Supplement Question

[dreamrawalwz]

I'm here at work researching all I can on deprssion and natural remedies. People want me on meds for it, but I still refuse. Honestly, I am already becoming suicidal and it JUST turned to Fall. I got St. John's Wort, L-Tyrosine, and 5 HTP. This 5HTP is in a gelatin capsule so I was going to dump the contents into a cup wtih the other two capsules and just mix them with water and gulp it down. With the 5HTP it says that the capsule is enterically coated so it doesn't get absorbed too soon before it reaches the central nervous system. That means I need to keep the capsule. Should I just do it even though it most likely is not a vegan source? I mean, it could REALLY help me this winter and I'm going to do everything I can including fine tune my diet, my liquid vitamins (not raw, but vegan and i think organic), light therapy, exercise, etc. I'm debating though on this stupid little capsule. If it helps me then I should just do it right? I do care about the animals, definitely, but sometimes YOU have to come first right? Bluntly, if I'm not around anymore then I can't help fight for the animals anymore....Is it going to be worth it!? I can't decide!!

[Sleek98]

Do it. You are right. Take care of yourself, please!!!

[luckitri]

We have had depression threads but I wish someone would coalate all the information of what people found helpful.

Oftentimes I am irritable and depressed and for some reason I do not realize that I am hungry. Then I eat and it all goes away.

I think you answered yourself. Be Well!

[firefaery]

You should try it. You'll know quickly if it's working. IF it isn't the right one for you then you have nothing to stress about.

Did you do any testing to see what you are deficient in? It's not common to combine St. John's Wort with 5-HTP. Do you have someone helping you? Have you had your amino acid levels tested? Do you know what neurotransmitters you are lacking?

I know you have celiac-did you know that depression begins in the gut? All the neurotransmitters that are associated with mood (seratonin, dopamine, nor-epinephrine etc.) are manufactured in the gut. If you have too much damage you can't make them. That is one of the main reasons that schizophrenia, autism and alzheimer's is helped so much by dietary modifications.

Have you done anything (besides removing gluten) to heal your intestinal lining? Raw does it, but if you are still having acite difficulty you may need to take some supplements to hasten the healing process. I hope you find relief-and soon.

[currious]

I know you eat raw foods, but do you include any types of raw dairy? The only reason I ask is because, just as firefaery said depression, along with many other diseases, originate in the gut, and dairy does not help that at all.

here are a few things that have seriously helped me with my mood swings and my depression(after i altered my diet to remove gluten and casein)
~cod liver oil enriched with vitamin D this is by far the best non medical choice i have ever been given about my depression and works wonders! (i am currently trying to find a vegan way to get the same amount of DHA, vitamin A, D ect.)

~B complex's work well too

~Vitamin E

~magnesium

I also found that stretching slow, increasing the blood flow helps as well, as odd as that sounds

Anyways, i wish you well! and good luck :D

[Shell]

Hey dreamrawalwz.....I say take the pill in the capsule! You're way to important to be debating on something that may save your life! I understand about feeling a bit guilty about the fact that the capsule may not be vegan, but girl, you've got to do what's best for you, in this circumstance. Take care.http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n237/angelafirefly/smilies/hugs.gif

[EZ rider]

When I don't feel elated I make lots of green juices like celery and romaine.

[burgespj]

Hi, my name is Pat, I am 45 and I am on prozac.I never thought in my life I would be on prozac.I have tried all those st johns etc....nothing worked. it got so bad for me I never wanted to get out of bed, i styed home all the time and cried. I finally got up the nerve to see a therapist, she diganosed me with dysthymia. I started to take prozac, that was in june, I feel 100% better. I notice things now, like sun, the trees, I go on walks.I am grateful for my spouse and kids, where before I was crabby,I am not unhappy anymore.Depression can happen to anyone and meds are a good thing if they improve your qaulity of life.I took up the raw diet to be happier and healthier, I am also trying yoga.I am the type of person who doesnt even take an aspirin, so it was hard for mr to go prozac, but the benefits are well worth it.Why be depressed? get help go to a therapist, if they put you on meds, try it.There is nothing shameful about being on prozac.I still have a few sad days, but no where like when I lied in bed and cried.When I start to feel down now, I either clean my house, stay on my raw diet, or doing something nice for someone else and I feel better. Pat

[rawnhealthy]

Definately do what you need to do to be healthy and Alive!
When you are feeling better, you might consider- beyond the physical/diet- any emotional ties keeping you from feeling good on your own. Sometimes there are underlying reasons why we aren't able to maintain a healthy body despite all our best efforts.
Good luck:O)

[dreamrawalwz]

Thank you all for your suggestions and advice.

