Posted by SLS on August 25, 2012, at 6:11:56
In reply to Re: Starting minocyclineSLS, posted by Slabicki on August 24, 2012, at 14:55:56
> Hi Scott,
Hi Slabicki.
> I'm really glad to hear that Minocycline helps you!!!
Thanks. It's a little premature to declare victory, though. I have been taking minocycline for less than two weeks. I very often begin to respond extremely well to a new medication early in treatment, only to relapse a few days later. I still have my doubts about the long-term effectiveness of minocyline for me.
> Could you describe what kind of effect the Minocycline has on you?
> Does it help depressive thoughts, or improves the energy?Minocycline has improved anergia, anhedonia, interest in activities, motivation to initiate activities, thought speed, memory, clarity of thought, reading, learning, senses of taste and smell, social anxiety, talkativeness, gregariousness, and negative thoughts to name a few. In other words, for me, it is a high-quality antidepressant response which effectively treats the whole illness.
> I don't know why I'm affraid to try it right now.
Are you afraid that minocycline might launch you into a manic episode? Do you ever become psychotic? Minocycline is currently being studied to treat the negative symptoms of schizophrenia, but I don't know of anyone who has tried it for bipolar mania.
> I have depression and mood switches.
Can you describe what you experience during mood switches?
> I wonder if I should try to do the ECT first to get rid of mood cycling, and then try Minocycline for depression.
That is a difficult question to address. I don't know if any doctor has had enough experience with minocycline to know how it affects people in variable mood states and rapid-cycling. You would be a guinea pig of sorts.
> I took tons of medications in the past, but I never had mood cycling before.
What triggered the cycling?
> So I really hope that Minocycline can help with depression this time.
The two people I know who have responded to minocycline are currently taking Lamictal and Abilify along with it. It is thought that minocycline might work better when combined with Lamictal or other drugs that reduce glutamate activity. I am beginning to think that the net result of combining Lamictal and minocycline is to modulate dopamine activity.
What drugs are you currently taking? Have you ever tried Lamictal? Which antipsychotics have you tried?
> What are your thoughts?
I am reluctant to recommend minocycline to anyone because I don't think its clinical profile in treating depression and bipolar disorder is well-characterized. However, you can certainly decide for yourself if you would like to try it based upon your observations of other people. I hope Emme keeps posting. It would be nice to track the progress of two different people on minocycline.
So far, I am encouraged by my response to minocycline. It should be noted that my depression is bipolar. I am currently taking 100 mg/day. I might need to raise the dosage to 150 mg/day. I'll have a better idea if this is necessary when I see my doctor in a few weeks. One of the current studies of the use of minocycline to treat bipolar depression will be using a dosage range of 100 - 300 mg for 8 weeks.
http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01514422
- 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
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