treating bipolar depression

A: bi-polar disorder is very complex and usually requires more than one med. and meds are expensive. so are psychs. however there are local organizations that help with the cost. in va we have the community services which provide psychs, counselors, and meds n a sliding scale. and always remember that as long as you pay something they will work with you.

Q: what ethical values are involved when treating someone with bipolar depression?
If the person with bipolar disorder is in the middle of an episode what are the ethical values involved as far as medication goes. Also how much can a family member do if the person refuses medication but they are putting themselves and others at risk? I'm just trying to find out general information relating values of ethics, the family, individuals, and the community to bipolar depresssion.

A: Where bipolar is involved the treatment should be from a professional and that professional can tell their loved ones what to expect and what to do. They have been trained in that field. My experiences are do not stress them out because stress is one of the triggers. Try to see if they can get a good night sleep. Sleep and a good diet and a friend like you to be there for them is a good start to recovery. Good luck. I wish you the very best.

Q: Any advice on treating bipolar or depression with L-tryptophan, L-dopa, and L-theanine?
I have a friend who is 25 years old and she suffers from bipolar. The doctor wants her to take mood stabilizers which are a form of anti-psychotic drug. I don't trust many doctors because many drug companies cater to these doctors and treat them with expensive dinners and gifts. In addition, the the drugs usually have side effects such as weight gain or harm the liver. This girl has more depressive episodes than manic but I feel the L-theanine could calm her down then. Also, she knows she will 'get it' from her dad if she acts up really bad. Her dad still believes in spanking her and it seems to be effective in keeping her from acting up too much. I figure the L-dopa and L-tryptophan can help give her a boost in motivation and happiness during the depressive state. Any advice on what dosages to take or am I way off base here?

A: Sandy, you are a strange one...... Somehow, your questions about spanking make me regret my own fetish.

Q: How do they treat Bipolar I Depression in Teens?
For my psychotic symptoms/mania I'm on Abilify...but it does not help my depression.

I've been diagnosed recently with this with fast cycling...

I'll tell my psychiatrist, but what can she do? I'm 17.
Are there certain medicines that work with Abilify to help Bipolar depression episodes ??

A: Usually Abilify is used with another drug for bipolar disorder. The most common ones are Lithium, Lamictal, and Serequel.

Q: Is there a difference between Bipolar and Bipolar Depression?
I know about bipolar I and II but my psychiatrist is treating me for bipolar depression and i wanted to know if/how that was different from regular bipolar.

A: Bipolar depression is a subset of Bipolar-ism. It just means one is more inclined to have depressive episodes as opposed to violent or otherwise.

Q: how meds are useful in treating depression?
How meds are useful in treating depression, bipolar...etc

A: Depression is caused by low levels or hormones such as serotonin. By taking meds, the hormones levels are restored to their proper level. Meds also help balance the amount of hormone released. When your hormones are stable, so is your mood.

Q: can depression be treated with weed? what about bipolar disorder or hypomania?
I used to smoke weed for about three years, but I quit for religious purposes, and now I'm wondering if weed treats things like depression, bipolar disorder, and hypomania? I may be inheriting bipolar disorder or hypomania, time will tell, and I'm a bit depressed. anyways can these things be treated with weed?

A: You know?Your depression could be a consequence of your weed smoking...You could probably feel better but would be just for a little period.In time you could be even more seriosly depressed.
I truly believe,and this is only my opinion,you can come out of you state of depression if you really want that.
I wish you all the best.

Q: Whats the name of that new drug that treats depression & bipolar disorder?

A: I found some good info here.

Q: Does seroquel treat bipolar- depression successfully?
Recently i have just been proposed the diagnosis of manic depression, or bipolar. My psychiatrist wants to put me on Seroquel, an antipsychotic (the category name is scary to me) and am very hesistant about going on such a powerful drug. Id just like some feedback from those who have my type of bipolar (depressive) about Seroquel.

A: I took it for Major Depression as part of a study group; it seemed to work pretty well. I asked my doctor to put me back on Paxil after the study was over. Paxil was working well for me and I didn't feel like I needed something as strong as Seroquel.

