SSRIs

Question:

any info would be great.

Response:

>any info would be great.

I lost the URL but I read about the experience on alt.drugs. There is an industrial solvent which is converted to GHB by the liver. The author of the alt.drugs account used it for over a year and eventually it messed up his body so bad he dumped his 20-liter supply down the drain. Although converted to GHB the experience was very different.  Soon he began to notice serious side-effects, including cloudy urine which indicates kidney distress.  Of course there is no scientific study on this chemical’s effect on the body, I believe that it probably causes serious liver, kidney, and brain damage. Stick to LSD. headcase

Response:

>Not really, my advice would be to NOT take GHB. Stay away from any kind of >illegal street drugs, booze, etc. >The SSRIs didnt work for you Tore? What is your diagnosis? Major depression? >Bipolar? OCD? Anxiety problems like panic? What? You must let us know what your >diagnosis is so suggestions can be made for you dude. >Eric >http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FactsAndFallaciesOfDepression >FIDO…Fuck It Drive On

Yes, even though I believe we have a right to put in our body’s what we wish, I think the GHB may not be an answer. I have been doing *a lot* of reading of entire books on *living* with various antidepressants. I am thinking of posting a website for support and scientific valid information on not only *good* use of the a.d’s, but the "proper" and "effective" augmentation strategies, and *why* you MUST be aggressive and demand a shot at  many of the proven augmentation methods from your doc if your one med isn’t working.  (For example…going a fair bit over a ‘labled’ dose, or using only a small amount, that a doctor may excuse as not being of any use.) If your doc won’t help you, fire them, and move on. Be *well* prepared. I also don’t want to sound nasty, but I highly recommend *completely forgetting* any of this ‘alternative’ suppliment garbage. You shouldn’t and are unwise to treat yourself with some of the popular methods..like ‘St. Johns Wort’ or ‘SAM-e’. In fact, you are *putting yourself at a danger* by not getting *EFFECTIVE* treatment and settling for some very weak and problemetic characteristics of these other ‘natural’ suppliments. As a comparrison…they are NO more natural the the med Lithium, a salt. From the literature, Lithium is not useful for all cases of depression, but I wouldn’t be surprised if even you tried Lithium rather then these other meds, you would find it still more effective. The *other* hardest part is that you have to let go of most of your old self…trash it. You gotta make changes involving people in your life, and how you treat yourself. I’ll post some more latter on…but you deserve the best, and should settle for nothing less. Jay

Response:

Question:

> I’m going to add welbutrin to a low dose of tofranil.  Will I be gaining > weight? > Suzy

You will grow hair on your feets! Get all hyped up – and then they put you on SSRIs and you become all messed up!

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->> I’m going to add wellbutrin to a low dose of tofranil.  Will I be gaining >> weight? >> Suey >You will grow hair on your feats! >Get all hyped up – and then they put you on SSRIs and you become all messed >up! > No, she’ll just have seizures..

Yes… like my ex-wife and now a *documented* Child abuser and psychiatrist, Ingrid Eve Runden, MD. > Seriously though yes you may lose weight on Wellbutrin.

Runden did.. > Another > reason that I am upset with my current pdoc is that Anorexia can be > caused or set off by Wellbutrin and Wellbutrin should not be given to > anorexics.

You should have told that to Psychiatrist Runden. > I was quickly approaching anorexia and my pdoc was aware of that when > he prescribed Wellbutrin for me. > To make matters worse he had me take Wellbutrin for over a year and I > would still be on it if he had his way.  The new pdoc that I had a > consultation with last week and the majority of pdocs feel that > someone with bipolar should not take an anti depressants for more than > a few weeks!

Hmm… was Runden bipolar? Nope.. not at first anyway.. Just "depressed" – she started on Wellbutrin, then "did the rounds" of everything…. Standard… I should post the "family medical history" and ALL THE SCRIPTS "for the family" – nearly ALL OF IT WAS HER… > u

http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&safe=off&ic=1&th=77c90bd999… seekd=947843002#947843002

Response:

grow up you sorry ass excuse for a human – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I’m going to add welbutrin to a low dose of tofranil.  Will I be gaining > weight? > Suzy > You will grow hair on your feets! > Get all hyped up – and then they put you on SSRIs and you become all messed > up!

Response:

Question:

Has anyone had any success trying high doses of folate/folic acid as a supplement to Prozac/other SSRIs? FOLIC ACID SUPPLEMENTS FOR DEPRESSION A November 2000 study shows that folic acid supplements are a simple way to greatly improving the antidepressant action of fluoxetine (Prozac) and probably other antidepressants. In addition to improving the effectiveness of fluoxetine, folic acid supplements also greatly reduced the side effects of fluoxetine. This study concludes that folic acid levels used should be sufficient to decrease plasma homocysteine and that men require a higher dose of folic acid to achieve this than do women. Coppen & Bailey (2000) Enhancement of the antidepressant action of fluoxetine by folic acid: a randomized, placebo controlled trial. Journal of Affective Disorders 60, p121-130

Response:

>Has anyone had any success trying high doses of folate/folic acid as a >supplement to Prozac/other SSRIs?

I haven’t used them for depression, but my folate level (along with B12) is one of the things that my pdoc screened for the first time he saw me.  And when my depression recently got worse again, he got another level, because he said that anticonvulsants, which I take for bipolar, often decrease folate levels.  However, mine was fine.  But I do take B-complex. Emily – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->FOLIC ACID SUPPLEMENTS FOR DEPRESSION >A November 2000 study shows that folic acid supplements are a simple way to >greatly improving the antidepressant action of fluoxetine (Prozac) and >probably other antidepressants. In addition to improving the effectiveness >of fluoxetine, folic acid supplements also greatly reduced the side effects >of fluoxetine. This study concludes that folic acid levels used should be >sufficient to decrease plasma homocysteine and that men require a higher >dose of folic acid to achieve this than do women. >Coppen & Bailey (2000) Enhancement of the antidepressant action of >fluoxetine by folic acid: a randomized, placebo controlled trial. Journal of >Affective Disorders 60, p121-130

Response:

I’m not familiar with use of folic acid.  But I do know women respond better to different B vitamins than men do.  B-6 is one that most women find very effective. Christina

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Has anyone had any success trying high doses of folate/folic acid as a > supplement to Prozac/other SSRIs? > FOLIC ACID SUPPLEMENTS FOR DEPRESSION > A November 2000 study shows that folic acid supplements are a simple way to > greatly improving the antidepressant action of fluoxetine (Prozac) and > probably other antidepressants. In addition to improving the effectiveness > of fluoxetine, folic acid supplements also greatly reduced the side effects > of fluoxetine. This study concludes that folic acid levels used should be > sufficient to decrease plasma homocysteine and that men require a higher > dose of folic acid to achieve this than do women. > Coppen & Bailey (2000) Enhancement of the antidepressant action of > fluoxetine by folic acid: a randomized, placebo controlled trial. Journal of > Affective Disorders 60, p121-130

Response:

mental case! Who has as she put it, "a delicate mental condition!" Do not listen to this piece of shit! She’s a mental case! All fucked up in the head! A piece of shit! – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I’m not familiar with use of folic acid.  But I do know women respond better > to different B vitamins than men do.  B-6 is one that most women find very > effective. > Christina > Has anyone had any success trying high doses of folate/folic acid as a > supplement to Prozac/other SSRIs? > FOLIC ACID SUPPLEMENTS FOR DEPRESSION > A November 2000 study shows that folic acid supplements are a simple way > to > greatly improving the antidepressant action of fluoxetine (Prozac) and > probably other antidepressants. In addition to improving the effectiveness > of fluoxetine, folic acid supplements also greatly reduced the side > effects > of fluoxetine. This study concludes that folic acid levels used should be > sufficient to decrease plasma homocysteine and that men require a higher > dose of folic acid to achieve this than do women. > Coppen & Bailey (2000) Enhancement of the antidepressant action of > fluoxetine by folic acid: a randomized, placebo controlled trial. Journal > of > Affective Disorders 60, p121-130

Response:

I don’t know the ideal dose of folate supplementation.  It looks like 500 microgram of folate per day is sufficient for most women, according to the trial (below), with men requiring more. Folate is usually sold by pharmacists in tablets of around 500 microgram — typically taken once daily by women (for pregnancy/menstruation).  But it’s also sold by pharmacies in 5 milligram tablets, which is 10X that dose. There are no adverse effects from taking a high dose of folate in a healthy person — it’s a water-soluble vitamin. So men could probably do with taking that sort of dose (5 mg) daily. Enhancement of the antidepressant action of fluoxetine by folic acid: a randomised, placebo controlled trial. Coppen A, Bailey J MRC Neuropsychiatry Laboratory, West Park Hospital, KT19 8PB, Surrey, Epsom, UK. BACKGROUND: A consistent finding in major depression has been a low plasma and red cell folate which has also been linked to poor response to antidepressants. The present investigation was designed to investigate whether the co-administration of folic acid would enhance the antidepressant action of fluoxetine. METHODS: 127 patients were randomly assigned to receive either 500 microg folic acid or an identical looking placebo in addition to 20 mg fluoxetine daily. All patients met the DSM-III-R criteria for major depression and had a baseline Hamilton Rating Scale (17 item version) score for depression of 20 or more. Baseline and 10-week estimations of plasma folate and homocysteine were carried out. RESULTS: Patients receiving folate showed a significant increase in plasma folate.This was less in men than in women. Plasma homocysteine was significantly decreased in women by 20.6%, but there was no significant change in men. Overall there was a significantly greater improvement in the fluoxetine plus folic acid group. This was confined to women where the mean Hamilton Rating Scale score on completion was 6.8 (S.D. 4. 1) in the fluoxetine plus folate group, as compared to 11.7 (S.D. 6. 7) in the fluoxetine plus placebo group (P<0.001).A percentage of 93. 9 of women, who received the folic acid supplement, showed a good response (>50% reduction in score) as compared to 61.1% of women who received placebo supplement (P<0.005). Eight (12.9%) patients in the fluoxetine plus folic acid group reported symptoms possibly or probably related to medication, whereas in the fluoxetine plus placebo group 19 (29.7%) patients reported such symptoms (P<0.05). LIMITATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS: Folic acid is a simple method of greatly improving the antidepressant action of fluoxetine and probably other antidepressants. Folic acid should be given in doses sufficient to decrease plasma homocysteine. Men require a higher dose of folic acid to achieve this than women, but more work is required to ascertain the optimum dose of folic acid. J Affective Disorders 2000 Nov;60(2):121-30

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I used to take a B-100 capsule everyday and when I did that I noticed I would > get a very mildly better antidepressant response from my meds. It was nothing > spectacular but I noticed a slight improvement. I never tried supplementing > with higher doses than that. > How much folate is needed for AD supplementation do you know? > Eric

Response:

> Folate is usually sold by pharmacists in tablets of around 500 microgram — > typically taken once daily by women (for pregnancy/menstruation).  But it’s > So men could probably do with taking that sort of dose (5 mg) daily. > Enhancement of the antidepressant action of fluoxetine by folic acid: a > randomised, placebo controlled trial.

