Re: natural antidepressants

[Guest guest]

>

> Are there any natural antidepressants safe for a nursing mother? They

> always give out drugs saying they are " safe " which I don't believe for

> a minute yet no natural's are supposedly " safe " because of lack of

> studies. Ridiculous. Any info?

B vitamins and fish oil are helpful for many people.

Dana

[Guest guest]

They're already on board. Thanks... M

>>

> B vitamins and fish oil are helpful for many people.

>

> Dana

>

[Guest guest]

>

> They're already on board. Thanks... M

I give more than that for one of my kids who has problems with

depression. Most of his supps are related to mito cocktail,

anti-viral, and adrenal. What supps are currently given for the

depression?

Dana

[Guest guest]

You may want to look into SamE.

special6mom <hugs4Him99@...> wrote:

They're already on board. Thanks... M

>>

> B vitamins and fish oil are helpful for many people.

>

> Dana

>

---------------------------------

Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Search.

[Guest guest]

Personal experience here: increase the EPA content to several grams

per day (3+). Nordic Naturals makes an EPA Xtra brand that gives a

bang for the buck, so to speak. Try adding some GLA via borage oil.

Vitamin E, too.

Be very careful with herbs while pregnant.

Exercise within limits. Avoid sugars.

I've struggled with recurrent depression and anxiety since my teens.

It stinks.

Pam

> >>

> > B vitamins and fish oil are helpful for many people.

> >

> > Dana

> >

>

[Guest guest]

To keep my head above water, I do best when I take a multi-vitamin and super

B complex, and sometimes an additional B complex. I also take Adrenal

Cortex Extract (1x/day) and take the following 2x/day: both fish oil (DHA),

flaxseed oil, 1g of Vit C, calcium (and the accompanying magnesium for

absorption). I limit my caffeine and sugar intake, make sure I get protein

at every meal and rarely eat fast food or prepackaged food.

I have chronic, low-grade depression and this regimen has definitely helped.

I have just found out that I have the MTHFR mutation, so I'll be taking

either folinic acid or folapro. You might want to try one of these for

yourself and see if there is any change. Folinic/folapro help the body

process/absorb the B-vitamins.

in MD

[ ] Re: natural antidepressants

> They're already on board. Thanks... M

>

>

>>>

>> B vitamins and fish oil are helpful for many people.

>>

>> Dana

>>

>

>

>

>

> =======================================================

>

[Guest guest]

Michele:

St 's Wort is very effective, but it has some contraindication. It makes

the skin more sensitive to sunlight - but that is part of its effectiveness

to combat the inner darkness.

What might help a lot is eating dates. They have the highest amount of

tryptophan, the amino acid you need to produce serotonin and, in turn,

melatonin.

Very effective is also Tumeric, the yellow root powder, that is usually

found in curry powder mixutures. THe is also a very effective remedy against

depression made from it. Only, I don't lnow whether there are any

contraindications durng pregnacies.

Under all circumstances aspartame should be avoided. You often find it

hidden in food, e.g in instant coffee.

I'm copying and pasting a part from an article by Dr Jim Howenstine on Avea:

http://www.newswithviews.com/Howenstine/james58.htm

*What Is Avea?*

Turmeric (curcumin) has long been used in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine as

an anti-inflammatory, to treat digestive disorders and liver problems and

for the treatment of skin diseases and wound healing. Curcumin stimulates

the production of bile and facilitates emptying of the gall bladder. In

animals curcumin protects the liver, has anti-tumor action, reduces

inflammation and fights some infections.

Avea is an extract from the root of Curcuma longa, commonly know as

turmeric. Nutramedix has a proprietary formulation of curcumin that is more

effective than conventional curcumin because of special extraction and

enhancement techniques.

The German Commission E reports that curcumin has no known

contraindications, no known side effects and no known interactions with

other drugs. In May 2005, toxicology studies were completed on Avea at the

University of Guayaquil, Ecuador. No toxic effects were seen even when the

animals were given doses 160,000 times the equivalent human dose.

