Depression

Diet and Nutrition: (references)

• Eliminate foods that cause an allergic response or to which there is a sensitivity (fast, use an elimination diet, or allergy test to isolate such foods)
• Avoid caffeine, aspartame and monosodium glutamate (MSG)
• Avoid sugar and alcohol

Vitamins and Minerals: (references)

• Vitamin B6: 100 mg. TID
• Vitamin B12: 1,000 - 3,000 mcg. IM daily to weekly, with folic acid
• Vitamin B-Complex: 50 times the RDA
• Folate: 400 mg.
• Inositol: 500 mg.
• Magnesium: 500 mg.

Supplements: (references)

• 5-Hydroxytryptophan : 100-300 mg TID (Note: approximately 1-3% of oral tryptophan enters the brain compared to 70% of oral 5-HTP)
• Omega 3 Fatty Acids: 1-5 gm. TID
• Carnitine: 500 mg. BID away from food
• NADH: 5 mg. with water only on an empty stomach BID
• S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM): 800 mg.
• DHEA: 5 - 15 mg.
• Phenylalanine: 500 mg. daily initially, increasing as needed to 2-3 gm. daily
• Phosphatidylserine: 100 mg. TID with food

Botanicals: (references)

• Hypericum perforatum Tincture -1/4 tsp. TID
• Ginkgo biloba - 40 - 80 mg. TID

• Individual botanicals to be considered for this condtion:
  Avena sativa (Oats)
  Eleutherococcus senticosus (Siberian ginseng)
  Ginkgo biloba (Ginkgo)
  Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort)
  Lavendula angustifolia (Lavender)
  Melissa officinalis (Lemon balm)
  Piper methysticum (Kava kava)
  Rosmarius officinalis (Rosemary)
  Schisandra chinensis (Wu wei zi)
  Scutellaria laterifolia (Skullcap)
  Valeriana officinalis (Valerian)
  Verbena officinalis (Vervain)

Homeopathic Remedies: (references)

• Depression after childbirth:
  
  agn, anac, arg-n, aur, aur-m, bell, cimic, con, ign, kali-br, lach, lil-t, manc, nat-m, plat, psor, puls, SEP, SULPH, thuj, tub, verat, verat-v
• Depression when alone:
  
  all-s, ARS, aur, bov, calc, con, dros, ferr, ferr-ac, kali-ar, kali-c, kali-n, lyc, mag-aust, mag-m, mez, NAT-M, phos, PULS, sil, stram, valer, zinc
• Depression after grief:
  
  am-m, AUR, carc, ign, NAT-M, ph-ac, staph
• Depression in alcoholics:
  
  alco, aur, carc, cimic, lach, nat-m, nux-v, puls, staph
• Depression during menopause:
  
  anac, arg-m, arg-n, aur, aur-m, buth-a, cimic, con, hydroph, ign, kali-br, lach, lil-t, magn-gr, manc, nat-m, penic, psor, puls, SEP, SULPH, tab, valer, verat, zinc
• Depression about health:
  
  acon, ars, carc, sep, staph
• Depression in children:
  
  abrot, ars, aur, calc, carc, caust, lach, lyc, NAT-M, rhus-t, sulph
• Depression from disappointed love:
  
  aur, bell, carc, dig, hyos, IGN, nat-m

(For an overview of Homeopathy, click here.)

Other Therapies: (references)

• *Tonic IV therapy
• Exercise: 15 min. per day for 3 weeks; then 20 min. per day - this is essential to the treatment
• If taking MAO inhibitor: avoid tyramine foods: cheese, chicken liver, sardines, red wine, yeast, beer, sour cream, eggplants, and green bean pods
• Get some exposure to sunlight (enhances serotonin levels)
• Do not lower cholesterol too far below normal, especially in the elderly
• In post-meopausal women, sometimes hormone replacement therapy will alleviate symptoms of depression
• In older men, testosterone supplementation is often helpful for depression
• Avoid exposure to solvents and pesticides
• Perform yoga postures regularly

Recommended Labs:

• Rule out adrenal insufficiency: Adrenocortex Stress Profile
• Rule out allergies: IgG Food Allergy Antibody, IgG and IgE Inhalent Allergy Antibody
• Rule out Cushing's Disease: Dexamethasone Suppression
• Rule out diabetes: Fasting Glucose, Fructosamine, Hemoglobin A1c
• Rule out Epstein Barr infection: EBV Capsid IgG and IgM
• Rule out heavy metal poisoning: Hair Analysis
• Rule out hormonal insufficiency: FSH, LH
• Rule out hypothyroidism: Thyroid Panel with TSH

*  The recommended use of this supplement or therapy is based on a physiological mechanism or empirical data and is not necessarily supported by peer-reviewed research studies.

Copyright 1998 - 2008 by L. Vicky Crouse, ND and James S. Reiley, ND. All rights reserved (ISSN 1527-0661).