Scott explores how antibiotics and antiprotozoal drugs unexpectedly affect mental health, suggesting that random chemicals may frequently influence mental processes.
Longer summary
Scott Alexander discusses how antibiotics and antiprotozoal drugs can have unexpected psychiatric effects, using examples like suramin for autism, minocycline for schizophrenia, iproniazid for depression, and cycloserine for anxiety disorders. He argues that this phenomenon suggests random chemicals may often affect mental processes, implying that base rates for psychiatric effects of drugs might be higher than commonly assumed. The post starts with recent research on suramin, moves through historical examples, and concludes with reflections on the implications for drug discovery and toxicity claims in psychiatry.
Shorter summary