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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 15 of 15. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by zazenduck on April 5, 2006, at 15:24:49
Is anyone else taking this?
This article made me worry a little about safety.
http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/pto-20031014-000003.htmlI wouldn't want to end up with kidney disease or cancer:( I wish they had been a little more specific about what dosages were dangerous!
Posted by gardenergirl on April 6, 2006, at 1:04:11
In reply to chromium picolinate for depression, posted by zazenduck on April 5, 2006, at 15:24:49
I take 600 mg of chromium picolinate to try to counter the binge eating/carb cravings that come with taking Nardil. I read a study which used this dosage level without adverse effects, but I don't have the link anymore. It's only one study, too.
I haven't noticed any effect on my depression. I'm not entirely sure it helps with my eating patterns on Nardil, either. But so far I don't think it's hurting, either.
Hmmm, writing this makes me wonder if maybe I should stop it as a trial to see if I notice any change from how I feel right now--to see if it is having any effect I may not have noticed.
gg
Posted by zazenduck on April 6, 2006, at 8:52:51
In reply to Re: chromium picolinate for depression » zazenduck, posted by gardenergirl on April 6, 2006, at 1:04:11
Thanks for replying. I'm sorry it's not working for you. I just started 500mg a day. I had a little difficulty getting to sleep and some vivid dreams but it's really impossible to know if that's coming from the chromium. I'm going to give it a few weeks.
Posted by Meri-Tuuli on April 6, 2006, at 11:47:55
In reply to chromium picolinate for depression, posted by zazenduck on April 5, 2006, at 15:24:49
Hi!
Have a look at this referenced article about chromium pico. for atypical depression.
http://www.patrickholford.com/content.asp?id_Content=1563
Posted by Meri-Tuuli on April 6, 2006, at 12:07:51
In reply to Re: chromium picolinate for depression » gardenergirl, posted by zazenduck on April 6, 2006, at 8:52:51
> Thanks for replying. I'm sorry it's not working for you. I just started 500mg a day. I had a little difficulty getting to sleep and some vivid dreams but it's really impossible to know if that's coming from the chromium. I'm going to give it a few weeks.
In that article I just posted, there was this:
"Chromium is a remarkably safe mineral – even at levels 100 times higher than this. McLeod gives 3-5mcg per pound of bodyweight, and sometimes more for people with diabetes (but always under medical supervision). Some people need this amount to stay free from depression. George, his original patient, has been on chromium for a decade and it has positively transformed his life. McLeod recommends taking chromium twice a day: “This may further improve the absorption, although many patients do take it all in the morning. But don’t take it in the afternoon,” he warns. “Within eight hours it is activating or energising and could cause insomnia. So you don’t want to take it in the evening. If taken too late it also stimulates vivid dreaming, although people’s quality of sleep tends to be improved.”
So it would seem that your vivid dreaming is due to the chromium!!!!! Perhaps you took it in the evening?
Also note that the measurement of chromium is in micrograms (mcg or µg) and not milligrams (mg) -- the psychtoday article quoted 600mg (milligrams) which is way too much. I think they must have meant 600mcg (micrograms). A microgram is a thousant (sp?) of a milligram. A milligram is a thousant of a gram. So 1 microgram = 0.000 001 grams.
Posted by zazenduck on April 6, 2006, at 15:03:57
In reply to Re: chromium picolinate for depression, posted by Meri-Tuuli on April 6, 2006, at 12:07:51
Thanks so much for the article. Yes it is mcg I am taking.I feel less worried about side effects now.
And I have had one of the best days I have had in months. I kept thinking it must be my imagination...but usually if anything works for me it works fast. So it could be the chromium. I took it mid afternoon so maybe it did give me the dreams and insomnia. I'm glad to know it's doing something. I'll keep you updated about how it's working.
Posted by Meri-Tuuli on April 6, 2006, at 15:30:17
In reply to Re: chromium picolinate for depression » Meri-Tuuli, posted by zazenduck on April 6, 2006, at 15:03:57
Hey there again, well I just had a look at that author the chromium article had mentioned:
"Lifting Depression – The Chromium Connection"
I have no idea what the book is like, but I'm guessing you can PubMed his name and hopefully come up with some of his research papers.
I think I might dig out that bottle of chromium pico. I have in my cupboard.....
Meri
Posted by Meri-Tuuli on April 6, 2006, at 15:33:27
In reply to Re: chromium picolinate for depression, posted by Meri-Tuuli on April 6, 2006, at 15:30:17
Oppps, sorry I got the link wrong:
"Lifting Depression: The Chromium Connection"
Hopefully that double quotes thing will work!!!
