Posted by zeugma on November 25, 2003, at 22:38:40
In reply to WHERE? BLOOD TEST for ratio of Sero / NE ??????, posted by smittay17 on November 24, 2003, at 13:10:25
There's no test to determine reliably the amounts of monoamines in your CNS. That's one reason psychiatry is the series of shots in the dark that it is.
You can get your blood levels of imipramine taken, and you can in effect determine if you're a slow of or fast metabolizer of the drug. Fast metabolizers have more of the desipramine metabolite leading to a stronger NE effect. Some think the only TCA that has a pronounced 5-HT effect is clomipramine. Personally, I think it comes down to finding a drug that alleviates your symptoms without being too costly in terms of side effects. I'd guess that if a couple of SSRI's don't work, then desipramine or nortriptyline (or Effexor) are rational next moves.
poster:zeugma
thread:280491
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20031121/msgs/283866.html