Manerix – Its unique behaviour very effectively alleviates depressive symptoms

From time to time all of us feel a little bit down. Fortunately for most of us, these sorts of feelings usually only last for a day or two and we’re soon back to our old selves. But for some, the situation is very different. They may experience a low mood with such intensity and over such a period of time that it becomes totally debilitating, preventing them from living their normal day to day life. In such circumstances, depression has to be suspected.

And if someone is suffering from depression, they need support, understanding and treatment. Depression should not be under-estimated. It can be a very serious illness and can have huge impact not only on the life of the sufferer but also on their family and friends. Indeed, it’s estimated that around 80% of sufferers experience some level of functional impairment because of their illness. Unfortunately, some sufferers are so badly affected by their illness that they find it hard just to function on an everyday basis, making major depression the number one cause of disability worldwide.

The five main forms that depression can take are:
1. Major (or clinical) depression - a depressed mood that lasts for more than a fortnight
2. Feelings of paranoia (everyone is against you) or visual or auditory hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not there)
3. Dysthymia - a less severe depressed mood but one that can last for years
4. Mixed depression and anxiety - a combination of the symptoms of depression and anxiety
5. Bipolar disorder (formerly called manic depression) - characterised by periods of lows (depression) and highs (mania)

Depression is also one of the most common mental health problems, with estimates suggesting that a staggering 1 in 5 of us will experience some sort of depression during our lifetimes. A recent survey carried out by the US National Centre for Health Statistics (NCHS) established that in any 2 week period during 2005 and 2006, 5.4% of Americans aged 12 or over were suffering from depression. That’s more than 1 in 20 Americans with depression at any one time!

The issue of what exactly causes depression simply serves to complicate matters further - indeed causes may vary from person to person. In some people depression is triggered by recent events such as the death of a loved one or experiencing some sort of trauma. But for others, it might be recent events combined with other long term or personal risk factors that cause depression to develop.

But even if the exact cause of the depression can’t be isolated, once it has been identified it needs to be treated. Unfortunately, many people fail to seek the professional help that they so desperately require. Again, the NCHS survey brought this sharply into focus with only 29% of sufferers reporting contact with a mental health professional in the past year. The reasons for failing to get help are probably as numerous and as various as the reasons for why someone develops depression in the first place. But help is available and this is where Manerix comes to the fore.

Manerix is the brand name for the chemical Moclobemide. Moclobemide is an anti-depressant that belongs to a group of medications known as monoamine oxidase inhibitors (more commonly called MAOIs). Although MAOIs have been around for many years and newer anti-depressants are now available, they still have an important role to play. MAIOs are particularly effective in treating patients who have:

Manerix is a short acting, reversible MAOI. It works by blocking the action of a chemical known as monoamine oxidase A that’s found in the brain. Both monoamine oxidase A and B are involved in regulating the levels of particular chemicals known as neurotransmitters.

Neurotransmitters act as the brain messenger service. They are released when one neuron (nerve cell) wants to pass a nerve impulse on to another neuron. The vast majority of neurons in the brain are linked together by what are known as chemical synapses. In chemical synapses, the neurons don’t actually touch each other but are separated by minute gaps known as synaptic gaps. Neurotransmitters are released to effectively transport these nerve impulses across synaptic gaps.

There are a number of different neurotransmitters and they all have their own role to play in affecting our mood, movements etc. When depression occurs, researchers have established that there may be a decrease in levels of a particular group of neurotransmitters, namely the monoamine neurotransmitters which include norepinephrine, dopamine and serotonin. This causes a chemical imbalance.

Monoamine oxidase A and B absorb monoamine neurotransmitters once they have finished transporting messages between neurons in the brain. Manerix specifically targets the more common monoamine oxidase A and prevents this absorption from taking place. The result is an increase in the amount of serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine in the brain. And because depression is thought to be associated with low stores of monoamine neurotransmitters, increasing the levels of these neurotransmitters may help to alleviate depressive symptoms.

Unfortunately, Manerix is not an instant fix and it can take between two to four weeks before benefits from Manerix therapy appear. But if you persevere, Manerix may be able to deliver you the relief from the symptoms of your illness that you desperately need.

Note - Manerix can interact with a number of other medications, including others taken for depression. Do not take Manerix without first advising your doctor of any other medications and supplements, both on prescription and over the counter, that you might be taking. Some dietary restrictions may also apply - again discuss this with your doctor before taking Manerix.