Lithium
Lithium is a medicine that is used to treat mood disorders:
It is a simple chemical (in some ways similar to salt) that occurs naturally. Lithium has been used for more than 50 years, so doctors and many patients are familiar with it. The forms of lithium used medically are lithium carbonate, and lithium citrate. In the United States, lithium (or lithium carbonate) was first approved for treatment of bipolar disorder in 1970. Since then it has been used as a treatment alternative for unipolar disorder--also known as major depressive disorder--as well as in the treatment of bipolar disorder. The drug effects are designed to readjust neurotransmitter levels in the brain by restoring them to normal secretion levels. Tryptophan and serotonin levels are the transmitters it targets. When first starting out on lithium, it typically takes one to three weeks before the full effects of the drug can be felt. As each individual's body chemistry is different, prescribed lithium treatment may require continued dosage adjustments before therapeutic levels are reached. Before the drug's effects can be felt, it must reach a certain level within the bloodstream. Oftentimes, the level needed is dangerously close to levels that cause blood poisoning. As a result, individuals who are prescribed lithium must have their blood levels checked on a routine basis to avoid this risk. Long-term use of lithium also can lead to kidney damage, as well as impaired thyroid function.
Cognitive behavioral therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been shown by research to effectively treat depression. According to American Family Physician, it can be used on its own or along with antidepressants. It also reduces relapse rates because it teaches techniques that can be used even after a person leaves therapy. If depression starts to recur, he can use the same techniques he learned in his counseling sessions to stop it again. Along with treatment of depression, CBT is also used for treatment phobias, addiction, and anxiety. The goal of cognitive behavior therapy is to teach patients that while they cannot control every aspect of the world around them, they can take control of how they interpret and deal with things in their environment.
Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) are one of the oldest classes of antidepressants and are typically used when other antidepressants have not been effective. They are used less frequently because they often interact with certain foods and require strict dietary restrictions. MAOIs can also result in severe adverse reactions if taken with many other medicines, including some over-the-counter cough and cold remedies. MAOIs are mostly used for atypical depression. It is thought that depression may be linked to an imbalance of chemicals within the brain. Within the brain there are chemical messengers or neurotransmitters, called monoamines. Examples of these are noradrenaline and serotonin. Neurotransmitters are involved in controlling or regulating bodily functions, and noradrenaline and serotonin are involved in the control and regulation of mood. When depression occurs, there may be a decrease in the amount of these monoamines released from nerve cells in the brain. Monoamines are broken down by a chemical (enzyme), called monoamine oxidase. MAOIs prevent monoamine oxidase from breaking down the monoamines. This results in an increased amount of active monoamines in the brain. By increasing the amount of monoamines in the brain, the imbalance of chemicals, thought to be important in causing depression, is altered. This helps relieve the symptoms of depression.
Lithium is a medicine that is used to treat mood disorders:
- depression where mood is severely low.
- bipolar affective disorder (manic depression) in which mood is excessively high on some occasions and very low on others
It is a simple chemical (in some ways similar to salt) that occurs naturally. Lithium has been used for more than 50 years, so doctors and many patients are familiar with it. The forms of lithium used medically are lithium carbonate, and lithium citrate. In the United States, lithium (or lithium carbonate) was first approved for treatment of bipolar disorder in 1970. Since then it has been used as a treatment alternative for unipolar disorder--also known as major depressive disorder--as well as in the treatment of bipolar disorder. The drug effects are designed to readjust neurotransmitter levels in the brain by restoring them to normal secretion levels. Tryptophan and serotonin levels are the transmitters it targets. When first starting out on lithium, it typically takes one to three weeks before the full effects of the drug can be felt. As each individual's body chemistry is different, prescribed lithium treatment may require continued dosage adjustments before therapeutic levels are reached. Before the drug's effects can be felt, it must reach a certain level within the bloodstream. Oftentimes, the level needed is dangerously close to levels that cause blood poisoning. As a result, individuals who are prescribed lithium must have their blood levels checked on a routine basis to avoid this risk. Long-term use of lithium also can lead to kidney damage, as well as impaired thyroid function.Cognitive behavioral therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been shown by research to effectively treat depression. According to American Family Physician, it can be used on its own or along with antidepressants. It also reduces relapse rates because it teaches techniques that can be used even after a person leaves therapy. If depression starts to recur, he can use the same techniques he learned in his counseling sessions to stop it again. Along with treatment of depression, CBT is also used for treatment phobias, addiction, and anxiety. The goal of cognitive behavior therapy is to teach patients that while they cannot control every aspect of the world around them, they can take control of how they interpret and deal with things in their environment.Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) are one of the oldest classes of antidepressants and are typically used when other antidepressants have not been effective. They are used less frequently because they often interact with certain foods and require strict dietary restrictions. MAOIs can also result in severe adverse reactions if taken with many other medicines, including some over-the-counter cough and cold remedies. MAOIs are mostly used for atypical depression. It is thought that depression may be linked to an imbalance of chemicals within the brain. Within the brain there are chemical messengers or neurotransmitters, called monoamines. Examples of these are noradrenaline and serotonin. Neurotransmitters are involved in controlling or regulating bodily functions, and noradrenaline and serotonin are involved in the control and regulation of mood. When depression occurs, there may be a decrease in the amount of these monoamines released from nerve cells in the brain. Monoamines are broken down by a chemical (enzyme), called monoamine oxidase. MAOIs prevent monoamine oxidase from breaking down the monoamines. This results in an increased amount of active monoamines in the brain. By increasing the amount of monoamines in the brain, the imbalance of chemicals, thought to be important in causing depression, is altered. This helps relieve the symptoms of depression.