*Patients suffering from depression often report relief from depression

within a few hours to a few days after starting Avea*. A 38 year old woman

had been seriously depressed for more than ten years despite therapy with

several different pharmaceutical drugs. When started on her first dose of

Avea she felt less depressed after thirty minutes. The depression was gone

in 24 hours but the therapy was continued.

The dosage of Avea is ten to twelve drops three or four times daily.

Patients who respond rapidly to Avea should remain on this therapy for one

to two months to allow the body to reset neurochemical balances in the

brain. Patients who have been taking SSRI drugs should slowly taper off SSRI

therapy over many weeks if they wish to terminate SSRI therapy.

We think that persons trying Avea for depression will be pleased with this

safe rapidly acting therapy. Avea can be obtained from

naturalhealthteam.comphone 1-800-416-2806 and from

nutramedix.com phone 1-561-745-2917.

On 2/5/08, special6mom <hugs4Him99@...> wrote:

>

> Are there any natural antidepressants safe for a nursing mother? They

> always give out drugs saying they are " safe " which I don't believe for

> a minute yet no natural's are supposedly " safe " because of lack of

> studies. Ridiculous. Any info?

>

> Thanks.. Michele

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

For me, being depressed for more than 3 days is usually a sign that I

am anemic. If I keep on top of getting enough iron and b-complex, I

usually don't get depressed.

Also, around my home, if someone is in a bad mood, it usually

indicates they have been exposed to something that is bothering them.

A shower is sometimes the quickest way to fix that. Or taking out the

trash. Or cleaning something (with non-toxic cleaners, like

peroxide). Or doing the dishes if they have piled up.

That other Michele

>

> Are there any natural antidepressants safe for a nursing mother?

They

> always give out drugs saying they are " safe " which I don't believe

for

> a minute yet no natural's are supposedly " safe " because of lack of

> studies. Ridiculous. Any info?

>

> Thanks.. Michele

>

[Guest guest]

If this is post-partum depression, research has shown that high copper

is part of the equation. Animals eat the placenta after giving birth,

and I read in some cultures, humans may do this too! The article said

the placenta is major high in zinc, and replaces lost zinc. Hmmn.

There's also the problems of reality setting in after having a baby

with the exhaustion and coping required to care for the baby. In my

family, many of us were fine 'till we have kids. Then, for some

reason, we're depressed and exhausted. Not sure why pregnancy hits us

so hard. I have one niece this happened to lately. She kept thinking

that when she quit breastfeeding, her energy would pick up....

Accident! She got pregnant again. (Took her seven years for the

first one!)

I remember reading about how some women have just drastic hormone

switches after having a baby. It's something to look into. Actually,

very important, you might want to do a hormone panel of some kind.

You might also look into thyroid status. Apparently, thyroid problems

can develop after pregnancy - hyper or hypo.

http://thyroid.about.com/od/hormonepregnantmenopause1/a/postpartum.htm

+++++

Nutrition and Depression: Implications for Improving Mental Health

Among Childbearing-Aged Women

M. Bodnara, c, Corresponding Author Contact Information, E-mail

The Corresponding Author and L. Wisnera, c, b

aDepartment of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health

bDepartment of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic,

University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

cDepartment of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences;

School of Medicine

Received 17 March 2005; revised 28 April 2005; accepted 4 May 2005.

Available online 25 July 2005.

Adequate nutrition is needed for countless aspects of brain

functioning. Poor diet quality, ubiquitous in the United States, may

be a modifiable risk factor for depression. The objective was to

review and synthesize the current knowledge of the role of nutrition

in depression, and address implications for childbearing-aged women.

Poor omega-3 fatty acid status increases the risk of depression. Fish

oil and folic acid supplements each have been used to treat depression

successfully. Folate deficiency reduces the response to antidepressants.

Deficiencies of folate, vitamin B12, iron, zinc, and selenium tend to

be more common among depressed than nondepressed persons. Dietary

antioxidants have not been studied rigorously in relation to depression.

