Posted by zeugma on April 2, 2005, at 19:21:16
In reply to question about ADD/depression, posted by Spriggy on April 2, 2005, at 16:52:48
> My sister has ADHD (severely) and I often display some symptoms. I definitely have OCD issues but have some serious anxiety problems with underlying depression.
>
> So would something like this benefit me? I can't take the typical AD's that touch seratonin. it's a big "no no" for me unless I want to wig out and hallucinate.
>
> However, when I drink a cup of coffee (which I read inhibits dopamine) I feel great for hours on end.
>Caffeine indirectly causes dopamine release, but IMO does not resemble the effects of the prescribed stims very much. caffeine has a proven AD effect, at least within a certain dosage range. I think it's very possible that stims worsen depression, and anxious depressives in particular. But...(see below)
> If Dopamine is my main problem, would one of these drugs be beneficial for me OR would it make my anxiety worse??? >>Even if dopamine is a problem, stims and anxiety typically don't go well together (a generalization, some people find the reverse true but I most definitely do not). The problem is that if ADD, depression, and anxiety are comorbid, the result is hard to treat because depression and anxiety seem to be, in essence, maladaptive responses to stress, and stims are in effect CNS stressors. So anxiolytics and antidepressants, and stims, are in some sense opposites, and so there is something counterproductive about the combination (this is simply my opinion). I hope others with more knowledge of this topic can correct me, because I would hope to be wrong here.
-z
poster:zeugma
thread:478480
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050330/msgs/479104.html