Oestrogen shows promise as treatment for mental illness

[TheBattler]

See

http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2008/s2191947.htm 🔗

MARK COLVIN: Oestrogen is already used to treat the hot flushes and other symptoms that make menopause so unpleasant for older women.

But now there's hope that the hormone could be used to treat mental illnesses like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression.

Researchers in Melbourne have found that it's related to the brain chemistry, which causes psychotic symptoms, like hearing voices.

And it's possible that oestrogen could be used to help men as well.
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JAYASHRI KULKARNI: We tend to think of oestrogen as the girl's hormone but in fact in the brain it's a neuro-steroid so it has a similar effect on dopamine and serotonin in the brain of men as well as in women but we have the complication that in men, it's not possible to continue with longer term treatment without feminising.

What's very interesting is the development of a new line of oestrogens. These are oestrogens that work in the brain because they selectively work on oestrogen receptor types that are found in the brain and not in the breast and body tissues. So, in a sense the brain oestrogens might be the way to go for safety in both women and potentially in men.

MARK COLVIN: Professor Jayashri Kulkarni from the Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, ending Jane Cowan's report.

[Hazumu]

Good catch, Alice!  I doubt this story would have shown up on my trans-news radar

=K

[RebeccaFog]

Great Zot!

      This exact topic has been on my mind.  I didn't know anyone was out there really looking into it.   This is utterly important to us androgynes.

      I've been thinking of coming out and asking my mental illness doctor if I could try taking that for a few months and see if I can ween off the corporate pharm.  But I had nothing to refer to even though I was going to try anyway.

Holy Moly!


I ain't gonna work on Maggie's pharm no more

Rebis