In the announcement about Kate Spade’s suicide in the New York Times, Mr. Spade said:
that though his wife had suffered from anxiety at points during their relationship and marriage, her serious bouts of depression only began about six years ago, at the age of 49.
Kate suffered from depression and anxiety for many years. She was actively seeking help and working closely with her doctors to treat her disease, one that takes far too many lives. We were in touch with her the night before and she sounded happy. There was no indication and no warning that she would do this. It was a complete shock. And it clearly wasn’t her. There were personal demons she was battling.
My heart goes out to Kate Spade’s husband, young daughter and loved ones. Her suicide is just so sad but as I said I have a fair bit to say about this….
Hormone imbalance triggering anxiety and depression?
According to the reports, Kate’s “serious bouts of depression only began about six years ago, at the age of 49, but she had suffered “from depression and anxiety for many years”.
Perimenopause and menopause is a classic time for women to experience worsening anxiety and depression and can be driven by fluctuating hormones, especially low estrogen. In this study, Depression and the menopause: why antidepressants are not enough? the authors share that
Postmenopausal depression is more severe, has a more insidious course, is more resistant to conventional antidepressants in comparison with premenopausal women and has better outcomes when antidepressants are combined with HT (hormone therapy).
Addressing hormone imbalance as one possible root cause can eliminate the anxiety and depression. Some of my favorite resources for hormone balance are these books: The Hormone Secret and Cooking for Hormone Balance.
Low levels of neurotransmitters like serotonin, catecholamines and GABA?
Directly connected to hormonal imbalance is brain chemistry imbalance. Addressing low levels of neurotransmitters like serotonin, the catecholamines and GABA provide results quickly when they are used in a targeted way based on individual needs:
- Low serotonin is an issue when estrogen levels are declining and the amino acid tryptophan can have profound benefits if low serotonin is one of the root causes, leading to depression, worry, fear, overwhelm and sleep issues.
- Low catecholamines can cause the “I just want to say in bed” depression and low motivation, together with fatigue and poor focus. The amino acid tyrosine can help to eliminate some of this and also provides thyroid support. Poor thyroid health can also be a root cause of depression.
- We see low GABA levels when progesterone is low and if this is one of the root causes, it can result in increased physical anxiety and insomnia. The amino acid GABA, opened on to the tongue, can provide calming results within minutes.
I can totally relate to the hormonal aspect as I suffered from PMS for years and my anxiety issues and panic attacks started in my late 30s and I had a really low spell as I was going through menopause. Both GABA and tryptophan turned things around very quickly for me as they do for my clients.
The role of diet and nutritional psychiatry?
There is so much new science behind the role of a real foods traditional diet for alleviating both depression and anxiety. The SMILES study, published by Prof Felice Jacka early 2017, was the first randomized controlled diet depression study and ONE THIRD of the dietary intervention group saw improvements in their depression symptoms. This was just diet alone and switching from processed and junk food to real food with no specific dietary restrictions.
There is also much clinical evidence supporting how diet can have an impact. Holly, suffered from with severe depression and anxiety changed her diet and shared this with me:
Over the course of a year and a half, I was given 10 different psychiatric diagnoses and cycled through 10 different medications. I discovered the healing power of diet completely by accident, and it changed my life. I now live with no diagnoses and no symptoms.
I started with the Whole30 (strict paleo), then went paleo, dabbled with a ketogenic approach, and now I eat a modified paleo diet, with some rice and goat dairy.
This has been termed nutritional psychiatry and you can read more diet-depression and diet-anxiety success stories here.
Keep in mind that your prescribing psychiatrist may not yet be on board with this or up to date on the newest research. Just last week someone told me what happened when they discussed nutritional psychiatry with their doctor and showed them my book The Antianxiety Food Solution (my Amazon link). He said: “Good luck with that!”
Could the antidepressant medication have triggered her suicide?
The statement from Kate’s husband says “She was actively seeking help for depression and anxiety over the last 5 years, seeing a doctor on a regular basis and taking medication for both depression and anxiety.” Could the antidepressant medication have triggered her suicide or played some part?
We will never know with Kate but this is always my first thought when I learn of a suicide and when we hear of homicides in the news. One of my colleagues shared this when her suicide was first announced: “I was wondering if she was under psych care and what role meds might have played in this tragedy.”
