Posted by SLS on February 2, 2006, at 7:48:39
In reply to Re: Metyrapone - Has anyone tried this?, posted by blueberry on February 2, 2006, at 5:22:05
Do the adrenal glands become exhausted in Cushings disease?
To the best of my knowledge, it is still generally accepted that hypercortisolemia is one of the most consistent biological findings in melancholic, psychotic, and bipolar depression whereas atypical depression often involves hypocortisolemia. It might be a function of severity of depression and the presence of anxiety.
These are the sort of findings that attracted me to trying antiglucocorticoid therapies.
Just for the hell of it, I tried taking dexamethasone for four days to see if it might not reduce the tone of the HPA axis. It didn't seem to ameliorate my depression.
Perhaps HPA activation is a state-specific condition that is the result of, and not the cause of, depression. Or perhaps it plays some role in the perpetuation of depression, leaving some people treatment-resistant to standard antidepressant therapies.
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:605287
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060129/msgs/605407.html