Posted by psychobot5000 on March 26, 2007, at 0:57:44
In reply to dopamine, posted by pearlcat on March 22, 2007, at 9:32:05
> Does anyone know of a med that helps increase dopamine? I was watching that new HBO show about addiction and depression and they were talking about that after you abuse drugs for so many years that your brain quits making dopamine. Maybe that is my problem. I have no energy. I do not want to do anything.
While I, personally, think that it's important to remember how incomplete most of these theories about neurotransmitters are (by the way, what you're describing sounds like depression to me), I'll try to give a few ideas for increasing dopamine.
1. Stimulants you seem to know already--relatively reliable drugs, but some people do seem to have problems with abuse.
2. Selegiline - A different drug (like EMSAM, but taken orally, and in lower doses), which prevents the breakdown of dopamine, when given at levels up to 10 or 20mg per day. It's pretty safe at low doses, but isn't commonly prescribed to people other than Parkinson's patients.
3. Fish Oil (specifically EPA-rich fish oil) - Safe and over the counter--there are two major chemicals, and you'd want to choose one with more EPA.
There are various antidepressants that might be useful, too.
poster:psychobot5000
thread:743144
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070320/msgs/744264.html