoactive meds to try. But the number of combinations is infinite!
- Bob
Posted by Ilene on January 26, 2003, at 20:21:04
In reply to fighting anhedonia by increasing reward pathway, posted by hok on January 24, 2003, at 13:19:37
> Unfortunately, I still have found that frequent dosings of coffee and nicotine are superior to Focalin or Adderal XR, and cause less adverse effects (besides the obvious health probs caused by the smoking). Most stimulants cause me way too much hyperfocus, agitation, and rebound effect.
>
Interesting that you find smoking helpful. So do many schizophrenics. Unfortunately, the effect is so transitory they become chain smokers. When I did a casual pubmed search on it, I found a few abstracts that said, in essence, "This is interesting, someone should explore it."> If anybody else is battling treatment-resistant depression and has found success with some sort of dopamine augmentation via supplements or medication, I'd like to know about it.
>
You and me both.> Specifically, has Dex been more effective in fighting anhedonia or is Methylphenidate the obvious winner still? I've never tried Dex and remain curious.
>
No. I took small amounts of dexedrine (10-20 mg.) for a couple of years. It kept me awake and somewhat more alert, but had no effect on my other symptoms. My pdoc at the time finally diagnosed a sleep disorder, which I now control (sort of) with light therapy and provigil (modafinil).I took ritalin (methylphenidate) first and it was *awful*.
It was very difficult to buy the dexedrine, because I needed to get a new script every month--no refills--and the pharmacies didn't always keep it in stock. And then when I changed pdocs the new one just sat and stared at me for a long time, until I got so flustered I started yammering like an idiot. He finally wrote script for two weeks, and when I came back for the 2nd appt. as fat as before he interrogated me about my appetite and sleep. He finally admitted he wasn't familiar with dexedrine but figured I wasn't "abusing" it. Argh.
> As for the Wellbutrin angle, I tried it for a couple of weeks and found it way too agitating.
> Don't think it was for me but might be open to another trial down the line.
>
> Any suggestions?I tried wellbutrin a few years ago and couldn't tolerate it. Then I started taking the sustained release formulation last year and found it tolerable. I switched to the regular version because I can take 50 more mg. a day. (Many of the original clinical trials used dosages that are higher than the current maximum.) It makes it easier to resist lying in bed for most of the day. Plus it helped counter the anorgasmia I had with ssris.
Posted by hok on January 27, 2003, at 14:44:37
In reply to Re: fighting anhedonia by increasing reward pathway, posted by JohnL on January 25, 2003, at 5:27:22
thanks for the input so far, everyone.
just touching on some of the points that people have brought up so far...
Yes, I have tried Buspar. It had a minor effect on my mood and motivation. On the negative side, it caused more irritability than it was worth.
As for the MAOIs, I have never tried one of the A-types. Considering that I am an atypical depressive, this would seemingly make sense. My doctor and I tend to believe that the MAOIs will probably help my mood better than some of my past SSRI treatments. In the bigger picture though, my extreme sensitivity to most meds to increasing my atypical symptoms of tiredness, cravings, brain fog, and low libido make MAOIs a poor candidate.
Right now, I am content with my combo of nicotine, caffeine, omega-3, lots of vitamins, and low dose of Lexapro. As I mentioned, nicotine seems to be the best component of this combo. It's the best thing for curing my brain fog and increasing my concentration and mood. The primary reasons...
1. and the most ovbvious: boosts NE, dopamine, and acetylcholine, as well as its effect on MAO.
2. The inhalation medium allows for frequent onset and steady-state administration of its effect -- unlike with most oral means. This is importance considering I'm such a poor metabolizer (PM) and rebound effects have been a big issue.Eventually, if I try to quit, my best method of replacement might just be small dosages of the MAOI-B selegine (2-3 times daily) added to phenylamine.
Other things I'm going to try...
DHEA (known to help boost dopamine levels and energy). I tried it about a year ago and it helped. Although it did bring with it some minor hostility and irritability. Since then I have rearranged my med combo, and so a retrial might be in order. Along the same lines, I might even consider a small dose of Testosterone therapy as an option.
