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I'm taking an SSRI (paroxetine) but have been thinking about adding a dopaminergic (eg Wellbutrin) for more drive and energy, but was wondering if exercise would work just as well. Does anyone have any experience comparing the two? Or know more about the mechanisms involved?
I've just recently gotten into aerobic exercise (currently at about 5-10min in aerobic regime), and the days that I do it I do tend to have more drive, energy and focus for getting things done, which is great.
As I understand it, exercising at that level causes release of endorphins (and maybe other things), and that triggers the release of dopamine, and exercise also increases the number of dopamine receptors.
Also found this googling around -
Based on all the good things that exercise is supposed to do for you, I'm inclined to try this out first for a while, before trying another drug. I'm slowly increasing the time in the aerobic regime, and hoping it'll help with this SSRI-induced ADD I've been having.
Also, if exercise increases the number of dopamine receptors, then it seems like it wouldn't have the problem of diminishing in effectiveness over time. Which I guess would be the case with supplements like Tyrosine, and some drugs, since the brain can just reduce the number of receptors to maintain homeostasis (assuming that's the mechanism)?
I'm not against adding another drug, just wanted to try this first, and see if anyone has had any experience comparing the two...
I've just recently gotten into aerobic exercise (currently at about 5-10min in aerobic regime), and the days that I do it I do tend to have more drive, energy and focus for getting things done, which is great.
Also found this googling around -
A new study indicates that you can protect yourself from getting Parkinson's disease [caused by loss of dopamine-producing neurons] if you exercise regularly and keep yourself fit. An animal study found that with regular exercise, nerve cells that are badly impaired or killed by Parkinson's, stay healthy. we have evidence that indicates it's because exercise stimulates production of key proteins that are important for survival of neurons. Called neurotrophic factors, these proteins protect neurons and promote their survival. According to the researchers' studies, one particular neurotrophic factor, glial cell line-derived neurotropic factor, or GDNF, is increased with exercise by 40 percent. "GDNF, and probably other factors as well, may help offset the cell's vulnerability to the effects of oxidative stress from free radical molecules that are produced by the toxin we use in our rat model,"
Based on all the good things that exercise is supposed to do for you, I'm inclined to try this out first for a while, before trying another drug. I'm slowly increasing the time in the aerobic regime, and hoping it'll help with this SSRI-induced ADD I've been having.
Also, if exercise increases the number of dopamine receptors, then it seems like it wouldn't have the problem of diminishing in effectiveness over time. Which I guess would be the case with supplements like Tyrosine, and some drugs, since the brain can just reduce the number of receptors to maintain homeostasis (assuming that's the mechanism)?
I'm not against adding another drug, just wanted to try this first, and see if anyone has had any experience comparing the two...