Depressed by Antidepressants

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Depressed by Antidepressants JoAnn Guest Oct 16, 2005 12:34 PDT

 

by Jon Barron

September 2005

 

 

http://www.thenhf.com/articles_207.htm

At the same time Tom Cruise was fighting with Matt Lauer on NBC

concerning the value of psychiatrists and antidepressants, the FDA was

quietly issuing a labeling directive that supported at least part of

Tom's position. (It will be interesting to see if Matt Lauer ever

mentions it.)

 

In fact, the FDA has finally recognized the hazardous effects of

antidepressants and has recommended manufacturers of every kind of drug

-- from Paxil to Prozac to Zoloft -- add warning labels on their

products. The new warning label in packaging will read:

 

" Antidepressants increased the risk of suicidal thinking and behavior

(suicidality) in short-term studies in children and adolescents with

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and other psychiatric disorders. Anyone

considering the use of [insert established name] or any other

antidepressant in a child or adolescent must balance this risk with the

clinical need. Patients who are started on therapy should be observed

closely for clinical worsening, suicidality, or unusual changes in

behavior. "

 

This is major news -- we all know how difficult it is to force most

pharmaceutical companies to add any additional warnings on their

products. The FDA should be congratulated for finally taking this step.

However, one might ask why they didn’t act 10 years ago when the

evidence was just as compelling. How many have needlessly died over the

last 10 years because the FDA, and in fact the governmental agencies of

most countries, failed to buck the pressure applied by the

pharmaceutical companies to downplay the risks associated with

antidepressants.

 

The topic of antidepressants is particularly important in terms of

overall public safety because the violent side-effects caused by some of

these drugs impact more than just those on the drugs. An example is when

you have children on antidepressants killing teachers at school and/or

their own family members. Although this obviously does not occur in all

cases, and it does not suggest that anyone on an antidepressant will

kill their loved ones, there are nevertheless enough cases to cause

concern, especially with children.

 

The Studies That Led FDA to Act

The new warnings were the result of several placebo-controlled studies

that involved nine antidepressant drugs (SSRIs and others) in children

and adolescents with major depressive disorder (MDD),

obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), or other psychiatric disorders (a

total of 24 trials involving over 4400 patients). As a side note, SSRIs

are " selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, " a specific type of

antidepressant that pharmaceutical companies have developed to " manage

the symptoms " associated with stress and depression. You might know them

as Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Luvox, Celexa, Effexor, and Serzone.

 

The combined results gave conclusive evidence that patients on

antidepressants were at greater risk of suicidal thinking or behavior

(suicidality) during the first few months of treatment than those on the

placebo. In fact, the risk of suicidal behavior when taking the drugs

was double compared to a placebo!

 

But that's just the tip of the iceberg. What the FDA pointedly avoided

studying was the well-documented relationship between the use of

antidepressants and violence toward " others. " The following is just a

sampling of some of the more " infamous " stories you might recognize:

 

· July 2004 -- Emiri Padron was on Zoloft when she smothered her

10-month-old daughter with a stuffed animal and then stabbed herself.

 

· April 1999 -- Eric Harris, while on Luvox, an SSRI, masterminded the

killing of 12 students and a teacher in Columbine. He and his partner

then shot themselves.

 

· June 1998 –Brynn Hartmann, the actor Phil Hartmann's wife, was on

Zoloft when she shot her husband and committed suicide.

 

· May 1998 -- Kip Kinkle, age 15 living in Oregon, was taking Prozac

when he killed four people, including his own parents, and wounded 22

more.

 

· March 1998 -- Matthew Beck went on a bloody rampage at his office, the

Connecticut Lottery Corp. headquarters, killing four senior lottery

officials before committing suicide. He was on 2 antidepressants,

including Luvox.

 

· Oct 1997 -- Luke Woodham was also on an SSRI, when he killed three

people, including his mother, and wounded six others.

 

These horrifying stories are only a fraction of the incidents reported

monthly. Supporting evidence shows a trend. One study showed that

antidepressants cause mania and delusions of grandeur in one out of

every 25 children taking these drugs. Even more shocking, in 70% of all

murder/suicides involving women and children, the women were on SSRIs.