A friend of mine is taking Seroquel for Bipolar DIsorder and he appears to be doing very well. He is more calm, not as manicky or hyper as he used to be.

Q: treat depression and bipolar?
I have recently been diagnosed with type 2 bipolar, mainly sever depression with lack of sleep as the main side affect of my manias. Since I have just recently been diagnosed, they are still working on finding the right dose of medicines for me. I am currently on Abilify and Zoloft. What are nonmedicinal ways to make myself feel better while waiting for the medicines to take over and/or ways to enhance the affects of the medicines? Any advice on how to treat/beat/feel better with depression would also be helpful. Thanks.

A: First, you should cut down on your sugar intake. Excessive sugar can help cause depression, nervous anxiety and spurts of energy followed by extreme fatigue. Caffeine products (such as coffee, non-herbal tea, cola, and some medications), cigarettes and alcoholic beverages may also contribute to nervous anxiety, depression and highs and lows of energy.

L- tyrosine has been effective for many people in reducing or eliminating depression in very short order (often in less than one hour! Take 100 to 500 mg twice daily on an empty stomach.

Eat foods with lots of omega-3 fatty acids. Research studies have shown that omega-3 fatty acids can help symptoms of depression as well as bipolar disorder. For people who do not like fish, fish oil supplements are available in health food stores.

Eat chocolate! Natural dark chocolate with little or no sugar that is. The natural occurring substance in chocolate called PEA, for short, has been found to elevate endorphin levels and act as a natural antidepressant.

Oregano may ease that depressed, heavy-hearted feeling.

If you have a juicer, whip up half a glass of watercress and a half a glass of spinach. Throw in some carrots to make the juice sweeter. Then, bottoms up and spirits up!

Eat 2 ripe bananas a day to chase the blues away. Bananas contain the chemicals serotonin and norepinephrine, which are believed to help prevent depression.

While running a warm bath, prepare a cup of chamomile tea. Add the used tea bag to the bath, along with a new one. If you use loose chamomile, wrap the herb in cheesecloth before putting it in the bathtub to avoid a messy cleanup. Once the bath is ready, take your cup of tea into the bath with you and relax in the tub.

To lighten a heavy heart, drink saffron tea and/or thyme tea that has been sweetened with honey.

Sniffing citrus essential oils every hour you're awake may help you get out of a funk. You can buy lemon or orange oil at a health food store. Do NOT take the oils internally.

Cheer yourself up by wearing rose colors - pinks and scarlets. The orange family of colors are also picker-uppers.

Making love can help people overcome feelings of depression.

If you're mildly depressed, simply change your physiology and your emotions will follow suit. In other words, do the physical things you do when your happy - and you'll feel happy. Smile! Laugh! Jump up and down! Sing! Dance! Get dressed up!

Juices seem to be calming to the nerves. Throughout the day, sip apple, pineapple, prune, grape or cherry juice. Make sure the juice has no added sugar or preservatives, and drink it at room temperature, not chilled.

Chop a large onion into very small pieces and add a tablespoon of honey. Eat half the mixture with lunch and the other half with dinner. Onions contain prostaglandin, which is proven to have stress-relieving effect.

St John's Wort - for mild to moderate depression, this herb lives up to its hype. More than 40 scientific studies have verified the traditional use of this herb for depression. It works as well as prescription drugs and has significantly fewer side effects. In all the studies though it took up to 2 weeks to have any effect. In some people it can take up to a month. Typical dosage: 900 mg of capsules standardized to 0.3 percent hypericin per day in divided doses, with meals (including a dose at bedtime if you are suffering from insomnia)

Oats - This is the same plant that goes into your morning oatmeal. It is a wonderful tonic for the nervous system, having generalized nourishing and soothing qualities. The plant is traditionally used not only for depression, but also for anxiety, stress, fatigue, and debility.

When buying dried oats for tea, look for pale green to yellow seeds, rather than something that looks like straw. Typical dosage: 3 cups of tea per day (steep 1 Tbsp of dried seeds in 1 cup of how water for 10 - 15 minutes.

