Antidepressents don't do jeebers for mild depression

[Feck]

My Meds help , I took them with cheese and wine tonight ...... MMM maybe that's why it's nearly 3 am and I'm BORED .

[Xamonas Chegwé]

Fish oil has been shown to help with depression and even severe disorders like schizophrenia in some patients. I suffer with SAD so this winter started taking vitamin D suppliments, fish oil, and exercising and I felt much better. I think drugs are a last resort. I've had my rounds with zoloft and it made me into a sleepy zombie with no zest for life.

You should read Bad Science by Ben Goldacre - fish oils have been hyped to the moon but don't really do anything for mental disorders - nothing more than a placebo anyway! I think that the 'secret' to your feeling better is more likely to be that exercise you mentioned - sadly, that can't be bottled and sold to a gullible public, so all of the 'miracle cure' headlines will continue to be for shit that can!

[aprilmae]

My husband is a physician and read about a study in one of his journals…can’t remember which one which is why I didn’t post a link. A person who had failed other drug treatments for schizophrenia and was homeless had such marked improvement with just fish oil that he was capable of holding a job. Now that is just one example and it certainly didn’t have that profound of an impact on everyone in the study (the results varied in the study---with some it had no effect).

I’ve worked on HIV drug clinical trials so I very much understand how the placebo effect can work. I agree in my case, it probably had much more to do with the exercise, but there is no reason not to add more fish to your diet or a supplement as the oils have other good heart and artery effects. My point was that it certainly won’t hurt and if you get no relief…move on to the “big guns”.

[Xamonas Chegwé]

My husband is a physician and read about a study in one of his journals…can’t remember which one which is why I didn’t post a link. A person who had failed other drug treatments for schizophrenia and was homeless had such marked improvement with just fish oil that he was capable of holding a job. Now that is just one example and it certainly didn’t have that profound of an impact on everyone in the study (the results varied in the study---with some it had no effect).

I’ve worked on HIV drug clinical trials so I very much understand how the placebo effect can work. I agree in my case, it probably had much more to do with the exercise, but there is no reason not to add more fish to your diet or a supplement as the oils have other good heart and artery effects. My point was that it certainly won’t hurt and if you get no relief…move on to the “big guns”.

If your husband is a doctor, he should be well aware that a single aberrant result does not prove a trial. The claims made for fish oils are varied but, as yet, there are no conclusive trials showing its efficacy in the treatment of depression.

Read this for more of the bollocks that has been spouted about this 'miracle food'. http://www.badscience.net/category/fish-oil/

[Gallstones]

Medication does work well for many people. Some people--many--won't 'come back' without it.

[Feck]

Medication does work well for many people. Some people--many--won't 'come back' without it.

It's all very well saying pills don't work as a solution (nobody says there are anything but Part of a solution anyway ) but exercise ,fresh air, friends etc ,all the things that help you not be depressed are often almost unattainable when depressed .

[Gallstones]

Medication does work well for many people. Some people--many--won't 'come back' without it.

It's all very well saying pills don't work as a solution (nobody says there are anything but Part of a solution anyway ) but exercise ,fresh air, friends etc ,all the things that help you not be depressed are often almost unattainable when depressed .

Yes.


Says the person who won't take it.

[Robert_S]

Medication does work well for many people. Some people--many--won't 'come back' without it.

It's all very well saying pills don't work as a solution (nobody says there are anything but Part of a solution anyway ) but exercise ,fresh air, friends etc ,all the things that help you not be depressed are often almost unattainable when depressed .

Yes.


Says the person who won't take it.

I'm thinking about maybe consulting a doctor about some pills.

I was on Paxil for two months. During that time I had great focus, a regular sleep cycle, plenty of energy, a weird tingly feeling behind my knees and elbows, and impotence.

I think I could deal better with something a little bit milder.

[Aos Si]

Fish oil has been shown to help with depression and even severe disorders like schizophrenia in some patients. I suffer with SAD so this winter started taking vitamin D suppliments, fish oil, and exercising and I felt much better. I think drugs are a last resort. I've had my rounds with zoloft and it made me into a sleepy zombie with no zest for life.

Well I have a very severe form, I cannot leave the house in winter, I get very paranoid and at its worst I couldn't find the energy to get out of bed and get a drink of water even, and when talking to people my voice was slurred. I really don't think vit D is going to help for cases like mine. I minimise the side effects by weaning myself on and off them. Still get decreased libido/impotence, but then without them my libido was practically non existent anyway so meh.

