18 ms·

Does this serotonin make its way to the brain?

• jasongill 4y ago
  Seratonin is produced in multiple places in the body (not just the brain, and apparently, most of the seratonin in your body is not produced in the brain), but doesn't appear to cross the blood-brain barrier. I'm not a doctor but I think what that means is "seratonin in your gut probably doesn't make it's way to the brain; but, the rest of the body is already awash in seratonin, so additional production in the gut can help increase those levels, which may have some sort of yet-to-be-understood action that has an impact on depression"
  • amelius 4y ago
    How does serotonin in a pill reach the brain then? :) Is there some special delivery mechanism behind it?
    • kayodelycaon 4y ago
      There is no serotonin in pills. SSRI stands for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. It is a chemical that modifies how certain cells reabsorb serotonin. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selective_serotonin_reuptake_inhibitor https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selective_serotonin_reuptake_i...
    • deleted 4y ago
      [deleted]