Posted by Barbara Cat on June 5, 2003, at 1:16:36
In reply to Re: Cortisol and DHEA Balance » Barbara Cat, posted by Ritch on June 4, 2003, at 9:55:33
That's pretty interesting. When you get more hits about it,I'd be real interested in hearing them. I feel that bipolar is an electrical dysfunction rather than chemical. Something is aggravating the excitatory potential or NMDA. It could be a neurotoxin ingested like aspartame. I also feel that there's a malfunction in the off switch like you mentioned. Perhaps dopamine is getting pumped out like crazy. There's definitely that phase of hyperfocus and energy that's like amphetamines. It feels great but it spins further out of control. The only way from there is a massive burn out crash, maybe serotonin gets clobbered by dopamine. But that suggests a chemical thing and bipolar isn't helped by SSRIs in the least. Oh well, speculation is fun.
> Oh, the "theory" I was thinking of doesn't involve the neuro-endocrine system directly. I was thinking of an information processing theory to explain mood swings that involves how the brain processes sense-data and utilizes memory. It seems that bipolar for me is an "energy-management" problem (as one poster put it). Also, the ease with which your brain can get tangential with thoughts when you are manic and how you can also get hyperfocused and productive tells me there is some kind of "hyper-associativity" that has to involve memory/retrieval. Somehow that state needs to be self-limiting for some reason. I liken it to series of "phantom processes" that are running simultaneously putting a demand on your memory resources, until it gets "used up" somehow. When that happens you "crash" and experience memory problems and cognitive deficits until the process "rights itself" or reaches a new equilibrium. Just speculating! :)
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> > I'd like to hear about your neuro-endocrine information processing theory. Having been a programmer and sytems analyst I would probably find it relevant. I've doing much research on reproductive hormones, wanting to understand and be proactive in my menopausal care. It's pretty amazing, the stuff we never hear about. Such as estrogen, in men and women, being crucial in the serotonin cascade. Progesterone as a GABA agonist, with insufficiency causing classic anxiety and panic disorder symptoms. The necessity of estrogen to 'prime' testosterone receptors. And then there's thyroid, which is affected by estrogen and on and on ad infinitum. So much to know. What's frustrating is that psych and endocrine specialists are obviously not communicating to each other. When I mention such things to my various docs they look mildly interested and and say things like 'hmmm, really?'.
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> > > Yep, I feel certain that it is a neuro-endocrine problem at bottom and that further research into the hormonal "transmitters" associated with the neuro-endocrine system will reveal a mechanism that links it. Anytime they find something that works (a med), there ultimately (with enough time) is a very, very complex cascade of mechanisms going on in the background to account for it. I've got an information processing theory about it-but I think that even that is linked to the neuroendocrine system somehow.
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> > > > Thanks for mentioning that about men. My husband has been taking it and he's over 40. I've also noticed that when I'm revving my skin is oilier. Interesting. That makes me think maybe there's something going on hormonally that's affecting our nervous system. One good thing I can say about oily skin. I've had it all my life and am finally glad I did. I'm in my early 50's and have no wrinkles. Oh, the occasional zit now and then, but hey, it's a fair trade.
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> > > > > >.... Too much DHEA can exacerbate anger, irritability, manic symptoms. The oily acne prone skin is not fun either. Not saying don't take them, but please have great respect for any hormone or hormonal precursor. It's too easy to mis-dose and effects are potent and can throw off your entire hormonal system - BarbaraCat.
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> > > > > Barb, it's interesting that you posted that. I tried some DHEA once (just a "standard" dose), and I got rather irritable and wacky on it. Also, I've always had troubles with acne breakouts and very oily skin. Wondering if I will have acne in my 60's! It seems to be worse when I'm experiencing manic symptoms... BTW, my endo didn't recommend DHEA supps in men over 40-he said there was an increased risk of prostate cancer.
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poster:Barbara Cat
thread:215282
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030604/msgs/231546.html