Childbearing-aged women are particularly vulnerable to the adverse

effects of poor nutrition on mood because pregnancy and lactation are

major nutritional stressors to the body. The depletion of nutrient

reserves throughout pregnancy and a lack of recovery postpartum may

increase a woman's risk of depression. Prospective research studies

are needed to clarify the role of nutrition in the pathophysiology of

depression among childbearing-aged women. Greater attention to

nutritional factors in mental health is warranted given that nutrition

interventions can be inexpensive, safe, easy to administer, and

generally acceptable to patients.

In , " special6mom " <hugs4Him99@...> wrote:

>

> Are there any natural antidepressants safe for a nursing mother?

They always give out drugs saying they are " safe " which I don't

believe for a minute yet no natural's are supposedly " safe " because

of lack of studies. Ridiculous. Any info?

>

> Thanks.. Michele

>

[Guest guest]

Low vitamin D is associated with depression:

_http://vitamindcouncil.com/depression.shtml_

(http://vitamindcouncil.com/depression.shtml)

And low vitamin D can be an issue in pregnancy:

_http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070227105140.htm_

(http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070227105140.htm)

I can't find the reference - but I remember having read somewhere that

vitamin D levels can really drop post partum.

Edie

**************Biggest Grammy Award surprises of all time on AOL Music.

(http://music.aol.com/grammys/pictures/never-won-a-grammy?NCID=aolcmp00300000002\

5

48)

[Guest guest]

I have found that tyrosine also seems to help cope better with the

stress. I would also recommend, on top of all the supps, that a new

mom somehow find a way to laugh--a lot. Rent stupid movies she can

watch while nursing. Read joke books. Something that will get the

laughing going. Sounds silly, but it is important.

Anita

> >

> > Are there any natural antidepressants safe for a nursing mother?

> They always give out drugs saying they are " safe " which I don't

> believe for a minute yet no natural's are supposedly " safe " because

> of lack of studies. Ridiculous. Any info?

> >

> > Thanks.. Michele

> >

>

[Guest guest]

I just found this article that deals with post-partum depression and

autism.

http://www.collegeofmidwives.org/Faith_Manuscripts_2005/Autobio_Ch_10_Nov05.htm

The Brave New World of Evidence-based Maternity Care for 21st Century

Chapter 10 ~ Autism and Pitocin Induction,

Operative Delivery and PP Depression

Several times a year news magazines and television broadcasts report on

various health-care related topics that raise questions about " obstetrics

as usual " but never seem to explore any of the potential answers or include

any follow-up stories. For example, a July 2000 cover story for Newsweek was

about an explosive increase in childhood autistic disorders, a severe

problem in which the majority of these children wind up institutionalized by

the age of 13. One of the possible explanations mentioned was a statistical

link between the increase in autism and the increase in labors induced with

Pitocin. It quoted Dr. Hollander (director of an autism clinic at Mt

Sinai Medical Center in New York) as reporting that 60% of his patients were

the product of a Pitocin-induced labor. To my knowledge, not another word

has been raised in public or in print about this potential drug connection,

even thought the article identified that more children suffer from the

scourge of autism than childhood cancer or Downs Syndrome – as high as 1 out

of 500. I can appreciate the litigious nightmare for Parke- if that

observation turns out to have merit, as a lot of " Vitamin P " (as L & D nurses

jokingly refer to it) is being used these days.

In the last few years, public health authorities have identified an

enormous increase in the incidence of childhood autism. In California, the

number of kids receiving state services for autistic disorders has nearly

quadrupled since 1987. (1) A recent news report on National Public Radio

noted 775 news cases, a 33% increase over the previous quarter in which only

550 new cases were identified. This brain development disorder results in a

lack of normal language skills and inability to form human bonds of

affection with parents and other people. The majority of its victims are

boys. Many also suffer from epilepsy. The physical, mental, emotional and

social disabilities combined are so sever that most autistic children end up

in institutions by the age of 13. This is a tragedy for the child and its

parents, a loss to society and an economic burden of great proportion.

