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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 10 of 10. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by mtom on April 24, 2019, at 18:24:46
I thought I posted this recently but can't find it so apologize if it's a double post.
I had an interesting chat with my GP who is very open-minded and attends lots of conferences.
She told me of a discussion she recently had with a P-Doc Researcher at a conference. This P-Doc told her that depression is increasingly being shown to be autoimmune, and that she believes in future biologics, similar to those used to treat Rheumatoid Arthritis, will be major medications in treating depression.
I know the "inflammatory theory" of depression has been around for some years (autoimmunity causes inflammation), and interest in this theory has been growing.
Sharing, and interested in thoughts, comments....
Posted by beckett2 on April 24, 2019, at 18:52:38
In reply to Depression as an autoimmune disease...., posted by mtom on April 24, 2019, at 18:24:46
> I thought I posted this recently but can't find it so apologize if it's a double post.
>
> I had an interesting chat with my GP who is very open-minded and attends lots of conferences.
>
> She told me of a discussion she recently had with a P-Doc Researcher at a conference. This P-Doc told her that depression is increasingly being shown to be autoimmune, and that she believes in future biologics, similar to those used to treat Rheumatoid Arthritis, will be major medications in treating depression.
>
> I know the "inflammatory theory" of depression has been around for some years (autoimmunity causes inflammation), and interest in this theory has been growing.
>
> Sharing, and interested in thoughts, comments....My serious depression coincided with the onset of Hashimoto's thyroiditis. And the atypical chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia. Using appropriate thyroid hormone replacement didn't restore normal mood.
Do you have an autoimmune issue?
Posted by Radish on April 24, 2019, at 18:56:00
In reply to Depression as an autoimmune disease...., posted by mtom on April 24, 2019, at 18:24:46
Interesting, I am off to read more. I am in no way a medical professional but I think what we currently call depression is several distinct diseases with their own distinct causes. I wish we were about 25 years in the future as far as treatment and understanding goes.
Posted by Ruuudy on April 24, 2019, at 23:51:35
In reply to Re: Depression as an autoimmune disease...., posted by Radish on April 24, 2019, at 18:56:00
Rather ironic that in my earlier years of suffering with depression, when my mom or dad, or someone else, would ask me why I wasn't feeling well, I would often use the "canned" response, "I've got a headache.", or, "My head is throbbing.".
Well, in all actuality, my brain probably really WAS inflamed!
Rudy
Posted by mtom on April 25, 2019, at 8:48:50
In reply to Re: Depression as an autoimmune disease.... » mtom, posted by beckett2 on April 24, 2019, at 18:52:38
Yes, I have Lupus, was diagnosed about 20 years ago and that's the same time I started having mood issues. "Not" as a result of the diagnosis, but sudden mood issues coincided with physical symptoms and sent me to the Doctor to find out what was going on.
My depression was mild to moderate for a number of years with periods, sometimes up to a year or so, with almost complete remission. But then it started worsening and became more consistent.
My Rheumatologist always thought my Lupus was a mild case and was never sure it was related to the depression (although it's known that Lupus patients have higher rates of depression thatnpeople with other similar diseases - which they used to think might be due to many being on coricosteroids, but then discovered rates were higher even without steroids). But my physical symptoms, especially joint pain, have worsened over the years too. I have had a number of situational stresses crop up in recent years, which may have in part exacerbated things, but these are more recent, the depression was pre-existing.
I don't respond much to antidepressants, in fact mostly they just give me a whole bunch of intense side effects (including increased Anxiety, something that also came on after the Lupus diagnosis).
I've read Hashimoto's is associated with depression.
I'm still taking escitalopram, only 5 mg because side effects became too intense on higher doses (& still get some). I've experiemented, inconsistently, with anti-oxidant supplements in past, but have recently decided to put more focus on these, especially those that have some evidence of helping with both depression & inflammation e.g. Turmeric/curcumin and Omega-3's. Trying to avoid gluten (difficult), adding more vegetables to my diet, and am trying Medical CBD Oil (medical cannabis has been legal in Canada where I live for a number of years, prescribed by Doctors who specialize in this, and supplied by government licensed & regulated providers).>
> My serious depression coincided with the onset of Hashimoto's thyroiditis. And the atypical chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia. Using appropriate thyroid hormone replacement didn't restore normal mood.
>
> Do you have an autoimmune issue?
Posted by mtom on April 26, 2019, at 9:00:04
In reply to Re: Depression as an autoimmune disease.... » beckett2, posted by mtom on April 25, 2019, at 8:48:50
Here's 1 article on biologics and depression:
https://www.nras.org.uk/biologic-drugs-used-for-autoimmune-disease-could-also-help-to-treat-depression-in-the-futureA google search will bring up more.
Posted by Hugh on May 6, 2019, at 0:19:38
In reply to Re: Depression as an autoimmune disease.... » beckett2, posted by mtom on April 25, 2019, at 8:48:50
Have you tried low-dose naltrexone (LDN) for your lupus?
https://www.ldnscience.org/resources/interviews-patients/kelly-peterson
This site discusses other options:
https://www.digitalnaturopath.com/conditions/lupus-sle-systemic-lupus-erythromatosis-risk/
Posted by pedr on May 14, 2019, at 18:05:04
In reply to Re: Depression as an autoimmune disease...., posted by Radish on April 24, 2019, at 18:56:00
> Interesting, I am off to read more. I am in no way a medical professional but I think what we currently call depression is several distinct diseases with their own distinct causes. I wish we were about 25 years in the future as far as treatment and understanding goes.
Radish,
it's funny you say that as that's a familiar refrain of mine. I equally am glad I'm not suffering with these ailments 25 years ago. Or 250...
250 years in the future, I'd like to think, that depression won't exist. Shame it's not higher up on humanity's priority list today -_-
Pete
Posted by Ruuudy on June 4, 2019, at 18:47:49
In reply to Re: Depression as an autoimmune disease.... » Radish, posted by pedr on May 14, 2019, at 18:05:04
With all this talk of depression's autoimmune & imflammation theories, I can't help but not to think that sometimes I can almost feel like I'm sensing some imflammation going on between my skull & my brain's (or lack thereof) inner-workings!
In my "early years" of depression, I would commonly use the statement "My head's hurting", or "I have a headache" as an excuse as to why I might be appearing to be depressed.
Posted by mtom on June 4, 2019, at 19:17:21
In reply to Re: Depression as an autoimmune disease...., posted by Ruuudy on June 4, 2019, at 18:47:49
My depression first came on just before I was diagnosed with Lupus which is autoimmune. When the depression worsens, so do fatigue, malaise (flu-like feelings) and some other physical symptoms.
I've been reading a lot about Gluten - both Celiac and Gluten Sensitivity and relationship to other autoimmune diseases and inflammation. Intestinal permeability theory (Leaky Gut). Look up Dr. Alessio Fasano at Harvard - he is researching all this including possible associations with non-celiac autoimmunity, neurological and psychiatric disorders. In addition to research papers, there are a number of Podcasts that interview him on this. I might post more separately.
> With all this talk of depression's autoimmune & imflammation theories, I can't help but not to think that sometimes I can almost feel like I'm sensing some imflammation going on between my skull & my brain's (or lack thereof) inner-workings!
>
> In my "early years" of depression, I would commonly use the statement "My head's hurting", or "I have a headache" as an excuse as to why I might be appearing to be depressed.
This is the end of the thread.
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