Is Anybody Raw and Taking Antidepressants?

[RAWisme]

Hi there,

I'm asking because I stopped taking antidepressants several months after going raw since I was feeling so good. Since stopping them I've slowly been feeling more and more depressed. I'm thinking the only way to feel normal again is to go back to the antidepressants (Cymbalta). I feel horrible for considering this since it's not "healthy" but I don't know what else to do. Raw foods doesn't seem to be a cure for me.

Is there anybody else going through the same thing? How much damage do you think I will do to my body from taking Cymbalta while remaining on the raw diet?

TIA!

[momma-rawma]

Did you wean or stop abruptly?

I am on for PPD (though this time I went on while still pregnant) and was always told that you have to wean off of them.

I am down to every 2 or 3 days....but that is an improvement b/c I hadn't been able to wean until this point.

I did get terribly upset on Friday--and I had to reconcile...was this b/c of not taking the pill..or was I really sad. I decided that I was really sad. Once hubby and I worked through it and remedied the situation...I was fine. The incident meant very much too me and the remedy was the right thing to do. I couldn't help getting so upset..but sometimes it happens.

I did take a pill the next morning though...and I think I haven't taken one since, so I probably should take one today.

I did have more SAD this weekend than usual....but was still on the same course prior to my cry spell on Friday.

But non-depressed people do cry sometimes :) and I decided that it wasn't so much of a relapse..but something that would have been devestating after prepping so long for it if I could not do it. (marathon--got mastitis on Wednesday!:mad: )


So--did you wean or did you just abruptly stop? Did you consult with your doc while going off? Do you think if you try taking it daily and with consult taking it EOD might work?

Have you tried monitoring what you are eating and trying to consume foods/juices that work on the hormones that affect mood?

(I find I have to have green juice regularly).

I'm not 100% yet (trying for the first time today!) but I have been able to cut down...just not all out yet b/c I know that you aren't supposed to do that.

[avolove]

Laurie,
Sorry to hear you are still struggling. Having suffered with depression for all of my adult life I understand your contemplating going back on RXs!!! DO WHAT MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD!! If RXs make you feel good then do it and we all can be happy that there is a med out there that allows those of us to feel good when without it, life becomes a challenge. Think of it this way... eating raw does soooo many great things for you that even with taking a RX you are soooooo ahead of the average SAD eater!!! So don't worry! That said however :) , give yourself some time. Eating raw allowed me to get off RXs, but I was raw for 3 months before I slowly weaned myself off. (Xanax for panic attacks and Celexa for depression which I had taken for 13 years) It was something I did slowly, so maybe you might try again after being raw for a while, but go slowly. In the mean time just remind yourself how MUCH GOOD you are doing being raw and enjoy your life!!! :)

[RAWisme]

I weaned myself off of the meds after being raw for 3 months without my doctors knowledge. I just really feel the depression now and looking back at the last couple of months I realized that I was slowly slipping back to the depression.

I just feel torn.

Thanks for your advice. i appreciate it!

[lanettasmouse]

i was on cymbalta about 2-3 years ago and stopped abruptly (i know i shouldn't have done it that way, but i'm glad i did). just a suggestion, it might be emotional detox that your body needs to go through. i'm sure you probably thought of that, but i agree that you have to do what feels best to YOU and only YOU. if you do go back on, maybe try a smaller dosage and see how that feels. but i strongly feel that it is emotional detox and detox from the meds themselves. i went through the same thing when i went off of mine for about 6-9 months. but i didn't want to be on meds (couldn't afford it either with no job and no insurance). after finally getting that stuff out of my system and finding raw i feel a lot better. some days i still feel depressed, especially when its that time of the month, but not like what it was. this is just my expereince and i hope i helped some. hope you feel better:)

[jenjen]

i really hope this helps, i have never been on anti depresants but i have had years of on and off deep depression. i personally have found the way out of it is to find the feeling of hope and greatfulness. like i could just generate it (not all the time...like when deeply depressed), but i found my depression wasn't one solid emotion. it was a changing rainbow of deep lows and lighter lows and then sort of not so happy ups. but then there would be days or moments when i really would be happy. so i just knew that i was capable of feeling that.
i had hope and faith that that good feeling would return to me, if i didn't try to hard to get it and forgave myself for feeling down again. anyway, i truely believe being greatful just for the things we have, slowly, bit by bit welcomes in good feelings, untill the good feelings (kind of like guests at first) become regulars and then move in and the bad feelings start to only show up once in awhile. but because you recognize them as occasional visitors, they have less power over you.

