Pfizer gets another approval from FDA

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iRuleThisForum Joined: 23 Jul 2004 Posted: Tue Aug 24, 2004 10:22 am	Post subject: Pfizer gets another approval from FDA Pfizer got another approval from FDA; the company has received clearance from the FDA to market its antipsychotic Geodon for acute bipolar mania, when patients suffer from unnatural highs that can last for a week or more this time. I do not mean to be so critical, but it is pretty scary that Pfizer gets approval for so many of their new drugs while number of problems have been reported related to prescription drugs for mental conditions.


prozacKid Joined: 26 Jul 2004 Posted: Wed Aug 25, 2004 4:14 am	Post subject: Is there any method to treat bipolar without using any drug?

iRuleThisForum Joined: 23 Jul 2004 Posted: Wed Aug 25, 2004 5:09 am	Post subject: Quote: Is there any method to treat bipolar without using any drug? The following is a pretty extensive information related to bipolar treatment, but take a look. Treatment of bipolar disorder Medications, called "mood stabilizers" can sometimes be used to prevent or mitigate manic or depressive episodes. Periods of depression can also be treated with antidepressants. In extreme cases where the mania or the depression is severe enough to cause psychosis, antipsychotic drugs may also be used. (See the end of the article for an external resource on psychopharmacology.) In contrast to schizophrenia, insight-oriented psychotherapy may be of some use in treating bipolar disorder. Particular drugs may not work in all patients, or work sometimes in others, and it takes considerable time to determine in any particular case whether any particular drug is effective at all since bipolar disorder is usually episodic, and patients may experience remissions and periods of virtually normal functioning whether or not they receive treatment. Evaluation of patients is usually carried out using a "life chart" which graphs moods over a long period of time, ranging from weeks to years. It is also generally necessary to "titrate" the dosage of a drug, seeking to achieve the most effective treatment possible whilst minimizing side-effects. Most mood stabilizers have common minor side-effects which are merely inconvenient, but many also have potential serious side-effects which make medical monitoring of patients undergoing drug treatment vitally important. For details of particular drugs, see the section below. Compliance with medications can be a major problem because some people becoming manic lose insight, or an awareness of having an illness, and discontinue medications; then they often suffer a manic episode and may suddenly find themselves initiating multiple projects often being scattered and ineffective, or may go on a spending spree or take a poorly planned trip landing them in an unfamiliar location without cash. The manic periods, euphoric as they may be, are often disastrous because of the impulsiveness and irrationality that comes with them. Contrary to the patient's wishes, the depression does not respond instantaneously to resumed medication, typically taking 2-6 weeks to respond. Whilst bipolar disorder can be one of the most severe and devastating medical conditions, many individuals with bipolar disorder can also live full and mostly happy lives with correct management of their condition. Compared to patients with schizophrenia, persons with bipolar disorder are more likely to have periods of normal functioning in the absence of medication. Although schizophrenic patients may have remissions with relatively high levels of functioning, schizophrenic patients tend to suffer some impairment during these intervals, if they are not medicated, in contrast to persons with bipolar disorder who often appear completely normal when they are between mood swings. Medication and other therapies A variety of medications are used to treat bipolar disorder. But even with optimal medication treatment, many people with the illness have some residual symptoms. Certain types of psychotherapy or psychosocial interventions, in combination with medication, often can provide additional benefit. These include cognitive-behavioral therapy, interpersonal and social rhythm therapy, family systems therapy, and psychoeducation. Lithium has long been used as a first-line treatment for bipolar disorder. Approved for the treatment of acute mania in 1970 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), lithium has been an effective mood-stabilizing medication for many people with bipolar disorder. Lithium is also noted for reducing the risk of suicide in major affective disorders, such as bipolar disorder: suicide risk on the whole drops to below the average level for society (Baldessarini, 2003). Anticonvulsant medications, particularly valproate and carbamazepine, have been used as alternatives to lithium in many cases. Valproate was FDA approved for the treatment of acute mania in 1995. Newer anticonvulsant medications, including lamotrigine, gabapentin, and topiramate, are being studied to determine their efficacy as mood stabilizers in bipolar disorder. Some research suggests that different combinations of lithium and anticonvulsants may be helpful. According to studies conducted in Finland in patients with epilepsy, valproate may increase testosterone levels in teenage girls and produce polycystic ovary syndrome in women who began taking the medication before age 20. Increased testosterone can lead to polycystic ovary syndrome with irregular or absent menses, obesity, and abnormal growth of hair. Therefore, young female patients taking valproate should be monitored carefully by a physician. During a depressive episode, people with bipolar disorder commonly require additional treatment with antidepressant medication. Typically, lithium or anticonvulsant mood stabilizers are prescribed along with an antidepressant to protect against a switch into mania or rapid cycling. The comparative efficacy of various antidepressants in bipolar disorder is currently being studied. In some cases, the newer, atypical antipsychotic drugs such as clozapine or olanzapine may help relieve severe or refractory symptoms of bipolar disorder and prevent recurrences of mania. More research is needed to establish the safety and efficacy of atypical antipsychotic as long-term treatments for this disorder. Research into new treatments Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) was an accepted treatment in the past, and is still used today when other treatments have failed. There is current research work on transcranial magnetic stimulation as an alternative to ECT. In late 2003, researchers at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts have found tentative evidence of improvements in mood during EP-MRSI imaging, and attempts are being made to develop this into a form which can be evaluated as a possible treatment. It has been hypothesized that bipolar disorder may be the result of poor membrane conduction in the brain and that one possible cause may be a deficiency in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Following an encouraging small-scale study, several large scale trials of treatment using omega-3 fatty acids are under way. "Alternative" treatments Lithium orotate is used as an alternative treatment to lithium carbonate by some sufferers of Bipolar Disorder, mainly because it is available without a doctor's prescription. It is sometimes sold as "organic lithium" by nutritionists, as well as under a wide variety of brand names. There seems to be little evidence for its use in clinical treatment in preference to lithium carbonate. Self-treatment without medical monitoring is potentially dangerous. The document was originally published at Wikipedia and the document is licensed under GNU Free Document License. If you'd like to find out more about obesity, you might be interested in visiting this page in Wikipedia.

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