Even more on the radical side of things down the line, I'd be open to exploring any of the opiates as an option, since many potentiate dopamine release. Any ideas there (e.g., buprenorphine, oxycodone)?
And no, I haven't tried NADH or Siberian Ginseng yet (though I've tried the regular version), but I'm up for a trial of anything.
Everybody's input has been extremely helpful, so any other suggestions would be welcome.
HK
Posted by Ritch on January 27, 2003, at 23:10:53
In reply to Re: fighting anhedonia by increasing reward pathway, posted by hok on January 27, 2003, at 14:44:37
> thanks for the input so far, everyone.
>
> just touching on some of the points that people have brought up so far...
>
> Yes, I have tried Buspar. It had a minor effect on my mood and motivation. On the negative side, it caused more irritability than it was worth.
>
> As for the MAOIs, I have never tried one of the A-types. Considering that I am an atypical depressive, this would seemingly make sense. My doctor and I tend to believe that the MAOIs will probably help my mood better than some of my past SSRI treatments. In the bigger picture though, my extreme sensitivity to most meds to increasing my atypical symptoms of tiredness, cravings, brain fog, and low libido make MAOIs a poor candidate.
>
> Right now, I am content with my combo of nicotine, caffeine, omega-3, lots of vitamins, and low dose of Lexapro. As I mentioned, nicotine seems to be the best component of this combo. It's the best thing for curing my brain fog and increasing my concentration and mood. The primary reasons...
> 1. and the most ovbvious: boosts NE, dopamine, and acetylcholine, as well as its effect on MAO.
> 2. The inhalation medium allows for frequent onset and steady-state administration of its effect -- unlike with most oral means. This is importance considering I'm such a poor metabolizer (PM) and rebound effects have been a big issue.
>
> Eventually, if I try to quit, my best method of replacement might just be small dosages of the MAOI-B selegine (2-3 times daily) added to phenylamine.
>
> Other things I'm going to try...
>
> DHEA (known to help boost dopamine levels and energy). I tried it about a year ago and it helped. Although it did bring with it some minor hostility and irritability. Since then I have rearranged my med combo, and so a retrial might be in order. Along the same lines, I might even consider a small dose of Testosterone therapy as an option.
>
> Even more on the radical side of things down the line, I'd be open to exploring any of the opiates as an option, since many potentiate dopamine release. Any ideas there (e.g., buprenorphine, oxycodone)?
>
> And no, I haven't tried NADH or Siberian Ginseng yet (though I've tried the regular version), but I'm up for a trial of anything.
>
> Everybody's input has been extremely helpful, so any other suggestions would be welcome.
>
> HK
>
Have you ever tried or considered sibutramine (Meridia)? That's what I am going to bring up with my pdoc this week as a substitute for Effexor. It has far more noradrenergic and dopaminergic activity. It bombed clinical trials for depression, but its metabolite is in clinical trials now for ADHD and looks hopeful. I've got ADHD and bipolar and if I can find an effective treatment for ADHD that doesn't make me hypomanic (perhaps a "weak" antidepressant such as sibutramine), or increase anxiety (like stims), AND has some serotonergic activity (which Straterra lacks), it might just work. I like the idea of selegiline a lot-however pdoc won't go for it, perhaps the patch though.
Posted by hok on January 29, 2003, at 12:40:25
In reply to Re: fighting anhedonia by increasing reward pathway » hok, posted by Ritch on January 27, 2003, at 23:10:53
No, I never thought of Meridia as an option. Let me know how it goes.
As for the selegine/phenylamine trial, I don't expect to try it until a couple of months down the line. Too bad the FDA snubbed the patch though.
In the meantime, I think I'm going to try another go with DHEA, or even a low dose of Androgel (my endocrinologist is willing to prescribe) to see how this works. Hopefully I won't see any irritability/hostility this time.
I long for the days when something like amineptine was still available. I think that would have been the closest thing to the real answer.
Posted by Ron Hill on February 4, 2003, at 14:48:04
In reply to fighting anhedonia by increasing reward pathway, posted by hok on January 24, 2003, at 13:19:37
> Also, has anybody been trying any supplement (e.g., NADH) and had any success?