Autism is now thought to affect one person in 500, making it more common

than Downs syndrome or childhood cancer. According to Dr Marie Bristol Power

from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, it is a

not a rare disorder but a " pressing public-health problem " . (1)

Neither the cause of this disorder nor the reason for its exponential

increase is well understood by researchers at this time. However there is

data associating autistic disorders with the use of an artificial hormone

(Pitocin) which is given to pregnant women to induce or speed up labor (1,

2). Pitocin is a synthetic exogenous source of the natural hormone oxytocin

which stimulates the gravid uterus to contract. It was developed as a drug

by the Parke- pharmaceutical company in 1953 and put into general use

in 1955. It comes from the pituatary glands of cattle and includes acetic

acid for pH adjustment and .5 percent chloretone as a preservative. The lead

story in the July 31, 2000 issue Newsweek magazine was devoted to exploring

this growing health problem. The Newsweek reporter, Geoffrey Cowley,

interviewed Dr Hollander of New York's Mount Sinai School of Medicine,

a physician who specializes in treating autistic kids. Dr Hollander reported

that several years ago he noticed that 60% of the autistic patients in his

clinic had been exposed to this drug as a fetus. Material published by the

World Health Organization also notes an association between the use of

Pitocin and autistic disorders (2).

In spontaneous labors the mother's pituitary gland makes an endogenous

(i.e. internal) oxytocin that triggers the physiological onset and progress

of labor. The hormone oxytocin is also produced during breastfeeding

(causing the let-down of breast milk) and it accompanies sexual orgasm. For

this reason it is referred to as the " love hormone " by obstetrician

Christian Northrop, MD as each of these biological events are associated

with experiences of great emotional bonding and include meaningful social

interaction between the individuals involved. Since autistic disorders

produce an inability to make or maintain affectionate bonds or have normal

social relationships, one cannot help but wonder if perhaps there is an

causal relationship between these disorders and exogenous sources of an

artificial form of oxytocin. Perhaps flooding the immature body of the fetus

(especially boy babies) with this gender-specific synthetic hormone from

animals somehow interferes with the eventual function of these psychological

systems. It is an intriguing question.

However, Pitocin is not the only drug received by women whose labors are

being induced or augmented. The use of Pitocin requires that the mother also

be given IV fluids, have continuous electric fetal monitoring in place and

remain sedentary in her hospital bed while connected to this equipment.

Pitocin-induced uterine contrations and enforced maternal immobility makes

labor more painful, so much so that under these circumstances most laboring

women also receive narcotic pain relievers and/or epidural anesthesia. The

use of these drugs and anesthetics is also associated with an increase in

operative deliveries (vacuum extraction or forceps). It is possible that the

causative agent or trigger event for autism is a particular combination of

drugs or certain physical problems or propensity for either the mother or

baby, in combination with certain drugs, rather than a simple direct effect

of Pitocin per se.

The use of Pitocin to induce or augment labors and concomitant use of

epidural anesthesia has been steadily climbing for the last 20 years – about

the same period that the increase in autism has been reported. Estimates of

the use of Pitocin in laboring women over the last 2 decades range from 12%

to 60%. However, a 1992 survey by a medical anthropologist at the University

of Texas found that 81% of women in US hospital receive Pitocin to either

induce or augment labor. Epidural use is as high as 95% in many urban

hospitals. When one factors in a Cesarean rate of 23% (acknowledging some

overlap), the proportions of these facts is staggering as virtually 100% of

medically-managed births are subjected to a high level of pharmaceutical

interventions that have never been approved for use in fetuses. It certainly

seems prudent to research the possible association with

pharmaceutically-augmented labors in an attempt to discover the cause of the

rising tide of autistic disorders. It may be necessary to amend our current

obstetrical practices to prevent an epidemic of this expensive and

emotionally-crippling disorder.

