Posted by Hombre on September 23, 2010, at 18:58:59
In reply to Re: Lithium Orotate for depression? Anyone using this » Hombre, posted by BetweenDreams81 on September 23, 2010, at 10:51:15
> Thanks Hombre! Fantastic info. It's so hard to choose which to try first...it all sounds great, and who doesn't want relief like yesterday, but the reality is this is going to take a little bit of patience to figure out and I'll probably try one thing at a time to assess and re-assess.
No problem. It does take a lot of patience, an open mind, and the unwavering belief that you will find a solution.
> I like the TCM approach to things and find that it works well with the horses...big animals, but incredibly sensitive...in some ways much more so than us humans
Chinese medicine is misunderstood and underestimated, even in China. Unfortunately there are a lot of poorly trained practitioners that do not really know what they are doing. That only dilutes the efficacy of CM further and allows it to continue to remain on the fringe.
> I have the LiOr and Cell Membrane Complex (Ca/Mg/K) on order and just picked up D3 yesterday since the depression seems to onset with the seasons and lower levels of it are produced due to the fewer hrs of sun rays. I like the idea of fish oil. I think it is probably wise for me to get some sort of herbal liver/kidney support supplement because of the Lithium even if it is at a miniscule dose. Would that be the Bupleurum? I'd have gone with the Chinese formula if I hadn't already purchased the Cell Membrane Complex...they both have the Ca/Mg/K, though, through different mechanisms of delivery.
For liver support you'd want to go with something like Milk Thistle. The CM concept of Liver goes beyond the actual liver organ as we understand it. One idea is that when the Liver is not functioning well according to CM, all those stress hormones are not being properly metabolized.
The formula I mentioned does much more than provide Ca/Mg. While that is probably one of its mechanisms of action, it will also try to normalize many physiological systems according to its indications. The real trick is identifying your personal imbalance and finding a formula that matches. Maybe just tuck that thought away for later.
> I think I will go ahead and make an appointment with a psychiatrist in the next couple weeks though, and I'll just flat out tell them I am not comfortable/interested in taking certain groups of drugs and see what happens. I did find a couple of OD's who specialize in psychiatry.
I think that is a good idea. Can you tell me why you are not comfortable with certain groups of drugs? I know there are a lot of horror-stories out there about side-effects and possible ill effects over time, but the web tends to over-represent people's negative reaction and minimizes the success stories.
> Hombre, what is your "cocktail" of supplements/Rx etc, if you don't mind my asking? Is it working for you? How long did it take for you to figure out...or is this a constant ever-changing ebb and flow with the unpredictability of life?
I take effexor 150mg, remeron 30mg and seroquel 100mg. These got me out of the hole and sleeping at night.
As for supplements, I take 1 x NOW Adam, 1-3 x Vit C 1000mg, 1 x Jarrow Fish Oil, Magnesium Glycinate and Citrate (~6-800 mg), 50mg Zinc Picolinate, sometimes Jarrow B-right.
Herbs: Bu Zhong Yi Qi Wan (Ginseng and Astragalus Combination) and Jin Gui Shen Qi Wan (Kidney Yang formula), and I've started taking Rhodiola rosea extract 500mg. The herbs help me with the side-effects I get from the meds and strengthen my body so I it can create energy naturally. I have no weight gain other than what happens if I eat too much and move too little.
Before I got on meds I tried taking supplements with little to no effect. I suffered like this for almost a year, although I wish I'd tried high dose niacin (2-3g), magnesium and especially the chinese herbs.
It took me over 6 months to find the current med cocktail. Another few months to figure out the herbs. The vitamins and minerals support the actions of the meds and help with energy and calming. Again, the supplements did little before the meds - I even took tyrosine and 5-htp for many months, but it really didn't do much for me. YMMV.
I am currently in remission and am more functional and happy than I've been in decades. I am very careful with my diet and I work out religiously. Those elements are at least as important as the meds.
I urge you to try not to create any limits or barriers in your mind about what might be able to help you. I suffered a terrible depressive/anxiety filled hell for months because I thought meds were limited and I was more OK than I really was. Once I got over that prejudice and completely accepted the idea that I could not figure it all out myself, I began the road that led to my current state of recovery. I went by the book with my psyche doc and followed the standard algorithms. I was 100% compliant with taking the meds, even when they didn't seem to be working. It seems like only now that I'm well I can look back and see that I was so sick for so long, even long ago when I was still relatively functional.
In any case, good luck to you and I hope you find what you need to get well.
poster:Hombre
thread:962840
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20100812/msgs/963554.html