Sleek98 - I'm trying, I really am. That's why i"m finally taking action and trying this approach rather than nothing at all.

Luckitri - thank you.

Firefaery - no. I have not gotten tested to see which I'm deficient in so I'm tackling it at all angles. Our family doctor seems to only do referrals and doesn't know much haha. He didn't want to do my celiac test because he didn't think I had celiac, even with all the symptoms. My mom insisted and guess what? It was positive. I'm not sure what type of Dr. I'd go to and if the person doesn't take our insurance my dad wouldn't even dream of paying for it...I think we caught the celiac early enough because there was no damage seen. However, I have had 50% of my small intestines removed so I'm positive that's a major factor. The part that absorbed B12, Folic Acid, etc. is completely gone.

Currious - Thank you for the suggestions. I personally can not get past the mental aspect of fish oil, but I know Hemp oil has all the omega's so I'm going to try to use that instead. I bought magnesium as well, but I can't decide if I'm going to use it yet or not because it um, works on your bowels as well and I don't need that lol.

Shell16 - Aw, thanks. I had that feeling too. At this point it could be a life or death situation and I'd rather not have that happen!! I don't want to say "who cares about the animals" but...sometimes some things are more important than others. It's not like I'm eating a slap of steak.

EZ rider - I'm going to try to star drinking green juices daily again...I'm having teeth and gum issues. If it helps with my mood too, then yay!

BurgesBJ - I've heard many successful stories such as yours, but I've also heard stories of those that become suicidal after being put on meds. Specifically in teenager-young adult group so that has my mom extremely worried about it for me. I've never really given the natural route a shot (usually i stop after a week or so) so I'm going to do that for a month or more and see what happens and then take it from there.

Rawhealthy - I'm in therapy now and trying to work on the emotional aspects. My depression is many things: disthymia (chronic), Major depression linked to seasonal/light, genetic, due to being premature and chemical/hormonal imbalances, personal stressors, and situational. I have to tackle one "area" at a time I think. It'll be a long hard road, but I'm working on it :)

[Sunshine9]

Hey Dream :)

Have you ever read Gabriel Cousen's "Depression Free for Life?" I think there are guidelines in there for a nutritional approach to depression.

Also, how much sun and exercise do you get? I find that I suffer from depression if I don't get enough of both of those daily. (And they're not my favorite things)

Love,
Sunshine

[codajess]

http://www.veganessentials.com/catalog/5-htp-by-now.htm :)

[dreamrawalwz]

http://www.veganessentials.com/catalog/5-htp-by-now.htm :)

Thanks! I didn't have that available to me, but when I run out of the brand I have (Solaray) I'll have my manager order the NOW brand for me :) I'm glad to knw it exists!

[luckitri]

Wow! Thanks firefaery! I did not know that about those things being made in the gut. It all makes so much sense. Why don't doctors admit it and deal with it?

[currious]

Currious - Thank you for the suggestions. I personally can not get past the mental aspect of fish oil, but I know Hemp oil has all the omega's so I'm going to try to use that instead. I bought magnesium as well, but I can't decide if I'm going to use it yet or not because it um, works on your bowels as well and I don't need that lol.



I SOOO know what you mean about the fish oil, but as it happens my doctor (who goes down a holistic street before trying out the FDA approved version)
put me on the cod liver oil, liquid no less! UGGHHH but she convinced me and I can not tell you how much it has helped! I have actually been looking into hemp oil, and i think depending on how much you can intake per day it might work because you can add hemp oil to salads and what not, let me know how it works out for you!

as far as the magnesium, yea it is for the bowels but I think thats the whole point. Between the two my mental clarity has significantly improved :D the best brand by far is Mag Tab SR (or so i am told, im not doctor)

anyways, good luck!!

[firefaery]

Magnesium is water soluble, so it has a bowel tolerance. The idea is to find that in yourself and back down just a bit. Once you find that place there will be no bowel issues.

It's very important in people with depression to get adequate magnesium intake. IT is responsible for the relaxation of smooth muscles, and will also be helpful for PMS symptoms.

There are many forms and it's important to use a bioavailable one. Generally you want a liquid or a powder. My vote is NaturalCalm. It's vegan, highly absorbable and quite tasty.

