5 replies to this topic

[neurobliss]

I'm currently taking sertraline 50 mg. It helped with anxiety and feeling of sadness but I'm still lacking motivation and energy and I've lost my creativity. My emotional symptoms are lack of motivation. Also have worsened muscle spasms in the neck/shoulders.

 

I've been playing Lumosity cognitive training app. Percentage wise I'm strongest on attention and weakest on memory and flexibility, memory being the weakest.

 

What I'm wondering is whether I need a different SSRI or is there a way to counteract this by increasing either dopamine or acetylcholine or selectively blocking some serotonergic receptors?

 

Would appreciate ideas from experienced folks.

[gintrux]

Cognitive rigidity is the opposite of cognitive flexibility, so check this:

https://www.research...ctrum_Disorders

[noos]

https://pubmed.ncbi....h.gov/17335395/
Propranolol
But not for motivation and energy

[neurobliss]

The motivation seems to be my biggest issue right now. It's like some invisible force prevents me from starting or doing anything. I just want to procrastinate all day long. I used to think its because I'm depressed and now I'm no longer feeling depressed (e.g. in a classic "sad" way) but the motivation is still a total bust.

 

I do think you're right about some role of adrenergic receptors in cognitive flexibility issue because I tried alpha yohimbine today and my score got worse.

[noos]

Risperidone, an atypical antipsychotic, is approved to treat irritability in autism, but less is known of whether it is effective in treating cognitive inflexibility. Risperidone acts at multiple receptors although only actions at a subset of these receptors may be beneficial for cognitive flexibility. 5HT2A receptor blockade represents one pharmacological action of risperidone. Rodent studies have shown that 5HT2A receptor antagonists improve attention and cognitive flexibility.


:text=Risperidone%2C%20an%20atypical%20antipsychotic%2C%20is,be%20beneficial%20for%20cognitive%20flexibility' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>https://www.ncbi.nlm...ive flexibility.

Atypical antipsychotic drugs like clozapine, olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone and asenapine are relatively potent antagonists of 5-HT2A as are some of the lower potency old generation/typical antipsychotics. Other antagonists are MDL-100,907 (prototype of another new series of 5-HT2A antagonists) and cyproheptadine.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org › wiki
5-HT2A receptor - Wikipedia

Edited by noos, 01 August 2020 - 01:59 AM.

[neurobliss]

Risperidone, an atypical antipsychotic, is approved to treat irritability in autism, but less is known of whether it is effective in treating cognitive inflexibility. Risperidone acts at multiple receptors although only actions at a subset of these receptors may be beneficial for cognitive flexibility. 5HT2A receptor blockade represents one pharmacological action of risperidone. Rodent studies have shown that 5HT2A receptor antagonists improve attention and cognitive flexibility.


 

Hmm... I've been intereste in augmenting with risperidone for a while now but put off by the potential side effects of antipsychotics. I have such mixed feelings about 5HT2A receptor. I can't figure it out for sure if my 5HT2A needs to be upregulated or downregulated. I do not have any psychotic features at all, if anything it feels like my creativity is down and 5HT2A agonism is involved in creativity. I also read that 5HT2A downregulates both in response to agonists and antagonists which makes the whole thing even murkier to deal with.