Existing data on babies born at home under the care of midwives

as a control group in Autism research

For research purposes it seems logical to utilized the subset of healthy

childbearing women who experience no medical treatments during the labor and

birth (i.e. – no Pitocin or other labor-inducing drugs, no narcotic pain

medications, no general or regional anesthetics and no operative deliveries,

etc) as a control to determine if intrapartum medical treatments are

causative or contributory to the development or acerbating of autism

disorders. In the early 1990s the Midwives Alliance of North America (MANA)

embarked on a retrospective statistical study of domiciliary birth outcomes.

More recently they have been conducting a prospective study by enrolling

nationally certified professional midwives as a requirement of their

re-certification. To date they have compiled statistics on about 15,000

births. This would provide the demographic data for follow-up questionares

to ascertain the rate of autism within this substantial group of babies who

were unmedicated during the labor. Also a recent change in the California

birth registration law authorizes for the first time since 1915 the filing

of birth certificates by professional midwives providing community-based

birth services (client home and free-standing birth centers) so that the

gathering of statistical data in California on this subset of births is now

possible.

(1) Newsweek Magazine, July 31, 2000

(2) Care in Normal Birth: A Practical Guide—W.H.O's " Safe

Motherhood " series

(3) Mothering Magazine, Spring Issue, 2001

Intrapartum Narcotics and Drug Addiction in the Next Generation

Drugs and surgery have many consequences beyond those desired in the

moment. Genomic research has identified that some individuals have small

errors in their DNA that result in a paradoxical or toxic effect from drugs

that are otherwise helpful or at least without harmful side-effects. Just

last week Newsweek (July 9 issue) carried a story about " Designer Drugs " in

which it identified a study in which .3% of the population had a missing

letter in their DNA code for a particular drug. People with this error had

potentially fatal reactions to this drug.

Mothers in labor are routinely given several different drugs without any

way to know if their unique DNA code makes them or their unborn baby

vulnerable to toxic side effects. The propensity to have an adverse reaction

must be multiplied by the number of drugs received, and then must be doubled

as they are being given directly to the mother and delivered to the baby via

the umbilical cord. For the baby, whose virgin brain is being influenced by

these substances, the risk of side effects is both immediate and life long.

Studies done in Scandinavia have concluded that narcotic use during labor

(within 10 hours of birth) results in a statistically significant increase

in drug abuse and addiction of narcotized fetusus as they become teens and

young adults. (son, et al, 1990, son, Nyberg, Eklund, Bygdeman &

Rydberg, 1988)

According to research by Doctors Thorpe & Breedlove, (1996), " 80% of US

women receive epidurals ... narcotics are added to epidural analgesia to

speed and enhance pain relief. These drugs cross the placenta to the

fetus " . In addition there is an increased risk of drug interactions when

more than one drug is present at the same time, frequently the case during

labor. Perhaps the epidemic increase in childhood autistic disorders is a

result of drug interactions between pitocin used to accelerate labor and the

cocaine-based drugs and narcotics used in epidural anesthesia that normally

accompany induced or augmented labors. It should be noted that there is

absolutely no testing of drugs on children less than 6 years of age. All

drugs used on pregnant women have never been tested to determine if they are

safe for fetuses and neonates. Not a single one. No one has a clue about the

long-term consequences. Sadly there is no media coverage of these facts and

their implications.

Operative Deliveries and Postpartum Depression

Not least in this litany of missed opportunities is the heartbreaking

story of Yates and the fatal consequences of unacknowledged,

untreated postpartum depression turned PP psychosis, which resulted in the

death of all five of her children. According to Newsweek, these unimaginable

demons cause mothers to kill some 200 children in the US each year. PPD can

occur after the most normal of pregnancies but is more common and more sever

after the added stress of a Cesarean or other operative delivery and when a

baby is premature or must be in the intensive care nursery after the birth.

