Connection-Bipolar/Epilepsy

[RanMan]

Hi, I frequently visit the healingwell.com "bipolar"board.
I've had lots of ppl say that bipolar/manic depression are definately connected.


A lot of times bipolar/manic depression/clinical depression and/or ADD can be triggered by epilepsy or the anti-convulsive meds.
Some of the symptoms include.....paranoia.......aggresive and/or violent behavior.......no respect........no motivation...........no initiative.......always want to sleep......poor eating habits......spending money just for the sake of spending...etc.


Very often kids get into trouble with the law etc. and everybody is quick to call him a bad kid when it is an undiagnosed medical problem that can be treated with meds.

I have an 18 year old son that was dianosed with "Bi-Polar" (manic depression) when he was 12 and he has been putting this family through hell.

So, seeing it for myself as well as the feedback I've had from other ppl, I definately feel that the two are connected.

Randy (Ontario, Canada)

[Bernard]

There are a lot more studies vouching for the efficacy of neurofeedback for ADD/ADHD than there are for epilepsy. I'd guess that it would be effective for bipolar/manic-depressive conditions too (there may be studies already done on the subject - I haven't checked).

[bunkers1]

Both epilepsy and bi-polar affect the temperal lobe region of the brain which you may or may not have already known. I was diagnosed with both bp1 and epilepsy at the same time and could not find reason for the epilepsy...my personal conclusion was that they were conected, the epilepsy was caused by the bp. I haven't found any research on it yet but I've only just begun looking. If I see anything interesting I'll let you know.

[RanMan]

I have a 19 yr old son who was diagnosed with Bipolar/Manic depression.
He was 12 when he was first diagnosed. It has been VERY hard on the family, very frustrating, putting up with all his crap.
It's very difficult to diagnose BP in a child as there could be so many other things going on in his brain at that age.

Very often kids get into trouble with the law etc. and everybody is quick to call him a bad kid when it is an undiagnosed medical problem that can be treated with meds.
Below is a link for you to check out re Bipolar/Manic depression.

http://www.mydna.com/health/mental/bipolar/

Randy

[Salsa]

Here are 2 links you might find helpful:


Epilepsy and Mood Disorders

High Bipolar Rate Seen in Epilepsy

Also, if you go to Epilepsy.com, there is much information about epilepsy and moods. When you get to the site, just do a search there on the word "mood."

Salsa

[Bernard]

Psychiatrists usually are dealing with patients who have gone through treatment for their bipolar disorder, and specialists often have more advanced regimens lined up for these patients based on clinical research, she said.

Bipolar disorder, or manic-depressive illness, causes unusual shifts in a person’s mood or ability to function that are much more severe than the usual ups and downs that most people experience. There are four major classes of drugs to treat the illness, von Loesecke said: antipsychotics, antiepileptics, antidepressants and mood stabilizers.

Marketing efforts tend to work better when the drugs can be used for multiple illnesses, she said, which is the case with the Ortho-McNeil Inc.’s Topamax, an antiepileptic. This line of drugs can also be used to treat epilepsy.

The study found that 19 percent of primary care physicians chose to prescribe Topamax due to "pharmaceutical marketing influences," while only 3 percent of psychiatrists prescribed the drug for the same reason.

Marketing bipolar treatment

[Birdbomb]

Not surprising. When you walk into a doctor office and it's plastered with "goodies" they recieve from the detail men, you have a fairly good indication what medication that doc will prescribe.

It's been my experiance psychiatrists are more familar with the ins and outs of marketing ploys and therefore are more selective. It's all in how you present your product.

[RobinN]

This is a really great article on the subject.

BIOCHEMICAL TREATMENT OF MENTAL ILLNESS AND BEHAVIOR DISORDERS

William J. Walsh, Ph.D.
Health Research Institute


http://www.hriptc.org/BioTreatment.html