And keep in mind, those drugs are supposed to " enhance " mood! (I guess

it all depends on what your definition of enhance is.) With many

children under the age of 3 already on Prozac, we may have only seen the

barest hint of where this problem is truly headed. Oh, yes, and now you

can even buy special kid-friendly " flavored " antidepressants. " What a

world! What a world! "

 

To be objective, antidepressants are important for some people in

special cases such as those diagnosed with severe schizophrenia, bipolar

disorder, and other severe mental disorders -- or those who refuse to

take any other steps to correct their problems. These mental illnesses

are so debilitating that the risks associated with the drugs may be

worth it. But for the majority of us who suffer from the typical daily

disappointments in our lives, short periods of depression are common and

can usually be eliminated through various remedies with minimal

side-effects. At least, we should think twice before we simply pop a

pill. To brag that we are a " Prozac Nation " is not only sad, it's

dangerous.

 

Why Do We Get Depressed in the First Place?

Depression is the body’s way of forcing us to recognize that something

is wrong. For a simplified explanation, if you set your hand on a hot

burner, it burns the skin and sends painful signals to the brain,

reminding us to remove our hand. Similarly, when we suffer a

deeply-emotional trauma or situation, the brain tells us to fix the

problem and sends your brain " alerts " through a series of emotional

reactions, one being depression. If the alerts continue, one can fall

deeper into a depressed state until action is taken to prevent further

emotional trauma.

 

It seems, however, that today's psychiatric community is too " impatient "

to encourage us to go through this process naturally. According to

health experts, they now define " major depression " as someone having

" the blues " for more than two weeks. Right!! If anyone has had a death

in the family, a major illness, a mid-sized financial set-back, or an

emotional break-up -- which includes the entire population -- then

according to health experts, all of us should be on antidepressant drugs

at some point in our lives. (Geez, that should be good for sales.) The

bottom line is that getting over a major life-altering situation in just

two weeks is the exception rather than the rule.

 

Hey, if any of you are on antidepressants, or were at some time, it's

not hard to understand why. Doctors and the mass media scare us with

their statements such as " depression is associated with abnormal

functioning of the brain. " We are then bombarded with all the details

about the deficient neurotransmitters in the brain and our dysfunctional

synaptic cleft. Ahh! " Sounds like brain damage. Sure, give me some pills

…quickly! " Wait a minute. They forgot to explain that we still have no

conclusive evidence as to why people have the chemical imbalances in the

first place. Did our brains just suddenly change or were there outside

circumstances that caused it? Did our thoughts, reactions, and emotions

cause the imbalance? Were nutritional factors involved? Did we suddenly

experience a major hormonal change such as PMS or Post Partum

Depression? If so, nine times out of ten there are other remedies

available besides drugs -- remedies that do not share the devastating

side-effects associated with those drugs.

 

Instead of automatically popping a pill when we are sad, perhaps we

should find ways to correct the underlying problem in our bodies so it

can heal itself. It may take a true leap of faith, especially when the

mind wants to focus on the negative, but the success after the fight of

making ourselves content might be worth it. As some say, being happy is

a choice! The more you work at it, the better you get.

 

I want to reiterate that this does not mean we should look at any

problem as insignificant or that ignoring a feeling of sadness,

confusion, exhaustion, or lack of interest in daily activities is going

to make the feelings go away. Actually, ignoring depression could simply

exacerbate the problem. An emotional injury is like a physical injury:

it takes time and attention to heal. A walk on the beach, a laugh with a

friend, or simply taking a deep breath can go a long way. We can also

follow certain, more natural remedies to help our bodies heal. These

include dietary modifications, daily exercise, supportive treatment with

vitamins and minerals, and selective supplementation.

 

Vitamin and Mineral Therapy

Vitamin-and-mineral deficiencies can cause depression and correcting

these deficiencies is often a safe, fast, and inexpensive way to

relieving depression. Note: alcohol, smoking, stress, and excess sugar

accelerate the depletion of many key antidepressive vitamins and

minerals from the body, as does depression itself. Isn't that a kick in

the head: depression begets depression? Deficiencies in any of the

following vitamins and minerals can contribute significantly to

depression:

 

Vitamin B6

 

Folic acid

 

Vitamin B12

 

Vitamin C

 

Magnesium

 

Calcium

 

Trace minerals

 

Amino Acids

Supplementing with amino acids is also a way to help relieve depression.

