Posted by SLS on May 9, 2012, at 19:44:04
In reply to Re: Lithium protects the hippocampus in BD., posted by Twinleaf on May 9, 2012, at 17:07:35
> It's my understanding that depression itself, if sufficiently severe, results in hippocampal shrinkage. This is thought to be caused by abnormal amounts of cortisol and perhaps other stress hormones.
>
> This is a very encouraging finding! I wonder if many more people suffering from depression might benefit from low-dose lithium.I asked my doctor to put me on low-dose lithium specifically for its neuroprotective and neurotrophic effects on the hippocampus. I did this without having an expectation that it would make me feel any better. I wanted the lithium to be working "in the background" and optimize my chances for responding to future treatments. I discovered that 300 mg did not produce any affective blunting as it did at higher dosages. In addition, I believe that it helped stabilize my depressive state. This was a welcome surprise. It suppressed my diurnal mood fluctuations and periodic worsenings that would last for several days.
- ScottSome see things as they are and ask why.
I dream of things that never were and ask why not.- George Bernard Shaw
poster:SLS
thread:1017497
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20120508/msgs/1017550.html