Botox to fight depression? In a recent randomized, controlled study, patients suffering from major depressive disorder and who had not responded well to antidepressants were given a single dose of OnabotulinumtoxinA, also known as Botox (five injections). The control group was given placebo injections. Of the group that received Botox, 47% reported improvement in their depressive symptoms. This improvement lasted through the 16-weeks of the study.
The scientists who authored the study feel that the treatment may interrupt the feedback the brain receives from our facial musculature, which might cause the “development and maintenance of negative emotions.” Facial muscles are important to us for the purposes of identifying and feeling emotions. These muscles are not just to communicate with others, but also with ourselves. In other words, our own facial expressions seem to affect our moods.
What does this mean for people with depression? Right now, not much, because this treatment is still in the experimental phase, therefore insurance does not cover it. More study is needed. Nevertheless, it does hold promise.
There are side effects to Botox, the most notable one being the complaint that users cannot show emotion. In one interview a participant said, she noticed that her forehead was very smooth and personally, she found that quite pleasant.
Other side effects include pain and bruising at the injection sites, headache, dizziness, nausea, dry mouth and eyes, ringing in the ears, and eyelid swelling. There are more serious side effects to be aware of: trouble breathing, talking, or swallowing, drooping eyelids, severe muscle weakness in other areas of the body that did not receive the injections, loss of bladder control, severe skin rash, fast, slow, or uneven heartbeats, chest pain. (If any of these occur, call your doctor immediately or go to the emergency room).
While we wait for further studies on Botox as a treatment for depression and perhaps FDA approval for this off-label use, we know that there are many, very effective treatments we can use.
If you have symptoms of depression, don’t wait to see your doctor. Seek help now. Some of the symptoms of depression are: feeling helpless and hopeless, loss of interest in things that formerly held your interest, weight changes for no apparent reason, insomnia or hypersomnia, loss of energy, self-loathing, and even reckless behavior.
Depression can abate, but frequently returns with a vengeance. If depression is left untreated, it can lead to suicide.
In the meantime, we wait with bated breath with the hope that we can treat depression and wrinkles at the same time.
Source: http://www.modvive.com
The scientists who authored the study feel that the treatment may interrupt the feedback the brain receives from our facial musculature, which might cause the “development and maintenance of negative emotions.” Facial muscles are important to us for the purposes of identifying and feeling emotions. These muscles are not just to communicate with others, but also with ourselves. In other words, our own facial expressions seem to affect our moods.
What does this mean for people with depression? Right now, not much, because this treatment is still in the experimental phase, therefore insurance does not cover it. More study is needed. Nevertheless, it does hold promise.
There are side effects to Botox, the most notable one being the complaint that users cannot show emotion. In one interview a participant said, she noticed that her forehead was very smooth and personally, she found that quite pleasant.
Other side effects include pain and bruising at the injection sites, headache, dizziness, nausea, dry mouth and eyes, ringing in the ears, and eyelid swelling. There are more serious side effects to be aware of: trouble breathing, talking, or swallowing, drooping eyelids, severe muscle weakness in other areas of the body that did not receive the injections, loss of bladder control, severe skin rash, fast, slow, or uneven heartbeats, chest pain. (If any of these occur, call your doctor immediately or go to the emergency room).
While we wait for further studies on Botox as a treatment for depression and perhaps FDA approval for this off-label use, we know that there are many, very effective treatments we can use.
If you have symptoms of depression, don’t wait to see your doctor. Seek help now. Some of the symptoms of depression are: feeling helpless and hopeless, loss of interest in things that formerly held your interest, weight changes for no apparent reason, insomnia or hypersomnia, loss of energy, self-loathing, and even reckless behavior.
Depression can abate, but frequently returns with a vengeance. If depression is left untreated, it can lead to suicide.
In the meantime, we wait with bated breath with the hope that we can treat depression and wrinkles at the same time.
Source: http://www.modvive.com
0 comments:
Post a Comment