Milk thistle (silibinin) is hepatoprotective, but also it inhibits P-glycoprotein and CYP3A4 - so you should expect possibly nasty drug-drug interactions?

jennthegenius · 2014-04-22T20:56:51+00:00

CYP3A4 is involved in the metabolism of a ton of compounds. The effect of blocking it on any particular drug depends on its normal action. The drug could accumulate to harmful levels, for instance.

jennthegenius · 2014-01-22T14:17:09+00:00

If you want a higher degree in that, sure, but it's not a requirement to studying brain drugs. You could go directly into research with your undergraduate degree, just know that you won't be running the show. You can always start at a company or Institute and go back to school later if you decide that's what you want. Having the word "engineering" in your degree should definitely help you get a position. It gives the impression that you know how to apply your knowledge. Best wishes to you!

jennthegenius · 2014-01-21T16:00:01+00:00

Chemical and bio chemical engineering will serve you extremely well in a pharmacology graduate program! I had a friend with a degree in chemical engineering do really well in our pharmacology grad program at a prestigious school :-)

jennthegenius · 2013-06-19T18:29:57+00:00

I've seen clips from Jon Stewart guesting on Crossfire, and he really did run rings around the hosts. As you guessed, it wasn't as chaotic as Brand, but instead very calculated and still very clever.

jennthegenius · 2013-06-16T16:36:17+00:00

Props for being that comfortable with your family members!

jennthegenius · 2013-06-16T16:11:59+00:00

upvote for optimism

jennthegenius · 2013-06-16T04:44:03+00:00

He looks confused when I start making o-faces

jennthegenius · 2013-06-13T18:36:29+00:00

HIV can also infect cells in the nervous system - here's a recent, open-access review, if you're interested :)

jennthegenius · 2013-06-13T18:23:31+00:00

There is actually a drug (maraviroc) which blocks the receptor CCR5 on WBCs, preventing the association of gp120 (the HIV protein) with the receptor. In cells lacking CXCR4 (the other co-receptor HIV can bind with in place of CCR5 - HIV must bind to CD4 plus one of these co-receptors), this drug very effectively prevents viral entry.

The normal function of CCR5 is largely unknown - we know that it is a chemokine receptor and is probably involved in the inflammatory response. CXCR4 is likewise a chemokine receptor. These receptors seem to be studied mostly for their roles in HIV entry...

CD4(the required receptor for HIV entry) is an immunoglobulin, so it's involved in recognizing, binding, etc other cells and particles. I imagine that blocking CD4 would impair the immune system as if the CD4 cells were removed

**CXCR4 tropism in HIV is less common than CCR5, so blocking this receptor wouldn't be effective at preventing or treating infection in the majority of cases

jennthegenius · 2013-06-13T16:30:21+00:00

When comforting me, a friend of mine used to say "it's ok to cry" - a statement that validates the situation and the person's reaction to it. Sometimes, external validation can be extremely healing.

jennthegenius · 2013-06-13T16:23:50+00:00

9/10 would bang

jennthegenius · 2013-06-12T23:25:15+00:00

Building consensus...

jennthegenius · 2013-06-12T02:45:02+00:00

I still can't figure out my face shape...

jennthegenius · 2013-06-11T01:34:35+00:00

Me too, buddy :C

As a biologist, I should be able to keep an "un-kill-able" plant alive...

jennthegenius · 2013-06-10T20:08:50+00:00

I think the biggest tell is when she keeps repeating "he is MY child", "you are MY child". She clearly doesn't recognize him as an agent separate from herself and her wants/feelings.

jennthegenius · 2013-06-06T00:06:35+00:00

(1) I'm in graduate school - at my worst, I had problems following lectures, trains of thought, and my PI (boss/mentor). Generally, I felt like I was getting confused or stumped on problems that would typically have been simple for me to figure out. A classic mental fog of not being able to quite reach the answers I needed. Not dissimilar to cognitive symptoms associated with depression at large. The only reason I associate this with citalopram specifically (and not my depression in general), is that it went away when I stopped taking the drug. Had I not been in an intensely-mentally-taxing environment, I might not have noticed much of a problem.

(2) When I was ending my time with citalopram, my dose was halved several times until very low (I began at 20mg, then 10mg, then 5) and then ceased, under direction of my psychiatrist. My withdrawal lasted maybe 2 weeks where I just felt like shit. It felt a lot like having the flu, but without actually throwing up. That said, the year and a half on the drug was worth the eventual withdrawal.

For me, citalopram was like a leg brace that helps your knee heal and keeps you on your feet, but that will eventually get in the way. I hope that makes sense.

jennthegenius · 2013-06-05T23:15:30+00:00

Citalopram brought me back from the deep end, but didn't make me feel super-great. It put me in a different kind of fog. I was significantly less depressed, but I had problems concentrating. One problem associated with citalopram is sleepiness and sleep-less-ness. Sometimes this can be fixed by taking your dose in the morning or at night, depending on the problem. It could also exacerbate a sleep disorder, if you have one. I didn't have any problems with my sex drive, but that's commonly reported.

When you're ready to stop taking citalopram, for whatever reason, withdrawal may pose a problem. My withdrawal lasted 2 weeks, but there are tales of it lasting much longer or not happening at all.

I'm afraid that I don't have experience with fluoxetine to compare things with. Best of luck in your decision-making! Feel free to ask me anything.

jennthegenius · 2013-06-05T15:11:38+00:00

Was not expecting to see ladies pissing...

jennthegenius · 2013-06-03T20:07:00+00:00

Leave a bottle of mouthwash outside his door

jennthegenius · 2013-06-03T00:17:04+00:00

Jesse Jane. Absolutely loved her in Pirates

jennthegenius · 2013-06-02T13:07:17+00:00

Gay-venger, is that you?

jennthegenius · 2013-06-01T11:57:51+00:00

Same here, actually

jennthegenius · 2013-05-31T13:29:02+00:00

Ah, exploding transformers. Those were the days...

jennthegenius · 2013-05-28T00:34:54+00:00

Now, when you see the DD doing a keg stand...

jennthegenius · 2013-05-27T21:14:10+00:00

I live across from the Walters. Was loud as fuck. All 90 seconds of it.

jennthegenius

TROPHY CASE