# Depression Help



## Randy Rooster (Dec 14, 2004)

I have a long time friend who is about 50 and recently diagnosed with moderate depression. His Doctor wants to have him go onto Lexapro which is an antidepressant drug. Hed like to try to stay off the prescription drugs due to some unpleasant side effects. Are there any vitamins or herbs or what ever that I might recomend to him?


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## culpeper (Nov 1, 2002)

There are many herbs with anti-depressant properties. Some include:

Borage, Catnip, Celery, Chamomile, Lavender, Lemon Balm, Lemon Bergamot, Mugwort, Rose, Rose Geranium, Rosemary, Scullcap, St Johnâs Wort, Thyme, Valerian.

When taken in medicinal dosages, these have much the same effect as any drug your doctor might give you, and many of them have similar side-effects. The difficulty with herbal medicines is getting the dosage right for the individual. Also, herbs generally take longer to kick in. 

Of these, St. John's Wort is probably the one which is best-known and used most frequently. It's also the one which is contraindicated for severe or chronic depression, and which has the most and worst side-effects of the lot. I never, ever recommend it to anyone. It interferes with just about every other herb or drug known to mankind. It's one herb I think ought to be regulated - and I'm generally against regulation.

Your friend would do well to consult a suitably qualified herbalist before embarking on any herbal medicine regime. Meantime, he should follow his doctor's advice and instructions.

Edited to add: In no circumstances should any anti-depressant herb be used together with conventional medications.


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## Wisconsin Ann (Feb 27, 2007)

I've been diagnosed with chronic depression for a couple of decades now, and my SO also suffers from SAD - winter blahs,it used to be called 

The above post is great. I just have one thing to add: lighting. Get your friend to put in full spectrum lighting. Or get a bank of "daylight" type lights and use it at his desk, or somewhere for a few hours a day. 

so many of us with depression sit in the dark because we can't stand thinking about things.....specially during the shorter hours of winter. that habit FEEDS the depression.

Lights REALLY do work. Open the curtains. Sit on the porch. turn on the grow lights!

do a search online about lights for depression. there is lots of info on them, and I can testify that they do help.

Almost forgot about Bvitamins. B Complex will help with energy levels. and most of us don't get enough Bs in our diet anyway.


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## Up North Louie (Nov 29, 2007)

Also vitamin D. We produce it internally when there's sun, and it goes on to stimulate seratonin production, which we lack. No sun, no D, less seratonin = amplified SAD.

I used 1000 IU daily with my normal med, and the results were, for me, astounding. Best winter I have had in years.

Good luck,

Don


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## white eagle (Feb 8, 2007)

I take that drug you posted about that your friend wants to stay away from. Only thing going to say it does work with me sometimes but others it don't. I have been diagnosed with manic depression and at times it can get very dangerous for me.. I wish your friend lots of luck finding something that will work for them. 

Heck I wished I could find something that would work 100% for me but guess never will. :-(


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## naturelover (Jun 6, 2006)

You've already gotten some really good advice from everyone who posted. Here's 3 more suggestions. Gingko biloba tea, very ripe bananas and oatstraw tea are natural antidepressants. So is oatmeal porridge.

I second Culpeper's caution about the St. John's Wort, that stuff can have some nasty side-effects and may also cause horrible nightmares.
.


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## LesleyS (Jan 2, 2008)

The herbal suggestions are great and how about some ambient music, meditation and aroma therapy. There is nothing as calming as having "balance" which is easily achieved through meditation or even some breathing excersizes.


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## GoatsRus (Jan 19, 2003)

I agree with the Vit D (I usually get SAD during the winter) I take Vit A&D in pill form as they work with each other. Plus I take VitB complex sublingual.


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## Sonshine (Jul 27, 2007)

I know that others have posted against ST John's Wort. I have been taking St John's Wort for 5 or 6 years now with positive affects. I actually asked my doctor about it and he told me that in England they prescribe it for many of their patients. The only problem, and it wasn't really a problem, that I have found is that is will thin the blood, so if your friend is going to have any type of surgery will have to stop taking it for a few days. I've never noticed it interfering with any other drug I take or causing any side affects, but I'm sure everyone responds to different treatments in different ways.


