Posted by uncouth on October 23, 2011, at 8:56:58
In reply to Re: opiates and major depression » safire4hope, posted by floatingbridge on October 23, 2011, at 8:24:43
I'm glad this thread is going. I have been looking into bupe. myself over the past few months. And I think I actually ordered some a long long time ago when I was in the worst of my horrible depression, suicidal, in 2009, when ECT didn't work. But I'm not sure I ever used them...
Anyway, I am in the process of contacting a few doctors in my area. I am not expecting much at all but will let you know at the minimum what they say.
I am wondering though, does anyone know the biology behind the opioid receptors in relationship to the other theories about depression? I mean, I get that opioids modulate pain and pleasure, but that's not the only thing wrong in depression. How does kappa antagonism, or mu agonism, or whatever, relate to the other theories behind depression or bipolar depression such as:
- monamine hypothesis
- glutamate overactivity at NMDA receptors
- increased oxidative stress and dendridit atrophy
- stress-related hippocampal atrophy
- sleep
= hormonal imbalance
- ketamine's rapid impact on depressionI mean I get that there is not one master key to fit the lock, but it seems crazy that bupe is working for even the sickest patients, who must be in a ton of pain, and seemingly fully resolving all the other symptoms. Is that true? Is it helping motivation, pleasure, positive affect, instead of just helping numb negative affect?
What are the hypotheses for the more dynamic effects that opioids have in the brain in terms of end results and neurogenesis, monamine regulation, etc....or perhaps the feelings of pleasure and numbing of pain sort of make life worth living again, and the normal parts of life that we all need to feel good are more easily attainable when one is not in a state of severe pain or severe angst or emptiness or existential despair, etc.
All I know is that when I was at my sickest, in 2009, when ECT didnt work and I wanted to die, and was actively making plans to kill myself, it is totally unconsciousable that I wasn't given opioids at that time if they could have helped. Unfortunately I wans't int eh right mind to think about that.
Uncouth
poster:uncouth
thread:81414
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20111016/msgs/1000587.html