Cheap antidepressant shows promise treating early Covid-19 • Hacker News Board

Re: Cheap antidepressant shows promise treating early Covid-19

#161

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Oct 28, 2021, 11:43 AM UTC

spamizbad wrote: post #130

m0zg wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

FDA banned OTC NAC sales after it found out it might help with COVID [1]. Can't have that. And yeah, I know you're suggesting it for something else, but it's hard to get now. [1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7649937/

The FDA didn't ban it: it just cannot be marketed as a health supplement. Mostly because it was originally approved as a drug back in the 1960s. It would be like selling Tylenol as a vitamin. A dumb technicality that'll likely be reversed. And you can still purchase it online: https://www.bulksupplements.com/products/n-acetyl-l-cysteine... https://www.lifeextension.com/vitamins-supplements/item01534... https://www.th…

[deleted]

Re: Cheap antidepressant shows promise treating early Covid-19

#162

Post by podgaj » Thu, Oct 28, 2021, 11:51 AM UTC

taxyovio wrote: post #159

Be aware that the said antidepressant is an SSRI, which has the potential to cause permanent sexual dysfunction (PSSD) [1]. It seems that we don’t quite understand how the drug works. Most doctors threw this condition out of the window by claiming SD is caused by depression. There have been some recent studies showing possible mechanisms behind it. Some manufacturers and healthcare organisations (NHS) are beginning t…

I can tell you from personal use as someone with Bipolar Disorder, my ding-a-ling works fine before I start taking it and after the first week I have nothing but a wet noodle down there. So no, the SD is not caused by depression, it is caused by Prozac.

The mechanism of action how this helps is probably so simple that people who have over complicated thoughts cannot see the answer. Serotonin is made from tryptophan by the TPH enzyme. But Tryprtophan is also turned into kynurenine by an enzyme called IDO. This kynurenine pathway is crucial to resolving inflammation and the IDO enzyme is directly activated by inflammation.

When you take prozac so much serotonin builds up that it starts inhibiting the TPH enzyme and pushes more tryptophan down the kynurenine pathway and resolves inflammation.

Depression in probably most of the cases is an inflammatory disorder, which is why prozac helps some people with depression.

It has been shown that COVID-19 infection results in alterations of the kynurenine pathway. I will make a guess that prozac will end up helping some people but not everyone.

Re: Cheap antidepressant shows promise treating early Covid-19

#163

Post by pitspotter2 » Thu, Oct 28, 2021, 11:54 AM UTC

tallanvor wrote: post #132

m0zg wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

FDA banned OTC NAC sales after it found out it might help with COVID [1]. Can't have that. And yeah, I know you're suggesting it for something else, but it's hard to get now. [1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7649937/

Well, no. It appears that the FDA became aware of companies marketing N-acetyl-L-cysteine as a hangover remedy and started the process of taking action at that point. And once they start taking action, they can't ignore some off-label uses for something that's considered a drug. And while this action started in the middle of 2020, there's no evidence that this decision had anything to do with research around the drug…

It does seem to work as a hangover preventative provided you take it before starting to drink alcohol. (Somewhere between 15 minutes to a few hours before.)

Re: Cheap antidepressant shows promise treating early Covid-19

#164

Post by podgaj » Thu, Oct 28, 2021, 11:55 AM UTC

ttul wrote: post #51

_ywdj wrote: post #44

From my own experience I can very much believe an SSRI could have an effect on the immune system and/or the respiratory system. I was a heavy cigarette smoker in my 20s, and over those years, I experienced worsening asthma and also worsening anxiety and depression. Eventually I was prescribed an SSRI (Zoloft), and found that not only did my mood change, my asthma completely abated, even though I was still smoking jus…

Aren’t many SSRIs antihistaminergic?

No SSRI's are antihistaminergic. It is right in the name. SSRI only inhibit serotonin reuptake. Many antipsychotics have histamine receptor inhibition, but there are no antidepressants that block the histamine receptors.