These include:

 

· SAMe. S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine (SAMe) is a naturally occurring amino

acid found in every cell of the body. It has a wide range of benefits

including protecting the liver and cardiovascular system. In addition,

it has antidepressant action equal to and faster than FDA-approved

drugs, and is essential for the synthesis of melatonin. It also assists

with sleep disorders, particularly those which are induced by the

side-effects of pharmaceutical drugs.

 

· Phenylalanine. Phenylalanine is an amino acid that is used by the body

to make the neurotransmitter (chemical messenger) norepinephrine.

Norepinephrine is believed to be in short supply in the brains of people

who are depressed. There is some evidence that taking in extra

phenylalanine allows the brain to make more norepinephrine. There are

several studies that indicate that phenylalanine may work as well as

antidepressant drugs. Although the studies are inconclusive, the

anecdotal evidence is strong, and there are virtually no known

side-effects, so it is worth trying.

 

· Theanine. Anxiety is a close cousin to depression, and the two often

go hand in hand. Many people report that L-theanine works as well as

prescription anti-anxiety medications, but L-theanine is not addictive

or habit-forming.

 

· 5-HTP. 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) is an amino acid that occurs

naturally in the body and is the final step in the production of the

neurotransmitter serotonin. 5-HTP is special in that it can cross the

blood-brain barrier. Extracted from the seeds of Griffonia

simplicifolia, an African tree that is grown mostly in Ghana and the

Ivory Coast, the extraction process uses alcohol and produces an oily

solid. The oily extract is then purified into a dry solid. But 5-HTP can

also be made synthetically in the laboratory. The final product is the

same as the one made by the body. 5-HTP has gained huge popularity in

the treatment of insomnia, depression, and obesity (among other uses).

Today, 5-hydroxytrptophan is considered a safe and effective treatment

for these conditions.

 

Herbal Remedies

For the vast majority of people bothered by stress or depression, a

well-designed herbal formula made from high-quality herbs can prove

remarkably effective. Look for an herbal formula that contains herbs

such as:

 

· St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) as a standardized extract and

is licensed in Germany and other European countries as a treatment for

mild to moderate depression, anxiety and sleep disorders. Sometimes

called " Nature's Prozac, " St. John's Wort helps relieve stress, anxiety,

and tension. In Germany, it is the most popular antidepressant,

outselling Prozac by 3-1.

 

More than 20 clinical studies have been completed using several

different St. John's Wort extracts. Most have shown antidepressant

action equal to standard prescription antidepressant drugs, without the

side-effects. St. John’s Wort is now being studied in the first U.S.

government-sanctioned clinical trial, a three-year study sponsored by

the Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, based in

Washington, D.C.

 

Probably the greatest testament to its efficacy is how it has been

attacked in the Press as " dangerous. " The case against it is that it

seems to heighten the dangers associated with MAO1 inhibitors, if you

are currently using such drugs. But this is a marvelous piece of

propaganda double-speak that transfers the danger from the

antidepressants, where they belong, to St. John's Wort, which merely

brings those dangers to the fore. George Orwell would be proud!

 

· Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) extract is currently being used as an

alternative for elderly patients with depression resistance to standard

drug therapy. This is because depression is often an early sign of

cognitive decline and cerebrovascular insufficiency in elderly patients.

In one study, 40 patients, ages 51 to 78, with a diagnosis of resistant

depression, were randomized to receive either Ginkgo biloba extract or

placebo for eight weeks. Patients in the ginkgo group received 80 mg of

the extract three times daily. During the study, patients remained on

their antidepressant drugs. In patients treated with ginkgo, there was a

decline in the median Hamilton Depression Scale scores from 14 to 7

after four weeks. This score further reduced to 4.5 after eight weeks.

There was a one-point reduction in the placebo group after eight weeks.

In addition to the significant improvement in symptoms of depression for

the ginkgo group, there was also a noted improvement in overall

cognitive function. No side-effects were reported.

 

· Valerian root. For centuries, Valerian has been used to treat nervous

tension and panic attacks. A wonderful herb, Valerian is calming and

quieting to the nervous system.

