Posted by chemist on July 28, 2004, at 15:36:15
In reply to Chemist, a question for you please....., posted by WAKI on July 28, 2004, at 12:40:57
hello there, chemist here...i am flattered by your comments. however, this is really outside my realm of providing an answer that will prove to be more insightful than those already in the thread. i do not have a perfect track-record - especially with SSRI/SNRI/etc. drugs - to say the least. i can offer a few words....first, i do know that lilly had originally targeted strattera as an anti-depressant, and that somewhere along the line, it became apparent that this drug would not make it through the pipeline as such. along the way - and keeping with themes in the pharmaceutical industry - lilly discovered (or perhaps determined, i do not know) that atomoxetine was useful in treating ADHD. this time, the drug was approved, and marketed as such. second, i have heard anecdotal evidence - among audience members at a talk by Keith Conners, he of the Conners' Adult ADHD Rating Scale (CAARS) [and i am not in any way implying that the speaker was involved in the sidebar in which i was: i am making a point that there were people in attendence who are specialists in this field, and i am not one of them] - that strattera is a more effective drug for ADHD in younger patients than in older (adult) ones. if this is true, and taken with the failure of the drug to alleviate depression, it would make some sense that it would at most keep one's depression at bay in the best case or fail, thus being ineffective in attenuating the downward spiral as the depression worsened. third, i do believe that you should readdress you question about the mechanistic aspects (and others, as you see fit) to the original posters who responded, as they are more qualified than i to elaborate on their (informed) original responses. finally, i apologize for the non-answer, but this is all i can offer, as any more speculation on my part would be unwarranted. in summary: i know the drug failed as an anti-depressant (this does not mean it is not effective for a subset of individuals, it failed to meet certain criteria); was reborn as an ADHD med and approved as such by the FDA; that some people in the field that i met very briefly felt that its efficacy was higher in treating ADHD in a younger population (this is an opinion from a small group of people attending a lecture, mind you); and that posters here on PB seem to be mixed in their response. again, i apologize for not being of much help, perhaps Rod and/or SLS can elaborate for you, as this med is not one that is on my radar. all the best, chemist
> Hello Chemist,
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> I need your opinion on this subject thread. I will copy it here for you to understand the question and answer given.
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> The question to you will be to evaluate why Strattera could make someone depressed even though it works with the NE.
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> Heres the original question from another post:
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> An 8 week trial of Strattera for ADHD induced melancholic symptoms which abated upon withdrawal of it. What could possible be the mechanism for this? She has dysthymia, ADHD, anxiety/social phobia, and Fibromyalgia with atypical features. Thoughts/conjectures?
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> Another person replied with this answer:
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> One of the few clues we had was that NE reuptake inhibitors were THERAPEUTIC for melancholic depression, so it's ironic that while non-selective NE reuptake inhibitors (output hardly seems to be amenable to conjecture yet.TCA's) have real efficacy for this disorder, selective ones like reboxetine and Strattera can worsen or induce such symptoms.
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> Chemist,
> You explain things really well. Could you take a shot at this original question please?
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> Thanks!
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poster:chemist
thread:370809
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20040718/msgs/371719.html