Re: Cheap antidepressant shows promise treating early Covid-19

#165

Post by podgaj » Thu, Oct 28, 2021, 11:57 AM UTC

nonomaybeyes wrote: post #139

lettergram wrote: post #46

Glad to see this being spoken about! I’ve been assisting with data analysis for an eclectic group of people (who funded this study). Been really disheartening to watch the politics around alternative treatments. Personally, I expect this to be attacked as well, but am hopeful! The stuff really does seem effective, particularly when combined with other drugs...

> Personally, I expect this to be attacked as well, but am hopeful! At least it can't be called a "horse dewormer".

Don't count on it...

https://www.1800petmeds.com/Fluoxetine-prod10489.html

Re: Cheap antidepressant shows promise treating early Covid-19

#166

Post by podgaj » Thu, Oct 28, 2021, 11:58 AM UTC

The mechanism of action how this helps is probably so simple that people who have over complicated thoughts cannot see the answer. Serotonin is made from tryptophan by the TPH enzyme. But Tryprtophan is also turned into kynurenine by an enzyme called IDO. This kynurenine pathway is crucial to resolving inflammation and the IDO enzyme is directly activated by inflammation.

When you take prozac so much serotonin builds up that it starts inhibiting the TPH enzyme and pushes more tryptophan down the kynurenine pathway and resolves inflammation.

Depression in probably most of the cases is an inflammatory disorder, which is why prozac helps some people with depression. It has been shown that COVID-19 infection results in alterations of the kynurenine pathway. I will make a guess that prozac will end up helping some people but not everyone.

Re: Cheap antidepressant shows promise treating early Covid-19

#167

Post by pitspotter2 » Thu, Oct 28, 2021, 11:59 AM UTC

johnisgood wrote: post #152

IAmGraydon wrote: post #144

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How are you measuring the “wonders” that it does to your liver?

Primarily liver function tests.

Also note the absence of that sweet/sickly smell on one's breath. This implies a reduced level of circulating acetaldehyde, the primary carcinogen associated with alcohol consumption.

Re: Cheap antidepressant shows promise treating early Covid-19

#168

Post by podgaj » Thu, Oct 28, 2021, 12:00 PM UTC

Traubenfuchs wrote: post #121

Like any SSRI, Fluvoxamine can cause permanent sexual dysfunction. SSRI should not be used unless their potential benefit is greater than the potential risk of permanent sexual dysfunction. Even short term SSRI administration can be very uncomfortable and lead to short term SSRI discontinuation syndrome. I know doctors treat SSRI like „let’s try, might help, can’t hurt“ candy, but they really shouldn‘t.

It is not permanent, the SD goes away after about a month of stopping prozac. It has a long half life so it can seem like forever though.

Re: Cheap antidepressant shows promise treating early Covid-19

#169

Post by AzzieElbab » Thu, Oct 28, 2021, 12:00 PM UTC

nottorp wrote: post #120

weird-eye-issue wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Did you just compare crystal meth with SSRIs?

That's what my first thought was. Treating a viral infection with an anti depressant means to me that you just won't notice how sick you are.

In that case alcohol would do the job just as well

Re: Cheap antidepressant shows promise treating early Covid-19

#170

Post by honkdaddy » Thu, Oct 28, 2021, 12:07 PM UTC

nuerow wrote: post #129

twofornone wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>"Alternative medicine" like ivermectine or hydroxychloroquine have no scientific, properly studied basis for being used. There are more than 60 peer reviewed studies showing positive effect for ivermectin. Similarly the single trial that the media touted as "proof" that HCQ did not work administered what amounted to an overdose to terminally ill patients, in contrast to the recommended early/prophylactic regimen. Th…

> There are more than 60 peer reviewed studies showing positive effect for ivermectin. I couldn't help but notice your use of purposely vague and misleading weasel words such as "positive effect". Meanwhile I recall reading one of those ivermectin studies presented on another discussion on HN, and it certainly raised some red flags regarding how it was put together. For instance, if my memory doesn't fail me, it reli…

It's not very helpful to just describe a study you simply recall based on memory. If you have an actual link to it, myself and others may take you more seriously.