i think the human experience is ment to be a learning experience. you will find the path that works for you.
here is a link to a web page that has some lovilly insights about our experience in this life. http://sydneybanks.org/frameset.php?id=hm

i wish you all the joy and happiness you could ever dream for!
jen

[Stina]

I just ordered Dr. Gabriel Cousen's book Depression Free for Life and am looking forward to reading it and applying it. In general, being high raw has made a drastic improvement and I'm optimistic about fine-tuning it with this book even more. I agree that it takes a long time on raw, even a few years to get over detoxing the poor little brain thoroughly. Also, it takes a long, long time to clean out the intestines. If a layer of the mucoid plaque starts to peel off and clog up my digestive system, it's going to corrupt my blood supply that goes up to my brain, and therefore affect my brain functions and mood.
I'd suggest experimenting and see if a colonic helps when you start to feel down.
Also, are you consuming a wide wide variety of leafy greens to insure that the brain is getting all of the amino acids that it desperately needs?
And are you covering your bases with essential healthy fats?
And last tidbit of what I hope is not annoying advice, is it in any way linked to hypoglycemia and sugar intake and that whole roller coaster ride?

Then there's the whole can of worms about personal issues and the state of the world but I'm just looking at physiological issues.


but! Keep in touch with us for all of the love and support here for your journey to vibrant health which does include happiness!

Love, Stina

[Goji]

Try eating more dark green leafy vegetables, sprouts and almonds as these are high in magnesium. Low magnesium has been linked to depression. If you're suffering from depression it may be that your body's stores are already depleted and so I suggest supplementing with Magnesium Glycinate (make sure it doesn't have calcium, as these two minerals 'fight' for absorbtion). You'll need to take about 800mg per day. Also make sure that you're getting enough B-vitamins as these are essential for a healthy nervous system. Exercise too.

Vastly increasing my magnesium intake through green, leafy vegetables has made a huge difference to my mood.

http://www.newtreatments.org/depression

[cherries]

I haven't tried this but I'm going to order some:

ALBIZZIA: THE TREE Of HAPPINESS, For many, an effective natural approach for the treatment of mild states of depression and anxiety.
http://www.planetherbs.com/showcase/docs/albizzia.php

[subbacultcha]

Sorry to hear your depression isn't going away :(

Do you have any raw cacao or maca in your diet? Having 'superfood shakes' every day has me permanently in a state of ecstatic bliss!

[burgespj]

Why would you do damage to your body? I am raw and I take Prozac, and I never want to go back to that dark place. This is just a diet not an end all to everything.Talk to your doctor, you cannot do this without help.Maybe go on a lower dose.Im sorry no diet is worth sacrificing happiness. Good luck, Pat.

[EZ rider]

I havn't had to take any drugs for a long time but on the occasions when I have taken them in the past I have taken them on an "as needed" basis. If I feel OK then why take them ? If I don't need them anymore then I just set them aside rather then eating them just to finish off the bottle. I can't say whats right for you but I find the "as needed" approach works for me.

[megazelle]

Since eating high-raw, I've gone down to a pediatric (children's) dose from a high dose of effexor and feel excellent. I'll continue to take it. Don't feel terrible about taking your cymbalta, if it helps you. :)

[Ingenue]

If you read Depression free for Life you'll see the section regarding SAM-e. SAM-e is an amino acid that has amazing results in lifting mild to severe depression. Like most holistic therapies it hasn't been throughly tested by the american medical community, but I can offer you my experience:

I recently quit drinking three months ago and my depression during my last drinking days had been crippling. I was raw most of the time, but at times when my disease had me in it's grips I found myself eating damaging and toxic foods just for the knowledge of self abuse. I had a hard time getting out of bed, I cried constantly, and I never wanted to take care of myself. Through all this I drank thinking it was the only thing keeping me from dissolving into the emotional chaos I felt.

Eventually everything got too dangerous and got my poor suffering soul into recovery. I dismissed the emotional pain I was feeling as par for the course (I was detoxing from alcohol addiction, after all) and committed myself to 100% Raw Organic to heal my body from the abuse I had inflicted upon it. Things improved drastically, my soul started recovering, and my life did a dramatic 180. And yet.

The self-abusive eating continued, albeit in much smaller doses. I still had lethargy and an overall sense of doom that would sweep over me when confronted with minor unexpected life events. I didn't think I was suffering from any sort of organic depression but I knew I was struggling. Finally my boyfriend recommended me trying some SAM-e. It's recommended in Happy Yoga for mental boost and he wanted to see if it would help me. I researched it and found out that it's commonly used (quite effectively) as an antidepressent, and I jumped.

