Posted by Emme on August 17, 2004, at 16:36:55
In reply to Re: immune system/ depression » Emme, posted by Larry Hoover on August 14, 2004, at 19:45:46
Hi Lar,
Thanks for your response.
> There is a theory that suggests that possibility. Because interferon induces changes in brain chemistry identical to those seen in depression, and both have similar response to antidepressive agents, it has been argued that the former is merely an artificial or iatrogenic form of the latter.
Interesting.
> Your experience with interferon may have "primed" your body to be more vulnerable to depressive stressors at a later time.
Well, it wasn't exactly "later". I'd had anxiety and depression problems in the past, but hadn't had any treatment. At the time I had the interferon, I was trying to finish my dissertation. It seemd logical that the psychological burden of the medical treatment plus the dissertation would make me depressed and anxious. I slid into a clinical depression before the end of the interferon treatment, but no one linked it *directly* to the effects of the interferon. I wish someone had at least considered it.
I've long wondered if the interferon, as you said, "primed" my system and it's never been turned off. Would that be considered a form of kindling? No way to prove it of course - just a sneaking suspicion. Anyway, I clearly had the vulnerability plus plenty of external stressors.
Interestingly, I also had the mother of all anxiety attacks during the treatment - hit me violently one day and I had to be taken to student health center. I physically felt the effects for days. Again, we thought it was stress. I think it was the drug.
> Interferon treatment induces tryptophan stress, by more than one mechanism. The effect is to create a systemic deficiency in serotonin.
Well, I definitely had a great response to Paxil at that time. (Have become bipolarish since then)
> The obvious intervention would be tryptophan supplementation, but nicotinamide would also be a useful adjunct, as one pathway which contributes to the tryptophan deficit is the enhanced conversion of tryptophan to what eventually becomes NADH (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide).
I was underwhelmed by tryptophan, although I might consider another trial at some point. I haven't heard of nicotinamide. I'll read about it a bit.
> > I know fish oil does this.
>
> Yes, it does.I've got to get disciplined and take it again. sigh.
> You might want to consider ginkgo biloba. It downregulates a number of genes which are implicated in inflammatory reactions.
I can try that. Are there any side effects or medication interactions to worry about? Will it make me very smart? :)
Thanks,
Emme
poster:Emme
thread:375393
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20040815/msgs/378818.html