6 ms·

I've always worried that an ssri would decrease my mental performance. Maybe worth revisiting. Can the help you learn better / focus more by blunting depression

by splatt 8y ago

I've always worried that an ssri would decrease my mental performance. Maybe worth revisiting. Can the help you learn better / focus more by blunting depression / stress?

actualdc1 8y ago
Not sure about SSRI’s, but bupropion can definitely have positive effects on your performance.
- rmrfrmrf 8y ago
  Or the opposite. The ramp-up period (4-8 weeks before the brain rebalances its chemistry in response to the drug) is hell, and cessation of the drug (or running out without access to a pharmacy) causes near-total loss of cognitive ability for a few days (with brain zaps to boot).
  - PascLeRasc 8y ago
    That's why I'm not using my bupropion. I got a prescription last month to treat seasonal affective disorder, and my psychiatrist wants me to use it every winter then cycle off in the spring, but the side effects both coming on and off seem awful.
    - bm1362 8y ago
      Why not just stay on it indefinitely?
  - SkyPuncher 8y ago
    Note, person above you is talking about Bupropion which does not have the same ramp-up and ramp-down side-effects as SSRIs.
    - rmrfrmrf 8y ago
      I was talking about bupropion. There are still ramp-up and ramp-down side effects with bupropion.
  - selectodude 8y ago
    Buproprion isn't an SSRI.
    - rmrfrmrf 8y ago
      Never said it was. It has startup and withdrawal side effects regardless.
      - selectodude 8y ago
        Could've fooled me. I tapered off it over like 2 days without any issue at all.
jacques_chester 8y ago
Biochemistry and pharmacology are very, very, very complex. Psychopharmacology is very, very, very complex raised to the power of Knuth on an acid trip channeling the ghost of HP Lovecraft. The practical upshot of which is that the various drugs affect various people quite differently. I have trialled various pharmaceuticals over the years for my assortment of mental health issues. Some I will never take again. Some I take only if I really need to. Some I take every day. Some work great for me but suck for people I know. Some suck for me but have changed others' lives. The only way to know how a given medicine will affect you is to try it yourself under medical supervision.
tokai 8y ago
Depression is not healthy for the brain. It raises inflammation in the brain, and could possibly cause irreversible damage. It seems like ssri protects against this.[0] [0] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29496589 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29496589
markroseman 8y ago
Depression and anxiety can result in a rather wide range of cognitive symptoms. For many people, that's what eventually convinces them to seriously pursue treatment. Yes, there are risks that side effects of SSRI's can affect cognition, but there are many alternatives. Ultimately you're trying to optimize your wellness, whatever that may look like.

by splatt 8y ago

I've always worried that an ssri would decrease my mental performance. Maybe worth revisiting. Can the help you learn better / focus more by blunting depression / stress?

actualdc1 8y ago

Not sure about SSRI’s, but bupropion can definitely have positive effects on your performance.

rmrfrmrf 8y ago
Or the opposite. The ramp-up period (4-8 weeks before the brain rebalances its chemistry in response to the drug) is hell, and cessation of the drug (or running out without access to a pharmacy) causes near-total loss of cognitive ability for a few days (with brain zaps to boot).
- PascLeRasc 8y ago
  That's why I'm not using my bupropion. I got a prescription last month to treat seasonal affective disorder, and my psychiatrist wants me to use it every winter then cycle off in the spring, but the side effects both coming on and off seem awful.
  - bm1362 8y ago
    Why not just stay on it indefinitely?
- SkyPuncher 8y ago
  Note, person above you is talking about Bupropion which does not have the same ramp-up and ramp-down side-effects as SSRIs.
  - rmrfrmrf 8y ago
    I was talking about bupropion. There are still ramp-up and ramp-down side effects with bupropion.
- selectodude 8y ago
  Buproprion isn't an SSRI.
  - rmrfrmrf 8y ago
    Never said it was. It has startup and withdrawal side effects regardless.
    - selectodude 8y ago
      Could've fooled me. I tapered off it over like 2 days without any issue at all.

jacques_chester 8y ago

Biochemistry and pharmacology are very, very, very complex. Psychopharmacology is very, very, very complex raised to the power of Knuth on an acid trip channeling the ghost of HP Lovecraft. The practical upshot of which is that the various drugs affect various people quite differently. I have trialled various pharmaceuticals over the years for my assortment of mental health issues. Some I will never take again. Some I take only if I really need to. Some I take every day. Some work great for me but suck for people I know. Some suck for me but have changed others' lives. The only way to know how a given medicine will affect you is to try it yourself under medical supervision.

tokai 8y ago

Depression is not healthy for the brain. It raises inflammation in the brain, and could possibly cause irreversible damage. It seems like ssri protects against this.[0] [0] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29496589 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29496589

markroseman 8y ago

Depression and anxiety can result in a rather wide range of cognitive symptoms. For many people, that's what eventually convinces them to seriously pursue treatment. Yes, there are risks that side effects of SSRI's can affect cognition, but there are many alternatives. Ultimately you're trying to optimize your wellness, whatever that may look like.