Lavender - This beautiful, fragrant herb has a gentle relaxing and nourishing effect on the nervous system, while lifting the spirits and easing depression. It promotes refreshing sleep as well. It's essential oil can be applied to the body, inhaled, or added to bath water.
Typical dosage: 1 cup 3 times per day (steep 1 tsp of flowers in 1 cup of hot water for 5 minutes)

Gingko - This amazing herb is beneficial for treatment of the cardiovascular and nervous system.It enhances blood supply to the brain and improves nerve cell function. It enhances memory and other intellectual functions. Gingko can be an excellent treatment for depression especially in the elderly. Typical dosage: 40 - 60 mg of standardized extract capsules 3 times a day.

Q: has any1 ever had electric shock therapy to treat depression or bipolar?
how was it and did it work?
my husband has been on all kinds of meds for years his doctor has suggested this to him

A: Electric shock therapy is not a commonly used therapy nowadays due to the bad side effects associated with it. Is your doctor considering this b/c I highly doubt he is. If you are looking for treatment with depression/bi-polar disorder try medication first. This is the primary treatment of depression/bi-polar and there are thousands of combinations available to treat you specially as a person.

Q: What are the most common meds used to treat bipolar condition as opposed to depression?

A: Mood stabilizers. Most of them are actually anti-convulsents -- they have found that some of the best mood stabilizing meds are the same meds they use to treat epilepsy. The most common are Lamictal (I am on that), Depakote, and topamax. For stronger mood stabilizing ability there is also lithium but that has a lot more side effects and health risks so it is not used as much anymore. Anti-depressants can't be used to treat bipolar as it can actually have a VERY bad effect (making people manic and psychotic). People who are very bipolar and get very manic with psychosis are also put on a anti-psychotic.

Q: Is seroquel used for depression and bipolar?
I asked a question earlier about Seroquel treating my depression and a few people told me that it wasn't used for that. Is that true?

A: It is definitely used in some people for depression. There are many "off-label" uses of drugs, meaning they are effective for things other than what the FDA states they are for.

Q: Treat Depression and Type 2 Bipolar?
I have recently been diagnosed with type 2 bipolar, mainly sever depression with lack of sleep as the main side affect of my manias. Since I have just recently been diagnosed, they are still working on finding the right dose of medicines for me. I am currently on Abilify and Zoloft. What are nonmedicinal ways to make myself feel better while waiting for the medicines to take over and/or ways to enhance the affects of the medicines? Any advice on how to treat/beat/feel better with depression would also be helpful. Thanks.

A: Healthy diet, exercise, meditation....... lots of fish in your diet and stay away from processes foods. Suppliment with Omegas and a multi vitamin. These are things that you should continue even after you find the right meds to do as staying in good health will in the long term keep you better able to handle the disorder better. None of these will cure it or even really make a big difference in symptoms but in the long haul they do help.

Q: What are the best medicines used to treat depression and Bipolar?
I have severe depression and it is questionable if I am Bipolar. Sometimes I can get hostile., but do not try to hurt anyone or myself. Just very frustrated. I stay in my bed every day and do not want to eat experience difficulty sleeping and I do not want to be around anyone. I used to have a good sense of humor and now nothing seems funny. I used to take life lightly, now everything seems so sad and gloomly.

Even if the doctors do not think that I am Bipolor. They believe I have severe chronic depression. I know you cannot objectively diagnose yourself but I have read so much of all types of depression and I think I could be Bipolar.

Are there any medicines that can be used to treat both problems if there is a doubt. I am taking Prozac and Ambilify. Are those helpful for my situation?

A: Because you feel pretty awful a lot of the time, you really need to go back to a psychiatrists and have yourself reevaluated. A good doctor can and will figure out just what is wrong and prescribe the proper meds for you so you can get on with your life. My husband who has a mental illness has had to change meds 4 times over 10 years, even though we know what mental illness he has. Sometimes 1 med will work for a while and then it will stop working and you need to try something else. Also, one last thing. Depression is the most misdiagnosed of all mental illnesses. Please don't give up, you can feel a lot better.