This paper is one of many papers reporting similar antidepressant suicide and violence risks, and concludes that:
Antidepressants double the occurrence of events in adult healthy volunteers that can lead to suicide and violence
Kelly Brogan MD – Holistic Psychiatrist no longer prescribes psychiatric medications because we don’t know who will experience this side-effect. She writes this about a Swedish study and antidepressants and increased suicides
As antidepressant prescriptions increased 270% over 15 years, suicide rates also increased. Strikingly, more than half of the young women who committed suicide (52%) were prescribed antidepressants within a year of committing suicide. And antidepressants were detected in 41% of the women who committed suicide, showing that they were under the influence of antidepressants at the time of death.
What if you are taking an antidepressant and seeing benefits?
When I posted some of this on Facebook earlier in the week someone who is on an antidepressant and benefiting shared her frustration that we are blaming suicide on medications.
There are many who do benefit but there are two issues I have:
- Even if someone is doing well on an antidepressant, benzodiazepine or other psychiatric medication I feel we need informed consent about the side-effects and training for the individual and family on what to look out for as things can change. The can occur when meds are changed, doses are increased or decreased, new meds are added, one or more are stopped abruptly or too quickly (called discontinuation syndrome). Many doctors also need to be educated and to acknowledge that suicide and homicide are very real side-effects of these meds.
- We don’t know who will be adversely impacted, which is why consent/knowledge about this is so important.
When we rent ski equipment or go bungee jumping we sign an informed consent form, acknowledging the possible risks of death. Why is this not happening with these medications? I just want individuals to be going into this with eyes wide-open so they don’t say “why didn’t anyone tell us this?”
If someone is currently seeing benefits from antidepressants (or benzodiazepines) I make sure they know ALL the risks and encourage them to continue to look for root the causes and address these (never stopping medications abruptly and never without the prescribing doctor’s permission).
There are many possible biological or biomedical or metabolic causes of depression and anxiety and many of these can play a factor in suicide. Here is a list of just some of them:
- gluten sensitivity and celiac disease
- low B12, low B6, low omega3s, low zinc
- the anti-malaria drug mefloquine (has been associated with acts of violence and suicide)
- toxoplasma gondii
- fluoroquinolone antibiotics
- many common drugs may be contributing to depression (over 200 including acid reflux meds, blood pressure meds, birth control pill)
My concern is that none of these – the medications or poor diet and nutritional deficiencies – are ever discussed when someone does commit suicide or goes on a violent or homicidal rampage.
The stigma of mental health and the fear of seeking help
There are reports that “Kate Spade felt unable to seek help or discuss her mental health because she feared this might damage the brand she created.” This is a huge issue and if it was true for her or if anyone with a mental health condition feels like this, this has to change!
As Dr. Mark Hyman MD said this when I interviewed him last year before the launch of his Broken Brain docu-series
I began to realize that the body was driving a lot of this brain dysfunction, and that if you fix the body, a lot of the brain disorders would get better, that it wasn’t a primarily a mental problem, but it was a physical problem.
Our interview and full transcript is here and we cover the gamut in 12 minutes: the gut and microbiome, nutritional deficiencies, food sensitivities, heavy metals, other environmental toxins and medications.
We don’t hide the fact that we have a broken leg so why do we have to hide it when we have a broken brain? If we can start to acknowledge that mental health issues so often have this physical aspect (and often it’s 100% physical) then hopefully we can end this crazy stigma.
And even if there is also trauma or lifestyle factors that make someone depressed or anxious – so be it. Stop the stigma and shame. Why do we have to put on a brave face and pretend all is well. It has to stop so people can ask for help.
Last but not least, I feel we need to offer practical nutritional psychiatry resources to the family who have been traumatized by the loss of a loved one to suicide. We know the amino acids and B vitamins help individuals recover from psychological stress after a natural disaster and these same nutrients can help the family in the midst of their sorrow.
I am aware it’s a very delicate subject and I’m sure this will rub some people the wrong way but I believe we all need to be talking about this and not tip-toeing around it.
I really feel this all needed to be said today. I hope this helps you or a loved one.
Rest in peace Kate Spade.
