There are millions of elderly individuals who have some degree of dementia. With the aging population, these numbers are going to increase a lot more in the next 2 decades. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) can create havoc in the life of the affected individual and all those who surround him/her. Despite decades of research, we still do not know what causes AD, how to prevent or treat it. The few drugs that have been developed only help relieve symptoms of AD. One of the latest drug hyped up as a miracle for patients with AD is memantine (Namenda).
Memantine has been around for decades but only recently has it been approved for treatment of dementia. Unlike Aricept, Namenda targets a different chemical in the brain- glutamate. In the laboratory, Glutamate has been shown to help improve learning and mental cognition.
Memantine works on certain areas of brain and has been shown to alter levels of a several neurotransmitters, including glutamate. The company that makes Memantine claims that the drug can help individuals who have AD.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Serenity: part 3
So what about the consumer?
For those who decide to take Serenity, start at the lowest dose. The supplement has been deemed safe when it is taken alone. The starting dose is about 150-200 mg/day. However, if you already taking other medications for your depression or bipolar disorder it is wise to discuss the issue with your physician before embarking on a complex hodge podge of drugs.
A month’s supply of Serenity can cost anywhere from $20-$40. Remember, many such herbal supplements are made in India and China, where unscrupulous manufacturers have sometimes added the actual drug inside the supplement. Further, dangerous contaminants in herbal products are not unheard off. Fakes and counterfeits are also abundant in the health supplement market. So in the end the caveat “buyer beware” should be well heeded.
For those who decide to take Serenity, start at the lowest dose. The supplement has been deemed safe when it is taken alone. The starting dose is about 150-200 mg/day. However, if you already taking other medications for your depression or bipolar disorder it is wise to discuss the issue with your physician before embarking on a complex hodge podge of drugs.
A month’s supply of Serenity can cost anywhere from $20-$40. Remember, many such herbal supplements are made in India and China, where unscrupulous manufacturers have sometimes added the actual drug inside the supplement. Further, dangerous contaminants in herbal products are not unheard off. Fakes and counterfeits are also abundant in the health supplement market. So in the end the caveat “buyer beware” should be well heeded.
Serenity part 2
However, there are no clinical studies on Serenity and bipolar disorder. For example what happens if an individual takes several Serenity pills, does Serenity interact with other drugs or herbs, or can one overdose with serenity? Answers to these questions remain unknown.
The problem with conventional lithium is that it is a difficult drug to administer. Even the slightest changes in dose can either make the drug toxic or ineffective. So what happens if one combines the traditional lithium pill with Serenity- will there be more side effects? will it be more effective? Again answers to these questions remain answered.
To date, there is very little information on Serenity. Is there evidence that lithium orotate (serenity) works for bipolar?
None. There are no clinical studies on this supplement. There are some positive testimonials from individuals who have taken serenity, but there are a lot of negative testimonials about the supplement also. On most part, consumers claim Serenity does diddly squat and is a waste of money. Moreover, there is evidence that the product quality and quantity of Lithium orotate varies from store to store and even among the same brand.
The problem with conventional lithium is that it is a difficult drug to administer. Even the slightest changes in dose can either make the drug toxic or ineffective. So what happens if one combines the traditional lithium pill with Serenity- will there be more side effects? will it be more effective? Again answers to these questions remain answered.
To date, there is very little information on Serenity. Is there evidence that lithium orotate (serenity) works for bipolar?
None. There are no clinical studies on this supplement. There are some positive testimonials from individuals who have taken serenity, but there are a lot of negative testimonials about the supplement also. On most part, consumers claim Serenity does diddly squat and is a waste of money. Moreover, there is evidence that the product quality and quantity of Lithium orotate varies from store to store and even among the same brand.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Can I take Serenity for my bipolar disorder?
Bipolar is a very complex disorder and its treatment is not very satisfactory. The majority of patients with bipolar remain dis-satisfied with current day treatment. Besides lithium, there are several other medications used to treat bipolar disorder.
