Posted by llrrrpp on June 3, 2006, at 13:52:56
In reply to Re: What Do You Think Of All the New Types of Bipo, posted by CEK on June 3, 2006, at 13:07:04
Tripolar, quadripolar, polarbear
I think the exercise of trying to diagnose a patient based on what medications he/she has or hasn't responded to is a waste of time.
I'm someone who has MDD, not a hint of the other pole (the mania pole, that is). I have anxiety too, but probably not severe enough to merit seeking treatment.
So my pdoc, who I respect muchos, starts me off on my very first medications about a month ago. Cymbalta, which (according to Larry) was first approved as a treatment for overactive bladder, and seroquel, which is an atypical antipsychotic/mood stabilizer.
And I think I'm responding pretty well. But this doesn't mean that I suffer from psychosis or overactive bladder. It means that the drugs are a very very blunt weapon, and they kind of kick-start the system, in ways that are not well-understood.
Also, the designation of a drug as an AD means that it has survived clinical studies in depressed patients and improves symptoms of depression. A drug (i.e. cymbalta) can simultaneously be a treatment for overactive bladder, fibromyalgia, depression, and anxiety. If it survives another clinical study for treatment of baldness, it might even be considered an anti-baldness drug.
Well, the drugs treat the symptoms. and the disorder ("bipolar"-whatever) is a useful diagnostic tool for predicting which symptoms tend to occur in clusters. But just because the symptoms occur in clusters doesn't necessarily mean that they all share the same neuro-chemical cause, or the same structural abnomality, or the same developmental origins. It doesn't mean that all the symptoms will respond equally well to a treatment. I guess it's back to the same old advice... keep tinkering and maybe you'll find something that works for you. It's an empicial science, and you're the subject. for better, hopefully.
Good luck Phillipa, I hope you find a combination that's right for you, and your body, and your symptoms and your psyche. you deserve to feel the best.
-ll
poster:llrrrpp
thread:651955
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060530/msgs/652396.html