Posted by linkadge on May 11, 2007, at 13:40:09
In reply to Re: NIMH on Bipolar Spectrum Disorder--YES, posted by Johann on May 11, 2007, at 12:35:37
>The Spectrum Disorder doesn't require mood >swings other than going from depression to what >can be called euthymic, or particularly >enthusiastic, states: "Bipolar without the >mania."
But what does that mean? You have a person who is periodically depressed? What depressive doesn't have better days and worse days? Many diseases follow patterns of changes in sevarity. Parkinsons disease, for instance, has periods of reduced symtpoms. MS is another example. It has periods of remission followed by periods of periods of normalacy. I really don't see how depression is any different. So now you have to be ill *all the time* in order to have depression? Nobody would say, oh you were feeling better last summer therefore you don't have MS. Lithium, (and more so depakote) have very limited antidepressant potential. We're finding out that the antidepressant effect of lamotrigine has also been greatly hyped. I really don't see why an individual whos depression periodically remits needs to endure heavy meds like lithium. Both are better antimanic agents than antidepressants. Depression is a documented side effect of treatment with depakote or tegretol in epilepsy.
My mother will shortly need dialysis because of kidney damamge from lithium. These aren't walk in the park drugs.
>I haven't found mood stabilizers (lithium and >Lamictal) to be onerous; bothersome yes, but >worth it, and no more than many ADs.Count yourself lucky. Not everyone can tollerate the side effects from lithium. My grades dopped from an A- to a D in the semester that I was on a theraputic lithium dose. They went back up after I stopped. It took me twice as long to do simple tasks.
Linkadge
poster:linkadge
thread:757178
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070509/msgs/757798.html