Posted by Lao Tzu on April 30, 2012, at 8:08:33
Over the years, I've been able to carefully include vitamins with my meds because the meds alone did not address the depression fully, unfortunately. But I must stress, it is the BALANCE of vitamins that is key. Too little and no real effect. Too much and possible disturbance of mood, not to mention side effects when combined with medication. I always suggest trying small doses of B vitamins to start, say 50mg of B6 for example. Or 50mg of B2 as an example. Everybody's nutritional needs are different. That is why taking vitamins is not an exact science. One regimen doesn't fit everybody. It actually took me years of experimentation to find the right nutrients and the correct dosages that made me feel better. Another recommendation is to purchase some orthomolecular books from Amazon. There are quite a few and they may lead you in the right direction. Yet, it still is a matter of trial and error for any given individual. Here are some of the vitamins that have helped me over the years, including certain B vitamins, fatty acids, and amino acids, as well as antioxidant vitamins.
B6, B1, B2, B12
Niacinamide or Niacin---- For some people, not everybody.
Vitamins C and E
GABA and/or Taurine
fish oil---highly recommended
Borage or evening primrose oil
selenium
magnesium
multivitamin--highly recommendedI don't want to include dosages because the dosages I take are rather small, probably because I also take a lot of medication and this makes a difference. The best thing to do is ask a doctor about taking some vitamins if you are already using medication. Certain vitamins, if taken at high dosages may give you side effects if you are already using antidepressants, so be careful!!
Definitely, a multivitamin is good, some fish oil, and perhaps a B-complex 50 vitamin. Again, though, with the B vitamins you may have to tailor dosages to fit YOU. Sometimes, 50mg of a particular B vitamin is not sufficient. You may need 100mg of a particular B vitamin. Caution: If you are already using prescription antidepressants, watch your dosages of B6 and Niacin, since they both affect serotonin levels. A little goes a long way with certain vitamins. Good luck!!Lao
poster:Lao Tzu
thread:1016729
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20111229/msgs/1016729.html