I had this exact reaction when I was prescribed prednisone for two weeks to treat an asthma attack that wasn't responding to albuterol. I never even realized I was miserable, exhausted, and overwhelmed... until suddenly I wasn't.
I had energy. I was getting up to my alarm with no snoozing. I was happy. I was productive. I was dreading the end of that bottle. But the worst part? No one believed me. I tried to tell my doctor about it, and he just kept telling me that prednisone was dangerous. Of course I understood that. I didn't want to stay on the prednisone. I gained twenty pounds during those 2 weeks. I just wanted to know how it worked. Obviously, it was affecting my neurotransmitters, but which ones?
And so he explained that prednisone was dangerous. . .
And then he tried to tell me that I felt more energetic because I was getting more oxygen, and I burst into tears. . . and asked for a psych consult.
And my psychiatrist told me that prednisone was dangerous. . .
But I am persistent. If the doctors didn't know how prednisone affected a person's brain, then I would need to take a crash course in neurological / chemical psychology.
The best explanation that I have found is this...
Prednisone acts similarly to cortisol in the body. They are nearly chemically identical. Cortisol forces your liver to create trytophan oxydase. It's the chemical that metabolizes tryptophan. Tryptophan is precursor to 5-HTP which turns into serotonin. If your body is breaking down tryptophan before it is turned into serotonin, this means LESS SEROTONIN IN YOUR BRAIN.
Sounds like a bad thing, right? Well, for most people it is. Most people get moody, cranky, anxious, and depressed when they take prednisone. So, what about that small percentage of people who have the opposite reaction, and feel more ... MOTIVATED?
The answer is Dopamine. Dopamine is the 2nd feel good neurotransmitter. It's the body's internal reward system. Dopamine is your brain's way of giving you a giant gold star for doing the dishes, or exercising.
Serotonin and Dopamine have a competitive relationship, because they are both created by the same 'aromatic amino... something or other'. It's a chemical. It dissolves stuff. It's called AADC.
AADC breaks down 5-HTP to create Serotonin. AADC also breaks down L-Dopa to create Dopamine...
So, by destroying some of the tryptophan in your body, the prednisone is freeing up extra AADC. That AADC starts making extra dopamine, and suddenly, you find yourself cheerfully cleaning out your refrigerator.
Which probably means that for the people who react to prednisone in a positive way, their bodies are naturally creating too much serotonin and not enough dopamine to begin with, and the prednisone is creating a better balance.
Excess serotonin and low dopamine causes apathy, lack of motivation, procrastination, insomnia, difficulty concentrating... and other bad stuff.
It's depression's lazy jerk of a cousin... anhedonia.
Here's a website about the effects of excess serotonin production in the brain in case you are interested.
http://mindrenewal.us/page10.html
And after much research, and discussions with my psychiatrist, I was able to improve my mental state with a dopamine reuptake inhibitor.
Comment Reply
I had this exact reaction when I was prescribed prednisone for two weeks to treat an asthma attack that wasn't responding to albuterol. I never even realized I was miserable, exhausted, and overwhelmed... until suddenly I wasn't.
I had energy. I was getting up to my alarm with no snoozing. I was happy. I was productive. I was dreading the end of that bottle. But the worst part? No one believed me. I tried to tell my doctor about it, and he just kept telling me that prednisone was dangerous. Of course I understood that. I didn't want to stay on the prednisone. I gained twenty pounds during those 2 weeks. I just wanted to know how it worked. Obviously, it was affecting my neurotransmitters, but which ones?
And so he explained that prednisone was dangerous. . .
And then he tried to tell me that I felt more energetic because I was getting more oxygen, and I burst into tears. . . and asked for a psych consult.
And my psychiatrist told me that prednisone was dangerous. . .
But I am persistent. If the doctors didn't know how prednisone affected a person's brain, then I would need to take a crash course in neurological / chemical psychology.
The best explanation that I have found is this...
Prednisone acts similarly to cortisol in the body. They are nearly chemically identical. Cortisol forces your liver to create trytophan oxydase. It's the chemical that metabolizes tryptophan. Tryptophan is precursor to 5-HTP which turns into serotonin. If your body is breaking down tryptophan before it is turned into serotonin, this means LESS SEROTONIN IN YOUR BRAIN.
Sounds like a bad thing, right? Well, for most people it is. Most people get moody, cranky, anxious, and depressed when they take prednisone. So, what about that small percentage of people who have the opposite reaction, and feel more ... MOTIVATED?
The answer is Dopamine. Dopamine is the 2nd feel good neurotransmitter. It's the body's internal reward system. Dopamine is your brain's way of giving you a giant gold star for doing the dishes, or exercising.
Serotonin and Dopamine have a competitive relationship, because they are both created by the same 'aromatic amino... something or other'. It's a chemical. It dissolves stuff. It's called AADC.
AADC breaks down 5-HTP to create Serotonin. AADC also breaks down L-Dopa to create Dopamine...
So, by destroying some of the tryptophan in your body, the prednisone is freeing up extra AADC. That AADC starts making extra dopamine, and suddenly, you find yourself cheerfully cleaning out your refrigerator.
Which probably means that for the people who react to prednisone in a positive way, their bodies are naturally creating too much serotonin and not enough dopamine to begin with, and the prednisone is creating a better balance.
Excess serotonin and low dopamine causes apathy, lack of motivation, procrastination, insomnia, difficulty concentrating... and other bad stuff.
It's depression's lazy jerk of a cousin... anhedonia.
Here's a website about the effects of excess serotonin production in the brain in case you are interested.
http://mindrenewal.us/page10.html
And after much research, and discussions with my psychiatrist, I was able to improve my mental state with a dopamine reuptake inhibitor.
Welbutrin is one.
January 6, 2015 - 11:55pmRitalin is a better one.
This Comment
Reply