Posted by Toby on December 3, 1998, at 15:45:38
In reply to Re: Remeron for OCD , posted by Matt on December 2, 1998, at 0:42:40
Good questions, but I have few answers. I know taht Effexor and Remeron and Serzone are being looked at for OCD because no one knows what the "real" mechanism of OCD is. It appears that for many patients with OCD, boosting serotonin directly isn't enough, so other agents are used to indirectly boost it (like using an antipsychotic to increase dopamine or using a benzodiazepine). Other meds that act on serotonin to either increase the levels available in the brain or send more out into the synapses or help to keep it from being broken down are trazodone, buspar, and fenfluramine. Some of these meds work well for some patients, some don't do anything at all. Theoretically, some of the novel new meds may work on serotonin in a unique way or may be using some unique combination of the actions of the meds listed above to help OCD. Anyway, regarding the norepinephrine, I still don't know if that overwhelms the serotonin effects of the Remeron and Effexor at higher doses to the extent that it would help or hurt OCD. Good questions, though. You are making me look stuff up. Hope somebody else knows something that could enlighten us.
poster:Toby
thread:1409
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/19981201/msgs/1457.html