Posted by BarbaraCat on July 14, 2004, at 15:13:50
In reply to Re: Seroquel - nope, posted by katia on July 14, 2004, at 13:07:29
> I wonder if the histamine increase can have opposite effects in one person whether they are depressed or manic??
**Good question. There are conditions called 'histadelia' (too much histimine) and 'histanemia' (too little) which are coming to light in mood disorders, apparently due to an inability to property metabolize the amino acid histadine. Histamine levels affect everyone, but not as dramatically as in someone with a metabolic defect. Histamine is a neurotransmitter, just not as well known as the other three. The question would be to measure these levels during an up/down phase in bipolars.
There are also different histamine receptors that affect things a little differently. The sleepy quality in trazodone, for instance, is supposedly due to histamine release. I was on traz for years and it put me to sleep. Even though I had the morning woozies from it, I never had the bad depression symtpoms like I got from Seroquel. So I guess it depends on which histamine receptor is getting hit. But don't take this as Gospel, Katia. It's mainly my own theory, helped by Scientist, about what might have caused such dramatic symptoms in me and another babbler. I merely put 2 and 2 together from what I know about histamine causing depression and the monographs that state that Seroquel strongly hits histamine receptors.
What's interesting is that you and I have such different reactions to lithium. I love it and you were zombiefied. You do OK on Seroquel and I hated it. Strange. I have an appointment next week with an MD who specializes in these more exotic areas of physical and mood disorders. I'm really jazzed and hope to God something comes to light. Of course I'll let you know how it goes. - Barbara
poster:BarbaraCat
thread:9730
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040714/msgs/366146.html