Fish oil/Cod liver oil is high in omega 3's (which are very important in the treatment of depression) but what it also has is vitamin A and vitamin D. Deficinecies in both can lead to food allergies as well as depression. In fact celiac patients are often tested for IgA deficiences which can be corrected by supplementation of the CORRECT form of vitamin A (as in NOT man made!) That's why docs go for fish oil over hemp or walnut. However, if you are opposed to it make sure you are taking a vegan form of A *and* D (the sun may not provide enough at this point given the damage to our environment.)

You can absolutely correct this with vegan sources if you choose. Follow your heart and do what it right for you. You need to be safe above all else.

[currious]

firefaery- I just googled natural calm and it sounds very intresting, I take Magtab SR per my doc due to the suspended release and abosortion. How do you like natural calm? which one do you use? thank you! :D

dream- the best thing you can do is what is best for your body and well being! :D

[firefaery]

I like it quite a bit. IT is very effective, and I have used all of them. Taste-wise I prefer the lemon.

It's a great company-very high quality.

[dreamrawalwz]

Yup, it's the Natural Calm that bought! The plain flavor.

[tepiglet]

I second what someone else said regarding the book "Depression Free for Life".
Lots of great, comprehensive information,including proper dosages of amino acids/supplements.
Great nutritional info as well.
Also,it's vitally important to know if your depression is related to a deficiency in serotonin,dopamine or noradrenaline etc.-or a combination of the three.
Blood sugar levels can affect moods dramatically.
There are a lot of other mitigating factors as well.

Keep in mind that it takes a few weeks for 5-HTP to kick in.
If your depression is severe then you may find that taking L-Tryptophan is a better choice,as it is a lot stronger than 5-HTP.


Personally,I found that St.John's Wort is very weak in helping with depression.
It usually is known to help in mild cases.

Another supplement which is mentioned in "Depression Free for Life",which has had great rates of success is SAMe.
Have you heard of it?
It has very few,if any known side affects,and unlike prescription anti-depressants,SAMe is actually good for your liver.

All of the aforementioned supplements are helpful if your depression is serotonin related.

L-Tyrosine is helpful for dopamine related depression.

However,don't just take my word for it,please consult with a naturopath,alternative minded doctor or other natural health related expert.
Most amino acid supplements are considered relatively safe,but you never know what kind of interactions you might have when combining pills-even non-prescription natural stuff.

[dreamrawalwz]

I second what someone else said regarding the book "Depression Free for Life".
Lots of great, comprehensive information,including proper dosages of amino acids/supplements.
Great nutritional info as well.
Also,it's vitally important to know if your depression is related to a deficiency in serotonin,dopamine or noradrenaline etc.-or a combination of the three.
Blood sugar levels can affect moods dramatically.
There are a lot of other mitigating factors as well.

Keep in mind that it takes a few weeks for 5-HTP to kick in.
If your depression is severe then you may find that taking L-Tryptophan is a better choice,as it is a lot stronger than 5-HTP.


Personally,I found that St.John's Wort is very weak in helping with depression.
It usually is known to help in mild cases.

Another supplement which is mentioned in "Depression Free for Life",which has had great rates of success is SAMe.
Have you heard of it?
It has very few,if any known side affects,and unlike prescription anti-depressants,SAMe is actually good for your liver.

All of the aforementioned supplements are helpful if your depression is serotonin related.

L-Tyrosine is helpful for dopamine related depression.

However,don't just take my word for it,please consult with a naturopath,alternative minded doctor or other natural health related expert.
Most amino acid supplements are considered relatively safe,but you never know what kind of interactions you might have when combining pills-even non-prescription natural stuff.

Thanks. I don't now of a natropath here. Plus they're pretty expensive aren't they? At least the ones near my house are. So basicaly I shouldn't combine the 5-HTP, St. John's, and L-Tyrosine? Should I just do SAMe and L-Tyrosine to hit both angles, but not overdo it for now?

[Sleek98]

The way I understand it is that you can first start on the 5-HTP and/or GABA until they start working, then you can add in amino acids like tyrosine, etc.

[Raw Angel Mom]

I don't know if i would repeat myself with others but deficiency in Vitamin D will do this. And on Fall time there is less light outside. So got outside as much as you can and take vitamine D.

Chocolate is a natural anti-depressant. This is why we crave for chocolate on fall. You can buy raw chocolate.

