Luanne Posted September 3, 2015 Share Posted September 3, 2015 Is this even possible? My almost 27 year old daughter is struggling with depression and so far the first antidepressant medication didn't work and the second one is having strange side effects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 3, 2015 Share Posted September 3, 2015 A really fresh, potent St John's Wort supplement was recommended for me in place of Zoloft by my midwives. It did the trick, along with heavy B supplementation. I was dealing with fairly severe prenatal depression and have a history of manic depressive cycles and postpartum depression. Good stuff :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WinsomeCreek Posted September 3, 2015 Share Posted September 3, 2015 I recently read about magnesium to treat depression. Has your daughter already checked to see if she has nutritional deficiencies? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted September 3, 2015 Share Posted September 3, 2015 She should have her vitamin levels checked. Supplementing low D and B levels has really helped my depression. Another thing to consider is 5Htp but if she takes that it is imperative that she not be taking an SSRI. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted September 3, 2015 Share Posted September 3, 2015 has she been tested for mthf mutation? it can leave people predisposed toward depression - easy to treat with mthf supplementation. (you can do low dose OTC. thorne brand. start with 1mg, and you can slowly increase. if she is affected by the mutation, it should help. if she isn't, it won't hurt her because it's folate.) it can make rx more effective, or even eliminate the need for them. b-complex - a HIGH QUALITY one- makes an enormous difference. thorne, pure encapsulations, douglas labs are all excellent and reliable quality brands. I use emerald laboratories b-healthy (and I noticed an improvement within about 10 days, despite having used a double dose stress-b naturemade for years beforehand. with the NM - I only noticed it was helping when I hadn't taken it for a week or more.) I also use NOW for a number of supplements. 5-htp d3 - really does play a role in mood (reclassified as a hormone. levels should be bare floor minimum of 30, and better yet, above 50.) tryptophan - breaks down into 5-htp, and melatonin. (going directly to 5-htp did more for me than the tryptophan) for anxiety l-theanine GABA pure encapsulations Ashwagandha has done wonders for dudeling's anxiety. (PE's is more concentrated than other brands.) regular exercise regular sleep healthy diet (minimal sugar - even all the "alternatives") 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted September 3, 2015 Share Posted September 3, 2015 Is this even possible? My almost 27 year old daughter is struggling with depression and so far the first antidepressant medication didn't work and the second one is having strange side effects. Is she seeing a psychiatrist? If not, I highly recommend it. Also, it might take a few tries to find the right fit. Is she still within the window for side effects for the medication? A lot of them taper off over two or three weeks. It takes patience. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orthodox6 Posted September 3, 2015 Share Posted September 3, 2015 Find a psychiatrist who works with both allopathic and alternative medicine. That is what I did. We developed an excellent working relationship. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joanne Posted September 4, 2015 Share Posted September 4, 2015 How long was she on the first one? Antidepressants take a while to titer up and develop a therapeutic dosing. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted September 4, 2015 Share Posted September 4, 2015 How long was she on the first one? Antidepressants take a while to titer up and develop a therapeutic dosing. And not every med works for every person. My adult son has taken about 18 months to (we hope, knock wood) become fairly stable on meds - a lot of trial and error along the way. A couple drugs we knew within days that the side effects were not acceptable, and they were dropped. Otherwise it has taken for most drugs a solid two to three months before we could tell if they were helping or not. Rare, I think, is the person who hits on the best possible med or meds for their condition on the first try. It is not as if there is a blood test to determine "Oh, patient X would do best on the purple pill, and patient Z would do better on the pink pill", alas. If side effects are too bad, have her discuss tweaking or changing meds with her doctor. Do not fiddle with any supplements on your own unless she first discusses it with her doctor. I have also found it helpful to go over stuff with the local pharmacist, who can tell if there are any bad interactions to look for with combinations of pill etc (he had to reassure ds and I when the doctor prescribed a SIXTH medication - turns out it was key to his recovery, as it compensated for the accumulating side effect (insomnia, mind racing) of the other meds. A prescription drug is something that has been tested extensively before it is allowed to be used by humans. There are quality controls in place to ensure that the pill you take is actually the medication you need, not diluted or something else. You do NOT have these safeguards in place with OTC non-prescription supplements, alas. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Peregrine Posted September 4, 2015 Share Posted September 4, 2015 Magnesium Fish oil B Complex Exercise Water No sugar Sunlight These kept me on an even keel. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted September 4, 2015 Share Posted September 4, 2015 It is totally normal to have to try a couple to get the right fit. Everyone is different and there is nothing wrong or abnormal with trying out a few different meds. If it were one size fits all there would only be one med on the market. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2samlibby Posted September 4, 2015 Share Posted September 4, 2015 I agree with the above posters that mentioned Vitamin deficiencies. I'd have her checked for MTHFR mutation, Vitamin B12, iron, and folate deficiencies, and I have her tested for H Pylori. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corraleno Posted September 4, 2015 Share Posted September 4, 2015 I highly recommend paying the 100 bucks or so for the DNA test (23andMe or Ancestry) to see exactly what mutations are involved before self-treating with B12. It turned out that DS and I both have a set of mutations (in addition to the MTHFR mutations) that mean methylcobalamin is not the right B12 for us, and can make symptoms worse (it did — seriously ramped up the anxiety levels). We take hydroxocobalamin instead. We both also have a mutation associated with low Vit D, which explains why our D3 levels were practically in single digits despite living the Southwest and getting tons of sunshine year round. Now we take a high-potency supplement from Thorne. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted September 4, 2015 Share Posted September 4, 2015 I would be wary of 5HTP, there is evidence that it can interfere with the body's production of other neurotransmitters and over the long run result in worse imbalances. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted September 4, 2015 Share Posted September 4, 2015 I highly recommend paying the 100 bucks or so for the DNA test (23andMe or Ancestry) to see exactly what mutations are involved before self-treating with B12. It turned out that DS and I both have a set of mutations (in addition to the MTHFR mutations) that mean methylcobalamin is not the right B12 for us, and can make symptoms worse (it did — seriously ramped up the anxiety levels). We take hydroxocobalamin instead. We both also have a mutation associated with low Vit D, which explains why our D3 levels were practically in single digits despite living the Southwest and getting tons of sunshine year round. Now we take a high-potency supplement from Thorne. We're waiting for our 23andMe results, how did you get yours analyzed once you received them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corraleno Posted September 4, 2015 Share Posted September 4, 2015 We're waiting for our 23andMe results, how did you get yours analyzed once you received them? I uploaded the data to Genetic Genie, and they give you a color-coded chart showing the mutations you have and whether you are homo- or heterozygous for them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted September 4, 2015 Share Posted September 4, 2015 I uploaded the data to Genetic Genie, and they give you a color-coded chart showing the mutations you have and whether you are homo- or heterozygous for them. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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