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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Ron Jones on November 3, 2003, at 17:43:27
Are you in remission.Are you not better .Are you 50% or 90% better and what did it.How long have you been ill and when did it start.Do you have a family history of it or a twin .Were you normal before the illness hit you?Would you have a genetic test done?
Posted by memma on November 3, 2003, at 18:23:25
In reply to What is your degree of recovery?, posted by Ron Jones on November 3, 2003, at 17:43:27
Ron,
I'm not sure "remission" is the right word when we're talking about treating mental illness. None of the drugs that I currently take or have previously taken for BP II or ADHD have been prescribed to me to cure my illnesses. I might be incorrect, but I'm pretty sure that medical science has not yet found a cure for mental illness. Unfortunately, there is so much we do not yet know about the working of the mind.
I take drugs to control the symptoms of mental illness, not to correct it.
-memma
Posted by Ron Jones on November 3, 2003, at 20:53:01
In reply to Re: What is your degree of recovery?, posted by memma on November 3, 2003, at 18:23:25
Does BP run in the family?A woman taking fish oil went into remission after one year and has been it for 2 years.Read story at Bipolar news .con and about.com. I have stoped panic attacks without drugs.I am 90% better .Blueberryleaf extrtact was a wounder drug for me.It could regenerate brain cells .Have read that blueberry does this and reverses mental and motor decline.Tufs U. did study. A man in Texas named George Eby says he is 100% on magnesium.He has a web site on it.George Eby @ starband.net.Panic disorder runs in my family.
Posted by memma on November 3, 2003, at 21:30:57
In reply to Re: What is your degree of recovery?, posted by Ron Jones on November 3, 2003, at 20:53:01
Ron,
Yes, BP does run in my family.
About your panic attacks, that's awesome that you have them under control.
I couldn't find the particular article you were referring to. Please give me the website. However, I'd like a little more information about this, please. Before I just stop taking my meds, I'd like to see some information about how fish oil "cures" BP disorder. For example, I would consider fish oil to be a viable option if the FDA had approved it for the treatment of BP. Or maybe if you had given me links where I could read about some truly scientific studies involving BP patients and fish oil. I'd like to know the long term effects, effectiveness, etc. An internet article about one woman who apparantly cured her illness is not enough evidence for me.
The drugs I take are carefully monitored by my pdoc. The FDA monitors their effectiveness and safety. Unfortunately, alternative treatments are not held to the same standards. I think it is somewhat irresponsible to imply that if I take fish oil, alone, I will be cured of BP.
I actually do take fish oil and other supplements daily in addition to my medicines, which is why I enjoy reading the posts on this board.
-memma
Posted by Ron Jones on November 3, 2003, at 22:13:10
In reply to Re: What is your degree of recovery?, posted by memma on November 3, 2003, at 21:30:57
You can read THe Omega 3 Connection by DR .Andrew Stoll.You can take fish oil with the meds.Read the book.Bipolar news Network had the story.It also rebuilds the brains of people with schizophrenia.PUBMED.gov has research on this and the Bipolar gene defect in the inositol monophoshate enzyme.You must have a gene that is bad .Were you ever free of this illness before got you?At what age did you become bipolar?I see that a lot of ADD children become BIpolar.Do you have other forms of mental illness like ocd or panic.The magnesium was tested on 9 hopeless cases and 7 were well enough to leave the mental hospitial.Mcgill U. in canada did an open label study.I do not belive it was a placebo effect.Mag may conflit with lihium.As lithium takes the place of mag as the coenzyme for Impase.
Posted by memma on November 3, 2003, at 22:57:08
In reply to Re: What is your degree of recovery?, posted by Ron Jones on November 3, 2003, at 22:13:10
Ron,
From:
http://www.bipolarnews.org/pdfs/bnnvol8iss2.pdfAbout the woman who was cured: "The question remains as to whether the patient's remission was directly related to omega-3 fatty acids, was a natural course-of-illness phenomenon, or possibly merely a continuation of previously partially effective agents which gradually induced the remission."
This does not conclusively state that the subject was cured by fish oil. It goes on to say more research is needed.
From the same article:
"The clinical trial studies noted here ... used omega-3 fatty acids as an additional treatment to the medication patients were already taking; we don't have any good data that omega-3 fatty acids used alone will be beneficial.""...Considering using omega-3 fatty acids alone in the treatment of bipolar illness would not (at this time) appear to be wise. On the contrary, the use of omega-3 fatty acids may lead one to avoid prescription medication approaches with known treatment efficacy."
Please be more responsible with the conclusions you draw from research studies.
-memma
Posted by Ron Jones on November 3, 2003, at 23:10:20
In reply to To Ron Jones, posted by memma on November 3, 2003, at 22:57:08
double blind placebo controled study has been done on fish oil alone on some rapid cycle bipolar people.it does inhibit PKC.It did work.Andrew Stoll did a study and it worked.Do people normally go into remission on lithium alone?
Posted by Ron Jones on November 3, 2003, at 23:20:35
In reply to To Ron Jones, posted by memma on November 3, 2003, at 22:57:08
Do people normally go into remission with drugs for bipolar?It took 30 years after the discovery of lithium for it to be adopted by doctors.Dr.Stoll says you can take it with drugs in his book.Fish oil alone worked in this cliical trial on the WEB.Who knows .
Posted by memma on November 3, 2003, at 23:44:04
In reply to Re: To Ron Jones, posted by Ron Jones on November 3, 2003, at 23:20:35
> Do people normally go into remission with drugs for bipolar?It took 30 years after the discovery of lithium for it to be adopted by doctors.Dr.Stoll says you can take it with drugs in his book.Fish oil alone worked in this cliical trial on the WEB.Who knows .
From: http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/p991211.html
(This is about Stoll's study).
"The primary outcome measure related to the emergence or continuation of mood symptoms. Patients ended their participation in the study and treatment was considered to have failed if the mood symptoms emerged or continued beyond 30 days in patients who were not euthymic at baseline."
The "remission" you're referring to is suppression of mood symptoms. ***This does not mean the disease was cured!!!!!***
"While most patients in the study were on mood stabilizers, eight patients received no concomitant medications. Of those eight, the four patients who received omega-3 monotherapy remained in remission for a significantly longer time than did the four patients who received placebo monotherapy. However, Stoll cautioned against using omega-3 as first-line monotherapy."
"'I wouldn't recommend it first for people. The patients in the study had failed other [medications]. The only way I would use omega-3s by themselves is in someone with an extremely mild form of the illness where treatment is almost optional. Otherwise, we use omega-3s as an adjunct,'" he said."
Ron, I'm not saying you're wrong. I'm just saying please be more careful about your interpretation of these studies.
-memma
This is the end of the thread.
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