--------------------------Hok,
I started taking NADH (coenzyme 1) ten days ago, and although it is too early to tell if it will provide long term benefit, the initial results are remarkable. I am somewhat reluctant to post my positive results because last year I posted extensively regarding the positive benefits I was obtaining with SAM-e only to have the supplement induce severe irritability after five months of excellent benefit. At the same time, however, I feel that I have an obligation to the participants of this board to report this anecdotal NADH experience just in case it might help someone else.
I don’t know your dx nor do I know you medication history, and I do not presume to know if NADH will help you. However, based on what I’ve read and my own preliminary results with the coenzyme, I would recommend that anyone suffering with the type of depression characterized by anhedonia and anergy read the literature written about ENADA NADH.
It is thought that NADH stimulates tyrosine hydroxylase, the key enzyme for the production of dopamine. It is also reported that NADH increases the levels of serotonin and norepinephrine, but its primary action is thought to be dopaminergic. Please note, however, that some in the medical community (e.g. Ray Sahelian, M.D. in his book “”Mind Boosters””) contend that, although NADH provides initial relief for depression, tolerance is quickly developed to the coenzyme and, as a result, the over-the-counter product loses its effectiveness.
Here’s a Reader’s Digest version of my situation and how ENDA NADH is currently providing a benefit: I am bipolar II and I take 600 mg/day of Lithobid. The Lithobid does a good job of controlling my hypomanic symptoms but does little or nothing for the depressive phase of my illness. Over the years, I’ve tried several SSRI’s, SNRI’s, and other types of antidepressants but in the end they all left me with apathy, anhedonia and anergy. {As a side note, I have never tried any of MAOI’s and, if ENADA NADA poops out on me, I might try an MAOI.}
My most recent depressive phase began in November 2002 and lasted until ten days ago when I took the ENDA NADH. It was bad to the point of not even having enough motivation to shower and shave for days on end. I was sleeping mega hours and I just could not pull myself out of it. My wife is used to me cycling into depression, but this time it was lasting longer than usual, so she called my pdoc and set up an appointment. While doing some research on the internet in preparation for my upcoming pdoc appointment, I came across NADH information.
For some time now it has been my opinion that my depressive phase (characterized by anhedonia and anergy) is dopaminergic in nature. Therefore, when I read that NADH stimulates tyrosine hydroxylase, the key enzyme for the production of dopamine, and that NADH is present in every living cell, and that NADH supplementation does not cause any side effects, I decided to try some.
ENADA NADH is the stabilized form of NADH and, therefore, suitable for oral administration. ENADA NADH comes in two forms; 10 mg sublingual (under the tongue) tablets and 5 mg enteric coated (down the hatch) tablets. As chance would have it, I purchased the sublingual variety.
As I left the nutritional store, I placed a tablet under my tongue. Within thirty seconds, I began to feel relief from my three-month long depression and within two hours it was gone. Ten days later I’m still doing well on 10 mg/day. Will it last? I hope so, but time will tell. Will it help you? I hope so, but you would know more about that than I.
Here are some of the links discussing NADH:
http://www.healthwell.com/hnbreakthroughs/mar98/nadh.cfm?path=hw
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Entrez/query?uid=8101444&form=6&db=m&Dopt=b
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Entrez/query?uid=9247090&form=6&db=m&Dopt=b
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Entrez/query?uid=9013405&form=6&db=m&Dopt=b
http://www.nadh.com/site7/SYSact20.htm#Top
http://www.nadh.com/site7/RSdprs05.htm#Top
http://www.smart-drugs.com/article-JamesSouth-NADH.htm
http://www.nadh-priceinfo.org/
http://qualitycounts.com/fpnadh.html
http://www.immunesupport.com/library/showarticle.cfm/id/3118/T/Both/
http://www.immunesupport.com/library/powersearch2.cfm (Note: enter “NADH” as keyword)
Posted by jrbecker on February 4, 2003, at 17:19:30
In reply to Re: fighting anhedonia and winning with ENADA NADH » hok, posted by Ron Hill on February 4, 2003, at 14:48:04
Ron,
NADH sounds promising. Please keep us updated on how it's going. I think we're all curious to see whether this keeps up for you. Hopefully there won't be too much of a buildup of tolerance to it.
