Posted by Cam W. on February 13, 2001, at 16:02:46
In reply to Re: Cam what is ..., posted by willow on February 13, 2001, at 14:20:13
> Okay! So how do you get the hypothalamus to respond properly. (This is just guess work, but it is my major complaint, to the doctor, my body does not react approipriately to stressors, good or bad.) Besides leading a very sedate lifestyle?Willow - To get your hypothalamus to "work properly" you will have to somehow "recouple" your HPA axis (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis). Antidepressants can do this, but finding the right one can be time consuming, frustrating, and is a system of trial and error (ie the antidepressant that affects the neurotransmitter system(s) that have resulted in the uncoupling of the HPA axis).
The Sci Am article Noa refers to is "very good and very readable. I recommend everyone interested in depression read it. While it is not the full story, it is very pertinent to what depression is (or may be). Thanks Noa!
Willow, your problem may not be HPA related, but it is best to rule that out first. This can best be done with a trial and error approach (with best clinical guesses) of a series of antidepressants. Another guess that comes to mind is a problem with your GABAergic system. How do benzodiazepines affect your symptoms?
Read the article and if you have any questions, I will be glad to answer them the best I can.
Good luck with your research - Cam
poster:Cam W.
thread:53864
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010212/msgs/53902.html