Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Interesting study says antidepressants performance enhancing drugs

symboom - 6-1-2018 at 12:15

I had an interesting reaction in which prozac gave me energy for 4 weeks. Little is known about why this happens.

As a quote
Bupropion (Wellbutrin) is an antidepressant that is chemically related to the amphetamines & has an initial stimulant effect. The stimulant effect of bupropion can lead to initially increased energy & improvement, but this fades over a few weeks, & the dose usually has to be pushed higher to regain a sustained antidepressant effect. Like other stimulants, bupropion can worsen anxiety/jitteriness.

The problem w/ stimulants & depression is that they may relieve symptoms quickly, but then they lose their effect. About the only time a stimulant is used for depression is ritalin (methylphenidate) in the elderly.

Fluoxetine (Prozac) has a well known initial stimulant & appetite suppressant effect. This fades quickly.

Tranylcypromine (Parnate), a very old MAO inhibitor is also usually energizing initially. The MAOI's have many, many side effects, but can be very effective, particularly in bipolar depression.

Everybody is different & the range of responses to any antidepressant can be very wide. Some people will feel energized by SSRIs like sertraline or citalopram, but most won't.

The chemistry of this is interesting this and kratom and tgeir chemical structure

Chemically it is not a stimulant but can produce stimulant like effects I know it prevents serotonin from being reabsorbed but how does the compound react to form stimulant properties

http://trstriathlon.com/are-antidepressants-performance-enha...

And dxm works the same
And so can kratom

https://www.physio-pedia.com/The_influence_of_anti-depressan...

Another example
The use of Prozac by runners made headlines in 1994 when Alberto Salazar won the Comrades Marathon in South Africa while taking this medication; he was accused of cheating by some. Letters to the editor of this and other running magazines were divided between those who thought that running performance was enhanced while taking this medication and those who felt that performance was impaired.

[Edited on 6-1-2018 by symboom]

WangleSpong5000 - 18-2-2018 at 06:48

According to my own experience and various research on the subject I came to a conclusion on the seemingly impossible contrradictory effects of anti depressants..

I have tried a myriad of 2nd and third gen types and my initial experience was with modern SSRI's of course. After all they contain very few side effects as opposed to most 2nd gen drugs which are mainly tricyclics and oxassioally tetra cyclica. 1st gen stuff such as MAOI's are rarely prescribed now... they can be extremely dangerous... eating cheese can kill you whilst on This drug.., seretonin syndrome is how you will die and it will,be an agonising long death... next up is CBT ie electroshock therapy... It's works very well also! Who'd a thunk it?

Now back to your query. When I first took Zoloft (high OCD dose) I had you're exact experience. I was high as a kite for 2 weeks... how it is not a recreational or abusable drug. Why is this? Well the half last off you typical SSRI is very short (like all pschactive hedonist drugs but SSRI's true power is contained in seretonins ability to quickly build new neural pathways and to do it well. These pathways are

WangleSpong5000 - 18-2-2018 at 07:05

Sorry I got cut off...

WangleSpong5000 - 24-2-2018 at 03:50

Basically there is evidence to suggest that anti depressants facillitate the forging of new neural networks at an increased rate than usual. Something to do with more neurons firing/action potential increasing etc. which for some reason for seretonergic neurons/pathways can have a significant long term effect on overall brain function for certain people... even stroke victims can gain benefit from this action apparently! So that's good news for anyone worried about neural damage, cell death or general diminished function of that thing... in your skull... a brain was it?

Yeah... repair spasmo brain. I might go back on the Clomipramine actually...


DavidJR - 26-2-2018 at 15:31

Quote: Originally posted by WangleSpong5000  

When I first took Zoloft (high OCD dose) I had you're exact experience. I was high as a kite for 2 weeks... how it is not a recreational or abusable drug.


I guess you were lucky with that, it was absolute hell for the first month or so for me.

JJay - 26-2-2018 at 16:20

Quote: Originally posted by WangleSpong5000  
... how it is not a recreational or abusable drug. Why is this? Well the half last off you typical SSRI is very short (like all pschactive hedonist drugs but SSRI's true power is contained in seretonins ability to quickly build new neural pathways and to do it well. These pathways are


I heard from someone that Zoloft feels like a low dose of LSD. Unlike LSD, Zoloft has been demonstrated safe with long-term use, and it has a clear medical use. It's unusual for anyone to take antidepressants recreationally, and most people who do don't seek to repeat the experience.

Unlike LSD, Zoloft is habit forming, but a Zoloft addiction is easily managed or terminated. Also, Zoloft is a viable commercial product.

DavidJR - 27-2-2018 at 12:16

Quote: Originally posted by JJay  

Unlike LSD, Zoloft is habit forming, but a Zoloft addiction is easily managed or terminated. Also, Zoloft is a viable commercial product.


Sertraline (and other SSRIs) aren't addictive as such, and it does seem odd to call it habit forming since it's not like you take them as needed, you take it (typically) once a day, every day. You certainly do develop a physical dependence though, and the withdrawal ("antidepressant discontinuation syndrome") can apparently be pretty unpleasant. The solution is just to taper the dose down slowly.

WangleSpong5000 - 1-3-2018 at 18:07

Antidepressants and Neurogenesis

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5432636/pdf/fnc...