Yeah the ideal dose of folate is a mystery to me too.  I’d like to thank whoever posted the original reference.  I chow down 10 or more 400 mcg folates whenever I remember; I’d like to take a higher dose supplement but for some reason the federal legislature thought they could be better health care providers than doctors and limited pill forms to that amount. Andy

Response:

>Yeah the ideal dose of folate is a mystery to me too.  I’d like to thank >whoever posted the original reference.  I chow down 10 or more 400 mcg >folates whenever I remember; I’d like to take a higher dose supplement but >for some reason the federal legislature thought they could be better >health care providers than doctors and limited pill forms to that amount.

Andy, The amount you’re taking is a huge overdose and can be harmful! Please, cut it down to 1000 or maybe 1500 mcg at most. Here’s an abstract that should be of interest (emphasis added): Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 1989;13(6):841-63 Folic acid and psychopathology. Young SN, Ghadirian AM Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. 1. The incidence of folic acid deficiency is high in patients with various psychiatric disorders including depression, dementia and schizophrenia. 2. In epileptics on anticonvulsants, folate deficiency often occurs because anticonvulsants inhibit folate absorption. In these patients folate deficiency is often associated with psychiatric symptoms. 3. In medical patients psychiatric symptoms occur more frequently, and in psychiatric patients symptoms are more severe, in those with folate deficiency than in those with normal levels. 4. Many open studies have demonstrated therapeutic effects of folate administration on psychiatric symptoms in folate deficient patients. 5. SEVERAL PLACEBO-CONTROLLED STUDIES HAVE NOT DEMONSTRATED THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS, POSSIBLY BECAUSE THE DOSES THEY USED (15-20 mg/day) ARE KNOW TO BE TOXIC AND TO CAUSE MENTAL SYMPTOMS. 6. Two placebo-controlled studies have demonstrated beneficial effects of folic acid administration, one in patients with a syndrome of psychiatric and neuropsychological changes associated with folate deficiency and the other in patients on long-term lithium therapy. In the latter study the dose was only 0.2 mg/day. 7. Folic acid deficiency is known to lower brain S-adenosylmethionine and 5-hydroxytryptamine. S-Adenosylmethionine, which has antidepressant properties, raises brain 5-hydroxytryptamine. Thus, depression associated with folate deficiency is probably related to low brain 5HT. 8. S-Adenosylmethionine is involved in many methylation reactions, including methylation of membrane phospholipids, which influences membrane properties. This may explain the wide variety of symptoms associated with folate deficiency. 9. Because the costs and risks associated with low doses of folic acid (up to 0.5 mg/day) are small, folic acid should be given as an adjunct in the treatment of patients with unipolar or bipolar affective disorders and anorexia, epileptics on anticonvulsants, geriatric patients with mental symptoms and patients with gastrointestinal disorders who exhibit psychiatric symptoms. 10. Although the majority of the patients listed above will probably not be helped by folic acid therapy, a significant minority are likely to have folate-responsive symptoms. good to "see" you <g>, -elizabeth

Response:

Some studies have shown that people who are nonresponsive to SSRIs, in particular, tend to improve with folate — that folate deficiency is what keeps them from responding to the ADs. As many as 2/5 of patients with major depression may be folate deficient (probably more like 1/4). Men appear to require higher doses than women. In general, around 500-1000 mcg is probably adequate for anyone with a folate deficiency. (That’s *micrograms*, not milligrams (the equivalent in mg is 0.5-1000 mg). Don’t take 5 mg of folic acid! It can be toxic.) I think most folate supplements you can get in drug stores over the counter are 400mcg (0.4mg); my dad takes a 1mg supplement by prescription (he has well-controlled heart disease, thanks to meds, surgery, dietary changes, and exercise). I don’t think it works terribly well except in people who are deficient in folate so you shouldn’t expect miracles if your folate levels are normal. BTW, this might be a first step in explaining the connection between depression and cardiovascular disease. That’s pretty cool. Here’s an abstract that explains a little about the current theories regarding folate and depression: Nutr Rev 1996 Dec;54(12):382-90 Folate, vitamin B12, and neuropsychiatric disorders. Bottiglieri T, Kimberly H. Courtwright and Joseph W. Summers Institute of Metabolic Disease, Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA. Folate and vitamin B12 are required both in the methylation of homocysteine to methionine and in the synthesis of S-adenosylmethionine. S-adenosylmethionine is involved in numerous methylation reactions involving proteins, phospholipids, DNA, and neurotransmitter metabolism. Both folate and vitamin B12 deficiency may cause similar neurologic and psychiatric disturbances including depression, dementia, and a demyelinating myelopathy. A current theory proposes that a defect in methylation processes is central to the biochemical basis of the neuropsychiatry of these vitamin deficiencies. Folate deficiency may specifically affect central monoamine metabolism and aggravate depressive disorders. In addition, the neurotoxic effects of homocysteine may also play a role in the neurologic and psychiatric disturbances that are associated with folate and vitamin B12 deficiency. -elizabeth

Response:

>Don’t take 5 mg of folic acid! It can be toxic.

Folate 5 mg tablets should not be toxic to a healthy person.  The 5 mg tablets are sold over-the-counter in Australia.  It is a water-soluble, B vitamin. However, folate interacts with the trimethoprim/sulphonamide antibacterials, some anticonvulsants,  sulphasalazine, methotrexate and other drugs.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Some studies have shown that people who are nonresponsive to SSRIs, in > particular, tend to improve with folate — that folate deficiency is what > keeps them from responding to the ADs. As many as 2/5 of patients with major > depression may be folate deficient (probably more like 1/4). > Men appear to require higher doses than women. In general, around 500-1000 > mcg is probably adequate for anyone with a folate deficiency. (That’s > *micrograms*, not milligrams (the equivalent in mg is 0.5-1000 mg). Don’t > take 5 mg of folic acid! It can be toxic.) > I think most folate supplements you can get in drug stores over the counter > are 400mcg (0.4mg); my dad takes a 1mg supplement by prescription (he has > well-controlled heart disease, thanks to meds, surgery, dietary changes, and > exercise). > I don’t think it works terribly well except in people who are deficient in > folate so you shouldn’t expect miracles if your folate levels are normal. > BTW, this might be a first step in explaining the connection between > depression and cardiovascular disease. That’s pretty cool. > Here’s an abstract that explains a little about the current theories > regarding folate and depression: > Nutr Rev 1996 Dec;54(12):382-90 > Folate, vitamin B12, and neuropsychiatric disorders. > Bottiglieri T, Kimberly H. > Courtwright and Joseph W. Summers Institute of Metabolic Disease, Baylor > University Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA. > Folate and vitamin B12 are required both in the methylation of homocysteine > to methionine and in the synthesis of S-adenosylmethionine. > S-adenosylmethionine is involved in numerous methylation reactions involving > proteins, phospholipids, DNA, and neurotransmitter metabolism. Both folate > and vitamin B12 deficiency may cause similar neurologic and psychiatric > disturbances including depression, dementia, and a demyelinating myelopathy. > A current theory proposes that a defect in methylation processes is central > to the biochemical basis of the neuropsychiatry of these vitamin > deficiencies. Folate deficiency may specifically affect central monoamine > metabolism and aggravate depressive disorders. In addition, the neurotoxic > effects of homocysteine may also play a role in the neurologic and > psychiatric disturbances that are associated with folate and vitamin B12 > deficiency. > -elizabeth

Response:

> Andy, > The amount you’re taking is a huge overdose and can be harmful! Please, cut > it down to 1000 or maybe 1500 mcg at most. Here’s an abstract that should be > of interest (emphasis added): > Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 1989;13(6):841-63 > Folic acid and psychopathology. > Young SN, Ghadirian AM > Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. > patients. 5. SEVERAL PLACEBO-CONTROLLED STUDIES HAVE NOT DEMONSTRATED > THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS, POSSIBLY BECAUSE THE DOSES THEY USED (15-20 mg/day) ARE > KNOW TO BE TOXIC AND TO CAUSE MENTAL SYMPTOMS. 6. Two placebo-controlled

Elizabeth, Thanks for taking the time to point this out to me.  I had no idea and will cut the dose down to 2X 400mcg a day.  I hope all is well. Andy

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Andy, > The amount you’re taking is a huge overdose and can be harmful! Please, cut > it down to 1000 or maybe 1500 mcg at most. Here’s an abstract that should be > of interest (emphasis added): > Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 1989;13(6):841-63 > Folic acid and psychopathology. > Young SN, Ghadirian AM > Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. > patients. 5. SEVERAL PLACEBO-CONTROLLED STUDIES HAVE NOT DEMONSTRATED > THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS, POSSIBLY BECAUSE THE DOSES THEY USED (15-20 mg/day) ARE > KNOW TO BE TOXIC AND TO CAUSE MENTAL SYMPTOMS. 6. Two placebo-controlled > Elizabeth, > Thanks for taking the time to point this out to me.  I had no idea and > will cut the dose down to 2X 400mcg a day.  I hope all is well. > Andy

