Antidepressants not always best in bipolar
|
| Posted
:
Thu, 29 Mar 2007 22:25:01 GMT |
| By
:
Health News Editor |
| Category
:
Health |
| News Alerts by
Email ( click
here ) |
|
|
|
|
|
WASHINGTON, March 29 Antidepressants may be ineffective for depressed people with bipolar disorder if they are already taking a mood stabilizer, according to a U.S. study.The study in the New England Journal of Medicine sought to determine if adding an antidepressant to a mood stabilizer is effective and safe in treating depressive episodes. The results suggest antidepressants are safe but not more effective than placebo.Bipolar disorder is usually characterized by severe mood swings between episodes of mania and depression. It is often treated with mood stabilizers such as lithium, valproate and carbamazepine, which reduce mania. Those with bipolar disorder may also be prescribed antidepressants, because depressive episodes tend to be more common and last longer. However, antidepressants were thought to carry the risk of switching a depressive episode over to a manic episode.The results revealed "careful management of mood stabilizer medications is a reasonable alternative to adding an antidepressant medication for treating bipolar depression," lead author Dr. Gary Sachs said in a statement. Copyright 2007 by UPI
|
|
|
|
|
|
Related News
Zimbabwe children, women's health declining sharply: UNICEF
Harare - The health of Zimbabwe's children and women, particularly in the poorer parts of the country has worsened sharply, with 100 children under five dying of mostly preventable diseases each day, the United Nations said Tuesday. A survey carried ...
Belgian 'coma' patient was conscious for 23 years: reports
Brussels - A 46-year-old Belgian who doctors thought had fallen into a deep coma after a car crash in 1983 had in fact been conscious for 23 years, Belgian media reported Tuesday. Rom Houben was paralysed and declared to be in a vegetative state. But...
HIV stable in Asia but rising among women, gay men
Beijing - The rate of HIV infection has risen among women and gay men in some Asian nations but stabilized across the region in recent years, a United Nations report said on Tuesday. The proportion of women among the estimated 4.7 million people livi...
HIV infections fall 17 per cent in seven years, UN says
Beijing - New HIV infections fell by 17 per cent globally from 2001 to last year, reflecting progress towards controlling spread of the virus, the United Nations umbrella group for HIV/AIDS reported on Tuesday. The good news is that we have evidence...
Estonia confirms first swine flu fatality
Tallinn - Fears grew about the spread of the A/H1N1 flu virus, known commonly as swine flu, in the Baltic states Tuesday after Estonian health officials confirmed their first fatality as a result of the illness. A statement released by the Estonian m...
WHO warns of resurgence of avian flu virus
Manila - The World Health Organization (WHO) warned Tuesday of a possible resurgence of bird flu amid new cases of the disease in poultry in Egypt, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. The Manila-based WHO Western Pacific Office said the presence of the ...
Czech Republic starts swine flu vaccination
Prague - The Czech Republic began Monday vaccinating a portion of its population against the so-called swine flu in a bid to ease a looming epidemic, health officials said. The efforts against the H1N1 influenza virus began with some hospitals vaccin...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
