>>As a physician, I am sure you are aware ... and
>>most of that population is self-medicating ...
>>for a host of psychological and physiological conditions,
>>some of which we don't fully understand yet.
Christine,
Exactly! You are a tower among physicians.
this from Jonathon Ott, "Pharmacophilia: The Natural Paradises,"
(published 1997, by Natural Products Company), p. 165:
-------------------
Prior to the advent of out modern thymoleptic therapy, opium and
opiates were successfully employed in treatment of depression
and some data indicate that types of depression may be treated
with endopioids such as the beta-endorphin, suggesting
deficiencies in endopioid metabolism could figure in the
aetiology of depression. More specifically, there is evidence
some defect in concentration or conformation of opioid receptors
underlies depression [vide: Irl Extrein et alia, "A possible
opioid receptor dysfunction in some depressive disorders,"
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 398: 113-119, 1982.]
It was shown that the mixed opiate agonist/antagonist
buprenorphine (Temgesic) Merck Index 12:1522] was effective in relieving some cases of depression, especially those which
did not respond to conventional therapy, and for which the
last-resort alternative would be electroshock, which also
influences the opioid system [vide: H.M. Emrich et allii,
"Possible antidepressive effects of opioids: Action of
buprenorphine," Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences,
398: 108-112, 1982: vide item] J.A. Brodkin et alii
"Buprenorphine treatment of refractory depression,"
Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology 15:49-57, 1995. |