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## lilmommajnn (Aug 7, 2002)

A couple of other suggestions...drink PLENTY of water...do something physical every day, even if it is just a 15-20 minutes walk around the yard. Cut back on or eliminate caffeine and nicotine and refined sugars. B complex, as mentioned before, is often helpful. Get a pet...they tend to lower stress levels (unless it is an animal he cannot stand). If he has recently retired or lost a spouse or had another major life change, encourage him to stay involved. Activity, especially those that help others, tends to lift your spirits quite a bit. Idle hands (and minds) are the devil's playground. A trip to the general practitioner may be in order too...depression is sometimes related to physical malady. Last, but certainly NOT least, PRAY.


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## everado2 (Feb 6, 2008)

I had taken this before and it seemed to help for depression until I read that if one is sun-sensitive (prone to skin cancers and such) then St Johns wart isn't for you. So I stopped using it. M


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## modineg44 (Jun 25, 2002)

Perhaps he can find a good counselor for a few sessions to see if they can find out the cause of his depression - i.e. needs/wants a job change, family problems. It's better to work on the problem itself rather than get drugged up, in my opinion.


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## Sully (Feb 29, 2008)

I fell at work in September of 2006 and hit the back of my head. Don't remember anything until waking up in emergency room. They did their tests and sent me home. Symtoms include severe depression. Tried St. John's Wort. Only added to the horrific nightmares I was already having. 
I grew up in a vitamin, herbal home, so that was my first try. Nothing seems to help. 
Shrink has me on lexapro. I don't feel any different other than, well, it has been compared to trying to shoot pool with a rope. Taking B vitamins are like taking speed to me.
I think my older sister was right when she told me I was from another planet when we were kids.
I always felt that people just needed to buck up. Now if I see a cat or squirrel killed on the road I sob like a baby.
I have had people tell me I sound like an old druggie when I talk. Have to have my nephew help me with typing. 
I'd love to find a magic pill and be normal again.
Hope your friend finds something to help.


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

My husband was depressed for along time. The doctor eventually put him on pills and the pills DID help!

Then, after he was stable, he was able to wean himself off of them and he held it. Only pills got him OUT of the depression, though!


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## hollym (Feb 18, 2005)

camu powder. It's from a berry in South America. you can get it at www.greenwillowtree.com

if your friend decides to try St. John's Wort, be sure to remind him that it increases your skin and also your eyes' absorbtion of ultra-violet rays. SO sunscreen and sunglasses are a good idea to make sure that there is no damage done.

hollym


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

lexipro may do it for you but have you tried exercise an hour a day and a take charge additude that no stupid quak is going to tell you ........


my experience with lexipro , while not personal is someone very close can be a bit like driving north to south thru Illinois , no hills no valleys just flat , and plain. yeah 8 hours of corn stalks! 

the bad days are not as bad but the good days are not as good everything is very blahh
blan and they wonder why when they put teens on these drugs they turn to suicide at a higher rate


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## cowkeeper (Feb 17, 2007)

Culpeper, I am a great believer in the efficacy of St John's Wort. What are the interactions and side-effects you speak about? Some of the published information about interactions seems not to have been borne out.


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## silentcrow (Mar 15, 2005)

GREENCOUNTYPETE said:


> lexipro may do it for you but have you tried exercise an hour a day and a take charge additude that no stupid quak is going to tell you ........
> 
> 
> my experience with lexipro , while not personal is someone very close can be a bit like driving north to south thru Illinois , *no hills no valleys just flat , and plain*. yeah 8 hours of corn stalks!
> ...


The few that did work for me left me feeling kinda like that. I didn't like it. I felt dead in some way. In a short span of time, they quit working (at least for me). Others either never worked or had side effects I couldn't tolerate.


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## windcatcher (Mar 26, 2008)

Emotional zombie.... that's what Prozac did for me. It lifted my depression very slowly over a period of several months, then I hit a platou. When my husband died, I missed him but I didn't fully grieve him or emotionally process that experience until a year later when I decided to discontinue the med.... I did that slowly and gradually supported with St. John Wort for a brief while.