[egbert]

My husband is a physician and read about a study in one of his journals…can’t remember which one which is why I didn’t post a link. A person who had failed other drug treatments for schizophrenia and was homeless had such marked improvement with just fish oil that he was capable of holding a job. Now that is just one example and it certainly didn’t have that profound of an impact on everyone in the study (the results varied in the study---with some it had no effect).

I’ve worked on HIV drug clinical trials so I very much understand how the placebo effect can work. I agree in my case, it probably had much more to do with the exercise, but there is no reason not to add more fish to your diet or a supplement as the oils have other good heart and artery effects. My point was that it certainly won’t hurt and if you get no relief…move on to the “big guns”.

AND, you'd be AMAZED at how much better the results are with ORGANIC fish oil!

[aprilmae]

Gosh guys....I didn't mean to come off sounding like an anti-drug, new age herb pusher. I simply was interjecting my personal experience.....and figured with the title of the thread it would be safe to do so. While Zoloft worked for me with my post-partum (which I know is totally different than other types of depression) it really made me zombie-like and I didn't like that feeling much more than the depression.

The study was more than one abberant result...sorry I can't do it more justice. It was a published article in a reputable journal.

For severe depression, ECT (Electroconvulsive therapy) works and has been PROVEN to work in many patients. It's used in recurrent depression that has been unresponsive to drug therapies. Just thought I would throw that out there for those who are running out of options.

[aprilmae]

Well I have a very severe form, I cannot leave the house in winter, I get very paranoid and at its worst I couldn't find the energy to get out of bed and get a drink of water even, and when talking to people my voice was slurred. I really don't think vit D is going to help for cases like mine. I minimise the side effects by weaning myself on and off them. Still get decreased libido/impotence, but then without them my libido was practically non existent anyway so meh.

My sympathies, my symptoms are nowhere as bad as that. I just have no motivation, decreased libido, and the extreme desire to "hibernate". I hope that you find effective therapies.

[aprilmae]

If your husband is a doctor, he should be well aware that a single aberrant result does not prove a trial. The claims made for fish oils are varied but, as yet, there are no conclusive trials showing its efficacy in the treatment of depression.

Read this for more of the bollocks that has been spouted about this 'miracle food'. http://www.badscience.net/category/fish-oil/

Read your link and others. Totally true that the studies of ADD in children showed no proof fish oil works and that the trials were crap. But here are a couple of links about depression and schizophrenia. There is some statistically significant improvement for both disorders with fish oil in adults.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/02/ ... QQ20100201
http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/Health/story?id=129498&page=1

Sorry I didn’t back up my crap right away. I should know that here, as it was at RDF, you always have to be ready to back your claims up.

[Xamonas Chegwé]

If your husband is a doctor, he should be well aware that a single aberrant result does not prove a trial. The claims made for fish oils are varied but, as yet, there are no conclusive trials showing its efficacy in the treatment of depression.

Read this for more of the bollocks that has been spouted about this 'miracle food'. http://www.badscience.net/category/fish-oil/

Read your link and others. Totally true that the studies of ADD in children showed no proof fish oil works and that the trials were crap. But here are a couple of links about depression and schizophrenia. There is some statistically significant improvement for both disorders with fish oil in adults.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/02/ ... QQ20100201
http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/Health/story?id=129498&page=1

Sorry I didn’t back up my crap right away. I should know that here, as it was at RDF, you always have to be ready to back your claims up.

There are trials that have shown slight to significant improvement and there are also trials that have shown no overall benefit. As far as I know, the jury is still out on the benefits of treating depression with fish oil.

However, apologies if I came across as unduly negative. I was responding more to your anecdotal evidence of a single homeless man than to your post in general.

What is true is that fish oil will do no harm whatsoever and may be beneficial in some cases. The danger lies in it being touted as a 'miracle cure' by the press and people with serious mental illness dropping the medication that they actually need and replacing it with self-administered vitamin pills - this happens!

And if you do decide that fish oil will be beneficial, please increase the amount of oily fish such as mackerel or pilchards that you eat, as part of a balanced diet, rather than waste money on pills!

[Aos Si]

Well I have a very severe form, I cannot leave the house in winter, I get very paranoid and at its worst I couldn't find the energy to get out of bed and get a drink of water even, and when talking to people my voice was slurred. I really don't think vit D is going to help for cases like mine. I minimise the side effects by weaning myself on and off them. Still get decreased libido/impotence, but then without them my libido was practically non existent anyway so meh.

My sympathies, my symptoms are nowhere as bad as that. I just have no motivation, decreased libido, and the extreme desire to "hibernate". I hope that you find effective therapies.

Well going for 16 years without any effective therapy at all probably gave me all I needed when I did finally get anti depressants. There effectiveness was quite obvious. I also find a light box helps to make me less cranky as well.