[novicenow]

Greetings. I'm a psychologist, not a chemist, and came to you for an objective answer to a question about SSRI antidepressants and fluoride content. I've tried finding the answer on line, but because of the controversy about these drugs, it's hard to tell which information is straight fact and which may be bent or a misunderstanding of the chemistry. I read that SSRIs contain fluorine. 1. Is fluorine the same as fluoride? 2. What is its purpose in SSRIs? 3. Whatever adverse reactions may be possible from fluoride, do the same exist for fluorine? Thank you very much for your help. Linda

[Arkcon]

This may be a tougher question to answer than you might have thought.  So I'll try to take it, point by point:

Greetings. I'm a psychologist, not a chemist, and came to you for an objective answer to a question about SSRI antidepressants and fluoride content. I've tried finding the answer on line, but because of the controversy about these drugs, it's hard to tell which information is straight fact and which may be bent or a misunderstanding of the chemistry.

Yes, I'd suspect that's so.  I'm pretty glad you came here for help, we're glad to help, and we like to put thought into our answers, so here goes.

I read that SSRIs contain fluorine.

According to the structures at the bottom of this wikipedia page, some do, but not all: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selective_serotonin_reuptake_inhibitor#List_of_agents

1. Is fluorine the same as fluoride?

Yes.  I mean. no.  I mean, what?  No not really, except for, yes.

Sorry, but your question isn't an easy one to answer.  Technically, the fluoride ion is a charged species of the element fluorine.  But fluorine -- the element in a structure above, fluoride, the ion in a crystal of sodium monofluorophosphate and fluorine gas, F2, the way the element exits when its pure have strikingly different properties.

2. What is its purpose in SSRIs?

Umm... I dunno.  And I'm not absolutely sure every pharmaceutical researcher does either.  These are the molecules that worked assays, animal models, and human clinical trials.  Now, molecular modeling, and design of drugs has been important for many years, so somebody may have designed those charged groups to be there for a particular reason, but that's not an absolute.

Your question is a little too simple for a useful answer.  You don't like the fluorine in Fluoxetine, but is Dapoxetine better?  The "O" in the ether linkage in Dapoxetine is nothing like the oxygen in the air, and the carbons in each is nothing like the carbon in diamonds or graphite.  Every one of those drugs contains benzene rings, but benzene is not used as a pharmaceutical.

3. Whatever adverse reactions may be possible from fluoride, do the same exist for fluorine? Thank you very much for your help. Linda

I suppose you would have to tell us what those are.  And how well substantiated they are.  If they're the result of a metabolic process on the drug, then its possible the end product and its effects are the same.

[novicenow]

Thank you, Arkcon, for your thoughtful response to my lay question. I appreciate your help.

Okay, regarding question 3 about possible adverse reactions to fluoride and if those would be the same with fluorine. I really don't know what those reactions are supposed to be nor how substantiated they are.

Fluoride is another compound that is generating controversy currently. Some saying it's a neuro-toxin and poisoning our water supply. My question comes from reading authors who are connecting SSRIs (esp. Prozac/fluoxetine) containing fluorine to fluoride and the damages claimed to exist from it. I'm trying to sort out fact from fiction in two heated controversies.

It is very possible my question is too naive and I hope I'm not annoyingly missing the point. It sounds like fluoride and fluorine have different properties and may have similar effects and may have different effects. So, is it safe to conclude that IF fluoride is a neuro-toxin or has some adverse effect, then theoretically fluorine could too?

Again, I'm trying to cut past political or emotional arguments and get to the chemical truth.

Thank you for having the patience and interest to answer my questions.
Linda

[Babcock_Hall]

It is not obvious to me that the fluorine in a SSRI will be converted into fluoride ion in the body at an appreciable rate.  I would not rule it out either, and I hasten to add that metabolism of these compounds is not an area that I have studied.

The use of fluoride ion in water is controversial.  Many years ago Bette Hileman wrote a special report “Fluoridation of Water” for Chemical and Engineering News (Aug. 1, page 26) that might be a good place to start:  http://fluoridealert.org/articles/hileman/

[novicenow]

Babcock, thank you for your comment and the link to the "Fluoridation of Water" report (very interesting). Linda