The best, I've found, for dealing with my depression is.......
first accept that 'for me' this a normal and ACCEPTIBLE part of my experience:
second, take charge of the signs that it is creeping up on me.... and take counter actions: If low on energy.... and don't feel like getting up.... do it anyway and move around a little.... but give my self permission to return for a period of rest if I start feeling too exhaustive: If I feel like avoiding others 'cause I'm very sensitive when my mood does not make me good company' accept that those 'feelings' are 'normal' with my condition--a feeling of 'worthiness'..... but try to get with those with whom I've shared and feel 'safe' that they understand: Recognize these moments with others serve to make social and emotional contact of giving and receiving opportunities for me and for others.... but a some point, try to focus on the 'now' of what others are saying, talking about, laughing at, doing, the things in the surrounding ...... anything which may remove my attention and awareness of the sad thoughts in my head..... this is a hard and exhausting part at first...but worth the effort. I tend to be self critical and also nostalgic.....these are not the healthiest for a person depressed.... so if I feel a nostalgic mood....I may choose to indulge long enough over the thoughts, the pictures, the reflection, and the music.... but get off a good cry.... then 'pack it up' and turn my thoughts to something 'NOW' or get with others to help direct my attention away. 

More recently I was on Prozac again, and more recent than that I came off and explained my own feelings that it seems to separate my feelings from my soul... I wasn't processing the emotions which might accompany an event: It was like they got buried like wind in a balloon, or like pressure in the earth: Once, when visiting my therapist for a rewrite of the prescription.... I got a sudden angry feeling....like why did she ask so many questions,.... why the review of things already stated... why all this effort just to get a refill.....and more emotion which was not at all focused at her.... I felt it...mind you, I didn't express it..... I decided that day... that I would discontinue my prescription: I felt that the medication had the effect of suppressing my emotional processes but not ridding of them.... allowing them to build up, and I am not an explosive person...but felt that way at times of sudden and unexpected irritability, which is not common to me either. 

Anyway, this last time, I was 6 months on Prozac, till 9 months ago.... and saw her twice since then... getting prescriptions which I didn't fill.... and told her last month that I'd stopped and why and when. I'm using the coping skills which I afor mentioned of mind awareness. Somehow, I learned as a child not to trust 'feelings' as being a 'fact' of experience... so I tend to act based upon rational and logical thinking, choices and consequences... not choices based on feelings... so I feel good. Part of that is that, at no time have I ever felt suicidal or like hurting anyone else.

Exercise, hands on projects, hugs, involvement, schedules, people, sunshine and fresh air, growing a garden, taking care of a pet, a good and varied diet.... all are therapeutic helps....... 

and so is avoidance therapeutic... when feeling depressed... lessen involvement with people who depress you or who are critical and judgemental of you, lessen your investment in those risky activities which a 'failure of accomplishment' may add to your depression, stop watching t.v. programs which project bad news... or hostilities or model sick relationships as 'comedy' or 'entertainment'. Get more involved in living and doing, and rely less on inert/spectator activities.

Oh, yes.... Get a computer.... and get connected with others and their interest.


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## mnn2501 (Apr 2, 2008)

Just another plug for sunlight - I used to be depressed every winter when I lived in MN and WI - Someone suggested I try going tanning 3 days a week - worked fantastic! ..and I looked great too lol


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## amyquilt (Apr 26, 2008)

A gal I know online has some info on her FAQ sectoin on her old blog. She had major issues with depression/anxiety esp during the winter. I read her blog religiously and have seen her turn herself into a different person with her herbal regimen. She has moved on with a new blog (she has the link there, too).
http://kerflop.com/faq.html

I'm going to start the same regimen she uses beginning next payday.
HTH
Amy


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## Willowdale (Mar 19, 2007)

1. Sunlight and a walk daily 

2. A more radical approach: High quality Omega 3 supplement in high doses. It should have 200-300 mg each of DHA and EPA acids per capsule, and you should take enough to get 600-1000 mg of each. Cheap fish oil supplements won't work. Look for "pharameutical grade" or "molecularly distilled" on the label. Trader Joe's house brand is excellent and inexpensive. Nordic Naturals is excellent and very expensive. There are other good ones. There are a lot of other health benefits of the omega 3's, so it's a no-lose deal.

St John's Wort has all the same drawbacks that the pharmaceuticals do, except no potency control or dose consistency.


