Another interesting study written up in ScienceDaily. PR
"The science behind many anti-depressant medications appears to be backwards, say the authors of a paper that challenges the prevailing ideas about the nature of depression and some of the world’s most commonly prescribed medications."
That's interesting. Does the brain then reduce the amount of serotonin produced in response to increased levels from medication?
PR, it begs the question why patients don't feel better without SSRIs if more seratonin is released during depressive episodes and why some patients do feel better within a couple of weeks taking SSRIs.
I've never been totally sure if SSRIs actually boost the amount of serotonin in the body and brain, or just recycle the existing serotonin in the brain more efficiently. I've also often wondered if the people who don't get on well with SSRIs don't have enough serotonin to start off with.
I never got any benefit from SSRIs and I tried several over a number of years. The only thing which has ever helped to reduce depression for me is 5-HTP which actually gets converted into serotonin. And the improvement was noticeable within the first 24 - 48 hours after my first dose.
Problem is which neurotransmitter is out of kilter, if it is the Serotonin one then Serotonin medication will suit the person, if for instance it is the Dopamine neurotransmitter then it wont. I understand there are 8 basic neurotransmitter systems: Serotonin; Endocannabinoid; Acetycholine; Opiate; GABA; Noradrenaline; Glutamate and Dopamine.
SSRI's are too often prescribed as generally the medical establishment does not have a good understanding of how the brain works. Fred Von Stieff does indepth examinations regarding family history and what substances people tend to be drawn to, he understands the imbalances of each neurotransmitter and treats every individual accordingly. There is no one size fits all.
His book Brain in Balance is cutting edge science but not too hard to understand. If the wrong drug/hormone is used this will create further imbalances and useless as a treatment.
I only discovered very recently that serotonin is first created in the gut (I know, it shocked me too). I forget whether it's the gut that actually creates it or fires off the chemical that makes the release happen in the brain, but it is actually the gut that is responsible for serotonin. This was mentioned in a talk about coeliac disease discussing why gut disorders, like coeliac, produce depression and disordered brain problems. But it means that if you have autoimmune conditions that are either directly or indirectly affecting your gut then your serotonin will be affected too, hence the depression that often goes with these conditions. This was a renowned research scientist, incidentally, not a new age 'alternative health' practitioner, so a reliable and interesting fact.
Worth considering and bearing in mind if you either suffer from depression and/or have gastric problems.
Very interesting article
Why are women with brain tumours being dismissed as attention-seekers?
Depression medication 
not sure whats going on
Just been told I have hyperthyroidism 