Hello Trudy,
Nicely done! Thanks SO much for addressing this delicate topic. We need to bring this to the table so everyone understands the ramifications and severity of taking these drugs. Too many innocent people are unknowingly advised by their doctors that it’s not a problem to just stop taking their meds. The effects on the mind and body as result can be life threatening. We need to educate the masses and that includes the Health Professionals as well. I salute you in your continued mission to shed light on these difficult issues. Thank you again! All the best to you my dear friend!
Frances
So lovely to see you here! Thanks for your kind words and yes we all need to know about this – those who are prescribed these meds and those doing the prescribing, as well as functional medicine practitioners who are helping folks taper.
Ideally the power of food and nutrition for mental health prevention and recovery will become mainstream – we both know this works – so folks start there and medications become a thing of the past.
Thanks for doing the work you do as a nutritionist and integrative grief practitioner – it is so important for the loved ones left behind and for family members in the midst of trying to help a loved one who is experiencing suicidal/homicidal thoughts.
Thank you so much for this post! I have the exact same thoughts every time I hear about a suicide. After many years on antidepressants with little to no benefit, I sought help with a natural minded practitioner who used amino acids in conjunction with tapering off the meds. Unfortunately, this was 12 years ago and no doctor was aware of the serious problems with discontinuation, so I was tapered too quickly and had the most incredibly difficult year of my life. I completely understand at a level I wish I didn’t how violent, homicidal and suicidal one’s thinking can become after discontinuation. Fortunately, I made it through with the help of my parents and alternative practitioners and have not taken any medications since then of any kind. I’m grateful for experts like you who have a better, more effective and holistic treatment program and aren’t afraid to educate people about it. I’m extremely saddened for those who haven’t been so fortunate and didn’t survive.
Sharon
Thank you for sharing your story. I’m sorry you had to experience this. I hear this all too often: tapering too quickly, discontinuation syndrome and violent/homicidal/suicidal thinking (often with terrible insomnia, brain zaps, sweats and many other very uncomfortable physical symptoms). You are very fortunate to have had the help of your parents and alternative practitioners.
There are too many people who are prescribed these meds who do not know about discontinuation syndrome and sadly neither does the prescribing doctor. Very often the well-meaning functional medicine practitioner/nutritionist/naturopathic doctor etc isn’t aware of it either.
There is also no set rule for how slowly each person needs to taper specific medications – it’s highly individualized. May I ask how quickly you were tapered and which medication?
Thanks for your kinds words – I write blogs like this so we can hopefully prevent someone like you from going through your year long ordeal and prevent more suicides.
Thank you! I am going to email you with a lengthier response if you don’t mind, I feel more comfortable doing so that way. I am so very glad you write things like this to educate others, I searched high and low for this kind of info when I was going through it, I found very little in 2006 but thankfully there were a few others with similar reactions to at least let me know that I wasn’t alone and wasn’t crazy! That part saved me!
I read an interesting article a couple of years ago, which told the stories of several depressed people who committed suicide shortly after starting, or switching to SSRI’s. All of these people were over-methylators , and the story explained that although SSRI’s can be helpful for many, they can be very harmful to that group of people. I think the increase of mental health problems today is related to the increase of many diseases and it all relates to what is in and around our bodies, including EMFs.
Krissy
Thanks for sharing this about overmethylation and SSRIs, which is based on the work of Dr William Walsh. Here is an article for other blog readers about this http://www.mensahmedical.com/common-symptoms-of-overmethylation/
If you have a link to the article you read please do post it here.
We do know that there are certain people more impacted by the adverse effects of SSRIs and this may well be one group we need to look at more closely. But based on my experience I have not found that this applies to everyone who is an overmethylator (or as Carl Pfeiffer/Joan Matthews Larson call it – have low histamine/histapenia). I would love to see some studies published on this connection.
And yes, we have so many biological factors contributing to mental health. I’ve touched on a few in this article and EMFs are part of the issue too. I write about this here https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/wi-fi-threat-to-human-health-anxiety-sibo-oxalate-issues-high-cortisol/ And other root causes to consider here – for both anxiety and depression https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/60-nutritional-biochemical-causes-of-anxiety/
Krissy
I did some more reading on this and want to add that I’m confused about the mechanism Dr Walsh proposes is the reason overmethylators (those with low histamine/histapenia) can’t tolerate SSRIs. This article suggests it may be due to high serotonin levels “Overmethylation often correlates with high levels of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. Patients who are overmethylated have an adverse reaction to serotonin-enhancing substances such as Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, St. John’s Wort, and SAMe.” I’d like to know how they are measuring serotonin.