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## RunsWithColors (Apr 20, 2008)

The above poster mentioned Omega3's. I encourage you to do some research into Omega 3's and see what you think. Omega 3's are linked too so many healthy alternative to heal and restore overall physical and mental health. By increasing your overall good Omega 3 intake and decreasing the bad Omega 6 it has proven to reduce and sometimes all together rids of depression. It is extremely beneficial to overall health. I have adjusted my diet accordingly when I was diagnosed with Rhuematoid Arthritis (I'm 22) and I have had no flare ups since, where as I was in severe pain every few weeks. I have also calmed my other health issues to where I barely notice them now. 
The Omega Diet, and the Mediterranean Perscription Diet are absolutely exception books, baked with science from native Greek doctors.

My only other suggestion on this matter is to remove the pill taking element. Omega 3 rich fish/sunflower/flax etc. oils are poor alternatives to restoring health. Increase Omega 3's by having a healthy, nutrituous diet. This will also increase the body's ability to more readily absorb minerals, vitamins and other nutrients vital to balance. Plus even if it is "healthy" or "natural" the pill popping element gets old, and is not advised for someone with depression. All my food is nearly gourmet, great flavor, great color and texture. Make the overall change a pleasing one with the look, taste and aroma of good healthy food


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## greenboy (Sep 5, 2005)

My mother passed recently and is natural for me to be sad.

1. eat a variety of food, small amounts of different food, believe me this help to stay away from an unbalanced diet. This helps.

2. a weekly cleaning list

3. walking

4. reading about two hours a day, not too much.

4. activities with family of friends or church.

5 do something for somebody

6. stay away from anti depressives, this medications affect the metabolism in your brain and this is not a good thing.

7. get out of the house to see people. A mall, Market, a city with a lot of things going on.

Godspeed to you:walk:


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## LuellaMay (May 15, 2008)

I too am going to vouch for Omega 3's. Also Trace Minerals. Also get sunlight. This will give you the Vitamin D you need. You will be surprised how many are deficient in Vitamin D, and trace minerals also. Deficiency in these will change your brain chemistry. 

I have come a very long way with depression. At one point I was almost homebound with the most debilitating full blown panic attacks imaginable. Through natural health I am now well and free. And also free from Paxil.

Yes, stay away from those antidepressants. There is a price to pay when taking them. They have side effects that otherwise ruin your health and life.

Hugs,
Luella


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## greenboy (Sep 5, 2005)

I have to stay away from the Sun, I have some skin lesions (pre-cancerous) and my dermatologist advised me to stay away from the "blond guy" but a friend at work told me he heard we have now a vitamin you take it before going to take the sun, and this protect you from the uv rays. Do you know the name of these vitamins? Please let me know


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## Dquixote1217 (May 15, 2008)

greenboy said:


> I have to stay away from the Sun, I have some skin lesions (pre-cancerous) and my dermatologist advised me to stay away from the "blond guy" but a friend at work told me he heard we have now a vitamin you take it before going to take the sun, and this protect you from the uv rays. Do you know the name of these vitamins? Please let me know


Recent studies indicate that broccoli juice protects the skin safer and better than sunscreen products.

http://www.naturalnews.com/023250.html


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## OUVickie (Mar 8, 2003)

Randy Rooster said:


> I have a long time friend who is about 50 and recently diagnosed with moderate depression. His Doctor wants to have him go onto Lexapro which is an antidepressant drug. Hed like to try to stay off the prescription drugs due to some unpleasant side effects. Are there any vitamins or herbs or what ever that I might recomend to him?


Many times people with depression are also low on B vitamins. A good B-complex taken 1, or 2x day might be very helpful for him. If he smokes, or drinks very often, it really depletes your vitamin B level.
He also needs sunshine - working in a low light environment can cause problems like that too. Or long periods without sunlight can cause depression like another poster mentioned.
Is he stressed out? That can cause severe depression, but many times the stress is perpetuated by bad diet and/or mineral and vitamin deficiency. Having more fish in your diet helps too - or supplement with Omega 3 capsules.
I also like to use a lavendar sachet, or a lavendar oil based water spritz on my pillow. Lavendar soothes your nerves.


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## greenboy (Sep 5, 2005)

Thanks for sharing I loved the info. Greenboy


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