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Is Oxycodone Intake Safe For Treatment Of Depression?

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Posted on Wed, 2 Apr 2014
Question: i have a question about my depression. i have been suffering from it since age 13, i am now 52. i have tried cymbalta prozac effexor seroquel lithium, nothing has ever helped. after an accident i took oxycodone, much to my surprise it also helped my depression. are opiods ever used for depression. i know they release dopamine, but i take ritalin, i thought that release dopamine in the brain also but it doesnt work for me. why do opiods work? can they be used to treat depression?
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Answered by Dr. Manisha Gopal (30 minutes later)
Brief Answer: they are addictive & should be avoided Detailed Answer: hello and welcome to hcm! On reading your question carefully i have found that your diagnosis is manic depression and not just depressive disorder. So, the fact that drugs are not effective in managing your illness is beacuse meds for manic depression or bipolar disorder are different than for treating depression. Secondly, the fact that oxycodone has helped you is not that it is an antidepressant but it is an addictive drug ( a relative of opioids) which give a false feeling of well being by altering chemicals in brain. They are not curative & donot have any research based evidence in managing depression / bipolar disorder. Such drugs should ideally be avoided, as can they can lead to permanent psychological problems or lately might increase the already existing psychiatric disorders. Hope the reply is informative please ask questions if you need any further clarifications, i will be pleased to answer them. Dr. Manisha Gopal MD Psychiatry
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Dr. Manisha Gopal

Psychiatrist

Practicing since :2005

Answered : 947 Questions

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Is Oxycodone Intake Safe For Treatment Of Depression?

Brief Answer: they are addictive & should be avoided Detailed Answer: hello and welcome to hcm! On reading your question carefully i have found that your diagnosis is manic depression and not just depressive disorder. So, the fact that drugs are not effective in managing your illness is beacuse meds for manic depression or bipolar disorder are different than for treating depression. Secondly, the fact that oxycodone has helped you is not that it is an antidepressant but it is an addictive drug ( a relative of opioids) which give a false feeling of well being by altering chemicals in brain. They are not curative & donot have any research based evidence in managing depression / bipolar disorder. Such drugs should ideally be avoided, as can they can lead to permanent psychological problems or lately might increase the already existing psychiatric disorders. Hope the reply is informative please ask questions if you need any further clarifications, i will be pleased to answer them. Dr. Manisha Gopal MD Psychiatry