Response:

The reference below says that 15-20 mg folate/folic acid is toxic.  But not 5 mg, or 10 X 400 micrograms. I have the label of the over-the-counter folic acid 5 mg tablets from Sigma Pharmaceuticals, 1408 Centre Rd, Clayton, Vic 3168, Australia — a reputable manufacturer of ethical pharmaceuticals: "Dose: Take one tablet daily or as directed by physician." There is a rigorous Poisons Act in Australia.  If folic acid was toxic at this sort of dose, it would certainly not be available in pharmacies over-the-counter, to say the least. The B-vitamins (including folate) are water-soluble.  It is generally the fat-soluble vitamins (eg A and D) that can have serious toxicity problems. The trial below states that: "Folic acid should be given in doses sufficient to decrease plasma homocysteine. Men require a higher dose of folic acid to achieve this than women, but more work is required to ascertain the optimum dose of folic acid."  The dose given in the trial was 500 microgram daily, but this was insufficient for most men in the study.  A significantly higher dose may be required. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Elizabeth, > Thanks for taking the time to point this out to me.  I had no idea and > will cut the dose down to 2X 400mcg a day.  I hope all is well. > Andy > Andy, > The amount you’re taking is a huge overdose and can be harmful! Please, cut > it down to 1000 or maybe 1500 mcg at most. Here’s an abstract that should be > of interest (emphasis added): > Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 1989;13(6):841-63 > Folic acid and psychopathology. > Young SN, Ghadirian AM > Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. > patients. 5. SEVERAL PLACEBO-CONTROLLED STUDIES HAVE NOT DEMONSTRATED > THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS, POSSIBLY BECAUSE THE DOSES THEY USED (15-20 mg/day) ARE > KNOW TO BE TOXIC AND TO CAUSE MENTAL SYMPTOMS. 6. Two placebo-controlled

Enhancement of the antidepressant action of fluoxetine by folic acid: a randomised, placebo controlled trial. Coppen A, Bailey J MRC Neuropsychiatry Laboratory, West Park Hospital, KT19 8PB, Surrey, Epsom, UK. BACKGROUND: A consistent finding in major depression has been a low plasma and red cell folate which has also been linked to poor response to antidepressants. The present investigation was designed to investigate whether the co-administration of folic acid would enhance the antidepressant action of fluoxetine. METHODS: 127 patients were randomly assigned to receive either 500 microg folic acid or an identical looking placebo in addition to 20 mg fluoxetine daily. All patients met the DSM-III-R criteria for major depression and had a baseline Hamilton Rating Scale (17 item version) score for depression of 20 or more. Baseline and 10-week estimations of plasma folate and homocysteine were carried out. RESULTS: Patients receiving folate showed a significant increase in plasma folate.This was less in men than in women. Plasma homocysteine was significantly decreased in women by 20.6%, but there was no significant change in men. Overall there was a significantly greater improvement in the fluoxetine plus folic acid group. This was confined to women where the mean Hamilton Rating Scale score on completion was 6.8 (S.D. 4. 1) in the fluoxetine plus folate group, as compared to 11.7 (S.D. 6. 7) in the fluoxetine plus placebo group (P<0.001).A percentage of 93. 9 of women, who received the folic acid supplement, showed a good response (>50% reduction in score) as compared to 61.1% of women who received placebo supplement (P<0.005). Eight (12.9%) patients in the fluoxetine plus folic acid group reported symptoms possibly or probably related to medication, whereas in the fluoxetine plus placebo group 19 (29.7%) patients reported such symptoms (P<0.05). LIMITATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS: Folic acid is a simple method of greatly improving the antidepressant action of fluoxetine and probably other antidepressants. Folic acid should be given in doses sufficient to decrease plasma homocysteine. Men require a higher dose of folic acid to achieve this than women, but more work is required to ascertain the optimum dose of folic acid. J Affective Disorders 2000 Nov;60(2):121-30

Response:

Question:

sang the following hymns: >Paxil doesnt usually cause aggression. It might make you agitated feeling in >the beginning while you are adjusting to it. Agitation is very common for all >SSRIs in the first several weeks. Aggression however is not. If Paxil makes you >aggressive or violent feeling thats not really normal. Its a sign that you >might be bipolar or a manic depressive. >Anytime you take an antidepressant and get a reaction like you described its a >possibility that what you are inducing is mania or hypomania. >Paxil makes me the opposite, makes me calmer and less irritable. All >antidepressants have that effect on me. >Eric

Thank you for your insights!

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Hi everyone, > I found 2 people who seem to share my experience with seroxat. That is: > anger or agitation, about 15 to 1 hour after later. Feelings of violence. > Are there any more people who have this experience? My docs tell me it is > all me because it isn’t in the leaflet that comes with the AD. In USA you > are further on up the road regarding meds…so, please respond so I can use > your comments as evidence (anonymous; I will remove all aliases and email > adresses.) > Thanks in advance, yours truly > Vaipen

It might be. If you go and do a search on Medline, you will find most SSRI’s can increase not only feelings of major anxiety, but also hostile and aggressive feelings. I don’t have the citations on hand, but you can go do a Medline search. This isn’t to say the meds can’t be helpful..but their side effect profile is not proving much better then the old TCA antidepressants. Don’t let your doctor ignore your feelings. Just tell him you are not comfortable with them, and demand a sollution. As much as many SSRI’s have done good for me, I have found a few that really cause this nervous aggitation. Prozac is the most famous for this, but all other SSRI’s have found to be similar. I don’t want to scare you off from Paxil, but you have no reason to live in such a jittery, aggressive state. Demand your doctor try to fix the situation, or get another doctor. It’s a very horrible feeling…I know. Best of luck, Jay

Response:

>Hi everyone, >I found 2 people who seem to share my experience with seroxat. That is: >anger or agitation, about 15 to 1 hour after later. Feelings of violence. >Are there any more people who have this experience? My docs tell me it is >all me because it isn’t in the leaflet that comes with the AD. In USA you >are further on up the road regarding meds…so, please respond so I can use >your comments as evidence (anonymous; I will remove all aliases and email >adresses.) >Thanks in advance, yours truly >Vaipen

Is seroxat an anti-depressent? If so, ad’s can cause mania in people who are prone to manic depression. Your doc should know this, it’s basic. For email replies remove the **** from my email address.

Response:

Hi everyone, I found 2 people who seem to share my experience with seroxat. That is: anger or agitation, about 15 to 1 hour after later. Feelings of violence. Are there any more people who have this experience? My docs tell me it is all me because it isn’t in the leaflet that comes with the AD. In USA you are further on up the road regarding meds…so, please respond so I can use your comments as evidence (anonymous; I will remove all aliases and email adresses.) Thanks in advance, yours truly Vaipen

Response:

Question:

: I was on Paxil from over five months this year to treat a condition of : depression. Sometime around June, I became manic, more talkative, more : social, and started spending more money. I also began to lose sleep.  I had : never had this level of mania in my life before, and my family was very very : concerned. I came off of Paxil in mid July, but was still manic.<edited for brevity> Took Paxil for about a month, give or take, did not like side effects and it seemed to help little with depression. Not long after discontinuing Paxil, a change from lithium to depakote was done.  The combination of these actions resulted in a humdinger manic episode, that still has lingering effects over 3 years later.  I have surmised that Paxil may have set the stage, and the meds switch triggered this episode. Vern :

Response:

I am in the same position, and I was discouraged from seeking legal relief for one main reason….mis-diagnosis (unipolar for bipolar and the administration of ADs to treat unipolar) is not necessarily malpractice. It’s wrong, and too many people have needlessly suffered through AD triggered hypomania for it to be excusable… particularly when major academic and scientific bodies specifically inform pdocs to suspect bipolar illness first when doing a patient assessment (see the APA guidelines and the Stanley Center’s most current assessment guidelines.) The forces of the whole psychiatric drug industry are marshalled against any such suit as well…note the Bryn Hartman case (Zoloft plus cocaine abuse). But…all it will take is one successful suit and precedent will have been set. I would also think you have a much better ADA case and that you should at least talk seriously to a good lawyer about that…and let us know the name of the company so we can boycott them. Jim "…sick of living unwilling to die" Words scratched into a Riverside, CA library desk. Attributed to the Zodiac, 1967.

Response:

You wouldn’t get past a telephone consultation.  Take it to the bank kid, & get on with your sissy life. V-man – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->ubject: Re: Paxil induced Hypomania (lawsuits) >I am in the same position, and I was discouraged from seeking legal relief >for >one main reason….mis-diagnosis (unipolar for bipolar and the administration >of ADs to treat unipolar) is not necessarily malpractice. It’s wrong, and too >many people have needlessly suffered through AD triggered hypomania for it to >be excusable… particularly when major academic and scientific bodies >specifically inform pdocs to suspect bipolar illness first when doing a >patient >assessment (see the APA guidelines and the Stanley Center’s most current >assessment guidelines.) The forces of the whole psychiatric drug industry are >marshalled against any such suit as well…note the Bryn Hartman case (Zoloft >plus cocaine abuse). But…all it will take is one successful suit and >precedent will have been set. >I would also think you have a much better ADA case and that you should at >least >talk seriously to a good lawyer about that…and let us know the name of the >company so we can boycott them. >Jim >"…sick of living unwilling to die" >Words scratched into a Riverside, CA library desk. Attributed to the Zodiac, >1967.