Posted by gardenergirl on April 7, 2006, at 14:58:08
In reply to Re: chromium picolinate for depression » Meri-Tuuli, posted by zazenduck on April 6, 2006, at 15:03:57
Oops, I'm taking mcg, too. Not mg. That would be way too much!
Thanks for posting that article. I didn't realize it could be activating, and I do find that I have a lot of energy in the evenings and a hard time winding down sometimes. I was taking one 200 mcg tablet with each meal. I think I'll shift them to earlier in the day.
And I've always been a vivid dreamer, so I don't think that's been affected by the chromium.
Time to get a new bottle. I'm almost out. I'm going to just stay on it. :)
gg
Posted by Meri-Tuuli on April 8, 2006, at 12:10:15
In reply to Re: chromium picolinate for depression, posted by gardenergirl on April 7, 2006, at 14:58:08
Hey!
> Time to get a new bottle. I'm almost out. I'm going to just stay on it. :)
That would be a very sensible idea. I'm upping my dosage from er, zero, to 400mcg. I've read that its completely safe in the ranges that we're talking about (less than 1000mcg/day) - I read up on it on the UK equivent of FDA.
So here goes...actually I've never been as high as 400mcg. Lets hope it does some good!
Meri
Posted by gardenergirl on April 9, 2006, at 13:27:36
In reply to Re: chromium picolinate for depression, posted by Meri-Tuuli on April 8, 2006, at 12:10:15
Posted by zazenduck on April 12, 2006, at 15:09:08
In reply to Re: chromium picolinate for depression, posted by Meri-Tuuli on April 8, 2006, at 12:10:15
And the result is...I don't know.
I'm a little less depressed maybe but still very depressed.
It's always so hard to tell what to attribute any change to.
I think I'll continue and see what happens. It couldn't do any harm I think.
Posted by gardenergirl on April 21, 2006, at 7:23:11
In reply to Re: chromium picolinate for depression, posted by Meri-Tuuli on April 8, 2006, at 12:10:15
Well what do you know? I've been taking only 400 mcg for a couple of weeks now, in two doses, breakfast and lunch. And the last couple of weeks, I couldn't figure out why I was getting such huge carb cravings right before bed. That's when I take my last Nardil.
Hmmm, light bulb going off. Maybe the last dose of chromium, which I would take with dinner, was preventing these before? Maybe it actually does work. And before someone mentioned it, I didn't notice feeling particularly activated when taking 200 mcg at night, which is why I dropped that last dose. (I thought it might be affecting my sleep).
So, to confirm, I'm going to go back to 600 mcg, divided in three doses. I'll let y'all know how it goes.
gg
Posted by jedi on April 26, 2006, at 1:40:13
In reply to Re: chromium picolinate for depression » Meri-Tuuli, posted by gardenergirl on April 21, 2006, at 7:23:11
Hi GG,
Here is an interesting study on chromium picolinate in atypical depression and for carb cravings. This is interesting to me because when I'm taking Nardil the carb cravings I have are almost unbearable. If I could stop the carb cravings maybe taking Nardil for life wouldn't be so bad.
Take care,
JediJ Psychiatr Pract. 2005 Sep;11(5):302-14.
A double-blind, placebo-controlled, exploratory trial of chromium picolinate in atypical depression: effect on carbohydrate craving.
Docherty JP, Sack DA, Roffman M, Finch M, Komorowski JR.
Link:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16184071&query_hl=3&itool=pubmed_docsum
> Well what do you know? I've been taking only 400 mcg for a couple of weeks now, in two doses, breakfast and lunch. And the last couple of weeks, I couldn't figure out why I was getting such huge carb cravings right before bed. That's when I take my last Nardil.
>
> Hmmm, light bulb going off. Maybe the last dose of chromium, which I would take with dinner, was preventing these before? Maybe it actually does work. And before someone mentioned it, I didn't notice feeling particularly activated when taking 200 mcg at night, which is why I dropped that last dose. (I thought it might be affecting my sleep).
>
> So, to confirm, I'm going to go back to 600 mcg, divided in three doses. I'll let y'all know how it goes.
>
> gg
>
>
Posted by 64bowtie on April 26, 2006, at 14:52:32
In reply to Re: chromium picolinate for depression, posted by gardenergirl on April 7, 2006, at 14:58:08
GG,
Good to see y'alls here, and thanks for the chromium picolinate update...
Rod
This is the end of the thread.
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