As predicted, someone always comes up with a health supplement to counter the available traditional drugs for bipolar disorder. One health supplement that has been touted as a treatment for bipolar disorder is a product called Serenity. There are many Serenity type products on the market and one of them is hyped up to treat all types of mental disorders, including bipolar disorder. Serenity contains lithium orotate. The company which makes this product claims that it is a very safe mood stabilizer and relieves anxiety.
Serenity is widely available as a health supplement. It is available as powder, capsule, tablet and a liquid.
The lithium found in serenity is coated with orotate and also contain a number of other natural supplements. The enteric coating protects the supplement from breaking down by acid in the stomach. However, experts indicate that a single pill of Serenity is unlikely to make any difference in treatment of bipolar disorder because the amount of lithium found in the Serenity is miniscule. In fact, even the manufacturer claims that lithium levels are not high with serenity-this may be just to get the FDA off its back. Lithium in therapeutic doses needs a prescription. When lithium is sold in sub therapeutic doses and mixed with some herbs, it can be sold as a supplement and does not need to undergo the scrutiny that other drugs go through.
As predicted, someone always comes up with a health supplement to counter the available traditional drugs for bipolar disorder. One health supplement that has been touted as a treatment for bipolar disorder is a product called Serenity. There are many Serenity type products on the market and one of them is hyped up to treat all types of mental disorders, including bipolar disorder. Serenity contains lithium orotate. The company which makes this product claims that it is a very safe mood stabilizer and relieves anxiety.
Serenity is widely available as a health supplement. It is available as powder, capsule, tablet and a liquid.
The lithium found in serenity is coated with orotate and also contain a number of other natural supplements. The enteric coating protects the supplement from breaking down by acid in the stomach. However, experts indicate that a single pill of Serenity is unlikely to make any difference in treatment of bipolar disorder because the amount of lithium found in the Serenity is miniscule. In fact, even the manufacturer claims that lithium levels are not high with serenity-this may be just to get the FDA off its back. Lithium in therapeutic doses needs a prescription. When lithium is sold in sub therapeutic doses and mixed with some herbs, it can be sold as a supplement and does not need to undergo the scrutiny that other drugs go through.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Acupuncture and Depression: Part 2
In two trials, when acupuncture was compared to sham control, it did not do much.
In the other five trials, acupuncture did not significantly improve symptoms in patients with mild to moderate depression. The most surprising data revealed that there was no evidence that the anti depressant medications were better than acupuncture. Of course, the usual arguments were that these studies were poorly designed and numbers were small.
So what does all this mean for the consumer?
On cyberspace, it appears that there are hundreds of practitioners offering acupuncture as a treatment for depression. On the other hand, psychiatrists also claim that their medications are working fine. There seems to be no shortage of patients for either health care professional.
Depression is a complex topic and no one really knows what is the best treatment. Questions still remain about efficacy of acupuncture, but if you are thinking about it, one should know that the cost of each treatment is anywhere from $50-$100 per session. In addition, most medical insurance plans do not cover the cost. On the other hand, anti depressant drugs are also expensive and often not covered by insurance plans.
If you are on an anti depressant medication, hang on to your pill. While there are a lot of negative sentiments about doctors and drugs, there is still a fair amount of decent information that reveals that anti depressant drugs do work in a number of patients. Even though these drugs have side effects and often fail to work in the long term, there is no other therapy at the moment which works better. Remember, acupuncture is still looking for a disease it can cure and solid evidence about its efficacy is still lacking.
http://www.cochrane.org/reviews/en/ab004046.html
In the other five trials, acupuncture did not significantly improve symptoms in patients with mild to moderate depression. The most surprising data revealed that there was no evidence that the anti depressant medications were better than acupuncture. Of course, the usual arguments were that these studies were poorly designed and numbers were small.
So what does all this mean for the consumer?
On cyberspace, it appears that there are hundreds of practitioners offering acupuncture as a treatment for depression. On the other hand, psychiatrists also claim that their medications are working fine. There seems to be no shortage of patients for either health care professional.
Depression is a complex topic and no one really knows what is the best treatment. Questions still remain about efficacy of acupuncture, but if you are thinking about it, one should know that the cost of each treatment is anywhere from $50-$100 per session. In addition, most medical insurance plans do not cover the cost. On the other hand, anti depressant drugs are also expensive and often not covered by insurance plans.