Response:

Word of caution: since arriving at this newsgroup one month ago, I have witnessed Manic Obsession posting  information about his so called "lawsuits" against countless individuals within this newsgroup.  Although I don’t know the exact details (it would seem those indivuduals being threatened are also quite baffled), Manic Obsession seems to be obsessed with the idea that he is connected with the best lawers, doctors etc in the country. I am replying to this post because you seem to have a genuine concern, and I’d hate for you to have to waste your time with false leads from a delusional shit. Unfortunately, it is likely that a court case would take a great deal of time and would cost a great deal of money.  Before you decide to do anything you should speak with a lawyer to make sure you do have a case, and then determine if the cost both financially and time-wise is worth the effort.      An unfortunate reality of bipolar disorder is that it does disrupt the lives of sufferers.  I was initially diagnosed with bipolar illness while recieving treatment for clinical depression.  I was also taking Paxil (50mg) and receiving light therapy. Unfortunately, the episodes continued long after I stopped both treatments.  Thus far bipolar depression has cost me three (?) jobs, disrupted my education, and resulted in the general disarray of my life at present.  But it does get better, and once stable you shouldn’t have nearly as many problems at your next job. I wish you the best of luck, and caution you from taking any of the responses you recieve (including mine) all that seriously.  We’re all in the same boat here, trying to live our lives the best way we know how.  We all have problems and none of us can proclaim to know all of the answers (although some of us try). Take care, Joolie – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Contact Michael Smerconish at: http://www.mastalk.com/Pract.html  OR: > James Beasley, Marsha Santangelo, and Paul Lauricella at: > http://www.tortlaw.com/ > Jim Beasley is probably the best attorney in the U.S. for your case. > ~e them a narrative. > Viscount > I was on Paxil from over five months this year to treat a condition of >depression. Sometime around June, I became manic, more talkative, more >social, and started spending more money. I also began to lose sleep.  I had >never had this level of mania in my life before, and my family was very very >concerned. I came off of Paxil in mid July, but was still manic. >I began having "problems " at work because my bosses felt I was too social, >too talkative, and too confrontational. I put it off to drinking too much >coffee (which I thought would element the mania; it didn’t). Sadly, I had a >jerk of a boss who kept hammering because of these behaviors; this is >because I do computer programming work and was expected to stay in my cube >like a nice little nerd and create thousands of lines of code and not speak >with anybody. >I finally disclosed my illness to this boss last Thursday, because he said >"from now on I’m playing hardball with you about your confrontational >behavior and your access socializing".  To make matters worse, this same >boss had caused numerous people to transfer or quit the company, yet his >behavior was tolerated because he made the company  money.  I finally had to >admit to him that I had been diagnosed as having a "Bi-Polar" disorder by my >psychiatrist and that I was in treatment. I let the Human Resource Staff >know that I had this mental condition, but expressed my desire to try and >stay with the company in another department. I stated that if I was harassed >or fired without cause, that I would sue them under ADA/EEOC guidelines, >etc. >I was all set to interview in another department this Monday at 11:00 A.M. >when my immediate boss (who had acted like my best friend for over two >months) fired me with the Human Resource person standing in his office. >I’d like to ask the group several questions: >1) Do I have a case of a lawsuit here? An employment lawyer I’m speaking to >next Tuesday says I don’t have much of a case.  Are there any lawyers in the >house? >2) I’ve spoken to other people who’ve been driven into mania by Paxil. They >now have a "Bi-Polar" label attached to them when before they had no prior >history of mania. Is anybody in this group aware of a class action lawsuit >against the makers of Paxil for inducing mania in selected patients (they >claim it is only 1%, but I think that it must be more).  Basically, I lost >my job, spend a huge amount of money, etc. because of this >HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE drug.

Response:

The official monograph on every bottle of Paxil says: Activation of Mania/Hypomania: During premarketing testing of immediate-release paroxetine HCl, hypomania or mania occurred in approximately 1.0% of paroxetine HCl-treated unipolar patients compared to 1.1% of active-control and 0.3% of placebo-treated unipolar patients.  As with all antidepressants, paroxetine HCl should be used cautiously in patients with a history of mania. (Aside):  Please save what’s left of your money for your loving and supportive family, who will get you through this crisis.  Let me know how you do. * Sent from AltaVista http://www.altavista.com Where you can also find related Web Pages, Images, Audios, Videos, News, and Shopping.  Smart is Beautiful

Response:

Contact Michael Smerconish at: http://www.mastalk.com/Pract.html  OR: James Beasley, Marsha Santangelo, and Paul Lauricella at: http://www.tortlaw.com/ Jim Beasley is probably the best attorney in the U.S. for your case. ~e them a narrative. Viscount – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > I was on Paxil from over five months this year to treat a condition of >depression. Sometime around June, I became manic, more talkative, more >social, and started spending more money. I also began to lose sleep.  I had >never had this level of mania in my life before, and my family was very very >concerned. I came off of Paxil in mid July, but was still manic. >I began having "problems " at work because my bosses felt I was too social, >too talkative, and too confrontational. I put it off to drinking too much >coffee (which I thought would element the mania; it didn’t). Sadly, I had a >jerk of a boss who kept hammering because of these behaviors; this is >because I do computer programming work and was expected to stay in my cube >like a nice little nerd and create thousands of lines of code and not speak >with anybody. >I finally disclosed my illness to this boss last Thursday, because he said >"from now on I’m playing hardball with you about your confrontational >behavior and your access socializing".  To make matters worse, this same >boss had caused numerous people to transfer or quit the company, yet his >behavior was tolerated because he made the company  money.  I finally had to >admit to him that I had been diagnosed as having a "Bi-Polar" disorder by my >psychiatrist and that I was in treatment. I let the Human Resource Staff >know that I had this mental condition, but expressed my desire to try and >stay with the company in another department. I stated that if I was harassed >or fired without cause, that I would sue them under ADA/EEOC guidelines, >etc. >I was all set to interview in another department this Monday at 11:00 A.M. >when my immediate boss (who had acted like my best friend for over two >months) fired me with the Human Resource person standing in his office. >I’d like to ask the group several questions: >1) Do I have a case of a lawsuit here? An employment lawyer I’m speaking to >next Tuesday says I don’t have much of a case.  Are there any lawyers in the >house? >2) I’ve spoken to other people who’ve been driven into mania by Paxil. They >now have a "Bi-Polar" label attached to them when before they had no prior >history of mania. Is anybody in this group aware of a class action lawsuit >against the makers of Paxil for inducing mania in selected patients (they >claim it is only 1%, but I think that it must be more).  Basically, I lost >my job, spend a huge amount of money, etc. because of this >HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE drug.

Response:

 I was on Paxil from over five months this year to treat a condition of depression. Sometime around June, I became manic, more talkative, more social, and started spending more money. I also began to lose sleep.  I had never had this level of mania in my life before, and my family was very very concerned. I came off of Paxil in mid July, but was still manic. I began having "problems " at work because my bosses felt I was too social, too talkative, and too confrontational. I put it off to drinking too much coffee (which I thought would element the mania; it didn’t). Sadly, I had a jerk of a boss who kept hammering because of these behaviors; this is because I do computer programming work and was expected to stay in my cube like a nice little nerd and create thousands of lines of code and not speak with anybody. I finally disclosed my illness to this boss last Thursday, because he said "from now on I’m playing hardball with you about your confrontational behavior and your access socializing".  To make matters worse, this same boss had caused numerous people to transfer or quit the company, yet his behavior was tolerated because he made the company  money.  I finally had to admit to him that I had been diagnosed as having a "Bi-Polar" disorder by my psychiatrist and that I was in treatment. I let the Human Resource Staff know that I had this mental condition, but expressed my desire to try and stay with the company in another department. I stated that if I was harassed or fired without cause, that I would sue them under ADA/EEOC guidelines, etc. I was all set to interview in another department this Monday at 11:00 A.M. when my immediate boss (who had acted like my best friend for over two months) fired me with the Human Resource person standing in his office. I’d like to ask the group several questions: 1) Do I have a case of a lawsuit here? An employment lawyer I’m speaking to next Tuesday says I don’t have much of a case.  Are there any lawyers in the house? 2) I’ve spoken to other people who’ve been driven into mania by Paxil. They now have a "Bi-Polar" label attached to them when before they had no prior history of mania. Is anybody in this group aware of a class action lawsuit against the makers of Paxil for inducing mania in selected patients (they claim it is only 1%, but I think that it must be more).  Basically, I lost my job, spend a huge amount of money, etc. because of this HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE drug.

Response:

Question:

Hi Michael I’m just recently diagnosed, not qualified to give medical advice, and this should not be taken as medical advice, etc. Have you been on Paroxetine (Paxil, I think) for some time now? Is it working OK? Have you tried other drugs,too? If you’re lucky, you’re just really happy sometimes. Are you happy being ‘happy’? Or are you TOO happy, eventually becomming, annoying, impulsive, angry? If you’re just happy sometimes, I would be happy! Don’t worry about it. Could be, the Paroxetine is working!! But if the ‘happy times’ are also associated with self-destructive (destructive to your relationships, work, profession, or physical health) behavior, then see a doctor. (Or a specialist if necessary) Be careful to not self-diagnose. Otherwise, you can become ‘hypochondriac’. If there’s a web page about the disease, you might think you have that disease, when all you needed to do is sleep on your other side (Referring to the recent Dr.Koop article) There are many good resouces on the web, like http://home.att.net/~mercurial-mind/ (Has a links section) around. (With more experience than me!!) See your doctor if you’re still concerned. – Rob – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > i think i might be bipolar. i’m on Parotexite 40mg for depression, but > sometimes i can be really happy, almost hyperactive. how can i find out if > i’m bipolar? > Perhaps you’re not just depressed. > By this I mean, Like perhaps there are other problems as well, not just > depression. > I have been Dx with depression (‘persistent’ and ‘major’) by my GP, and > on AD’s for 1+1/2 years. (No, not that long, compared to some!) > First Prozac, then Effexor. Both gave the famous ‘poop-out’, etc., like > many people complain about. > Kept increasing the dosage, again & again… > So my GP recommends that I see a specialist (genuine p-doc!), since I’m > not responsing to the simple > treatment. > So he (p-doc) says Dx ‘manic-depressive’ or ‘bipolar’, (but mostly on > the depressed side.) > I think the higher doses of Effexor (225mg) had started to make some > ‘rapid cycling’, it was gettng really annoying, so I stopped the Effexor > (gradually!!, still lots of fun!), and talked to my GP, then he gave me > the referral. > It was bad enough to cause real chaos at work, and my manager was woried > about me, and is concerned that he never knows which one of me is > showing up for work each morning! > My GP recommended to find a p-doc with practice in one of the expensive > nicer towns here, turns out that’s where most practices are anyway near > here. > First visit (so far) with p-doc, he seems like a nice guy. > He mentioned ‘cycling below the line’ and ‘kindling’ (kindling like the > little sticks you use to set a fire) > Perhaps the brain-state when ‘high’ (though brief!) does damage which > causes the persistent ‘low’. > He said that ‘many’ people who are [long-term, major, persistent...], > depressed actually do better on a mood-stabilizer then an > antidepressant. (perhaps adding lower dosage A/D later) > I guess rather than feeling absolutelely horrible, then just really bad, > then incredibly horribly nasty, it smooths it out. > I was on a rollercoaster since the prozac (Effexor too), and sometimes > it really felt good, but mostly it was horrible. > I’m not saying A/D’s (like Prozac) are bad and evil, just maybe you > might consider you’re not purely depressed. > So I guess we’ll see where we (I!) go from here > brand new Rx for Depakote > p-doc says lithium is usually indicated for cases with extreme ‘high’s, > and probably ineffective for me. > I keep hoping for some hope! > Thoughts, comments appreciated. > (Please ‘reply to sender [email] and to newsgroup, as appropriate) > – Rob