(22. Predictors, prodromes and incidence of postpartum depression. Obstet

Gynaecol 2001 Jun) On psychological tests, the self esteem of first-time

mothers improves and measures highest for women who have normal vaginal

births while showing a deterioration for mothers who delivery by Cesarean

surgery. (20. Adverse psychological impact of operative obstetric

interventions: a prospective longitudinal study Aust N Z J Psychiatry In

spite of this we have an obstetrically-configured, highly medicalized system

that induces or augments labor with pitocin up to 80% of all labors (21.

Robbie Flyod, PhD, Mothering Magazine Jan 2001), has as much as a 95%

epidural rate in some hospitals and wants to raise our CS rate by returning

to mandated repeat C-Sections and instituting " Cesarean on demand " – all

things that predictably increase maternal stress and the number of babies

separated from their mothers in intensive care nurseries. This is a recipe

for future disasters.

The public erroneously assumes that detection and prevention of PPD is

an important aspect of standard obstetrical care but is it not. With the

exception of a single 6 weeks check-up, obstetricians don't provide any

postpartum care to a new mother nor does the baby's pediatrician, despite a

PPD rate of 12 to 20%. (22. Predictors, prodromes and incidence of

postpartum depression. Chaudron LH, J Psychosom Obstet Gynaecol 2001) Except

for community-based midwifery, there is no continuity of care for

childbearing women or functional safety net to prevent PPD or to catch it

early on, before it damages the parent-child bond, the woman 's relationship

with her husband or results in harm to herself or others. (23. Do not

minimize signs of postpartum depression! Early intervention essential to

prevent negative consequences for the child. [Article in Swedish] Wickberg

B, Hwang P. 2001) There are also no studies to see if there is a connection

between the many drugs routinely used in labor during the last half century

and the development of postpartum depression (perhaps Yates mother

was heavily drugged during her labor with , which made more

vulnerable to the effect of drugs used during the fives labors with her own

children – an adverse reaction of intergenerational proportion!).

While 70% of all births are normal and do not require the standard

(interventive) obstetrical care (24. The Safety of Alternative Childbirth

Methods, Schlinzka, 1999), 95% of the many billions spent each year on

maternity services go to support an obstetrical model of care which has no

time or money for meaningful follow-up for new mothers. Unfortunately, when

we spend the whole economic enchilada on the few hours of labor (with no

improvement in perinatal outcome) it leaves nothing to address the social

and psychological needs of new-mother-baby dyad, during the equally

important first weeks and months of the postpartum. Again, a cone of media

silence covers up the sins of obstetrical excess and omission.

Chapter 11 is the Comprehensive Review of

" Outcomes of Planned Home Births In Washington State "

go on to Chapter 12 -- Excerpts from Ob.Gyn.News

On 2/6/08, eblair3721@... <eblair3721@...> wrote:

>

> Low vitamin D is associated with depression:

>

> _http://vitamindcouncil.com/depression.shtml_

> (http://vitamindcouncil.com/depression.shtml)

>

> And low vitamin D can be an issue in pregnancy:

>

> _http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070227105140.htm_

> (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070227105140.htm)

>

> I can't find the reference - but I remember having read somewhere that

> vitamin D levels can really drop post partum.

>

> Edie

>

> **************Biggest Grammy Award surprises of all time on AOL Music.

> (

>

http://music.aol.com/grammys/pictures/never-won-a-grammy?NCID=aolcmp003000000025

> 48)

>

>

[Guest guest]

Linseed/flaxseed oil has a very positive effect on the mood and well being.

Research trials by Horrobin showed that it is even a natural cure for

schizophrenia.

http://www.cqs.com/schizophrenia.htm

In Search of the Holy Grail:Natural Treatment of SchizophreniaIntroduction

On 2/5/08, special6mom <hugs4Him99@...> wrote:

>

> Are there any natural antidepressants safe for a nursing mother? They

> always give out drugs saying they are " safe " which I don't believe for

> a minute yet no natural's are supposedly " safe " because of lack of

> studies. Ridiculous. Any info?

>

> Thanks.. Michele

>

>

>