Posted by Pfinstegg on February 3, 2003, at 18:36:32
In reply to Re: Mifepristole (RU-486) lowers cortisol?, posted by SLS on February 3, 2003, at 15:04:47
My understanding of how mefipristone works is somewhat different from yours. In the original study at Stanford, in which the patients had psychotic depressions and elevated 24-hour cortisols prior to treatment, the results, in about 60% of the patients, was a lowering of the cortisol levels to normal after 7 days of treatment- this was accompanied by a dramatic improvement in depressive symptoms. Mefipristone is thought to block the cortisol from continuing to damage the hippocampus; thus, while you may have more intercellular cortisol in the brain during the week of treatment, you are also allowing the hippocampus to physically recover- regaining normal size and blood flow, and increasing the number of receptors.
Then, according to my understanding, the mefipristone is stopped; patients who have been successfully treated are now able to re-establish a normal feed-back loop, so that the hippocampal receptors for cortisol can carry out normal uptake, and shut down the over-production of CRH by the hypothalamus- thus re-establishing HPA regulation.
Mefipristone is meant to be a brief treatment, allowing the hippocampus to regain more normal functioning. The thought is that after that, on-going treatment with ADs will be more effective- more, and more normal, receptors to deal with!
Pfinstegg
poster:Pfinstegg
thread:139015
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030130/msgs/139173.html