Also based on the the work of Joan Matthews Larson and Julia Ross, tryptophan supports many individuals who have low histamine and also have many of the low serotonin symptoms. I see this all the time with clients who have has whole blood histamine tested.
I wish it was clear cut but as with everything in functional medicine there are always many layers and much bioindividuality.
Thanks for your response Trudy. Yes, as I understand it, it is related to increased serotonin. Unfortunately I can’t recall where I read that study, but I think that doctors need to be more careful about prescribing anti-depressants so frequently. My daughter was 16 when she developed PANS, although I didn’t know what it was at the time and I took her to a psychiatrist as I was desperate about her severe symptoms and she wanted to put her on SSRIs straight away. They need to spend more time trying to find the cause.
Krissy
I’m with you all the way! We need to spend more time finding the cause. With your daughter you mention you were “desperate about her severe symptoms.” I hear this all the time and sadly it’s why so many parents/spouses/siblings do rush in and medicate – it’s human nature to be so concerned, we don’t know there are other options and there is utmost trust for the mainstream medical profession. As well-meaning as doctors are, too many do not know about nutritional psychiatry, and do not know the risks of these medications and very little about doing a safe taper/discontinuation syndrome.
I do hope your daughter is doing well now and you found a functional medicine practitioner to help her address the PANS.
Krissy,
I would love to hear how your daughter was diagnosed and what the treatment was for your daughter! Mine has severe anxiety and the only solution, even by a naturopath, was SSRI!
Thank you!
Thank you Trudy. Yes, my daughter is completely over it, and like me is into trying to reduce toxic load and gain health. I had Epstein Barr at the same age, twice but didn’t go on to develop PANS like she did. I’m sure the PANS/PANDAS and all chronic infections/conditions are directly linked to our increasing toxic load, nutritional deficiencies, glyphosate and EMFs. Our gut bugs are being wiped out which creates imbalance and some overgrow and become pathogenic. Our immune systems become dysfunctional and can’t deal with this and we become chronically ill. Psych problems come into this as our gut bugs make a lot of our neurotransmitters. I hope more people can help themselves through awareness.
I’m late to the party here, but Trudy, I saw your note about being puzzled about the mechanism of overmethylators having excess serotonin. This is a quote from his book, that goes into the details. (BTW, you also note that sometimes they have low serotonin, I think there’s sometimes another factor at play when that happens, like pyroluria). Here’s the explanation from his book:
“This problem was resolved in 2009 with the discovery that methyl and folate have opposite epigenetic impacts on neurotransmitter reuptake at synapses.
The activities of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine neurotransmitters in the brain are dominated by transporters present in the membranes of presynaptic brain cells. You may recall from our earlier discussion that the transporters enable the return of neurotransmitters to cells after they are sprayed into a synapse. This process is called reuptake, and most modern psychiatric drugs are aimed at altering transporter function. The genetic expression of transporters is inhibited by methylation and enhanced by acetylation, processes which are described in Chapter 4. Acetylation is the process of adding an acetyl group (CH3CO) to a molecule. The relative amounts of methyl and acetyl attached to DNA and histone tails impact the synaptic concentration of reuptake proteins and the activity of dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. By different mechanisms, folates and niacin promote dominance of acetylation at DNA and histones (see Chapter 4). Methionine and SAMe produce the opposite effect by promoting methylation of DNA and histones. The net result is that activities of serotonin, dopamine, and other neurotransmitters are strongly influenced by the methyl/ folate ratio. After 25 years of searching, we finally have a convincing explanation for the apparent effectiveness of folate, niacin, and methylation therapies developed by Abram Hoffer and Carl Pfeiffer.”
Walsh, Dr. William J.. Nutrient Power: Heal Your Biochemistry and Heal Your Brain (p. 16). Skyhorse Publishing. Kindle Edition.
Thank you, Trudy, for your dedication to stimulating awareness of the complications of taking antidepressants and encouraging nutritional solutions to address tough body challenges. Following a hysterectomy and a year of chemotherapy in 1984 that cured me of germ cell ovarian cancer, I was diagnosed with major depression and treated with estrogen replacement therapy and several different antidepressants that gave me nothing but anxiety, a foggy brain and lethargy. After several years of this unacceptable struggle I gave up on prescriptions and turned to nutritional supplements. Now, at age 74, I can honestly say I feel better than I ever have because I have self educated, learned about healthy vitamins and followed the recommendations of the people who are leading the movement of functional medicine. It takes a lot of effort but is well worth the outcome.
