| 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 The mental health charity 'Mind' says the drug should be withdrawn from sale, but GlaxoSmithKline argue that its benefits outweigh the risks.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. 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 | 