It worked. Within three days, my sense of general well being had returned. My energy levels stabilized, my appetite became normal and my cravign were biological and NOT emotional. For me it's been a non-toxic life saver and I highly reccommend it. I didn't even know how much I was still suffering, until it was lifted from me.

Having said that: No pill alone can heal depression. I have a full and wonderful life, including spiritual community, love, meaningful work, yoga, and an AMAZING DIET. You need a holistic plan of wellness, never forget that.

Hope that helps!

All the love in the world,
Emilie

[VeganGypsie]

I havn't had to take any drugs for a long time but on the occasions when I have taken them in the past I have taken them on an "as needed" basis. If I feel OK then why take them ? If I don't need them anymore then I just set them aside rather then eating them just to finish off the bottle. I can't say whats right for you but I find the "as needed" approach works for me.
this may not be the best approach when dealing with drugs that affect brain chemicals. i'm on an ssri and it doesn't work to go on and off, it has to be built up in your system. when you start these drugs, you don't get relief from depression for a couple of weeks at least.

pills like SAMe and St. John's Wort may be different and work on an as-needed basis. RAWisme, why not talk to your doctor or shrink about one of these 'natural' alternatives. Not being synthesized in a lab may mean better for your body, but that doesn't mean they are free of additional effects (I don't call them side effects, the drug doesn't know the difference between 'desired' effects and 'side' effects - they are just all effects of taking the substance) so talk to a doctor for sure.

[Banshee]

I was Zoloft after my oldest DD was born due to PPD. I went off shortly before I got pregnant w/ DD #2, because I felt great. After DD #2 was born in January I felt great (was doing about 75% raw at the time) for about 3 weeks, and then one day I felt the PPD come back hard....I waited about 2 weeks to see if it would go away, and it felt like it was getting worse...I looked at my oldest DD and told myself I couldn't make her go through this twice with me...so I called my doc and got back on the Zoloft.

My point? Well, depression is a horrible thing, and a dark place, and I think you've gotta do what you can to feel better. Eating raw will increase your health (both physical and mental), and is way better for you than SAD, but I also think some of us are just wired different and more sensitive to certain things, and you shouldn't feel bad about yourself if you have to go on the meds. There may be a time later on when you can do it, but don't beat yourself up now, it'll only make you feel worse, I don't want you to feel that way (cuz it sux!).

[Vivafree2]

I have never tried antidepressants, but had enough experience with different stages of depressions in my everyday life. I know for sure that green smoothies (lots of greens but no wheat grass) help me to keep steady. After eating sad food, overeating in general and sweets - i feel sad and tired.

I agree with sense of HOPE - this is extremely important for me - my hope crushes easily and depression sets in no time. I know myself better and know what destroys my balance but hope is everything.
Green raw food, fresh air activities, hope and commited friends help me feel well.

[Theogirl]

I feel for you, I asked a similar question the other day about my Celexa. I've been taking it for over four years since I had a really really terrible spell when pregnant with my first. I've decided not to try and totally wean off until I've been eating raw at least two months. (I'm now at 2 1/2 weeks!) Although just last night, I cut my dose from 60 mg to 40 mg because I've done so in the past without negative results.

[Banshee]

I also wanted to add that I discovered raw during my first stint on the meds, and I really believe it allowed me to get off of them sooner than I would otherwise. That's why I've been upping my raw (to be 100% shortly) so I can feel healthy enough (hopefully) to go back off the meds eventually.

And I hope what I said wasn't offensive (in my previous post), I didn't mean that people who take antidepressants are "wired" wrong, I meant that in my case at least, I know I'm more sensitive to things like stress and hormonal changes. I feel comfortable with the meds to help get that into balance. I'm hoping to reach a point in my life where different changes don't affect me as strongly, that raw will do all the balancing for me.

I'll be quiet now ;)

[cayenne]

RAWism, DON'T go back to antidepressants!!!

You need to work on your LIVER which is overburdened. You would be much better off by a liver cleanse/detox. You can choose a more cleansing diet, like a fruit diet or fruit and vegetables only for a few weeks. Carrot juice and green juices are also great for the liver. If you can not handle it with the diet alone, then you can add specific herbs to assist the liver. Dandelion greens (you can use fresh leaves in smoothies if you like), dandelion root, milk thistle, barberry, oregon grape, are all wonderful.

Please make sure you have good bowel movements before you start working on the liver, otherwise you can make matters worse. This is top priority.

Make sure you get enough sunlight. Sun exposure can make all the difference.

Medication only controls the symptoms, it does not solve anything, and usually only adds to the toxic burden. That is not what you want!

