AntiDepressantWorsenSymptoms
Why Medications for Unipolar Depression make Unstable Mood or Bipolar type of Brain Chemistry Worse!
1) Similar and Different: The depressions that occur in Unipolar Mood Disorder, Atypical Mood-Depressive Disorders and in Bipolar may look similar in their symptom presentation but may have very different brain chemistry causes. A common error is confusing these depressions descriptively and biochemically using the wrong class of medication, with potentially catastrophic outcomes.
2) The SSRI/NRI /DRI’s as a Class: The medications most used for Unipolar Depression is the SSRI/NRI /DRI class in which are the following, Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Celexa, Lexapro, Luvox, Effexor, Cymbalta, Serzone, Trazadone, Remeron, Welbutrin, Strattera. This class of medications are tremendously helpful, safe, and useful in treating Unipolar Depression and certain Anxiety Disorders, having changed and saved lives.
3) Warning! However if used for Depressions that have Bipolar type brain chemistry, though they may seem initially helpful, but they can eventually make all the symptoms worse and lead to relapses, psychosis, mania, violent behavior towards self, others, to the point of suicide.[See my sheet on Warnings for SSRI’s] This is directly related to very different brain chemistry causation, explained below.
4) Deficit as Cause: Unipolar Depression is believed to be caused by as deficit in serotonin-norepinephrine-dopamine, and the SSRI/NRI/DRI’s, the selective serotonin-norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitors correct this deficit by increasing these neurochemicals in certain parts of the brain.
5) Imbalance as Cause: Bipolar type brain chemistry resulting in a depression is based on a more global imbalance of many brain chemicals including dopamine and serotonin, rather than a depletion or deficit in these chemicals. What is needed is medications that dampen or lessen the effects of these chemicals, decreasing and organizing general brain over excitability.
6) Mood Stabilizers: There are three classes of mood stabilizing medication that do just this, the neuroleptics, like Risperdal, Abilify, Geodon, Seroquel, Zyprexa, Thorazine, Haldol, Prolixin, Trilafon, the anticonvulsant mood stabilizers, Depakote, Tegretal, Lamictal, and in a class by itself is Lithium Carbonate.
7) SSRI’s can Overstimulate-Destabilize-Disorganize: The medicines used for Unipolar depression in the long run and sometimes in the short run make the imbalance worse by their direct effects in not only increasing the very chemicals that may need to be decreased, but also have a general exciting effect and disorganizing effect on the brain, the very things that need to be avoided, to prevent symptom production and cycling of the bipolar process which includes what looks like Unipolar depression.
8) Fuel and Cycle: Thus SSRI’s and related medications actually may fuel and thus cycle the bipolar process, the very opposite of what the treatment should be, that is to not to just treat the symptoms , the way the SSRI’s seem to do, but lessens and stop the mood instability, decrease the overall excitability and disorganization of the brain chemistry , to decrease and stop the cycling that perpetuates all the symptoms including depressive symptoms.
9) Screening: Every depression needs to be screened for possible biochemical atypicality and bipolarity by symptom presentation, history, and by specific responsiveness to medication trials.
A) Unstable Mood-Atypical -Bipolar Like Disorders: May begin depressed, but mainly Mood swings in days, weeks, months , even years from , sad-mad-glad , irritability, anger outburst, rage attacks, big unrealistic ideas, need to be the boss, the bully, need little sleep, fast talker, too many ideas, difficult to live with, walking on egg shells, Dr Jeckle & Mr. Hyde. This may be mixed sharing symptoms with and cycle with Unipolar depression.
B) Stable Unipolar Depressive Type Mood Disorders : No extremes of mood, Sad, depressed stable mood, lack of pleasure, little to no interest in things, tired, fatigue, mind slow, hard to think, negative about self, past, present , and future, hopeless, better off dead.
10) Delay in negative medication effects: Sometime a very good and too quick antidepressant effect may indicate potential atypical or bipolar brain chemistry with a delay in the evolution or serious adverse symptoms like psychosis, mania, agitation, anger , irritability and rage, which will down cycle to serious depression.