Response:

Hi Michael, Welcome to ASDM. > i think i might be bipolar. i’m on Parotexite 40mg for depression, but > sometimes i can be really happy, almost hyperactive. how can i find out if > i’m bipolar?

By a thorough evaluation by a pdoc who is experiened in treating BP Disorde. They rely heavily on historical info. Do you experience mood swings…highs vacillating with lows? How often do these occur? http://mentalhelp.net/bipolar/wcg_bipolar5.htm HOW IS BIPOLAR DISORDER DIAGNOSED? If the initial symptoms of bipolar disorder are limited to depression, the condition is often diagnosed as depression; indeed about 16% of people with bipolar disorder do not have a manic episode until they have experienced three or more depressive episodes. An accurate diagnosis is important, particularly in light of a study that reported a higher incidence of rehospitalization in bipolar patients who were inappropriately medicated with antidepressants. A family history of manic-depressive illness may make a physician suspicious, but a diagnosis of bipolar disorder cannot be established until a manic episode has occurred. The American Psychiatric Association has established the following criteria for recognizing this phase of bipolar disorder: *       A distinct period of abnormally and persistently elevated, expansive, or irritable mood. *       During the mood disturbance, at least three of the following symptoms (four, if the primary mood disturbance is irritability): *       Inflated self-esteem, grandiosity; *       Decreased need for sleep; *       Excessive talking; *       Flight of ideas or racing thoughts; *       Distractibility when confronted by unimportant or irrelevant stimuli; *       Increased goal-directed activity (social, sexual, work or school); *       Excessive involvement in high-risk activities–e.g., unrestrained shopping, promiscuity. *       Mood disturbance severe enough to damage ones job or social functioning or relationships with others, or which requires hospitalization to prevent harm to others or self. *       Hallucinations or delusions absent for two weeks or more during normal periods (this would rule-out schizophrenia). This information is brought to you by Well Connected. You may order this complete guide or choose to subscribe to the complete library covering over 90 health and mental health problems.  Find a book: When making a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, it is important that the physician rule out other conditions that may be causing symptoms of mania. Hypomania, the less severe variant of mania, may be difficult to distinguish from normal joy or euphoria, but it can be differentiated by its persistence for more than a day. In addition, most hypomanic patients are easily distracted, overly talkative, and not functioning very well. Severe manic episodes with delusions and hallucinations may be easily confused with schizophrenia. (African American men, for instance, are more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia than with bipolar disorder.) Thyroid disorders may cause mood swings, as can adrenal disorders (e.g., Addison’s disease and Cushing’s syndrome), vitamin B12 deficiency, certain neurologic disorders (e.g., Huntington’s disease, epilepsy, brain tumors, encephalitis, multiple sclerosis), and various medications, including some drugs used to treat anxiety, Parkinson’s disease, and depression. Alcoholism and substance abuse occur often in bipolar patients, sometimes as a way of self medication. Both diagnosis and treatment are difficult in such cases, particularly since withdrawal from opiates or alcohol can cause symptoms of mania or severe depression. Children or adolescents with manic-depressive illness may be inappropriately diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; in some cases, however, ADHD may be a marker for an emerging bipolar disorder. Current research is seeking to discover factors in the blood that might help diagnose bipolar disorder and determine the effectiveness of treatment. Such tests would be particularly helpful in differentiating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder from bipolar disorder in young people. High levels of factors known as G proteins have been detected in both types I and type II bipolar patients, but studies have been contradictory, and there is no evidence yet that can be reliably used for diagnostic purposes. Some experts believe that bipolar disorder is only one link on a chain of psychiatric disorders ranging from schizophrenia to major depression, differing in expression and severity but sharing a common biologic cause. However, studies suggest that these conditions, including bipolar disorder, are distinct and caused by different mechanisms. For instance, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of brains of bipolar patients have revealed structural abnormalities in the hippocampus. This brain territory also shows abnormalities in the brains of people with schizophrenia. In one study of people with bipolar disorder, the left side of the hippocampus was significantly larger than the right, while in patients with schizophrenia the hippocampus volume was decreased. In both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder the pathways of the neurotransmitter dopamine appear to be important. (A neurotransmitter acts as a chemical messenger between nerve cells.) Dopamine has been a target of scientific investigation since researchers first observed that certain drugs that reduce the action of dopamine in the brain also reduce psychotic symptoms.

Question:

MY MOST TROUBLING THOUGHTS: I am greatly troubled because I feel so bad, physically (To me all of my problems are physical-not mental.  However, I am told that my problems are mental.   My shrink tells me that bipolar disorder IS physical, even though society doesn

Question:

>INTERNET RESOURCES FOR NEWCOMERS TO BIPOLAR DISORDER

Thanks Lynda, That post went on the hard disk

Response:

thanx girl, u are a great asset to this flagging group. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> INTERNET RESOURCES FOR NEWCOMERS TO BIPOLAR DISORDER > This document contains many Internet resources sewn together into one quilt of > resources designed primarily for newcomers to bipolar disorder. > What is Depression? > A diagnosis of major depressive disorder (or unipolar major depression) is made > if an individual has five or more of the following symptoms during a two-week > period. Unipolar depression typically presents in discrete episodes that recur > during a person’s lifetime. > Symptoms of DEPRESSION include: >   a.. Persistent sad or blue mood >   b.. Significant changes (decrease or increase) in sleep, appetite disturbance > or body weight >   c.. Low energy >   d.. Lack of interest or pleasure in activities that were once enjoyed >   e.. Trouble thinking or concentrating >   f.. Withdrawal from family and friends >   g.. Feelings of guilt or worthlessness >   h.. Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide > What is Manic-Depression (Bipolar Disorder)? > Manic-depressive illness (or bipolar disorder ) is a mental illness involving > episodes of serious mania and depression. The person’s mood usually swings from > overly "high" and irritable to sad and hopeless, and then back again, with > periods of normal mood in between. Bipolar disorder typically begins in > adolescence or early adulthood and continues throughout life. An overview and > introduction to bipolar disorder published by the National Institute for Mental > Health called Bipolar Disorder is available at > http://www.nimh.nih.gov/dart1/bipolar/bipolar.htm > Symptoms of MANIA include: >   a.. Abnormally and persistently elevated mood or irritable mood >   b.. Decreased need for sleep >   c.. Continuous high energy >   d.. Racing thoughts >   e.. Overly-inflated self-esteem >   f.. Distractibility >   g.. Increased talkativeness >   h.. Increased goal-directed activity or physical agitation >   i.. Excessive involvement in pleasurable activities that have a high > potential > for painful consequences. > GETTING STARTED WITH BIPOLAR INTERNET SITES >   a.. Start with the alt.support.depression.manic FAQ (responses to Frequently > Asked Questions) > The alt.support.depression.manic FAQ is an internet "classic," a set of > questions (and answers) written by people struggling with bipolar disorder for > other bipolars, and their families and friends that deal with topics like: >   a.. What is Bipolar Disorder? >   b.. What treatment options are available? >   c.. I’ve just been diagnosed. What do I do now? >   d.. A friend or family member has just been diagnosed. What can I do to help? >   e.. How do I find more information about Bipolar Disorder? > Bipolar Disorder Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) File (Version 1.1, 9/25/96) > http://www.moodswing.org/bdfaq.html >   a.. Web pages created by people who have bipolar disorder > The Pendulum Resources home page is a collaborative effort, created and > maintained by bipolar members of the Pendulum mailing list. It includes all of > the basics you would expect from a comprehensive bipolar site (the a.s.d.m. FAQ > listed above, diagnostic criteria for bipolar disorder, a

bibliography, famous – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> bipolar individuals). In addition, it has: >   a.. Links to bipolar home pages of note >   b.. Best (and worst) things to say to someone who is depressed >   c.. Several humor sections >   d.. Alternative treatments to be used in addition to (or, much more > dangerously, instead of) standard medical treatment > The Pendulum Resources Bipolar Disorders Portal > http://www.pendulum.org/ > Joy Ikelman’s bipolar site on bipolar disorder combines solid information with > a > very personal touch. Her site again includes the basics and adds unique > features > such as >   a.. Direction to a suicide crisis intervention internet site >   b.. A listing of feature-length movies, made-for-TV movies, and documentaries > of interest to people with bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses >   c.. Scientific abstracts concerning comorbid (co-existent) psychiatric > disorders that bipolar patients are known to experience in addition to their > bipolar disorder >   d.. Help in determining who else in your family tree may have had bipolar > disorder. The signs of undiagnosed mental illnesses to look for in your family > tree. > Joy Ikelman’s (famous) bipolar home page > http://www.frii.com/~parrot/bip.html >   a.. Web pages created by people who have bipolar disorder >   Moodswing.org. Barry Campbell created a "Resource Page" for people with > bipolar disorder. He has a good links page which points you to other internet > resources. >   Moodswing.org >   http://www.moodswing.org/links.html >   The Mental Health Net was not written or maintained by bipolars, but it does > offer an extensive links page to a wide variety of internet links, and provides > a rating system (1-5 stars) for the links . It is also useful in that it > provides links to the various manic-depressive newsgroups, such as > alt.support.depression.manic, to mailing lists such as pendulum, and it has an > extensive set of links to articles about manic-depression. >   Mental Health Net >   http://mentalhelp.net/guide/bipolar.htm

______ – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->   b.. Guidelines for the conservative treatment of Bipolar Disorder > The Expert Consensus Guidelines for Treatment of Bipolar Disorder. Expert > Knowledge Systems publishes "The Expert Consensus Guidelines for Treatment of > Bipolar Disorder." This group is "a knowledge-transfer company dedicated to > bringing expert intelligence to bear on critical decision making for > government, > industry, and the individual. Among its services, EKS creates, validates, and > communicates practical clinical guidelines for the improvement of health and > the > prevention and effective treatment of illness." EKS is led by a distinguished > panel of MD’s. > The guidelines — written for non-professionals. The first document published > by > EKS is "Expert Consensus Treatment Guidelines for Bipolar Disorder: A Guide for > Patients and Families." It is relatively non-technical and aimed at non-medical > professionals who are attempting to educated themselves about the disorder. > This > handout is readable, excellent, and comprehensive: > Expert Consensus Treatment Guidelines for Bipolar Disorder: A Guide for > Patients > and Families. (4/17/97) > http://www.psychguides.com/eks_bphe.htm > The guidelines –written for psychiatrists. The group also publishes a second, > more technical publication, written for psychiatrists. If you want to get into > the psychiatric protocol for how medications are selected among the > mainstream/conservative choices — the "treatment selection algorithm" — this > will help you understand why psychiatrists make the choices they make. The > three > mood stabilizers recommended are lithium, Depakote and Tegretol. > The Expert Consensus Guideline Series: Treatment of Bipolar Disorder. (4/17/97) > http://www.psychguides.com/eks_bpgl.htm > 4. Less conservative treatments for bipolar disorder > More recent treatments for bipolar disorder. Some bipolar patients do not > respond well to the three medication mood stabilizing stand-bys (Lithium, > Depakote, and Tegretol). This next article is written for psychiatrists, and > discusses the use of two new anti-convulsants, Neurontin and Lamictal. It > discusses the advantages and disadvantages in using Lithium in treating bipolar > disorder, and the use of anti-convulsants (that probably includes all mood > stabilizers except for lithium: Depakote, Tegretol, and the newer > anti-convulsants Neurontin and Lamictal) in the treatment of bipopolar > disorder. > Current Treatments in Bipolar Disorder. (1998) > http://www.cme-reviews.com/supplements.html > The use of several drugs in combination for treatment of bipolar disorder. Some > psychiatrists prefer using only a few medications in treatment, whereas others > prefer the use of many medications in combination. In the following article, > also written for psychiatrists, the rationale for using several drugs in > combination in refractory (treatment-resistant) bipolar illness is explained: > The Role of Complex Combination Therapy in the Treatment of Refractory Bipolar > Illness. (undated) > http://www.cme-reviews.com/CNS598_post.html/

______ – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> 5. Medication resources > Dr. Ivan’s web page. For general information about drug treatment for mood > disorders, Ivan Goldberg, M.D. provides a great starting point. Dr. Goldberg is > a psychiatrist and clinical psychopharmacologist in private practice in New > York > City. He was formerly on the staff of the National Institute of Mental Health > and the Departments of Psychiatry of the Columbia- Presbyterian Medical Center, > and Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons. On his web page > he > covers topics such as >   a.. Determine if your psychiatrist is truly an expert in psychopharmacology >   b.. Foods to avoid when you take an MAO inhibitor >   c.. Weight gain from SSRIs >   d.. Strategies for the treatment of individuals with Bipolar Disorder >   e.. Anticonvulsants as mood stabilizers >   f.. Why new drugs behave differently when prescribed than when tested >   g.. A guide to psychiatric drug information on the Web > Dr. Ivan’s Depression Central — Internet’s central clearing house for > information on mood disorders > http://www.psycom.net/depression.central.bipolar.html > The "gold standard:" medications for bipolar disorder. This next article > focuses > on the most

… read more »

Response:

INTERNET RESOURCES FOR NEWCOMERS TO BIPOLAR DISORDER This document contains many Internet resources sewn together into one quilt of resources designed primarily for newcomers to bipolar disorder. What is Depression? A diagnosis of major depressive disorder (or unipolar major depression) is made if an individual has five or more of the following symptoms during a two-week period. Unipolar depression typically presents in discrete episodes that recur during a person’s lifetime. Symptoms of DEPRESSION include:   a.. Persistent sad or blue mood   b.. Significant changes (decrease or increase) in sleep, appetite disturbance or body weight   c.. Low energy   d.. Lack of interest or pleasure in activities that were once enjoyed   e.. Trouble thinking or concentrating   f.. Withdrawal from family and friends   g.. Feelings of guilt or worthlessness   h.. Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide What is Manic-Depression (Bipolar Disorder)? Manic-depressive illness (or bipolar disorder ) is a mental illness involving episodes of serious mania and depression. The person’s mood usually swings from overly "high" and irritable to sad and hopeless, and then back again, with periods of normal mood in between. Bipolar disorder typically begins in adolescence or early adulthood and continues throughout life. An overview and introduction to bipolar disorder published by the National Institute for Mental Health called Bipolar Disorder is available at http://www.nimh.nih.gov/dart1/bipolar/bipolar.htm Symptoms of MANIA include:   a.. Abnormally and persistently elevated mood or irritable mood   b.. Decreased need for sleep   c.. Continuous high energy   d.. Racing thoughts   e.. Overly-inflated self-esteem   f.. Distractibility   g.. Increased talkativeness   h.. Increased goal-directed activity or physical agitation   i.. Excessive involvement in pleasurable activities that have a high potential for painful consequences. GETTING STARTED WITH BIPOLAR INTERNET SITES   a.. Start with the alt.support.depression.manic FAQ (responses to Frequently Asked Questions) The alt.support.depression.manic FAQ is an internet "classic," a set of questions (and answers) written by people struggling with bipolar disorder for other bipolars, and their families and friends that deal with topics like:   a.. What is Bipolar Disorder?   b.. What treatment options are available?   c.. I’ve just been diagnosed. What do I do now?   d.. A friend or family member has just been diagnosed. What can I do to help?   e.. How do I find more information about Bipolar Disorder? Bipolar Disorder Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) File (Version 1.1, 9/25/96) http://www.moodswing.org/bdfaq.html   a.. Web pages created by people who have bipolar disorder The Pendulum Resources home page is a collaborative effort, created and maintained by bipolar members of the Pendulum mailing list. It includes all of the basics you would expect from a comprehensive bipolar site (the a.s.d.m. FAQ listed above, diagnostic criteria for bipolar disorder, a bibliography, famous bipolar individuals). In addition, it has:   a.. Links to bipolar home pages of note   b.. Best (and worst) things to say to someone who is depressed   c.. Several humor sections   d.. Alternative treatments to be used in addition to (or, much more dangerously, instead of) standard medical treatment The Pendulum Resources Bipolar Disorders Portal http://www.pendulum.org/ Joy Ikelman’s bipolar site on bipolar disorder combines solid information with a very personal touch. Her site again includes the basics and adds unique features such as   a.. Direction to a suicide crisis intervention internet site   b.. A listing of feature-length movies, made-for-TV movies, and documentaries of interest to people with bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses   c.. Scientific abstracts concerning comorbid (co-existent) psychiatric disorders that bipolar patients are known to experience in addition to their bipolar disorder   d.. Help in determining who else in your family tree may have had bipolar disorder. The signs of undiagnosed mental illnesses to look for in your family tree. Joy Ikelman’s (famous) bipolar home page http://www.frii.com/~parrot/bip.html   a.. Web pages created by people who have bipolar disorder   Moodswing.org. Barry Campbell created a "Resource Page" for people with bipolar disorder. He has a good links page which points you to other internet resources.   Moodswing.org   http://www.moodswing.org/links.html   The Mental Health Net was not written or maintained by bipolars, but it does offer an extensive links page to a wide variety of internet links, and provides a rating system (1-5 stars) for the links . It is also useful in that it provides links to the various manic-depressive newsgroups, such as alt.support.depression.manic, to mailing lists such as pendulum, and it has an extensive set of links to articles about manic-depression.   Mental Health Net   http://mentalhelp.net/guide/bipolar.htm   b.. Guidelines for the conservative treatment of Bipolar Disorder The Expert Consensus Guidelines for Treatment of Bipolar Disorder. Expert Knowledge Systems publishes "The Expert Consensus Guidelines for Treatment of Bipolar Disorder." This group is "a knowledge-transfer company dedicated to bringing expert intelligence to bear on critical decision making for government, industry, and the individual. Among its services, EKS creates, validates, and communicates practical clinical guidelines for the improvement of health and the prevention and effective treatment of illness." EKS is led by a distinguished panel of MD’s. The guidelines — written for non-professionals. The first document published by EKS is "Expert Consensus Treatment Guidelines for Bipolar Disorder: A Guide for Patients and Families." It is relatively non-technical and aimed at non-medical professionals who are attempting to educated themselves about the disorder. This handout is readable, excellent, and comprehensive: Expert Consensus Treatment Guidelines for Bipolar Disorder: A Guide for Patients and Families. (4/17/97) http://www.psychguides.com/eks_bphe.htm The guidelines –written for psychiatrists. The group also publishes a second, more technical publication, written for psychiatrists. If you want to get into the psychiatric protocol for how medications are selected among the mainstream/conservative choices — the "treatment selection algorithm" — this will help you understand why psychiatrists make the choices they make. The three mood stabilizers recommended are lithium, Depakote and Tegretol. The Expert Consensus Guideline Series: Treatment of Bipolar Disorder. (4/17/97) http://www.psychguides.com/eks_bpgl.htm 4. Less conservative treatments for bipolar disorder More recent treatments for bipolar disorder. Some bipolar patients do not respond well to the three medication mood stabilizing stand-bys (Lithium, Depakote, and Tegretol). This next article is written for psychiatrists, and discusses the use of two new anti-convulsants, Neurontin and Lamictal. It discusses the advantages and disadvantages in using Lithium in treating bipolar disorder, and the use of anti-convulsants (that probably includes all mood stabilizers except for lithium: Depakote, Tegretol, and the newer anti-convulsants Neurontin and Lamictal) in the treatment of bipopolar disorder. Current Treatments in Bipolar Disorder. (1998) http://www.cme-reviews.com/supplements.html The use of several drugs in combination for treatment of bipolar disorder. Some psychiatrists prefer using only a few medications in treatment, whereas others prefer the use of many medications in combination. In the following article, also written for psychiatrists, the rationale for using several drugs in combination in refractory (treatment-resistant) bipolar illness is explained: The Role of Complex Combination Therapy in the Treatment of Refractory Bipolar Illness. (undated) http://www.cme-reviews.com/CNS598_post.html/ 5. Medication resources Dr. Ivan’s web page. For general information about drug treatment for mood disorders, Ivan Goldberg, M.D. provides a great starting point. Dr. Goldberg is a psychiatrist and clinical psychopharmacologist in private practice in New York City. He was formerly on the staff of the National Institute of Mental Health and the Departments of Psychiatry of the Columbia- Presbyterian Medical Center, and Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons. On his web page he covers topics such as   a.. Determine if your psychiatrist is truly an expert in psychopharmacology   b.. Foods to avoid when you take an MAO inhibitor   c.. Weight gain from SSRIs   d.. Strategies for the treatment of individuals with Bipolar Disorder   e.. Anticonvulsants as mood stabilizers   f.. Why new drugs behave differently when prescribed than when tested   g.. A guide to psychiatric drug information on the Web Dr. Ivan’s Depression Central — Internet’s central clearing house for information on mood disorders http://www.psycom.net/depression.central.bipolar.html The "gold standard:" medications for bipolar disorder. This next article focuses on the most conservative mood-stabilizing drugs lithium, Depakote (valproate), and carbamazepine, the most commonly used medications in the treatment of bipolar disorder. Treatment Options in Bipolar Disorder: Mood Stabilizers. (7/16/97) http://www.medscape.com/Medscape/psychiatry/journal/1997/v02.n07/mh32… m h3206.bowden.html 5. Medication resources Specific information about the 3 main drugs used to treat bipolar disorder. These links discuss each of the 3 major mood stabilizers, Lithium, Depakote, and Tegretol, individually:   a..