Please get check out with your doctor to see if you are low in anything that can create imbalance.

Our emotions are major key. Sometime when we try to be over positive, it will suppress our emotions, this is important to give them a voice and just release them. If you are ok with Source or God, you can release them to the Divine, if not, you can just connect with the nature and offer them to mother earth for transmutation.

Play uplifting music and do your best to do something joyful. Maybe just imagining that you are swiming with the dolphins is enough.

Raw food give life to berried emotions so when we are dealing with D deficiency on top of this, this isn't easy.

Here is a nice meditation that i love to do and it really clear out a lot of garbages. Before, i want to say that you are a beautiful woman inside out. You are always there to help out others and you have a big heart.

Here it goes.

Intent to breathin pure love energys and to feel it within your heart ( just intent it is happening). Take deep breath in and deep breath out. Keep doing this, several time as you do this, your inner light is expanding and expanding, until it covers your entire aura. Now instruct your inner light to calibrate, your thoughts, your believes, your perceptions and your mind until it is perfectly calibrated with your inner light or highrself. Everything else is getting transmuted into perfect health, balance and love. Now this might sound silly but connect to your body and address our body as you would talk to someone you really love. And say, i love you, just mean it even though your mind may not agree, keep saying i love you, as you saying this, each cell of your body, your dna is calibrating to perfect health. Feel this love for this beautiful body that is self repairing and working so hard for you. Breath in more love energy and send gratitude to mother earth, the animals, the trees, your home and send blessings to anyone who has a connection with you. Feel love and feel gratitude, know that you aren't alone and you are so loved and worthy to be love. Come back slowly.

Blessings to you

[firefaery]

Thanks. I don't now of a natropath here. Plus they're pretty expensive aren't they? At least the ones near my house are. So basicaly I shouldn't combine the 5-HTP, St. John's, and L-Tyrosine? Should I just do SAMe and L-Tyrosine to hit both angles, but not overdo it for now?


You should evaluate to see what you are deficient in first. www.themoodcure.com has a free test I believe. You really shouldn't throw supplements at it willy nilly. They aren't "drugs" but they shouldn't be taken lightly. Their effects are real. An overabundance of seratonin will cause as big a problem as a deficiency. IF you are using herbs to tell your body to make more when it already has too much you are exacerbating the problem.

sam-E

[firefaery]

oops, that went through too soon. Sam-E, 5-HTP, Hypericum, Holy Basil, GABA, and L-Tyrosine all have different actions on the body. Let's see what you need.

You can also have your amino acid levels tested independently of a practitioner. IF you want to follow that route let me know...it's pretty inexpensive.

[tepiglet]

I agree with firefaery,you shouldn't just throw various supplements together,willy-nilly.
I wasn't trying to tell you what to take,or what not to take as the case may be-or what to combine.
I was just explaining the various uses for SAMe,5-HTP,L-Tyrosine,etc...
Again,I concur with firefaery,you need to be tested for deficiencies,first and foremost.

[dreamrawalwz]

I don't know if i would repeat myself with others but deficiency in Vitamin D will do this. And on Fall time there is less light outside. So got outside as much as you can and take vitamine D.

Chocolate is a natural anti-depressant. This is why we crave for chocolate on fall. You can buy raw chocolate.

Please get check out with your doctor to see if you are low in anything that can create imbalance.

Well, last year I was dxed as defficient in vitamin D and my blood test just showed that I'm low in B-12; both of which can cause depression.

[firefaery]

are you supplementing?

[Raw Angel Mom]

Nano B-Complex is highly recommended by dr. Gabriel Cousens. He has been on Raw vegan diet for more then 20 years.

I am currently taking this as supplement, but i don't know yet if this work but i know that i felt a positive difference right of way, after this, you kind of get accustom to it.

Chocolate is truly a nice natural anti -depressant. It is consider as a super food and filled with nice mineral, but it has to be raw chocolate.

Please get some blood test done once in a while to see if this is improving.

Nova Scotia sea dulse is reach in B12 but it doesn't mean that you will absorb it, this is why this Nano B-Complex is highly recommended by dr. Cousens.

Best wishes!

p.s Sometime as we are on raw food, it brings up our emotions which are also caused by heavy metal. I am currently taking ZEOLITE (liquid) which according again to Dr. Cousens will help to cleanse that within two weeks. I resonate very much with him but again i cannot confirm if this is working, because i have been on it only for a few days.