Posted by Pfinstegg on February 4, 2003, at 0:15:46
In reply to Re: Mifepristole (RU-486) lowers cortisol?, posted by SLS on February 3, 2003, at 20:47:15
Hi Scott..The Stanford study is now in Phase 11a, and the only report I have been able to find is a news release:
http://mednews.stanford.edu/news-releases-html/2002/augreleases/mifep
It has become so striking to me how many clear biological and neuro-endocrine markers there are for major depression, and how under-utilized they are in the treatment plans we get. I'm not sure that any of us even get anything resembling a "plan"! One article which showed how recovery from a 24-year bipolar disorder was followed by a gradual normalization of the DST, thyroid and hypofrontality emphasized the importance of biological follow-up, but it's a Japanese study!
"Recovery from neuroendocrinological abnormalities and frontal hypoperfusion after remission in a case of rapid cycling bipolar disorder" Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 1997 Aug; 51(4):207-12
A study that caught my attention was one from Tasmania (!), showing that about half the patients treated with TMS reverted to DST suppressor status. I was told by the doctor who administered TMS to me that the same rough figures apply to ECT- as well as to a wide range of medications, as you say. The study is:
"DST reversal in rTMS-treated depression" Aust NZ J Psychiatry. 1999 Apr:33 (2): 274-7
Over the past 5 months I became convinced that I wanted to search for treatment for myself which addressed the basic biological abnormalities- and all the knowledge and information on PB was a tremendous help with that. The things I have done: TMS, T3, T4, low dose estrogen, fish oil and tianeptine (a great hippocampus-protector in baby tree shrews, whose brains are very similiar to ours)- well, it is all working! There are more and more relevant articles flooding onto Medline, and I want to keep up with them, as I feel confident that excellent treatments aimed at the basic brain abnormalities are only a few years away.
Having a high 24-hour cortisol, and being a DST non-suppressor, have you considered TMS and mifepristone? If you can spare the time, and put up with all the hassles, you can get both at NIH. They do an incredibly thorough work-up, and that could set the standard for your follow-up care.
Take care- I wish you the very best
Pfinstegg
poster:Pfinstegg
thread:139015
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030130/msgs/139260.html