antidepressants - improve brain functioning

[SpecialK82]

New study suggests that antidepressants can help heal brain injuries - maybe this could help CFS cognitive function and memory also:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42666364/ns/health-health_care/


partial text:

"Though more studies are needed to prove the connection, antidepressants likely help improve brain function by stimulating growth of new brain cells from stem cells, and by helping existing brain cells survive, Huang said.

"Our data is not strong enough to prove both, but we think the possibility exists that both [methods] play a role," he said. "I think we definitely have enhanced the number of brain cells, or neurons, and also preserved and prevented them from dying."

The study also shows that brain cells are able to migrate to the parts of the brain that need them the most, which explains why the most brain cell growth was observed in the hippocampus, Huang said.

Past research has shown that antidepressants can spur generation of brain cells in healthy animals. For those with traumatic brain injury, antidepressants may not be able to restore memory to pre-injury levels in patients, but they can at least improve memory to a level that is higher than if they didnt take antidepressants, Huang said."

 

[ukxmrv]

Anti depressants were a disaster for me - both for my ME brain symptoms and for a head injury in an accident. Terrible brain fog, dizzyness, stomach problems that lasted for a long time. No memory improvement after.

Guess, it is one of those things that are good for some conditions but not others.

 

[SilverbladeTE]

According to the Pharma Corps, anti-depressants can improve flagging erections, rejuvanate lost hair, and even bring back the dead!
/sarcasm off

while this study maybe genuine, always take very careful note of the outright lies and bullshit the Pharma Corps have pushed through about their products, especially anti-depressants, which, since they have little if any "hard core evidence/do-or-die-need", unlike say antibiotics, the SOBs can make up damn near any crap about them
Anti-depressants = SNAKE OIL , 21st CENTURY STYLE!

read up about prozac, seroxat etc.

 

[caledonia]

I've had the interesting experience with Zoloft both helping and creating brain fog.

When I first started Zoloft 10 years ago, I was on it for a few weeks and noticed a big increase in brain function. Then, since I hadn't been on that long, I went off of it so I could do some testing for disability. I felt like Charlie from Flowers for Algernon - remember the dumb guy who took the smart drug, but then had to go back off of it, so he got dumb again?

Then this past December I was able to finally get off of Zoloft. A few months later I reported to my doctor that I could concentrate for about 2 hours without making a mistake. This was a huge increase over my previous 20 minutes. This was the only thing I had changed in the past few months.

 

[kday]

Antidepressants. Great symptom exacerbation pills.

However, benzodiazepines and opiates work for me (though addictive of course). Certain seizure medications help a little bit as well.

Oh, and a lot of valerian root does work too. I used to think it was snake oil until I found a good brand and took 10x the recommended dose.

 

[heapsreal]

ssri's and reboxetine which is a noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor just made me feel yuk and over stimulated me even in tiny doses, but i think this is a cfs type thing. Tricyclic ad's i have found useful for sleep and other sedating ad's but i use them like sleeping pills and not on a regular bases. The drug tramal a pain killer which has an effect on noradrenalaine and i think seratonin i have found as great mood and energy effects but i make sure id ont take it to late at night or i dont sleep.

But i think the best things i have found have been natural things, 5htp has been good for mood but didnt do much for sleep, then undcvr talked me into trying tryptophan which i have read is similar to 5htp and they say 5htp is better but now after trying tryptophan i think trytptophan is better especially if used at night for sleep and the next day mood is alot better too. i use doses like 3-4000mg i find effective. I find no need for ad's with tryptophan.

cheers!!!

 

[svetoslav80]

Note that the article talks about Tricyclic antidepressants and not SSRIs. For me SSRI antidepressant made me feel even worse so I suggest you don't take them if you suffer CFS.

 

[Tulip]

I have tried both the old style and new style anti depressants, both types left me barely able to keep my eyes open and that was on the lowest possible dose (1/4 of a tablet). So good for bedtime, but not good when you still have the effects during the day!.

 

[janan]

Is there anyone who has taken a SSRI type antidepressant and actually found any benefit? It seems from what I read that most people with me/cfs have an adverse reaction to them. When I tried fluoxetine ( Prozac) , within 20 minutes or so I was barely able to move. My partner helped me to get to bed and within a further ten minutes I was totally immobilised. It took around 5 hours for the effects to wear off. Although I have periods with my me/cfs where my muscles are really weak and movement is limited, I have never been completely unable to move at all before.

 

[Lala]

I found an interesting article:
"Although I have discussed the significance of depression and suicide associated with Lyme disease, I would like to treatment does help. Combined treatment which addresses both the mental and somatic components of the illness significantly improves the overall prognosis. This is supported by clinical observation and laboratory research showing antidepressant treatment improves immunocompetence. It has been demonstrated in vitro that antidepressants which act on the serotonin 1A receptor (most antidepressants) increase natural killer cell activity. In addition, there are undoubtedly other indirect effects on the immune system through other neural or neuroendurocrine and autonomic pathways. To state this more concisely - antidepressants can result in antibiotic effects, and antibiotics can have antidepressant effects."
http://www.mentalhealthandillness.com/Articles/LymeDepressionAndSuicide.htm

 

[Lala]

I wonder whether someone experienced complete eradication of depression with antibiotics...

 

[Lala]

Is there anyone who has taken a SSRI type antidepressant and actually found any benefit? It seems from what I read that most people with me/cfs have an adverse reaction to them. When I tried fluoxetine ( Prozac) , within 20 minutes or so I was barely able to move. My partner helped me to get to bed and within a further ten minutes I was totally immobilised. It took around 5 hours for the effects to wear off. Although I have periods with my me/cfs where my muscles are really weak and movement is limited, I have never been completely unable to move at all before.

I found both: benefits and adverse effects but often adverse effects outweighed the benefits. In fact I has never been able to take any from these medc in long term without having to quit due to side effects.

 

[Wonko]

I found both: benefits and adverse effects but often adverse effects outweighed the benefits. In fact I has never been able to take any from these medc in long term without having to quit due to side effects.

The only SSRI I have found to be even partially useful (initially) was prozac (which I've since determined was down to it's antihystamine effects so I now use antihystamine meds occasionally instead), tho some of it's side effects were intollerable, seriously bad effects inc. the aforementioned complete inablity to move in any useful way. All other SSRI's I have tried have caused pretty much immediate strong negative effects.

I have previously (15-20 years ago) used antiseizure meds (tegretol?) to improve mental functioning, they worked fanatastically, problem was it required increasingly higher doses to get the effect and the side effects became increasingly dangerous (complete physical and temporal dislocation, objects moving in waves, it's fun trying to walk when the ground seems to be moving towards you in 3 foot high waves, significant memory loss etc.). I dont use them anymore.

Tricyclics can be useful occasionally for sleep and as enhancers for pain control.