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opiates as antidepressants?

the idea that a deficiency of endogenous opiods could be a cause of depression is very interesting. it would explain some of the connection between chronic pain and depression, as well as obesity and depression. i wonder if there is anything in the medical literature about biochemical lesions that lead to this? hell, it could conceivably be connected to some autoimmune diseases too (which go with depression and chronic pain), since opiods modulate the immune response.


its funny because i was considering this just a few days ago, that maybe i have a low level off these peptides.
 
About deficiency of endogenous opioid production...

Feeling gloomy otherwise (meaning without opiates), but it seems that opiates literally stir up positive attitude and fill me with relaxed energy... Never received much help from ordinary antidepressants medication (boosting serotonin production); those produced instead something akin to mania which was nothing desirable.

So most of my life I've been self-medicating myself with opiates...

Because of this I'm thinking that there could be many forms of neurotransmitter deficiencies which all produce depression. But further, there could be different forms of depression... one caused by serotonin deficiency, one endorphin deficiency...

And opiates help only those having endorphin deficiency, like serotonin agents those suffering serotonin deficiency.



Any scientific studies backing these "feelings"?
 
Opiates blunt the emotions, destroy your libido and are addictive - as such you might as well go for an SSRI like fluoxetine (prozac) as they do the same thing but are easier to get from a doctor!
 
fastandbulbous said:
Opiates blunt the emotions, destroy your libido and are addictive - as such you might as well go for an SSRI like fluoxetine (prozac) as they do the same thing but are easier to get from a doctor!
Click to expand...

All true, but at least with opiates you get to dance for a little while before it's time to pay the piper.
 
um, i think anything that makes you feel good could be used as an AD, heroin, coke, meth. im on bupe, i inject it. it helps a little with cravings but mostly just makes it easier to go longer and longer and longer without using heroin thus slowly fading it out of my life.
 
opiates are definately addictive and troublesome to say the least. 8o However they do induce COMFORT + WARMTH feelings, ones which would be obtained from being in a happy stable relationship, having a nice job + family.

Always figured for those without such things they do provide that relief. Often as is the case with people hooked on methadone, heroin etc (there is usually a long history behind them). Trick I guess is getting those people back to a nice state of mind in order not to need them, but for the few cases this is impossible always wondered whether this might be the best solution (in the nicest way possible):\
 
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Antidepressants exert their own analgesic effect, increase morphine analgesia and displace opiate receptor binding, it may be that by interacting with the opiate receptor complex imipramine induces supersensitivity in opiate recognition binding sites. You know as weird as that sounds, I can believe it that opiates as anti-depressants? Well, I guess this interesting! But any drugs can have a negative reaction, we all know that.

Definitely right!
 
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