| New research has linked one
of Britain's most widely prescribed anti-depressants to a seven-fold
increase in suicide attempts. Almost 2.4 million prescriptions for
Seroxat were issued in the UK alone in the year 2004.
The mental health charity 'Mind' says
the drug should be withdrawn from sale, but GlaxoSmithKline argue that
its benefits outweigh the risks.
Mind's own research has revealed that
50 per cent of the people who contacted them to report a reaction to
Seroxat had experienced feelings of wanting to self-harm or commit
suicide, and 58 per cent of these people said they had not experienced
these feelings before they started taking Seroxat.
Norwegian researchers
reviewed 16 studies in which the drug was compared to a placebo,
including new information not previously published. It now transpires
that the pharmaceutical company, GlaxoSmithKline knew about the increased risks
of suicide 15 years
ago, before Seroxat was even licensed for use in the UK.
|
DO NOT STOP
taking Seroxat, or any other drugs prescribed by your Doctor,
without the help and advice of your Doctor.
Seroxat is
known as a difficult drug to come off - if you wish to stop
taking Seroxat, this MUST be done with
proper guidance from your Doctor.
For an
interesting exchange on Seroxat withdrawal,
see this interesting article at netdoktor.com |
Other common side effects
of Seroxat and other SSRI anti-depressants include nausea, nervousness, insomnia,
headache, tremors, anxiety, drowsiness, dry mouth, excessive sweating
and diarrhoea. The drugs often reduce libido and sexual performance, and
can leave people feeling flat and emotionless.
The sad fact is that many
(but not all) people now addicted to this SSRI anti-depressant might have found
help for their feelings of depression using more natural, and infinitely
safer, means.
|
How is depression measured?
There are various methods of
evaluating degrees of depression. One of the main methods used
is a questionnaire called the Hamilton Rating Scale.
This simple questionnaire
evaluates sadness, hopelessness, feelings of guilt, sleep
patterns, anxiety, loss of interest in hobbies and work, and so
on.
There are 76 questions in the
Hamilton Rating Scale and the higher the score, the more likely
it is that a person is suffering from depression. Scores of
11-16 suggests minor depression, and scores above 17 would
normally be classed as major depression. |
Anti-depressants are so
commonly prescribed now, that many people who go to their GP with
feelings of depression, ranging from 'feeling low' to quite debilitating
states of depression, would now expect to be offered anti-depressants.
In some cases these will genuinely be necessary and life-saving. For
many other people, however, there will be better and safer options.
Most GPs recommend SSRIs
(selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) such as Seroxat or Prozac.
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How well do these SSRIs work?
|
- according to a recent
analysis of all the double-blind placebo trials which have been carried
out on SSRIs. The results of this analysis show that anti-depressants
produce an average of only 2% decrease in the Hamilton Rating Scale.
Worse still, of course,
are the side-effects. Another analysis of all studies on SSRIs concluded
that the suicide rate in those taking SSRI anti-depressants is double
that of those taking placebos! It's estimated that between 10 and
25 per cent of people taking an SSRI experience one or more of the side
effects mentioned above.
|
Are there any
alternatives to SSRIs and other pharmaceutical anti-depressants?
Yes, there are. Let's take a look at some
of the other options:
|
The way SSRI
anti-depressants are supposed to work, is that they promote a higher
level of the brain's 'happy' neurotransmitter, Serotonin. Serotonin is
made in the body from a protein part naturally found in some foods -
tryptophan. This is changed in the body to 5-Hydroxy Tryptophan (also
called 5-HTP) which is also found in protein foods such as fish, meat
and eggs. A lack of 5-HTP in the diet is associated with depression.
Almost thirty
studies have been carried out on 5-HTP. A third of them were
double-blind placebo controlled. On average the
5-HTP studies showed benefits far in excess of those
shown using SSRI drugs. All but one study showed improvements on
the Hamilton scale of 30-56 per cent. Compare this to only about 2 per
cent for SSRIs.
As well as this, the
side-effects of 5-HTP were minimal - a few people experienced nausea
which usually disappeared after a few days or if they reduced the
amount.
Another food found to have
enormous benefits in avoiding and alleviating depression, is fish oil.
Surveys have shown that the countries who eat more fish suffer less from
depression.
Various studies on fish
oil show improvements on the Hamilton Scale between 49 per cent and 52
per cent using fish oils (as opposed to
only 2 per cent using anti-depressants).
Adding a B complex vitamin
can often further enhance the level of improvements seen.
Other areas for
consideration include exercise, bereavement counselling if appropriate,
and other emotional stress release techniques. These can be the subject
of a future newsletter.
One last fleeting thought
for further consideration: even natural foods or nutritional supplements
will be more effective when used in a holistic setting. There is much we
don't yet know when it comes to the health (or lack of health) of the
mind and body. For example, more recent initial studies show that people
with depression have a smaller hippocampus (part of the brain) than
people who do not have depression, and other areas in the front of the
brain also appear to be smaller. Is this caused by long-term stress
(high cortisol levels), toxicity, lack of DHA from fish oil, lack of
other nutrients (especially folic acid), lack of sleep, lack of adequate
exercise, high levels of homocysteine, high blood pressure, a
combination of these and other factors, and so on. Could it be
that people who are born with a smaller than average hippocampus will
become more prone to depression, or even that the mother's nutrition and
stress level during pregnancy will have an affect on the size of her
baby's hippocampus? No doubt other studies will produce further
answers - and questions.
Patronising as it may
appear, a major factor in helping many people suffering with depression
may be to follow the general guidelines of the naturopaths : eat a
balanced and nutritious diet, low in toxins and anti-nutrients (sugar,
hydrogenated vegetable oils, excess alcohol, excess caffeine, etc.);
take extra B complex vitamins and some quality fish oil; get adequate
exercise; clean water; get enough light and sleep ('early to bed, early
to rise'); and aim for a balanced emotional life.
References:
Moncrieff J, Kirsch I.,
Efficacy of Anti-depressants in Adults. BMJ 2005; 331:155-157
Turner E, et al.
Supplementation with the serotonin precursor 5-hydroxytryptophan.
Pharmacology & Therepeutics (2005).
Stoll A, et al. Omega 3
fatty acids in bipolar disorder: a preliminary double-blind,
placebo-controlled trial. Arch Gen Psychiatry, May 1999; 56(5):407:12
Sheline Y, et al.
Depression Duration but not Age Predicts Hippocampal Volume Loss in
Medically Healthy Women with Recurrent Major Depression. The Journal of
Neuroscience, June 15, 1999 vol. 19(12) 5034:43 |