If you are on an anti depressant medication, hang on to your pill. While there are a lot of negative sentiments about doctors and drugs, there is still a fair amount of decent information that reveals that anti depressant drugs do work in a number of patients. Even though these drugs have side effects and often fail to work in the long term, there is no other therapy at the moment which works better. Remember, acupuncture is still looking for a disease it can cure and solid evidence about its efficacy is still lacking.
http://www.cochrane.org/reviews/en/ab004046.html
Acupuncture and Depression: Part 1
Despite what some physicians claim, the treatment of depression with drugs is not great. The majority of individuals who have depression remain dis-satisfied with current day anti depressant drugs. Initially most drugs work to relieve symptoms of depression but after sometime, relapses are common. Moreover, the majority of drugs have side effects. For this reason, many patients have been turning to alternative health. One of the treatments that has advocated for treating depression is acupuncture.
Acupuncture has been widely touted to treat many types of pain syndromes, anxiety disorders and a whole host of other organic disorders. Now the alternative health care practitioners claim that acupuncture can be used to treat depression. Even though acupuncture has been practiced for decades in North America, not many randomized studies have been done to determine its efficacy. In the last decade, seven trials have compared acupuncture versus anti depressant medications in the treatment of mild to moderate depression. Most of these trials were conducted fairly, with proper inclusion and exclusion criteria. Patients were evaluated carefully and followed.
Acupuncture has been widely touted to treat many types of pain syndromes, anxiety disorders and a whole host of other organic disorders. Now the alternative health care practitioners claim that acupuncture can be used to treat depression. Even though acupuncture has been practiced for decades in North America, not many randomized studies have been done to determine its efficacy. In the last decade, seven trials have compared acupuncture versus anti depressant medications in the treatment of mild to moderate depression. Most of these trials were conducted fairly, with proper inclusion and exclusion criteria. Patients were evaluated carefully and followed.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Can Gingko Biloba prevent dementia? part 2
This was the first comprehensive study with a large number of volunteer community members. The study included individuals with mild cognitive impairment but those with moderate to severe dementia were excluded. Individuals who were on other types of memory drugs like Aricept were also excluded. All individuals underwent comprehensive neurophysiological testing and were randomized to receive either placebo (sugar pill) or G Biloba (120 mg twice a day). Re-evaluations were done every 6 months.
Individuals who started to develop cognitive impairment had to undergo neuropsychological testing and results were evaluated by an independent panel. MRI was done to confirm dementia.
After 6 years, the results between placebo and Ginkgo were no different. Ginkgo did not prevent dementia nor did it enhance memory. While ginkgo was found to be safe, a few individuals did develop bleeding in the brain.
Final point
This study finally answered the question whether G Biloba prevents dementia. The conclusion is that even in individuals with the mildest dementia, it did nothing. There are some who argue that perhaps G Biloba should have been administered for a longer period of time. However, researchers point out that if a supplement has not worked for 6 years, it is unlikely to work at all. Further and most important Gingko supplements do not come cheap and the cost of pills does add up. Considering that Gingko Biloba has finally been shown to be ineffective in treatment of dementia, it is time the consumer use his/her hard earned money for better use- like eating healthy and saving up for future home care services in case they are needed.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/584660
Individuals who started to develop cognitive impairment had to undergo neuropsychological testing and results were evaluated by an independent panel. MRI was done to confirm dementia.
After 6 years, the results between placebo and Ginkgo were no different. Ginkgo did not prevent dementia nor did it enhance memory. While ginkgo was found to be safe, a few individuals did develop bleeding in the brain.
Final point
This study finally answered the question whether G Biloba prevents dementia. The conclusion is that even in individuals with the mildest dementia, it did nothing. There are some who argue that perhaps G Biloba should have been administered for a longer period of time. However, researchers point out that if a supplement has not worked for 6 years, it is unlikely to work at all. Further and most important Gingko supplements do not come cheap and the cost of pills does add up. Considering that Gingko Biloba has finally been shown to be ineffective in treatment of dementia, it is time the consumer use his/her hard earned money for better use- like eating healthy and saving up for future home care services in case they are needed.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/584660
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