Question:
This is an assortment of random ramblings and a question specifically
for Nom de Plume. A). What is the name of that DA that starts with a "c" and that you
have had some success with? I am a chronic anhedonic myself and could
do well with a med with long-term good effect that won't increase
anxiety level. Would you care to share specifically how the drug makes
you feel, how long you've been taking it and how you obtained it?
B). I know enough about my neuroanatomy subjectively to posit that
dopamine is the main culprit in my depression, contrary to the vast
experience I've had with SSRIs, which give me even less emotions than I
already have. Pleasure is out of the question; I have very low libido
and persistent 'blah' feeling.
It is interesting that schizophrenia is the result of elevated "D"
levels. If this is the case, then are szs feeling very "happy" in spite
of the hallucinations that elevated D also causes? If any of you are
schizophrenic, I would be very interested in your comments.
Answer:
Before I took it, I had chronic anhedonia. That means I was unable to
experience any positive emotion, and had no libido. Cabergoline
restored these capabilities to their previous norm. My regular psychiatrist prescribed it. A researcher in
psychopharmacology, whom I'd consulted for a second opinion, suggested
the category of dopamine agonists as possibly useful in my case. I did
some research on the Web, and found statements that cabergoline was
the most easily tolerated of the DAs (least side effects, including
nausea). I brought the recommendation and information to my regular
psychiatrist, who then prescribed cabergoline for me to see if it did
any good. He had never heard of the medication before, and was
astonished at the dramatic effects it had on me. Believe me, I understand! The field of psychiatry as a whole has an
unseemly fixation on serotonin as the cure-all for depression. Shizophrenia isn't really just an artifact of elevated dopamine,
although it's true that one of the things antipsychotics do is to
inhibit dopamine chemistry. As far as I know, giving a normal person
excess dopamine will not induce psychosis, and schizophrenics are not
particularly happy as a group. I didn't know that cabergoline was available on a regular prescription
basis. Dopamine seems the logical-intuitive choice, knowing of all that
I lack and the descriptions of it on the web. Perhaps the field of
psychiatry is reluctant to endorse it because it could be seen as
addictive? It will be my next avenue of exploration, that's for sure.
It is. All of the dopamine agonists are. I don't mean to imply that
there is something particularly benficial about cabergoline as opposed
to the others, except perhaps for its reduced side effect profile. It
can be expensive if your insurance doesn't cover it, in which case one
of the less expensive DAs might be worth trying. I would say that
Amantadine is in a class by itself; as an indirect dopamine agonist,
it is weaker than the others, and I found it of no value. (Others, as
always, may respond differently.) I don't think so. I think it is simply that psychiatry has been on a
passionate love affair with serotonin for some time, and the affair
hasn't abated yet. Dopamine isn't trendy right now. That may change. Dopamine isn't necessarily addictive in its own right. CNS stimulants
like dexedrine *are* addictive, but that has a lot to do with the
mechanism by which they increase dopamine concentration, not simply
the increase itself. Dopaminergic medications such as Wellbutrin,
selegiline, and dopamine agonists are not addictive in the same sense. My site probably is the best place to answer your questions. I suspect
the "=" signs after my URL confused your browser. Try again with my
revised sig below. If that doesn't work, cut and paste the URL (
http://www.geocities.com/nomdeplume1000/ ) into your browser. Try it
with or without the trailing "/" character. If all else fails, do a
Google search for "Nom dePlume" and you should find a link to the
site. The site is running; I just tried it. You're very welcome. I know what it's like to be thrown into this
confusing maze of medications! Not fun. How sweet! Why not? I'm also a real Dad, so I have some experience.
(Young lady, now you get back here and take those curlers off Bossie
this minute! Do you want the other cows to laugh at her? And that goes
for the nail polish on the hooves, too.)
