Any differences and similarities in symptoms of Manic Depression and Epilpsy?

Answer 1

The treatment for both conditions is very similar, in some ways nearly identical. In both conditions people are primarily treated with anti-seizure medications ("anticonvulsants"). They are standard medications for the treatment of bipolar disorder such as Depakote, Tegretol, lamotrigine and Neurontin. In many cases they act like Lithium, the old standard for bipolar disorder.

In addition, medications that make seizure disorders worse (though only slightly in most cases) can make bipolar disorder worse also (more than slightly in many cases). These include antidepressant medications and antipsychotic medications, because they "lower seizure threshold"; that is, they make it slightly easier for an underlying seizure condition to express itself. And the antidepressants at least are widely recognized to have the potential to make bipolar disorder worse...but not always.

In fact temporal lobe epilepsy and bipolar disorder are indeed very much alike. There is so much overlap between the two conditions, it sure seems like there must be some direct relationship there...e.g. severe TLE, coming from just the right spot in the temporal lobe, could considered by some researchers to effectively "be" bipolar disorder; that is if the experts knew more about exactly how bipolar disorder works, which they don't.

This is a good article about a study to determine whether the manic episode of patients with epilepsy has different characteristics from manic episode of patients with bipolar disorder. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11554891&dopt=Abstract

This is also some info I found from ADAM (American Accreditation Healthcare Commission)
Bipolar Disorder and Epilepsy.
Neurotransmitters called gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) and norepinephrine have been implicated in mania.

GABA helps prevent nerve cells from over-firing.
Norepinephrine is a hormone that involves stress.
Some research has associated similar biologic mechanisms in patients with epilepsy and bipolar disorder. As in epilepsy, the more episodes a bipolar disorder patient experiences early in the course of the disease, the more frequent and severe later episodes will be. Antiseizure agents, in fact, can play an important role in the treatment of bipolar disorder.

Of course the big difference is in how they are classified, since bipolar is considered a psychological disorder and epilepsy a neurological disorder.

Answer 2

First, your moods are too quick to be bipolar. I get hypo mania, so mine traditionally final three days to every week, however my depressions can final for months. Having mania is like being euphoric and above all people. I have defined mania as being erratic and estatic for the drastic alterations in my conduct. It is going from sexual pastime, being blunt, now not sound asleep, giggling, portray graphics that suck, and considering the whole thing I do is well it doesn't matter what. And that is now not even a whole blown, extreme manic episode. But they're a lot more extreme than what you could have. You relatively simply do not gradual down. I've defined going from mania and despair as falling from the celling to underneath the cracks of the ground. It hits tough, and it relatively, relatively is deep despair. Suicidal ideas, sound asleep all day, now not bathing, and it lasts for a minimum of a month. My moods by no means have a sample, and they do not transfer most commonly. You're now not bipolar, but when it is dangerous ample, inform your health care provider your signs. If you are saying I AM MANIC DEPRESSIVE the health care provider would possibly not take you severely. Most persons who self diagnose don't seem to be proper. And the opposite man or woman isn't proper. Manic despair isn't an extra analysis. It's the equal factor as bipolar... the truly change is bipolar I and II. You don't seem to be both.

Answer 3

There's considerable difference, and not many similarities. Manic depression is a psychological problem, and epilepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by seizure activity. Both conditions can be treated successfully, however, by the proper medication. Sometimes it takes awhile to find the right ones, however. Manic depression can also be treated with psychotherapy.

Answer 4

I have both and have had since I was 14 and I'm 30 now. Epilepsy makes me have seizures, black out for hrs, affects my long and short term memory, coordination, makes me talk non sense and not remember it, drains all my energy, bite my tongue. Depression makes me hate everything, and feel sad constantly. I've tried countless drugs for both conditions, none have ever helped.

Answer 5

The thing that makes them similar is that they effect similar areas in the brain. Both disorders are neurologically based.

Answer 6

YESNO