![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by llurpsienoodle on May 23, 2008, at 17:30:22
I've reached a point where I believe that my depression is worsening, but i do not want to change my medication regimen.
So, I'll start up with the vitamins and essential fatty acids again.
For the last 3 days I've taken a multi-vitamin with 100% of the usual suspects.
also a A and D supplement
Calcium 1000mg
C 1000mg
fishoil 2000mg
E (lots and lots)
and my mood swings and dysphoria are bAD. I recently (like 3 hours ago!) added
1000mg Evening Primrose Oil, because it was recommended for mood swings and PMS.
I have been in bed most of the day. lethargic and uninterested in life.
Well, maybe this makes some sense to somebody.
meds are
lamictal 300mg
zoloft 100mg
abilify 10mg
wellbutrin150mgSR
and i take .5mg clonazepam nearly every day.I've been drinking too much too. Even 2 drinks is enough to cause me to feel bad. Note to self. need to quit drinking to feel better.
FEELING better is SOOO HARD TO DO
okay. vent over.
-Ll
Posted by Lao Tzu on May 25, 2008, at 11:32:01
In reply to Oils and Vitamins, posted by llurpsienoodle on May 23, 2008, at 17:30:22
Hi. just read your post and I sympathize. I, too, am taking lamictal and zoloft, but I also take a high dose of risperdal for psychotic symptoms. Vitamins and fish oils I have found have been helpful for me, but you have to take the right ones together at specific dosages that work for you. Also, drinking alcohol will just make your situation much worse, I have found. These two regimens seem to work for me from a lot of experimenting, pain, and hard work.
In summer I have low energy, so I take B1 200mg, B5 50-100mg, Vitamin C 625mg-whatever works for you, Acetyl-l-carnitine 250mg in morning and afternoon, and fish oils taken at bedtime for mood control the next day. Vitamin C I have found is very helpful for energy, but must be taken with these other supplements for optimal energy. Remember, you can cut tablets and dump out some of the vitamins from veggie caps. Just because the bottle says this is what you should take, doesn't mean that dosage is exactly right for you. You might need more or less of a particular supplement. I have found fish oils are good for mood, but I cannot take them during the day or my depression gets worse and I have less energy. I would suggest taking the fish oils before bedtime because their effect seems to last into the next day and because they can be sedating for some people. Also, exercise is good for depression, but in some cases might leave you tired and worn out especially during the hot summer months, so I would recommend exercise in moderation and keep your body cool after you're done exercising. Also, diet is very important too. Fresh fruits and veggies during the day, some protein, and complex carbs and whole grains, but some people are allergic to wheat so watch out for this.This regimen is good for those whose depression is accompanied by a lot of anxiety. In winter, I'm more anxious than summertime, so I take B12 500-750mg, B6 100mg, zinc 15mg, Magnesium 200mg, and B3 (Niacin) if needed, anywhere from 500mg to 1,000mg. I just want to say that everyone is different and may require more or less of any particular supplement and some combinations of vitamins work better for some people and don't really help others. Calcium and vitamin D can also be added and seem to help certain people, vitamin D being especially important for depression in the winter season. One note about vitamin B12. It does help with depression and low energy, but I found that if you've never taken B12 before, popping a 1,000mcg pill might be too energizing and irritating and you might think B12 will never work for you. The truth is you probably have to start at a very low dose. Cut the tablet into 250mcg pieces and start off with 250mcg, increasing the dose slowly over several weeks. Finally, the effect of B12 will plateau and you will find the right dosage that works for you. Some people say that 800mcg is the target dose, others say it is 1,000mcg. Again, everyone is different and has different nutrient demands.
I must admit that this regimen will not rid you of all your anxieties, which is why you might turn to drinking. I understand this very well, but the vitamins certainly help with the anxiety and drinking in the long run is no good for your anxiety or your depression. I hope this is helpful to you and others.
Posted by Lao Tzu on May 25, 2008, at 12:33:54
In reply to Oils and Vitamins, posted by llurpsienoodle on May 23, 2008, at 17:30:22
Just wanted to comment further. I see that you are taking a multi-vitamin. Most multis have folic acid in them, about 400mcg. Now from my own experience, I CANNOT take any supplement with folic acid in them because this makes me have mood swings and makes my depression worse. Sounds strange, huh? But it's true. Now, studies have been done that prove folic acid helps a lot of people with depression, but there is a small percentage of depressives that get worse when they take any folic acid supplements. Just thought that I would bring this to your attention. Also, I take a lot of vitamin E too, but I noticed over time that I should only take vitamin E at bedtime because I think it helps me to sleep better, believe it or not. If I take any Vitamin E during the daytime hours, I feel kind of dopey and uninterested in anything. So it might be best to take the vitamin E just before bedtime unless you think it helps your depression by taking it during the day. Hope this helps you.
