Posted by Elizabeth on June 30, 2001, at 18:25:22
In reply to Re: Stigma: it will just never go away, will it? » Elizabeth, posted by Lorraine on June 30, 2001, at 12:47:17
> > Like that's a proven fact. FMS is a syndrome of unknown etiology
>
> Precisely! And that is what I think depression is also.No "I thinks" about it -- it's what depression is. (And the etiology is almost certainly not the same in all cases of depression, as the syndrome is defined in a very general, broad way.)
> > > Well, in my case, my QEEG showed subthreshold seizure activity--which is why an anti-convulsant was added to my regiem. I wonder if that is the case with others that take anti-convulsants.
> >
> > No, not usually.
>
> Elizabeth--how would they know? Most people don't get a QEEG done.OK, that's true; even in cases when epilepsy is suspected, qEEGs are not the usual first approach, and are often not employed when the EEG turns out to be normal. But the evidence for any consistent type of abnormal brain wave activity in bipolar disorder is rather sparse (except for the well-known changes in depression that are largely limited to sleep). The use of qEEG may prove differently, but I'm not terribly optimistic about being able to get consistent results unless we try to refine our definitions (of mania and depression, that is).
> What do Xanax or Ativan have to do with subthreshold seizure activity?
All benzodiazepines are anticonvulsants. I don't know the specifics of why they occurred to your pdoc (or why he thought of Ativan and Xanax in particular) -- probably just his clinical experience.
> > That's something that would show up on a structural image (like an MRI).
>
> You're right. I should think about having one done, although I'm not sure it would make a difference in the treatment course.Me neither. But who knows?
-elizabeth
poster:Elizabeth
thread:68223
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010625/msgs/68524.html