JRB
Posted by hildi on February 7, 2003, at 0:24:36
In reply to Re: buspirone and ssri s/e's » jflange, posted by not exactly on January 26, 2003, at 15:21:10
This is interesting. So some of you are having positive results from the combo of buspar and SSRI's I was on buspar many years ago, and although it did help a bit, it didn't really take care of the anxiety I have, nor did it touch the depression.
Dr. insisted I go on prozac and finally I did, and I took the buspar/prozac combo for quite a while. After a while I got hypomanic and extremely sad. My sadness became constant and so did mania. Finally it turned into worse depression. I read many 'brain books' and med books, and came across information that said you shouldn't ever combine the two: prozac and Buspar. Well, by the time I came across this article I had been so depressed I was crying all the time and sexually obsessed- (not a good thing when it is an obsession) and I had already quite the buspar and was only taking prozac. After a while I felt good again.
I never did make a copy of that article I read, but I do have another source of information from another book on meds that also states this: the combination of SSRI's and buspar can produce negative effects.
This is definately what happened to me.
The negative effects far outwieghed the positive.
Hildi
Posted by zeugma on February 7, 2003, at 12:33:05
In reply to Re: buspirone and ssri's-not for everyone!, posted by hildi on February 7, 2003, at 0:24:36
> This is interesting. So some of you are having positive results from the combo of buspar and SSRI's I was on buspar many years ago, and although it did help a bit, it didn't really take care of the anxiety I have, nor did it touch the depression.
> Dr. insisted I go on prozac and finally I did, and I took the buspar/prozac combo for quite a while. After a while I got hypomanic and extremely sad. My sadness became constant and so did mania. Finally it turned into worse depression. I read many 'brain books' and med books, and came across information that said you shouldn't ever combine the two: prozac and Buspar. Well, by the time I came across this article I had been so depressed I was crying all the time and sexually obsessed- (not a good thing when it is an obsession) and I had already quite the buspar and was only taking prozac. After a while I felt good again.
> I never did make a copy of that article I read, but I do have another source of information from another book on meds that also states this: the combination of SSRI's and buspar can produce negative effects.
> This is definately what happened to me.
> The negative effects far outwieghed the positive.
> Hildi
The info I've come across states that Buspar and Prozac diminish each other's effects. Maybe that's why many find Buspar a paltry med? It also lowers serotonin levels, so that might explain your sadness (actually that is the diminishment effect). But it might interact more favorably with a more noradrenergic med (like the TCA I'm on).Strange as it it sounds, my depression doesn't take the form of excessive sadness- more of an 'out-of-it,' disjointed feeling (something like mild dissociation, which was extreme during adolescence) and the Buspar seems to partially counter that. My therapist thinks maybe I should go on a stimulant sometime- Provigil maybe? or if I can gain enough weight on my current meds, I might consider trying Ritalin again. Until then, I am dependent on caffeine for the alertness factor- my work suffers terribly when I don't have my cup of coffee.
Posted by lostsailor on February 8, 2003, at 14:10:30
In reply to Re: buspirone and ssri's-not for everyone! » hildi, posted by zeugma on February 7, 2003, at 12:33:05
Hi. I tried buspar years ago with ssri (paxil and luvox, I think) with a goal of being able to, and despite my pdocs advice but reluctantly allowed, to diminish bezo use. He claimed and I now agree that once one responds to benzos the likelihood of that is almost nil.
A few years later we tried augmenting celexa with buspar to increase the efficacy of the celexa and know what??? Gee, I had my first manic episode, too. He explained that this is the case usually the case for BP's but thought with my mood stabilizer I should have been fine, but instructed me to call and d/c if I noticed any manic thinking or behavior. I called a week later.
Fact is that they do play a synergetic augmenting role with the right ssri and the right people.
yeah, ~tony
Go forward in thread:
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.