Serotonine resistance

[Jaxx]

I recently read about the occurance of diabetes type II and wondered if the same principle (resistance to insuline) would apply for serotonine.

Apparently this has been looked at in the past.
Not directly focussing on PSSD, but as the PFS community is often speaking of insensitivity to progesterone/estrogen this article does make sense imo. Food for thought.

Major depression as a disorder of serotonin resistance: inference from diabetes mellitus type II.
Review article
Smolin B, et al. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol. 2007.
Show full citation
Abstract
The multifactorial nature of depression resembles that of other complex disorders such as diabetes mellitus or coronary artery disease. However, while for the latter disorders predisposing and risk factors have been identified, such knowledge is still scarce in depression. In this review we propose to use diabetes mellitus, for which characteristic milestones have been condensed to obesity-hyperinsulinaemia-insulin resistance-diabetes mellitus, as a conceptual analogical model. Based on this model we hypothesize that depression develops according to a similar pattern: prolonged psychological stress-hyperserotonism-serotonin resistance-major depression. We review extensive supporting evidence from human studies and animal models of depression, including stress involvement in the aetiology of depression, evidence for increased synaptic serotonin and decreased 5-HT1A receptor activity. Conceptualizing the pathogenesis of depression as a multi-step process may inspire new concepts, which will eventually lead to delineation of additional preventive and therapeutic interventions similar to those currently practised in diabetes.

PMID 17250776 [Indexed for MEDLINE]

[Juvo]

This is an interesting concept. Doctors who are familiar with treating PFS patients theorize something similar with the androgens. Read this blog post.

"If high normal levels of testosterone, combined with low estrogen levels, does not relieve the hypogonadal symptoms, then the possibility that the man has some resistance to testosterone must be considered. This would be akin to the insulin resistance seen in diabetes and would be treated in a different manner."

http://blog.alanjacobsmd.com/alan-jacob ... n-men.html