An athlete I’m currently working with has been prescribed the anti depressant Prosac to help her overcome a family crisis.
Is this drug likely to adversely affect her sprinting performance? Perhaps more importantly, is this drug on the IOC banned list?
Thanks.
Depression can have negative effects on the endocrine system (especially T & GH), therefore they may be beneficial simply by easing the symptoms.
There has been speculation that anti-depressants can increase CNS recovery. I took prosac for 3 months, my sleep improved and my gym performances went up 10%. …
No I do not believe they are banned.
Most prozacs - notably Fluoxitine have warnings about slowing ur reactions as regards driving etc - so there’s a possibility it could affect starts and cadence maybe . I should Imagine it depends on the strength of the dose .
I took it for a year due to panic attacks etc , until it was discovered I had post meningitis syndrome ( PMS 
) and boy am I glad to be off it . Sometimes these remedies can be as big a problem as the stuff that causes them .
off on a bit of a tangent…one thing i have noticed as a summer athlete that lives in canada, every september when triathlon season was over, i got really really depressed. my body and mind were so use to being outside and bathing in the sun day after day, that when fall (days shorter, less sunlight and less time outside) came and the off season was upon me i traditionally embarked on the “i cant remeber september bender”.
this eventually evolved to the “septemer to december bender that i cant remember”. i wasnt using prescription meds, but i was drawn to substances that would enhance seratonin production and give me that warm in the sun feeling.
any other athletes or coaches notice this in the athletes or themselves?
Just as a note…one of the main ingredients in Powerdrive is L-Tyrosine. This delays the onset of tryptophan as it compete with Tryptophans receptor sites. One of the most popular natural antidepressants is 5-HTP here in Canada as Melatonin is illegal.
"5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP)
Tryptophan and 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) are the starting material for production of serotonin in the body. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that the body cannot manufacture on its own. Tryptophan can be obtained only in food or supplements. The body converts tryptophan into 5-HTP, which in turn is converted into serotonin. (6) There is ample evidence that tryptophan depletion causes reduced synthesis of serotonin, which results in depression and other mood disorders.(7)
In 1989, the FDA removed tryptophan from the market due to some contaminated batches that caused a number of deaths. It is now available by prescription through compounding pharmacies, and it is also used in intravenous feeding and in infant formulas. However, tryptophan is still not available to the general public as a nutritional supplement. Since tryptophan was removed from the market, 5-HTP has gained recognition as an effective substitute in natural therapy for anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders. Either substance can be used to enhance serotonin synthesis in the brain.(8) It is now recognized that 5-HTP is more effective at elevating serotonin levels than tryptophan.
People taking anti-anxiety drugs or other antidepressants should not take tryptophan or 5-HTP without the close supervision of a qualified health care professional because it can increase both the effect and the toxicity of antidepressant drugs.
National Institute of Mental Health, 1999.
19 million people in the US suffer from depression at one time each year.
1 in 10 adults suffer from depression each year.
2 million of the 34 million Americans age 65 and older suffer from depression.
Treatments alleviate 80% of the symptoms of depression.
Women experience depression roughly at twice the rate as men. This ratio exists regardless of racial and ethnic background or economic status."
http://content.intramedicine.com/dse/consumer/HC2.asp?objID=100224&cType=hc
Some other natural supplements that may be used are: S-Adenosylmethionine (SAMe); Phenylalanine; Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) (Banned by IOC if I am not mistakin’); Omega-3 Fatty Acids; Vitamin B6; Vitamin B12 (I personally use the injectable form); Folic Acid (also has anti-cancer properties). http://content.intramedicine.com/dse/consumer/HC3.asp?objID=100224&cType=hc
David W, how much were you taking?
-Dr.Sprint
FDA…dont get me started.
Unfortunately when using Antidepressants (ADs) you have to be careful b/c there are many side effects that can affect performance and even everyday health/life. (ie, lathargic, constant sleepiness, weight gain, constipation and many others). Depending on the persons conditon, you have to fine tailor the correct AD with the correct dosage.
This shouldn’t discourage an AD user since most of the time its the dosage that is the problem rather than the drug, however, it is a struggling process and can be quite frustrating until you find the correct drug and correct dosage.
