SNaDRI -
Selective Noradrenaline and Dopamine Reuptake Inhibitor
(Wiki)
Also
referred to as a Selective Noradrenaline/Dopamine Reuptake
Inhibitor (SNDRI)
Please note:
Dosage equivalents are provided for certain drugs below and
are denoted as unit equivalents, i.e. one unit of drug x is
roughly the equivalent as one unit of drug y, where the
dosage equal to one unit varies.
SNaDRI drugs specifically inhibit the reuptake of
the monoamine neurotransmitters noradrenaline, which is also (internationally) referred to as norepinephrine, (the former being a
specifically British term) and dopamine. In doing so they increase the amount
both of noradrenaline and dopamine available to the brain.
Amineptine
(Wiki)
Brand names:
Maneon®, Survector®
Formula: C22H28NO2
Half life: ~ 48 minutes
Single unit dose: Unknown
Recommended outpatient dose: 100mg per day
[Not
Verified]
Maximum outpatient dose: 200mg per day
[Not
Verified]
Amineptine is in fact a tricyclic antidepressant, but can also be classified as
an SNaDRI as it essentially leaves
serotonin alone and has an atypical side effect
profile as far as tricyclics go. It primarily inhibits the reuptake
of dopamine and to a lesser extent
noradrenaline as well; at higher doses it even
promotes the release of dopamine. It exerts a particularly powerful
and fast acting antidepressant effect on the patient concerned and
acts as a stimulant, making it particularly suitable
for melancholic depressive states. Due to its mode of
action, amineptine was also useful in treating
Parkinson's Disease.
It was introduced in 1978 and fast gained a bad reputation;
although its beneficial properties are marked, it has a
high capacity for abuse. Although the antidepressive effect took about a week to take hold
when first started, the stimulant effect works pretty much out of the
box. Although the risk of addiction is low, it is nevertheless present;
women seem to be more susceptible than men.
As a result of this capacity for abuse, the drug was suspended in many countries in
1999 and largely ceased production worldwide in 2005,
having gone out of patent; as a result, the
medication is hard to obtain. Common side effects
include sexual stimulation and an increased quality of
sleep, which is odd seeing as the
drug is stimulant.
Bupropion
(Amfebutamone) (Wiki)
Brand names:
Odranal®, Quomen®, Wellbutrin®, Zyban®
Formula: C13H18ClNO
Half life: ~ 20 hours
Single unit dose: Uknown
Recommended outpatient dose: 200mg per day
[Verified]
Maximum outpatient dose: 450mg per day
[Verified]
No. 9 most prescribed antidepressant, 2005
No. 4 most prescribed antidepressant in USA,
2006
Amfebutamone (usually referred to as
Bupropion) exerts a stimulant effect on patients, making it useful
against melancholic strains of depression. Structually, it is similar to the
stimulant cathinone. It is particularly useful in aiding
smokers to kick the habit. It was first synthesised in 1966 and
was then patented eight years later, in 1974. In 1989 it
was marketed under the brand name Wellbutrin® but was pulled from the market soon
after due to a significant risk of seizures when compared to most other
antidepressants; the risk was as much as 400% that of
rival drugs. It was also found to have a
potential for abuse.
Subsequently, the medication was reviewed. It was found that
reduced dosages dropped the risk of seizures significantly, making it comparable to
most antidepressants; it was also reformulated to
distribute the active ingredient more evenly over an
extended period of time, further reducing risks.
However, patients with conditions that may result
in seizures should be carefully assessed before
receiving amfebutamone therapy.
Currently the drug is being considered for use as
a sexual stimulant in women (and to a lesser extent men),
a prevention against Seasonal Affective
Disorder, a
remedy to Restless Leg Syndrome and as a weight loss drug (making it unsuitable for use
in anorexic patients). Despite the classification
(as an SNaDRI) amfebutamone does have an effect on
serotonin levels, albeit a statistically
insignificant one.
The most common side effects are constipation (26% chance), weight loss (23.2% chance), nausea and/or vomiting (22.9% chance), dizziness (22.3% chance), agitation (22.2%
chance) and headaches and/or migraines (22.2% chance).
This drug is not licenced as an antidepressant in the United Kingdom due to large volumes of reported side
effects, many of which were serious. At its peak the
drug accounted for one in four (25%) of all
yellow card reports (a system by which side effects
to medications may be registered by members of the
public), a staggering amount. It was connected to an
elevated risk of suicide and severe (sometimes
permanent) psychological illnesses including psychosis; it was also linked to
strokes and allegedly to cardiovascular afflictions, although the links are anything but
decisive. It is also worth mentioning that
Bupropion is very unlikely to trigger
mania in biploar disorders; the drug also doesn't mix well with
NARI medications or medications that alter in part the
monoamine neurotransmitter noradrenaline.
Radafaxine
(Wiki)
Brand names:
None known
Formula: C13H18ClNO2
Half life: Unknown
Single unit dose: Unknown
Recommended outpatient dose: Unknown
Maximum outpatient dose: Unknown
Although similar
to Bupropion, Radafaxine shows a greater potency on
noradrenaline; this may account for the
drug's superior effect on pain and fatigue. Radafaxine has a very low capacity for abuse.
This drug is currently under research.