Drugs may not be the Best Answer for Depressed Patients

dep

Antidepressants are among the most commonly prescribed drugs in America; about 10% of the population take them. The number jumps to 25% for women between the ages of 50 and 64. When compared to placebo, they are not very effective in controlling depression. A study published in PLOS (February 26, 2008) concluded, "Drug--placebo differences in antidepressant efficacy increase as a function of baseline severity, but are relatively small even for severely depressed patients."

Considering the side effects of these drugs, it may be wise to come up with a natural approach. The side effects of antidepressants are many and varied. The British Medical Journal (2015 Dec 14;5(12)) recently published research that found that taking the drugs can lead to bipolar disorder. To quote the authors' conclusion, "In people with unipolar depression, antidepressant treatment is associated with an increased risk of subsequent mania/bipolar disorder."

These drugs are especially dangerous to a developing fetus. Pregnant women taking the drugs have an increased risk of giving birth to a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Research published in JAMA Pediatrics (2016 Feb 1;170(2):117-24) concluded "Use of antidepressants, specifically selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, during the second and/or third trimester increases the risk of ASD in children, even after considering maternal depression." Another study, appearing in Molecular Psychiatry (2015 Jun;20(6):727-34), found a link between ADHD and maternal use of antidepressants.

 

WholeHealthAmerica.com

 

In my opinion, the increased use of antidepressants over recent years is due to a halfhearted approach and lack of knowledge concerning basic nutritional issues. Doctors of traditional western medicine are trained to treat patients as if they have a chemical imbalance or chemical deficiency. It is easy for the doctor to run lab work and then tell the patient everything is normal. At that point, the doctor can assume it must be all in the patient's head and they need an antidepressant. I hear this at least once a week. Antidepressants can come with major side effects and can increase the rate of suicidal thoughts. In the mid-1980s, the National Academy of Sciences published a landmark report highlighting the lack of adequate nutrition education in medical schools; the writers recommended a minimum of 25 hours of nutrition instruction. It appears that even two and a half decades later, a vast majority of medical schools still fail to meet the minimum recommended 25 hours of instruction. So let's talk nutrition. Your brain is 60% fat, and functions best with a high GOOD fat and GOOD protein diet. In the majority of patients with mood issues, I find hypoglycemic problems, B vitamin deficiencies, and an increased need for EFA's. Low thyroid and adrenal function is common as well. I have never seen what a Prozac deficiency looks like, but I can show you all of what I mentioned above. It's better think twice today, before getting talked into going on an antidepressant. Do you have a functional medicine doctor in your life?

Dr. J

What is Nutritional Consulting?

Nutritional consulting has trended into the mainstream for good reason. This form of consulting provides invaluable advice pertaining how one should eat, the frequency at which one should eat and which types of foods are ideal for one's...

5 Herbal Teas for Anxiety

Do you suffer from stress and anxiety? If you're looking for herbal tea remedies to help with anxiety symptoms, we've listed them below. Green Tea This Eastern remedy for stress is packed with antioxidants and a compound called...

Is Nutritional Counseling Right for Me?

A nutritional counselor can help you master a balanced diet, which is one of the most important factors of good health. Whether you want to manage a chronic illness like diabetes or lose weight, changing your eating habits can be the difference...

How To Tell If You Need A Chiropractor

Chiropractors treat issues of the musculoskeletal system, focusing primarily on the spine. Their practice is founded on the belief that subluxations in the spine are responsible for pain or health issues in the body. Chiropractors are trained in...

5 Benefits of Nutritional Counseling

Bookstores and blogs are filled with nutritional advice and diet plans, but unfortunately, not all of these recommendations are based on tested nutritional science. Seeking out a basic counseling seasons with a dietitian or another nutritional...

Has your Sunscreen Estrogenized You?

    What are the side effects of parabens? Parabens, man-made preservative chemicals, are used by manufacturers in a variety of domestic products, such as cosmetics, sunscreens, lotions and moisturizers, shampoo, shaving,...

Vaxxed Movie Review

In 2013, biologist Dr. Brian Hooker received a call from a Senior Scientist at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) who led the agency’s 2004 study on the Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) vaccine and its link to autism.The...

The Seven Deadly Operations

Just seven medical procedures account for 80 per cent of all deaths and complications from emergency medicine.Around 15 per cent of patients will suffer complications—often requiring another hospital visit—and just over one per cent will die...

Missed by Many Doctors

The most under diagnosed health problem in the West, parasites may be responsible for a multitude of conditions from joint pain and chronic fatigue to many general disorders of the gut and immune systemThe most under diagnosed health problem in the...

Could Your Digestive Problems be SIBO Symptoms?

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is an increasingly recognized condition in which there is an elevated number of bacteria in the small intestines. The small intestine normally contains relatively few bacteria, but with SIBO, bacteria...

Dirty Electricity

Dirty Electricity: A form of electro pollution—refers to the high frequency voltage transients in the electrical wiring inside buildings produced by computers, dimmer switches, etc. These contaminate the standard 60 hertz electric current and...

Daylight Saving Time Tied To Strokes

For most people, daylight saving is an inconvenience. For some, it could be a question of life and death.Researchers from the University of Turku in Finland looked at 10 years of data concerning stroke-related hospitalizations and in-hospital...

Allergies and Antibiotic Use

A study conducted at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan shows that children given antibiotics in their first six months of life have an increased risk of allergies to ragweed, pets, grass, and dust mites. They also have an increased risk of...

Cancer Risk of CT Scans

Every year, Americans are exposed to potentially unsafe levels of DNA-altering radiation through medical imaging such as CT scans.An astonishing 72 million CT scans are performed annually in the United States, which is about one scan for every...

The Food We Eat Changes Our Genes

New evidence has emerged this week that supports the idea that nutrition can cause—and reverse—most diseases. Scientists have discovered that almost all of our genes are affected by the food we eat, and change according to the nutrients that are...

The Silent Killer

The deadly effects of even slightly elevated glucose are fatally misunderstood.One reason for this calamity is physicians who continue to rely on obsolete blood glucose ranges. These doctors fail to recognize that any excess glucose creates lethal...
Page: 12345 - All