Orla
Thanks for sharing your wonderful story. I’m so happy for you and say well done for educating yourself about functional medicine and making the effort! It does take effort but I agree it’s so worth it!
Hi Trudy,
Thank you so much for your hard work and commitment keeping people freely informed of hope and health. You are clearly a generous soul! THANK YOU! And thank you, also, for inviting me to write this on your blog (after our email exchange last night)
My brother died by suicide 9 years ago, after two seemingly “inexplicable” bouts of severe anxiety (to a psychotic depth) . I couldn’t help noticing the use of the (very common) term “committed suicide”. The term is endemic and traditional in our society. I thought you might be interested to know there is a move (by families bereaved by suicide and by “Suicide Prevention” workers) to shift the language to “died by suicide” or “took their own life”.
The idea behind it is that “committed” still carries connotations of both crime (committed a crime / a sin) and / or the old “committed to an asylum”.
Having read your newsletter for a long time now, I am certain this is not your attitude (to the contrary from what I see) so I thought it safe and useful to let you know.
Thanks, again, for your generosity and passion,
Kind regards,
Jane
Jane
I am very sorry for your loss. I do appreciate you sharing this about this move to shift the language to “died by suicide” or “took their own life”. I was not aware of this and agree it does feel more appropriate. I’m going to update the blog post and will keep this in mind in future writings on this topic.
Thanks too for your kind words
For some reason, her death has triggered more than my average anxiety. I think it’s because family said she was doing everything she could to get help and yet… it infuriates me when doctors don’t/won’t see a correlation between hormones and mental health. I have estrogen dominance which causes bad pms. I also have insulin resistance, which I also wonder about in relation to my anxiety. I meant to ask, do you think that estrogen dominance and insulin resistance create serotonin type anxiety as you mentioned yesterday in your post. On the 21, 22,23,24 days of my menstrual cycle, my anxiety is off the roof. I get such bad panic attacks especially around those days that I feel like I’m going crazy. My endocrinologist who is treating me with progesterone told me that a lack of progesterone – which I have- can cause low gaba. So, I’m wondering if my hormones are causing me to have the type of anxiety you mentioned. What I don’t understand though is that I’ve been taking bioidentical progesterone to help my estrogen dominance but it’s making my pms even worse! Any feedback would be greatly appreciated- from anyone! Thank you
M.C.
I know her death has triggered many people but you’re ahead of the curve because you know there is more to the conventional help that is offered. Estrogen is connected to serotonin and progesterone to GABA and yes “a lack of progesterone can cause low gaba”. But just like too much GABA or too much tryptophan can increase anxiety so can too much progesterone increase anxiety. It often requires adjusting the doses and sometimes trying cream vs oral.
I like to use the amino acids with my clients and other nutritional support. More here https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/tryptophan-for-pms-premenstrual-dysphoria-mood-swings-tension-irritability/
I also offer my clients other options for the birth control pill which can cause so many issues https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/oral-contraceptives-cause-low-vitamin-b6-zinc-reduce-serotonin-levels-increase-anxiety/
Thank you so much Trudy, for your reply and for all the work you do. I’m trying to take all this info in. I’ve been reading Kelly Brogan’s book. Do you know of her work? My situation is complicated due to not having a thyroid anymore, having insulin resistance and estrogen dominance in addition to the anxiety. I will be following you. Thanks for everything!
M.C.
I love Kelly Brogan’s book and work. When someone has the issues you describe I still start with trials of tryptophan and GABA for quick relief of anxiety while bigger issues are being addressed
My name is Monica.I was training for a half marathon two summers ago when I started getting really sore and run down and not recovering from long runs!I had a massive panic attack after a long run,I then started in with trouble getting full breaths and shaky and muscle spasms.I went to doc who said anxiety and put me back on celexa!(side note ten years prior I got severe depression after a miscarriage because they put me on a high powered antibiotic that caused all sorts of central nervous system anxiety depression not to mention spasms everywhere,I recovered from that fully after two years and some celexa)So my body felt out of whack almost as bad as when I took that antibiotic all those years before!I am severely low on iron,my ferritin was a 5 and my total iron is 23.My vitamin d is low at 21.I have heavy cycles always have.My iron is so low and my b12 is 435!I asked to have homocysteine done and that is 8.1 and my MMA is 89.So I don’t know but my anxiety and fear has been bad.Celexa helped some but I am still not the same!I feel like I fully recovered from the devastating reaction to that antibiotic in 2007 and had been well and felt good for almost 10 years!I had been off celexa for two years and had another baby in 2014.This hit me in 2016 and feel like my over exercising contributed to it!