 

· Kava kava is the herb of choice to relax the body, relieve stress, to

combat mild to moderate anxiety, and for relief from headache and back

pain. Kava is now recognized by many doctors as an alternative to drugs

like Xanax and Valium. (And, as might be expected for something that

works so well, Kava kava is under false attack.)

 

· Lobelia is an extremely powerful anti-spasmodic and a sedative. It

helps improve breathing dramatically by dilating the bronchial tubes --

great for asthmatics.

 

· Passionflower is remarkably effective as a sedative to calm nerves

that get on edge.

 

· Black Cohosh. First used by the American Indians, Black Cohosh works

to soothe the body by reducing the rapidity of the pulse. Black Cohosh

also works internally to help soothe any nervous disease or spasm.

 

· Skullcap, Hops, and Catnip. Three herbs that have a long history as

marvelously effective herbal tranquilizers, sedatives, and sleep aids.

 

· Mulungu. Researchers have validated the traditional use of Mulungu for

anxiety and stress, where it was shown to alter anxiety-related

responses.

 

Hormonal Imbalance

And let's not forget about hormones.

 

Progesterone

This is particularly important since women experience clinical

depression twice as often as men. Over the years I have been

recommending progesterone cream to women, it has picked up the nickname

from many of them: " The Happy Crème. " Any time progesterone levels drop

such as during the monthly cycle, immediately after giving birth, or all

the time if you are in a state of estrogen dominance, depression is a

likely result. Using a good progesterone cream can provide an almost

instant turnaround in attitude.

 

And while we're on the subject, let's talk about post-partum depression.

It's real. During the weeks leading up to birth, progesterone levels

have soared to levels 10-20 times normal. No wonder women seem to glow

during pregnancy. But immediately after birth, progesterone levels

plunge to almost zero. No wonder so many women experience extreme, even

psychotic levels of depression. Simple supplementation with progesterone

cream will resolve the depression over 90% of the time. In fact, any

doctor who recommends antidepressants for post-partum depression without

trying progesterone cream first, should be named as an unindicted

co-conspirator since they truly share the blame for any psychotic

incidents that may result.

 

Testosterone

A growing body of evidence suggests that testosterone levels drop as

much as 40% in men between their early 40s and early 70s. And for 10 to

15 percent of all men, those levels will dip below normal even as early

as their 30s if there is stress, depression, personal life changes or

medications. This in turn causes a decrease, not only in sexual desire

and performance; but also in the competitive drive to succeed and

accomplish in life -- which is frequently experienced as depression. In

women, excessive estrogen in the body causes a reduction in testosterone

levels, which leads to a similar decline in sexual desire and

performance and a similar reduction in " life drive. " Again, this is

frequently experienced as depression.

 

In conclusion, depression can be common, but should not be taken

lightly. A good, healthy program of daily exercise (which stimulates

endorphins), low-sugar foods, replacing depleted vitamins and minerals,

and proper supplementation and nutrition can go a long way to helping us

feel better. And, it is not a bad idea to tell friends and family who

have kids on antidepressants that simple dietary changes and

supplementation may be all that's needed. Lastly, the mind is a powerful

tool; and for those who are going through hard times, and if you haven't

already done so, you might want to read Chapter 15 of Lessons from the

Miracle Doctors (you can download a free copy at www.jonbarron.org) to

see how you can reprogram the mind so that it more positively affects

your body. And no matter what happens, remember: bad times eventually

pass!

 

 

The author, Jon Barron, is an authority on cutting-edge nutritionals, an

international lecturer, a pioneer in the study of nutrition and

anti-aging, and author of the book “Lessons From the Miracle Doctors.”

Mr. Barron solved the mystery behind why brewing herbal tinctures to the

phases of the moon actually produces stronger tinctures and then

developed a process that incorporates this " Barron Effect " into a

brewing process that produces herbal tinctures 50-100% stronger.

 

2005 Baseline of Health Foundation. All rights reserved.

www.jonbarron.org

_________________

 

 

JoAnn Guest

mrsjo-

www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Diets

 

 

 

 

AIM Barleygreen

" Wisdom of the Past, Food of the Future "

 

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Diets.html