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Hello… For several years now I have been trying to asses (spelling?) what > type of problems I have or the roots of them which are related to > depression. I have just recently given in to the possibility that I may be > bipolar myself. >… > I seem to have Body Dysmorphic Disorder, I am addicted to looking in mirrors > and reflective surfaces. When I "deem it" that I look good, or if a female > comes on to me, I feel great about myself. If I happen to have a small > blemish or something, I blow it way out of context and it is enough to send > me into a compleete depressive episode for days, weeks, or until the blemish > is gone. >Is there any possibility that the blemish is preceded by mood change?

Well, I guess that it’s possible. I really can’t tell.. Sometimes I cope with it better than others. >I certainly feel a lot more attractive when I’m on a high.  But when I’m >down, I’m under a lot of stress and more likely to have skin problems and >also to feel worse about them. >(In my case, it’s major skin problems which often lead to bleeding.) >The disapproval and fear of abandonment are typical of the depressive >phase.

Well, I got MAJOR abandonment issues. I always exibit them with girlfriends. I had the same tendencies with my father and mother. I was quite fond of my father and asked him multiple times a day if he still loved me. But I still wonder if its possible to be bipolar but have the mood changes induced by triggers.. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->Tom

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>I seem to have Body Dysmorphic Disorder

SSRIs are the standard treatment.

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I’m starting lithium tonight and have cyclothymic personality also.  Have you had any problems with lithium? Calvin

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> This is an interesting line of thought. > Are you certain your moods are triggered by how you look, and not the > other way around? > I am bipolar. Actually, tonight my pdoc said I was "cyclothymic > PLUS"… heh heh… IOW, I’ve probably been cyclothymic all my life, > and the true bipolar episodes only started a few years ago… but > anyway, onwards to my point. > All my life I’ve dealt with a poor body image and high level of > self-conciousness. Not anywhere near what you are describing, but still > not very healthy – particularly because, in truth, my worries are > fairly groundless. Not that I’m a beauty, but I’m cute. I used to > obsess over my weight – and I’ve never really had a weight problem to > begin with. I always figured I had a normal level of body-angst for a > female, although other people have accused me of going overboard. > Interestingly, since starting the lithium, my body worries have > completely evaporated. They’re gone! Despite the fact that I’ve gained > weight on this med, haven’t worked out in a long time, etc. My pants > get tighter and tighter… but it doesn’t bother me anymore. Not only > that, but I look in the mirror, and I don’t mind what I see. I see > roundness that may not be my ideal figure, but has something to > recommend it. My soft muscles are not unappealing to me anymore… soft > is kinda nice. > It kinda crept up on me, this total body acceptance. I’ve never felt > this way about myself before, not even when I was at my ideal weight > and fit and lean! It bemuses me. I’ve wondered if it is because I got > that divorce? But no, I had a bad body image long before I got married. > I’ve wondered if it is because I’ve stopped reading fashion mags (which > can be so friggin depressing). It may be that. Or, just maybe… maybe > it is the lithium? > I’ll be interested in hearing what other bipolars here say. > jen > * Sent from RemarQ http://www.remarq.com The Internet’s Discussion Network * > The fastest and easiest way to search and participate in Usenet – Free!

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Hello… For several years now I have been trying to asses (spelling?) what type of problems I have or the roots of them which are related to depression. I have just recently given in to the possibility that I may be bipolar myself. I have had several therapists and a few have suggested that I MAY have it, but inconclusive up to this point. I guess that I’ll give some characteristics I have and see what you guys think. I seem to have Body Dysmorphic Disorder, I am addicted to looking in mirrors and reflective surfaces. When I "deem it" that I look good, or if a female comes on to me, I feel great about myself. If I happen to have a small blemish or something, I blow it way out of context and it is enough to send me into a compleete depressive episode for days, weeks, or until the blemish is gone. This raises havok on what I feel that other people think of me. I am so paranoid and self concious that I can barely stay at work. When I feel good, damn, its good, I’m on top of the world, I love hanging out with my girlfriend, feel good bout my future and enthuastically persue my studies. But when I feel bad bout myself, I sleep, I lay in bed, I figure some way to get out of work, I am unmotivated to partake in any of my hobbies. The depression is insurmountible. And rationally, I know its over nothing, there is no way a blemish is going to affect the way my girlfriend thinks of me but emotionally it hurts so bad. I am so paranoid that my girlfriend is going to leave me even though, on a daily basis she proves that to be false. Her actions reconfirm the opposite in fact. So is it possible to have bipolar that has both high and low episodes that are induced by triggers? I have gotten to the point where I get scared to feel excited or good for the fear of the fall afterwards. Sorry for talking so much but I do need some objective opinions. Thanx.

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> Hello… For several years now I have been trying to asses (spelling?) what > type of problems I have or the roots of them which are related to > depression. I have just recently given in to the possibility that I may be > bipolar myself. … > I seem to have Body Dysmorphic Disorder, I am addicted to looking in mirrors > and reflective surfaces. When I "deem it" that I look good, or if a female > comes on to me, I feel great about myself. If I happen to have a small > blemish or something, I blow it way out of context and it is enough to send > me into a compleete depressive episode for days, weeks, or until the blemish > is gone.

Is there any possibility that the blemish is preceded by mood change?   I certainly feel a lot more attractive when I’m on a high.  But when I’m down, I’m under a lot of stress and more likely to have skin problems and also to feel worse about them. (In my case, it’s major skin problems which often lead to bleeding.) The disapproval and fear of abandonment are typical of the depressive phase. Tom

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This is an interesting line of thought. Are you certain your moods are triggered by how you look, and not the other way around? I am bipolar. Actually, tonight my pdoc said I was "cyclothymic PLUS"… heh heh… IOW, I’ve probably been cyclothymic all my life, and the true bipolar episodes only started a few years ago… but anyway, onwards to my point. All my life I’ve dealt with a poor body image and high level of self-conciousness. Not anywhere near what you are describing, but still not very healthy – particularly because, in truth, my worries are fairly groundless. Not that I’m a beauty, but I’m cute. I used to obsess over my weight – and I’ve never really had a weight problem to begin with. I always figured I had a normal level of body-angst for a female, although other people have accused me of going overboard. Interestingly, since starting the lithium, my body worries have completely evaporated. They’re gone! Despite the fact that I’ve gained weight on this med, haven’t worked out in a long time, etc. My pants get tighter and tighter… but it doesn’t bother me anymore. Not only that, but I look in the mirror, and I don’t mind what I see. I see roundness that may not be my ideal figure, but has something to recommend it. My soft muscles are not unappealing to me anymore… soft is kinda nice. It kinda crept up on me, this total body acceptance. I’ve never felt this way about myself before, not even when I was at my ideal weight and fit and lean! It bemuses me. I’ve wondered if it is because I got that divorce? But no, I had a bad body image long before I got married. I’ve wondered if it is because I’ve stopped reading fashion mags (which can be so friggin depressing). It may be that. Or, just maybe… maybe it is the lithium? I’ll be interested in hearing what other bipolars here say. jen * Sent from RemarQ http://www.remarq.com The Internet’s Discussion Network * The fastest and easiest way to search and participate in Usenet – Free!