Posted by Lao Tzu on May 25, 2008, at 13:04:11
In reply to Oils and Vitamins, posted by llurpsienoodle on May 23, 2008, at 17:30:22
Did I mention that I only take the fish oils before bedtime? I say this because if I take them during the day, my depression gets worse. That might or might not be the case for you. Also, I only take 2 capsules at night for a total of 600mg of fish oil. Studies have found that a max. of 1,000mg of fish oil gives the best benefit and taking more than this doesn't really help that much further. When I take them at night, my mood is fine the next day. However, in some cases of depression, it is not just a matter of balancing mood but also balancing energy levels. So for energy during the day, I take B1, B5, vitamin C, Acetyl-l-carnitine, and a drug called Provigil, which can help a lot of depressives with low energy. I see that you also take Calcium too. Are you taking too much at once, or are you spacing it throughout the day? I've also found that Vitamin D can tend to be a little sedating too for me. Whenever I took it (about 500 to 1,000IU) I would settle down for a nap. So if having enough energy is your problem, you might not want to take anything that might make you lethargic. Again, it's a matter of finding out what makes you feel better most of the time. Everybody's different. And vitamin E, like I said, in the beginning when I first started taking it, it lifted my mood during the day, but after about 1-2 months of continuously taking it everyday, I found that it no longer lifted my mood, so I switched to just taking it before bedtime and noticed I slept much better. Hope this helps you.
Posted by Lao Tzu on May 25, 2008, at 18:44:39
In reply to Oils and Vitamins, posted by llurpsienoodle on May 23, 2008, at 17:30:22
I have found, based on my own experience with supplements, that the following factors are important:
1) what combos of supplements you take
2) the dosage of each supplement
And
3)the time of day you take them.
For instance, if I don't take my Vitamin C in the morning, I can feel something is missing and as a result, I don't feel as good.
In depression, your moods can shift throughout the day and so can your energy levels. Like myself, some people also have seasonal variations in their depression. That is, I have more energy and more anxiety in the winter, but in the spring/summer I have less energy and less anxiety. Why is this? I haven't been able to find any information as to why this happens. Most people, I've heard, get the winter "blues" and in the summer they're fine and not depressed. The only information I've seen is that seasonal depression has something to do with light levels and that serotonin and melatonin are involved. I'm not convinced because I take an antidepressant, and though it helps somewhat, I still have problems with energy and anxiety. My mood stabilizer helps me more with my depression than the antidepressant ever did, but then I am bipolar and I've heard that antidepressants can be ineffective or less effective in bipolar depression than in unipolar depression.
Anyhow, I would suggest really looking at your regimen of supplements and see which combos work for you during the day. For example, in winter, I rely on B12, B3, and B6 to get me through the day, but in the summer, I only take B3 and B6 before bedtime because I believe they help me with sleep. And I don't take B12 at all in the summer because I just don't feel right when I take it. Sounds weird, huh? And very unconventional too. Everyone says take a multi-vitamin and a B-complex and that will really help. Not in my case, it doesn't!! Hope this helps you.
Posted by llurpsienoodle on June 2, 2008, at 17:55:54
In reply to Oils and Vitamins, posted by llurpsienoodle on May 23, 2008, at 17:30:22
> I've reached a point where I believe that my depression is worsening, but i do not want to change my medication regimen.
I have been feeling BETTER!!!! YAY!!!!
>
> So, I'll start up with the vitamins and essential fatty acids again.
>
> For the last 3 days I've taken a multi-vitamin with 100% of the usual suspects.
>
> also a A and D supplementMy skin is clearer, not as much acne.
>
> Calcium 1000mg
>
> C 1000mg
>
> fishoil 2000mg
>
> E (lots and lots)
>
> and my mood swings and dysphoria are bAD. I recently (like 3 hours ago!) addedno more mood swings. I even weathered PMS without a trip to the hospital. hallelujah.
>
> 1000mg Evening Primrose Oil, because it was recommended for mood swings and PMS.
>
> I have been in bed most of the day. lethargic and uninterested in life.
>
I feel less lethargic and more interested. Have been doing good things at work.> Well, maybe this makes some sense to somebody.
>
> meds are
> lamictal 300mg
> zoloft 100mg
> abilify 10mg
> wellbutrin150mgSR
> and i take .5mg clonazepam nearly every day.
>
> I've been drinking too much too. Even 2 drinks is enough to cause me to feel bad. Note to self. need to quit drinking to feel better.
>
> FEELING better is SOOO HARD TO DO
>
> okay. vent over.
>
> -LlI am only drinking iced tea lately. Also, I recently added CLA conjugated linoleic acid for tummy blubber. Also added 20g of whey protein in the am to help with carb cravings.
-Ll
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Alternative | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.