Posted by SLS on July 16, 2013, at 16:37:08
In reply to Re: stimualant help please (SLS?) » SLS, posted by Roslynn on July 16, 2013, at 16:05:26
> > You might look into using Trileptal (oxcarbazepine) to reduce your agitation and impulses for self-harm. This is more appropriate for bipolar than unipolar.
> Is Tripleptal ever prescribed off-label for depression?It is prescribed for conditions where impulse control or anger disorders are present, even in the absence of bipolar disorder. I don't know if it is at all effective for true unipolar major depressive disorder. The key word is "true". I believe that there are some cases of bipolar disorder that present as depression without exhibiting a history of unambiguous mania or hypomania. If someone with the biology of bipolar disorder can get depressed, why can't they stay depressed for a really, really long time? What if the biology of the depression for someone matches that of bipolar disorder, but that there is no biological symmetry extant for mania? Once we develop biological tests for depressive disorders, I suspect that we will see a great many cases of depression formally diagnosed as unipolar be understood to be bipolar.
So...
It might make sense to try adding a couple of mood stabilizers if there is a history of non-response to antidepressant treatment. Lamictal and lithium are good choices. I would even consider one of the antipsychotics that are known to exhibit antidepressant activity if all else fails. Seroquel and Latuda are currently FDA approved for bipolar depression. Abilify is approved as an adjunct to antidepressants for unipolar depression.
- Scott
Some 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:1047232
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20130706/msgs/1047312.html