Monica
I’m sure Dr. Greenblatt will do a full workup and look at low ferritin/low iron, low vitamin D, leaky gut and microbiome, heavy periods/sex hormone imbalance, cortisol levels (which can impact cycles).
Even with all this when I’m working with someone who is having panic attacks and OCD I have them do the amino acid questionnaire and trials of both tryptophan and GABA while they are doing testing with the doctor.
Do keep in mind that Celexa itself has side-effects and so can antibiotics, especially fluroquinolones.
Also my ocd has flared up during this!Obsessive ruminating!It was also bad when I took that antibiotic!That was my first experience w clinical depression after that antibiotic.And w anxiety!Now I have both back!i have some tests I was gonna send into dr greenblatt but I don’t even have a competent doc for him to work with here where I am from!Also my free t3 is a tad low at 2.5 and my free t4 is 1.6 and my tsh is 1.1
Feeling so grateful to you, for raising awareness of the scary connection between antidepressant use and suicide . I was severely impacted by them, as a boyfriend got addicted to Prozac in the 90’s. I had to leave him as he became clearly deranged, violent even, admittedly riddled with horrific nightmares, yet, unable to stop using the drug. My mind was blown. Almost miraculously, I came across a book “Prozac: the 60’s turned upside down”. It detailed the history of the drug and terrifying stories of people having all kinds of adverse mental reactions, often terminating in suicide or even homicide.
Then, some year ago, my elderly mother succumbed to the promise of antidepressants, also became addicted (tho she’d never struggle with addiction before) and it changed her profoundly. She became remarkably mean, full of blame and anger, and ended our “relationship”!
More recently, I was prescribed Depakote for some rare neurological condition. It did carry a Black Box “Suicide Warning” but I didn’t give it much thought since it wasn’t an antidepressant. Well, within 2 weeks I was ready to take my own life! Thankfully, I “woke up” and suspected it was really the drug “doing the talking”. I quit cold turkey and within a week was over that terrifying episode. Wow! So, I even got to experience personally how perfectly legal pharmaceuticals can make you feel…unlike yourself, in a not so good way!
There absolutely no doubt in my mind that there is some collaboration between rising antidepressant use and rising rate of suicide and mass murders. So much damage is being done, tru ignorance or laziness. We need more people like you, Trudy: informed, articulate and unafraid to speak the truth!
J.W.
Thanks you so much for sharing your experiences with these medications. I am very sorry to hear about your boyfriend and then your mother being so affected by them – how dreadful for you!
And then you were prescribed Depakote and wanted to take your own life. Sadly too many people don’t connect the dots when prescribed a new medication and new these strange thoughts or behaviors. What I do find interesting is that despite the experience with your boyfriend and mother you took the Depakote. To me that is a testament to the power of conventional medicine and how we “trust” the doctor unconditionally when we’re ill (and maybe scared) and also perhaps that we can’t imagine it ever happening to us?
For other readers I would just like to clarify that Depakote doesn’t carry a Black Box Warning for suicide. It does have 3 black box warnings for hepatotoxicity (liver toxicity) fetal risk and pancreatitis. BUT they do state this on the site: “Valproate can increase the risk of suicidal thoughts or behavior. Patients treated with any AED should be monitored for the emergence or worsening of depression, suicidal thoughts or behavior, and/or unusual changes in mood or behavior. Counsel patients and families to be alert for and to immediately report depression, any unusual changes in mood or behavior, or suicidal thoughts, behavior, or acts of self-harm.” https://www.depakote.com/hcp
I do hope you have found a solution for your rare neurological condition.
I looked for the book “Prozac: the 60’s turned upside down” with no luck – can you confirm this was the name as I’d like to read it?
