Prozac

[Guest guest]

46. " Prozac's target revealed " dated 15 May 2006 from an EurekAlert from

<http://www.cshl.org/> Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory at

http://www5.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-05/cshl-ptr051006.php

<http://www5.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-05/cshl-ptr051006.php> .

" Researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory on Long Island have identified

which among several different kinds of cells in the brain is the chief

target of the widely prescribed antidepressant Prozac. This discovery might

enable a new generation of more specific treatments for depression, with

fewer side effects, to be developed. The findings also lay the foundation

for many studies of the factors that control how, when, and where new

neurons are generated from stem cells in the brain. Such work could

eventually lead to cell replacement therapies for neurodegenerative and

other brain disorders including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. It has

been known for some years that Prozac (fluoxetine) is likely to relieve the

symptoms of depression by somehow causing more neurons to be present in a

particular region of the brain (the " dentate gyrus " ). But the origins of

these neurons, and how Prozac promotes their existence, have been a mystery

until now. By profiling the telltale marker proteins produced by different

kinds of cells in the brains of adult mice, the researchers first defined

discrete steps in the complex process, called neurogenesis, that converts

unspecialized stem cells into mature, specialized neurons. Next, knowing

that Prozac treatment somehow increases the number of neurons in the brain,

the researchers tested which step in the neurogenesis pathway might be

stimulated by Prozac. They found that Prozac treatment specifically

stimulates the generation of a kind of cells they dubbed " amplifying neural

progenitors " or ANPs--the second step in the neurogenesis pathway from stem

cells to mature neurons. The study is published in the published in the

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (advance on-line this week,

in print on May 23). It was led by Grigori Enikolopov and spearheaded by

postdoctoral fellow Encinas. ... "

[Guest guest]

Hi -- My son has been on the entire range of SSRI's, including prozac.

It sounds to me like Prozac is not the right SSRI for your child.

It's normal to see some temporary spaciness and a temporary increase

in *OCD-type* behaviors and/or speech when a child starts an SSRI, and

each time the dose is increased, but hyper-ness and crazy

self-stimming behavior is NOT good. Believe me, we went through the

exact same thing you're describing, only it was with Zoloft. We went

through all the SSRI's until settling on Celexa. SSRI's are very

tricky to get " just right " . I would ask for a change ASAP.

HTH,

Donna

>

> I was wondering if anybody could help me here. My son whois 7 has been

> on prozac for the past few weeks. We are trying to help reduce his

> self stimulatory behaviors among other things. We started at a very

> low dose and have been increasing it slowly since we were seeing no

> positive reactions and perhaps some more cstimming. Now we upped it

> today to 10 mg's and he is just crazy, very hyper,stimmy, seeking

> sensory imput like crazy. I was just wondedring what is thenormal dose

> to be on to see if this will work? isd this a normal way things should

> progress? Is there still hope that it would help? When do we say that

> its enough and this medicine doews not work? thanks for your help.

>

[Guest guest]

Hello,

My son also went through the gamut of SSRIs. Each one seemed fairly

successful at first in helping him with his obsessiveness and cognitive

rigidity. Then we would notice him getting more and more activated and

disinhibited, and we would try a new SSRI. Prozac was the most successful

for us, but we have taken him off that now as well. At 100 pounds (9 years

old) he was on 5 mg. Our doctor said he may still receive the benefit of

the SSRI, without the negative side effects, if we try a lower dose--like

2.5 mg. From what I've heard, children on the spectrum respond to very low

doses of the SSRIs, so maybe it's just that Prozac isn't right for your

child. 10 mg sounds like a lot to me for treating ASD-related symptoms,

although I know that children with a more straightforward OCD diagnosis can

respond well to higher doses.

Good luck,

>From: " princesspeach " <donnaaron@...>

>Reply-

>

>Subject: Re: prozac

>Date: Sun, 17 Dec 2006 07:16:18 -0000

>

>Hi -- My son has been on the entire range of SSRI's, including prozac.

> It sounds to me like Prozac is not the right SSRI for your child.

>

>It's normal to see some temporary spaciness and a temporary increase

>in *OCD-type* behaviors and/or speech when a child starts an SSRI, and

>each time the dose is increased, but hyper-ness and crazy

>self-stimming behavior is NOT good. Believe me, we went through the

>exact same thing you're describing, only it was with Zoloft. We went

>through all the SSRI's until settling on Celexa. SSRI's are very

>tricky to get " just right " . I would ask for a change ASAP.

>

>HTH,

>

>Donna

>

>

>

> >

> > I was wondering if anybody could help me here. My son whois 7 has been

> > on prozac for the past few weeks. We are trying to help reduce his

> > self stimulatory behaviors among other things. We started at a very

> > low dose and have been increasing it slowly since we were seeing no

> > positive reactions and perhaps some more cstimming. Now we upped it

> > today to 10 mg's and he is just crazy, very hyper,stimmy, seeking

> > sensory imput like crazy. I was just wondedring what is thenormal dose

> > to be on to see if this will work? isd this a normal way things should

> > progress? Is there still hope that it would help? When do we say that

> > its enough and this medicine doews not work? thanks for your help.

> >

>

>