[Ms_Catherine]

Forgive me, as I have less experience with Raw than I do with psychiatry. RAWisme, if you suffer from depression, and meds helped you, please don't toss them out the window. Depression can kill you. Raw doesn't necessarily cure everything. Please feel free to contact me.

[Andre]

Long story about my experience and opinion of medication. I take Celexa.

I've suffered for depression, anxiety, ADD, and a severe eating disorder. My life has been a daily mood swing from hysterical laughing to extreme anger or thoughts of ending myself.

For about 6 years I read dozens of books and did lots and lots of various forms of therapy. It helped so much, but I still had uncontrollable thoughts. I would even know at the time that these thoughts were irrational, nonetheless the thoughts would not disappear. Sometimes I'd beg them to go away.

Finally I told my doctor about it and she immediately sent me to see a psychologist. The tests were long and ultimate appointment happened to be on my birthday. After talking to the psychologist I was told, "You are a puzzle... We cannot help you." It was actually a little bit funny because I knew I couldn't be told anything else that could help me. I knew all the therapies through and though. The psychologist was quite impressed at my knowledge.

That day I had an appointment with my doctor. She prescribed me Celexa. I glady took it. I think of it as a birthday present.

This may not make sense, but after about 3 hours of taking it I had a headache, and then a sense of peacefullness. I remember laying in bed and thinking over and over, "I feel good." It's all I could think to say.

I'm not sure how long its been. Maybe 3 years, but I currently take 20mg of Celexa and I've feel better then I ever have. I also take clonazepam, which I have been currently weaning to half dose with no side-effects, yet.

To me nothing is more important then my mental health. The thoughts that I had were just so horrible. It took a pill and the thoughts turned off like a flick of a switch (it took about 3 months to become fully stable).

I am one of the lucky ones that is a good candidate for medication. Many people have tried so many meds with little or no success... I would rather live on SAD or with a 30 year life reduction then ever go back. I made a vow that I would end myself if I ever had to live a life like that again. It's no life.

I don't care about taking a pill anymore. Even food is a drug when you get down to the basics. If taking one small pill makes my mind a more peaceful place...

And as far as purity goes, I think that's just a bunch of bunk. NONE of us are pure. People can claim all they want. Pure is just an unattainable word.

So make your own decision. Only you can know what's truly best for you.

[RawSinger]

Andre: very important lesson learned here; some people just need to take medication. They're not helped enough by anything else. Thank you for sharing that about yourself.

I've been on meds a long time (including anti-depressants). Personally, nothing has ever worked that well for me. Zoloft did help me a lot when I first started taking it. I'm going to have my doctor wean me off of all of my meds over the summer because I just would rather not take them anymore as they don't really help me. But as Andre's story clearly shows, some people can only live a tolerable life (and hopefully better than that) on medication (this is not to downplay other methods, of course). It's whatever is best for the individual.

[VeganGypsie]

Thanks Andre. I've been on Celexa for 6 years. It is easy after this long to forget how bad it was before, how blessed we are that there are options, weather we need them permanently or only temporarily. But it was bad. Can't get out of bed bad. Constant crying bad. Why live that way if you don't have to? Never could have gotten where i am today without meds, and if i release them at some point, for the sake of breastfed children, i'm not going to revile them as some sort of impurity, but feel gratitude that they got me through a hard time, when nothing else could.

[Andre]

I think from my previous post that maybe I should become a pharmacutical lobbiest, lol. :p

I have had great progress with cutting my dose from 40mg to 20mg. It's nice knowing that I have some room to increase the dose if ever I would require it.


It is easy after this long to forget how bad it was before, how blessed we are that there are options, weather we need them permanently or only temporarily. But it was bad. Can't get out of bed bad. Constant crying bad.
That sounds terrible. I've been like that quite often too, but it usually was carried out in a different way. I had an eating disorder, and I would isolate myself. I've had people tell me that I could just 'snap out of it' if I wanted too. Things such as having a panic attack at work, and my supervisors said, "You just need to relax." They wouldn't let me go home, or take a short break to try to catch my breath. I felt like I could die at any moment. I can understand though. If they haven't experienced it, they usually have no idea.

One good thing about having gone through this is that it's made me a much more understanding person. It's likely the people that have posted on this thread might relate as well. And so even though this has happened to us, we can use it to our advantage to help others in similiar circumstances.

That great that you're gonna wean off the meds RawSinger. I hope to be off clonazepam this summer and weaning off celexa as well. Be sure to have lots of support from family and/or friends. It can help out so much! ;)

[Betsy]

oh! I love your avatar! CUTE!:)

I was on 5-HTP. I stopped when I detoxed on all raw. Working thru it. It's easier on raw, for sure.

Are you O.k now?