And yes to the connection “between rising antidepressant use and rising rate of suicide and mass murders. So much damage is being done”
Thanks for your kind words and for being unafraid to speak your truth! Stories like this will help so many. In fact, I’d love to share this story in my follow-up blog I’m working on – specifically about these medications and the suicide/homicide risks? May I please do so?
Thank you for your thoughtful response. I stand corrected regarding the “black box warning”…(maybe there should be one!). At any rate, you have confirmed that it can increase suicidal tendencies. As stated previously, I was open to the Depakote because it wasn’t an antidepressant and the neurologist convinced me it had a good chance of helping to control this extremely painful neurological condition. It was just one of about 20 different meds I was cycled tru. I finally found some relief after 2 years and it did not come from the neurologist!
As for the book, it strangely “disappeared” from print many years ago. I read it in the mid-nineties…then tried to find it again a decade ago without any success. Not too surprised as it was such a severe indictment of Prozac at the time.
You’re totally welcome to share my story Trudy…
Thank you, Trudy. Wish we’d known about your site 10 years ago. My brother’s
psych was similar to the one you mentioned. We were looking at Sandra
Cabot and the B vitamins…docs reply…”if you want the most
expensive pee on the block, go for it”!! My language still
deteriorates when I think of it!!
Jane
Well that is simply one misinformed doctor! I’m not surprised your language deteriorates! I picked misinformed but could have used plenty of other words 🙂
I think her suicide was a direct result to the antidepressants she was taking. If she was on Prozac or an SSRI these are all linked to suicidal drive and immediately suicide. Anti-depressants research is identifying that these drugs are far more dangerous because they effect the drive functions of the brain.
Bonnie
As I say in the blog this is one very possibly cause and/or contributing factor and there is plenty of research supporting it, as well as black box warnings on the products. I don’t use wikipedia as a source so removed your link
So, I’ve been on Paxil since 2011 for my panic attacks. I’m now terrified from all I’ve been learning from you and Kelly Brogan. I want to come off of it, but I’ve heard such horror stories. I’ve suffered with chronic depersonalization in the past, which came on with a terrible panic attack one night. I’m so afraid of tapering off because I’m status quo now (except for my bad PMS anxiety) and I’m afraid of getting the withdrawl symptoms like feelings of depersonalization, tremors, thoughts of suicide. I feel like I should just leave well enough alone but then I’m afraid that maybe one day, the paxil will turn on me and create the symptoms anyway. Also, I would like to do what you suggest about the tryptophan and gaba but my endo told me to talk 5 HTP but then he said that I will get serotonin syndrome because Iam on pazil. He said my psychiatrist wouldn’t approve. I am very susceptible to anxiety attacks though and I am afraid to take 5HTP since I’m on the Paxil. What do you think about this? Thanks again!
Psychiatrists should require a thorough blood panel to look at all the hormone levels, including thyroid, and reverse T3, including Hashimoto’s and graves thyroid issues. I was having dark thoughts after continuous, so-called depression, and having a few different anti-depressants over the years because I felt I needed a change until the days I started feeling too tired in the middle of the day was my only indicator. I knew something else was wrong with the symptom of hair loss, and not being able to lose weight were before the tiredness, like passing out spells . I went to the nurse practitioner provider at a local, functional medicinal Institute, which I knew I should’ve gone years before, but kept hoping for other methods of symptom relief and bingo! She nailed it -low testosterone, low progesterone and Hashimoto thyroid levels. Upon receiving BHRT, I noticed an instant change in my thoughts & my feelings about looming situations at the time I no solutions, I was feeling like I could not handle living anymore, no hope & couldn’t handle another day . That turnaround only took three days to a week and my thoughts & mental & physical were like night and day now and turned around quickly .. that’s how much of a believer I am, @ looking at hormones first before,the anti-depressants. . It made me wonder how many people committed suicide with no one looking into their hormone panel. Even men Get low testosterone with age and those were very dark times for me. . Now I pay the extra money for BHRT because it’s worth it being my positive normal self always searching for solutions to tackle ongoing problems and solutions with hope daily . Hormes leveled out will 100% make you feel much better and also work on increasing your endorphins from really good exercise , I would only prescribe medication after a functional medicinal provider looks thoroughly into hormone and thyroid levels .
Leslie
Thanks for sharing your wonderful results and yes I completely agree. It’s very unfortunate so many do not know they have these options