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Question:

Welcome Rachael At the risk of being considered pedantic, most of you points are requests rather the questions <g> Having said that,  …  I’ll give ‘em a go. 1)  a good start for rapid cycling (or ultra rapid cycling) is to search the www.dejanews.com in the alt.support.depression.manic (ASDM) and soc.support.depression.manic (SSDM) for those key words and you will get quite a few descriptions and comments from people over the last few years.   Childhood on set is also discussed.  Well worth looking through the archives to see what has gone before. Another great site to start with is http://www.psycom.net/depression.central.bipolar.html  this will answer a lot of questions. 2)  well, I think you’ve coined a new phrase never before used here. " (the depression continually gets worse and reaches its  peak)" thank you for this – I love it    as for the relationship between BP and hormones well, there’s lots of stuff there for the looking here’s one – http://www.onhealth.com/ch1/columnist/item,46699.asp but if you do a search with the keywords bipolar and hormones you will find lots. Currently I’m using http://www.redesearch.com/ as a search engine – it seems to be a very good mega-search anyone for anyone interested in these things and it found heaps of hits – it’s just a matter of refining it to what you want. 3)  Dunno – but then, I am in Australia so I suppose I am not the best around to know. and you last bit —  I could not agree more.  18 months ago I came here looking for information about manic depression as my wife had just been diagnosed and we didnt know how it affected people in the real world rather then the clinical book world.  To be told that something that is happening to you is rare or uncommon, or that the symptom you are describing isn’t one they have heard of is disheartening – but then you come here and read someone posting EXACTLY the same thing from the other side of the world.  The heart un-dis’s itself a little and you then look a little more into it, ask people questions (no matter how silly – I sometimes corner the market on silly questions) and then go back to the doctor much more informed then before – allowing you to ask the questions you want answers to rather then vague questions that the doctor doesnt understand.   So, now after 18 months I’ve decided for all its arguements and stuff this is a place that is great for people who want to understand something as complicated as bi-polar.  It’s also a nice place to meet nice people (well some are nice some of the time …) but it’s really important to remember a lot of people who post here are bi-polar so there might be some variety in thier views and attitudes.  It comes with the territory.  The only advice I can give is try not to burn your bridges if you are upset by something or someone.  There are a lot of nice people, many who just send e-mails as they’ve been hurt by things in the past and don’t want to bob up too high in public and there will always be help in some form or another. Tony ynoT from the land of vegemite and lamingtons oh and platypuses – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >Hi >My name is Rachael I am 17 and I have been reading this newsgroup for a >while. For the last couple of months I have been being assessed by a pdoc >who has suggested that I show the signs of childhood onset bipolar disorder >combined with an anxiety disorder. I am coming off the antidepressant, >Citalopram, that I was previously taking and I am starting on Carbamazapine >(Tegretol). I have had a fairly colorful medical history including a brain >tumor of the pituitary gland which was removed just over a year ago. >I have a couple of questions which I would be really grateful if anyone >could answer: >1) I am interested in ANY articles on childhood onset or rapid cycling >bipolar disorder >2) My bipolar takes the form of 2 weeks of mania or hypomania followed by 2 >weeks of depression (the depression continually gets worse and reaches its >peak just before the mania starts). I don’t seem to have any ‘normal’ time. >The mood swings tie in with my cycle as the depression always ends 5 days >after my period had started. I know that the mood swings are not just a form >of bad PMT as I suffered from the same severe mood swings before my periods >started. I have also tried the Contraceptive pill which seemed to have no >effect and even possibly made things worse. My pituitary tumor also >manifested itself by raising my levels of the hormone prolactin and at the >moment all my hormone levels are borderline normal. Because of all of this I >feel that there may be some connection between my bipolar and hormones. If >anyone knows of anything about connections between bipolar and hormones I >would be VERY interested. >3) I live in the UK and I would be very interested if anyone knows of any >places that specialize in bipolar in the UK or any hospitals that are >particularly experienced in treating it. >Finally I just wanted to say thank you to anyone who has recently posted on >this newsgroup. When I was diagnosed with bipolar the first thing I did was >to I read all the criteria, I felt unbelievably relieved as everything >seemed to fit and I finally knew what was wrong. When the reality of the >diagnosis hit me I suddenly felt very isolated as what I had was just >something in common with the diagnostic criteria – a piece of paper. >Discovering this newsgroup has made me realize that I have something in >common with more than just a piece of paper. So many of you out there open >yourselves up to the world so when people like me get diagnosed for the >first time we don’t feel alone, but realize that there is a whole community >out there just waiting to support us. I really respect that. Thank you. >I hope you don’t mind if I continue to post on this newsgroup, >Rach

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Hi Rachael, Welcome to ASDM. > My name is Rachael I am 17 and I have been reading this newsgroup for a > while. For the last couple of months I have been being assessed by a pdoc > who has suggested that I show the signs of childhood onset bipolar disorder > combined with an anxiety disorder. I am coming off the antidepressant, > Citalopram, that I was previously taking and I am starting on Carbamazapine > (Tegretol). I have had a fairly colorful medical history including a brain > tumor of the pituitary gland which was removed just over a year ago. > I have a couple of questions which I would be really grateful if anyone > could answer: > 1) I am interested in ANY articles on childhood onset or rapid cycling > bipolar disorder

http://www.nami.org/helpline/bipolar-child.html > 2) My bipolar takes the form of 2 weeks of mania or hypomania followed by 2 > weeks of depression (the depression continually gets worse and reaches its > peak just before the mania starts). I don’t seem to have any ‘normal’ time. > The mood swings tie in with my cycle as the depression always ends 5 days > after my period had started. I know that the mood swings are not just a form > of bad PMT as I suffered from the same severe mood swings before my periods > started. I have also tried the Contraceptive pill which seemed to have no > effect and even possibly made things worse. My pituitary tumor also > manifested itself by raising my levels of the hormone prolactin and at the > moment all my hormone levels are borderline normal. Because of all of this I > feel that there may be some connection between my bipolar and hormones. If > anyone knows of anything about connections between bipolar and hormones I > would be VERY interested.

A medline search would help. Or you can use any of the following search engines: Try this site  http://www.highway61.com   and type in drug in question. Also try: http://www.dogpile.com/ http://www.beaucoup.com/ You can also use an Alta Vista search. Another medical site is http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed/ Health & Medical Search Engines http://www.healthcareforums.com/sengines_frame.html Contains: Internets – search 1000 databases MedHunt by HON CiteLine by Citizen 1 Open Directory Project by NewHoo (just purchased by Netscape) Bookmark this great new resource.  http://www.isleuth.com/usen.html is a site that allows you to type in specific things, like a particular drug, and get a large list of references both at drug web sites and from dejanews listings of newsgroup discussions.  This information courtesy of runner1, one of of our resident researchers. Then there is the following list compiled by James Milton: Health & Medical Search Engines http://www.healthcareforums.com/sengines_frame.html Contains: Internets – search 1000 databases MedHunt by HON CiteLine by Citizen 1 Open Directory Project by NewHoo (just purchased by Netscape) > 3) I live in the UK and I would be very interested if anyone knows of any > places that specialize in bipolar in the UK or any hospitals that are > particularly experienced in treating it.

I live in the US so I cannot be of any help here. > Finally I just wanted to say thank you to anyone who has recently posted on > this newsgroup. When I was diagnosed with bipolar the first thing I did was > to I read all the criteria, I felt unbelievably relieved as everything > seemed to fit and I finally knew what was wrong. When the reality of the > diagnosis hit me I suddenly felt very isolated as what I had was just > something in common with the diagnostic criteria – a piece of paper. > Discovering this newsgroup has made me realize that I have something in > common with more than just a piece of paper. So many of you out there open > yourselves up to the world so when people like me get diagnosed for the > first time we don’t feel alone, but realize that there is a whole community > out there just waiting to support us. I really respect that. Thank you. > I hope you don’t mind if I continue to post on this newsgroup,

We are happy to have you here :0) Peace, — Lynda

Response:

Hi My name is Rachael I am 17 and I have been reading this newsgroup for a while. For the last couple of months I have been being assessed by a pdoc who has suggested that I show the signs of childhood onset bipolar disorder combined with an anxiety disorder. I am coming off the antidepressant, Citalopram, that I was previously taking and I am starting on Carbamazapine (Tegretol). I have had a fairly colorful medical history including a brain tumor of the pituitary gland which was removed just over a year ago. I have a couple of questions which I would be really grateful if anyone could answer: 1) I am interested in ANY articles on childhood onset or rapid cycling bipolar disorder 2) My bipolar takes the form of 2 weeks of mania or hypomania followed by 2 weeks of depression (the depression continually gets worse and reaches its peak just before the mania starts). I don’t seem to have any ‘normal’ time. The mood swings tie in with my cycle as the depression always ends 5 days after my period had started. I know that the mood swings are not just a form of bad PMT as I suffered from the same severe mood swings before my periods started. I have also tried the Contraceptive pill which seemed to have no effect and even possibly made things worse. My pituitary tumor also manifested itself by raising my levels of the hormone prolactin and at the moment all my hormone levels are borderline normal. Because of all of this I feel that there may be some connection between my bipolar and hormones. If anyone knows of anything about connections between bipolar and hormones I would be VERY interested. 3) I live in the UK and I would be very interested if anyone knows of any places that specialize in bipolar in the UK or any hospitals that are particularly experienced in treating it. Finally I just wanted to say thank you to anyone who has recently posted on this newsgroup. When I was diagnosed with bipolar the first thing I did was to I read all the criteria, I felt unbelievably relieved as everything seemed to fit and I finally knew what was wrong. When the reality of the diagnosis hit me I suddenly felt very isolated as what I had was just something in common with the diagnostic criteria – a piece of paper. Discovering this newsgroup has made me realize that I have something in common with more than just a piece of paper. So many of you out there open yourselves up to the world so when people like me get diagnosed for the first time we don’t feel alone, but realize that there is a whole community out there just waiting to support us. I really respect that. Thank you. I hope you don’t mind if I continue to post on this newsgroup, Rach

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