Posted by MysticalMeds on September 8, 2003, at 11:43:47
In reply to Re: Some Threads Re: Opiates, posted by Temmie on September 8, 2003, at 7:40:44
opiates for depression are such a fascinating & controversial topic, and the powers that be have pretty much decided that they don't want yout to take them for any purpose other than pain. that leaves you in a sticky situation if you believe they are the anti-depressant of choice for you. i don't believe that RNs are allowed to perscribe controlled substances (including codeine, which is the main component of tylenol 3s) - and even if they were the DEA makes them very very afraid to do so.
it is true that certain people will only feel truly well on opiods (check out http://opioids.com/index.html) but its very hard to assess genuine need. opium-derivatives have the tendency to create a very strong need in the user, which in a certain sense makes all users need them.
in my opinion, and from a wholistic perspective, the mechanism of action of opiates are not dissimilar from SSRIs, in that they 'turn the volume' down on everything in life. everything is softer and less difficult to deal with. what makes opiates 'dangerous' is that they cause an immediate change in the brain, whereas SSRIs take weeks to reach their peak effect. hopefully the will develope some form of antidepressant that will work on the endogenous opiate system in much the same way SSRIs work on the serotonin axis, but I don't see this happening anytime soon.
i've found that through excercise I get a very significant benifit from the endogenous opiate peptides (endorphins, enkephalins, dynorphins). your body has a replenishable supply of these chemicals. this, in combination with the overzealous societal control of products of the opium plant, has led me to abstain from exogenous opiates.
let me know how things turn out for you =) its a very controversial topic that people frequently have very strong, ill-thought out opinions about!
poster:MysticalMeds
thread:257856
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/subs/20030903/msgs/258060.html