Antidepressants Can Increase Depression, Impulsivity and Suicide Risk by
Decreasing Dopamine
TARPON SPRINGS, Fla., Feb. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Antidepressant medications
which increase serotonin neurotransmitter levels can depress dopamine levels.
Decreasing dopamine level can increase depression, impulsivity and suicide
risk in depressed patients, who were previously dopamine deficient. "When
physicians prescribe serotonin enhancement medications to dopamine deficient
patients, patients sometimes become more depressed, impulsive and suicidal,"
said Dr. Rick Sponaugle, Medical Director of Florida Detox.
Many depressed patients do not improve with Selective Serotonin Reuptake
Inhibitor (SSRI) Antidepressants, such as Prozac, Paxil or Zoloft. Prozac and
Paxil only increase serotonin and norepinephrine activity. When serotonin is
increased above normal levels with medication, the brain downregulates
dopamine production. Dopamine downregulation explains why some patients become
suicidal on "antidepressants."
Physicians must differentiate which "happy chemicals" require adjustment.
There are five main "happy chemical" neurotransmitters, serotonin, dopamine,
glutamate, norepinephrine and acetylcholine. Deficiency in any of these, can
produce clinical depression.
Recent PET brain scan studies clearly reveal dopamine activates the human
"pleasure center" (nucleus accumbens). The dopamine D2 receptor within the
pleasure center appears to be our happy receptor. PET studies can accurately
measure the difference in D2 activity among different patients.
Studies from the National Institute of Drug Addiction (NIDA) and several
major universities identified subsets of our population suffering from
dopamine deficient pleasure centers. A 2005 NIDA study demonstrated 300 pound
females have approximately half the D2 happy receptor activity of normal
weight females. A 2006 University of Virginia study revealed eating raises D2
happy receptor activity three times normal for a few hours, and sex increases
D2 happy receptor activity ten times normal. Cocaine increases D2 happy
receptor activity in the pleasure center to 100 times normal.
A 2006 NIDA study compared patients with normal levels of D2 activity and
a group apparently born with half of normal D2 receptor activity. Both groups
received intravenous Ritalin which increases dopamine activity. The group with
normal D2 activity did not enjoy or wish to continue the Ritalin. The group
who inherited half of normal D2 receptor activity felt normal for the first
time in their life. These patients are predisposed to food, sex, gambling and
drug addiction. Drugs causing dopamine release from brain cells to dopamine
receptors on the next brain cell include pain medications like Oxycontin and
Vicodin, cocaine, alcohol, marijuana, nicotine and methamphetamine. A NIDA
study, revealed intravenous nicotine 0.7 mg (equivalent to lowest nicotine
cigarettes) was preferred by rhesus monkeys over intravenous heroin and
cocaine. Nicotine increases dopamine more than heroin or cocaine.
At Florida Detox a large majority of our addicted patients have been self
medicating clinical depression with the above mentioned drugs. Previously,
they had simply been diagnosed "drug addict" or "alcoholic" by multiple
previous drug rehab programs. When these patients are correctly diagnosed with
serotonin or dopamine deficiency and treated appropriately, they no longer
crave drugs or alcohol.
Doctors familiar with neuroscience advances provide more precise,
effective, less judgmental treatment, for depressed patients. Those who don't
wonder, "Why did Susan respond to the Paxil and Mary didn't?"
Florida Detox has successfully treated over 5000 chemically dependent
patients, providing a more scientific, less painful and effective road to
recovery than most traditional detox programs. Florida Detox provides rapid
detox for opiates, including Methadone, Oxycontin, Vicodin, Percocet, Lortab,
and Norco. Florida Detox successfully detoxes patients who use over 300
milligrams of methadone daily. Florida Detox also provides medical detox for
alcohol, Xanax, Klonopin and Valium. For more information see
www.floridadetox.com or call Florida Detox at 1-888-775-2770.
SOURCE Florida Detox
Steven Sponaugle, Research Director of Florida Detox, +1-727-945-9198,
steves@floridadetox.com