Like most SSRIs, you have to watch yer diet more, as they increase your serotonin production (to further make sure all serotonin receptor sites on the post-synaptic neuron are received) and this causes different behaviour changes. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter responsible for many functions, such as apetite control, sexual control, emotions, etc. An increased amount of serotonin may, for example, cause an individual who doesn’t endulge in sweets to suddenly overindulge themselves, finding that they have this strong desire to be satisifed by sweets. This inturn wil cause weight gain, etc etc.
A couple more points:
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Some claim that St. John’s Wart (natural herb) is a natural alternative to perscription SSRIs. Unfortunately, most studies done on this herb (including Gingko Baloba - increase memory rention by increasing cerebral blood flow) are poorly done, and alot of them are not done by independent parties. Although, you shouldn’t dismiss the idea of trying it, there still are many people who use this herb and claim they work well. (some claim its placebo)
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The traditional treatment of ADs start with an intial 2-3 week period of introducing the body to the drug at a more milder dosage, after which the dosage is then increased to that drugs standardized maintanence dosage and if then there is a need to change it more the physician can do so. However, it is important to know that no one drug works universally and so if after trying a particular drug proves unsuccessful, the Dr. generally starts by changing the dosage or changing the drug alltogther, until you find one that works for you. Having said that, the point I wanted to make, is that if this scenario becomes apparent or not, when you stop one medication before moving on to the next or you decide to stop medications entirely, the patient will most likely suffer discontinuation effects (withdrawal), and it is important to reduce dosages gradually and incremently (usually weekly or bi-weekly).
Hope this helps.
I’m glad you mentioned St. John’s Wart because I just started using it to take off my “edge” (I have anger issues) and was wondering if it could negatively affect my performance on the track? Does anyone have any links to studies on this substance that I can take a look at (even if it’s partially biased)?
Possible side effects of St Johns Wort are drowsiness, increased sun sensitivity and hair loss. I can’t cite any references, but they shouldn’t be too hard to find.
SAM-e is by far the best natural anti depressant around. ‘Mood Lift’ SAM-e by Naturopathica is particularly effective at just one tablet per day on an empty stomach.
It is also a potent blood thinner. A friend of mine is a surgeon and they have nearly lost several people in surgery due to this supplement. Cut them open and can’t stop the bleeding. Now they screen for it before surgery. I wouldn’t take it. Would affect bruising as well I would think.
Chris
Sounds alot like SAD. Many people suffer from this during seasons of less sunlight, usually the 1st course of Tx is having you sit in front of a high intense light for a few minutes per day then increase the duration time, I would assume they call it light therapy? Just a suspicion
I also have a really bad anger problem, i constantly punch holes through doors and do some really stupid stuff. I was wondering how the St. John’s Wart was working for you and if I should try it. Thanks
I just started using it 2 days ago so I’ll let you know in about a week or so.
Hoss and Stud (hey do I sense a pattern here ) are you both getting enough sleep. There’s nothing better to turn you into a short tempered dickhead than lack of sleep.
If you are getting enough sleep, but going through periods of stress, Siberian Ginseng is fantastic. Cycle 3 weeks on, 2 weeks off.
I too have just punched a hole in my ceiling which will offcoarse cost
me ££’s to repair. In December I smashed my bedroom window. Not proud of this, but in dire need of something to take the edge away.
I don’t believe it is overtraining with me as I have decreased my volume of training a fair bit.
Doctor prescribed me some anti-depresants but I was hesitant to take them as I don’t want to become dependant on something that may hinder my training benefits (?).
The drug itself will not hinder performance, rather the symptoms or side effects produced from the drug may.
Interesting thread guys!
I took Prozac a couple years back, and if anything it gave me MORE of an edge to the point of hysteria (i.e. uncontrollable laughing fits, mind racing…) physically i think I had some kind of weight gain/loss cycle, altered sleep cycle, jitters…it was pretty much a mess. I switched to an anti-anxiety med which was much better, but in the end i rejected meds and went for good therapy- more $$$, but for me, much more effective. I wanted to make a graph of my performances after i started going, because the improvement was incredibly steep.
I question using prozac to get through a family crisis- I was definitely under the impression that meds like that are used for chemical imbalances and biological depression, not to treat depression whose onset is caused by an outside event.
Wow, took me a while to find this one. But I know exactly what you’re talking about nightmare, I’ve noticed this in myself every winter. In fact I even listen to music that was played a lot in the summer to remind me of the “good times”.
Are you sure that is due to SAD and not your choice of acquaintances? 