Are you interested in taking part in ... - Research Opportun...
Research Opportunities
Are you interested in taking part in a project relating to Treatment Resistant Depression (TRD)?
Project Details: Adult patients: diagnosed with TRD: defined as MDD having failed at least 2 antidepressants. HCP's Physicians: treating TRD with a minimum of 3 years’ experience.
Following severe abuse as a teenager I was admitted into a psychiatric hospital for care . A cocktail of drugs , injections and ECT followed making me like a zombie and for those concerned - happy that it affected my memory . I was sent back to the 6th form at school where I was mainly avoided by all as I was so out of it . 18 months later I managed to get on a YTS scheme run by a supermarket . I was still on tablets and a monthly injection which made me feel exhausted . How did I ever manage to get back to some kind of normality ? Get a better job , meet my husband of almost 40 years , have 5 successful children and look after them mainly on my own as my husband worked long hours . After the age of 21 I have never had mental health issues - Ans = I went cold turkey . Ditched the tablets overnight , didn't show up for my monthly jab which was painful . Not saying this works for all but for me it changed my life.
Sorry I don't want to take part in any research projects and I have a lot on my plate at the moment.
Were those patients prescribed diazapam or a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)? Those drugs are metabolised by the polymorphic enzyme CYP2C19, that has around 35 variants (allele) that vary the metabolism speed from ultra-rapid to poor. Around 30% of white people have at least one variant, whereas some Asian groups have 50% to 60%. It follows that the study needs to establish whether the participants have variants, and if so, which one(s). Tests are available and are identified in a recent paper by Bristol University for NICE.
For the record, I respond well to low dose diazapam, but SSRI citalopram winds me up and I have to stop taking them. I would be a good subject for a CYP2c19 variant test. There's an interesting article in the Health section of the Telegraph (28 May), on the disruptive effect that antidepressants can have on your sex life.
I'll want to be part of it but very scared of medication.
Both my Mum and sister have been guinea pigs for various drugs . I feel mental illness is very complex . Sure I believe ours was primarily genetic but our very unconventional upbringing didn't help either . Medication for some is helpful but for me it was to ditch all tablets and for my sister it is medication but mainly a timetable of things to do as every time she was released from hospital, the outside world was too much without distraction to get her out of the house which takes coaxing, self confidence / small steps and integrated with people who weren't ill for acceptance and stability . Any new drugs on their own are hard to stomach as the adjustment can be too much and medication doesn't help those dark feelings of being alone even with people around you but here in the UK the limited - if any day to day support after the closeted surreal atmosphere in a hospital can trigger repeat episodes as the contrast is so severe without understanding support and immediate programme of activities with planned transport as the crazy misunderstanding that patients have the confidence to get to these venues alone often on limited public transport as suicide attempts ban driving and most wouldn't want to jump into a car straight out of the ward is seriously misjudged by those who have never experienced or walked in the shoes of those with anxiety .
Any experiments need to be well thought through . Aftercare and support is paramount . I would want backgrounds , triggers as mental illness isn't as simple as a broken leg . You are dealing with the whole of a broken person.
I would really like to learn more about the details first as it could be interesting to participate especially if it can alleviate the weight of TRD that could be coming back for me any day when I’m not feeling the highs or even borderline mania of throwing everything to settle at almost literally the opposite side of the planet.
The main concerns I would have is the legal context as I am not in a pretty restrictive place as there are quite a lot of treatments usual in Europe that are forbidden or really heavily controlled here.
Second what is the protocol and its basis as it could help me narrow down possible reactions and or interactions
Very good points
If it is an interesting project then yes, of course. I wouldn't be quite so interested in something that was just more of the same. And, of course, I am in the UK. Most of these seem to be in the US.
I have been depressed in the past but not at present, so I don't think I meet the requirements for this project.