My first time reading through "The Antidepressant Fact Book" by Peter Breggin, I must have skipped over the discussion about liver enzymes. (pg 108- 110)
I caught it the second time, but didn't do a whole lot with the idea mentally, I was looking more closely at other issues.
The third time through the book, the idea caught me and I decided it would be worth looking into a little further.
Liver enzymes are required to metabolize and eliminate drugs.
On page 109-110 Breggin says that some people (an estimated 7 - 10% of Caucasians, 3% African Americans, and 1% Arabs and Asians) have a genetic makeup that lacks one or another of the key enzymes involved in metabolizing/breaking down specific SSRI's. "Therefore, the drug will stay in their bodies in higher concentrations for longer periods of times. Because blood levels are increased, the risk of toxicity of almost any kind, including psychosis or a serotonin syndrome, is increased."
"The missing enzyme is called P450 CYP2D and it plays the key role in breaking down many kinds of medications... People missing this enzyme have only one-ninth the ability of other people to degrade these drugs and eliminate them from the body. As a result, a routine dose of Prozac or almost any antidepressant can cause a very severe and potentially fatal reaction." Breggin
"This warning cannot be made too emphatic: A significant percentage of the population is genetically vulnerable to severe toxic reactions to antidepressants such as prozac and other psychiatric drugs-- but potential patients are rarely informed about this possibility before they take these drugs." Breggin
I wonder what is up with this?
and it makes me wonder if this could be some of the reason behind why some people taking psychotropic drugs fall apart and do worse, no matter what the drug/cocktail leading them into an absolute tailspin.
If I have some time today (?) I think I will look at what else is "out there" as far as information/research on this liver enzyme deal.
Honey is still sleeping/laying there, though she wanted to try to be up almost an hour ago.
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2 comments:
"I wonder what is up with this?
and it makes me wonder if this could be some of the reason behind why some people taking psychotropic drugs fall apart and do worse, no matter what the drug/cocktail leading them into an absolute tailspin."
Absolutely one of the reasons people go off into a tailspin. I know of one young woman whose autopsy revealed blood levels were way too high when she committed suicide. This enzyme thing sounds like a reasonable culprit.
You're doing an amazing job!
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