Hi there everyone. I've been on the diet for seven months now and am still experimenting with my foods. I'm on a pretty strict version at this time. I've seen some improvements but have some ways to go yet. One of my problems is depression and anxiety. The depression comes and goes, but sometimes it's quite prevalent. I've been toying with the idea of taking an anti-depressant to help me through it a bit, but I hate to take anything that messes with my mind! especially since I've worked so hard to clear my body of any bothersome inputs. So, I wanted to know if others out there have found help in anti-depressants, and, if so, have you found it to impact your MS symptoms at all? As for the anxiety, it's two-fold. . .there is the anxiety that comes in the middle of the night, where I worry excessively. I'm working on some spiritual healing type thought processes for this. Reading the book "you can heal your life" by Louise Hays seems to offer some great ideas for this. The other form of anxiety is that very uncomfortable feeling that I'll get when I'm in a social situation and I feel like what I'm saying isn't making any sense but I can't stop myself from talking! And then I feel like everyone is looking at my like I'm crazy, because I'm clearly not making any sense! It's a horrid feeling! UGH! It's a direct symptom of the MS for me, but it can really make a simple outing feel very uncomfortable--particularly if my mind just isn't working well that day. So, I wondered if others have found relief from the diet in this area? Any ideas/guidance are appreciated. I wonder if my healing would go more smoothly if I took something to help my mind smooth out. . .or, perhaps, I have to wait until my healing is further down the road and then this will all just take care of itself?!?
Hi there! I wanted to post
Hi there! I wanted to post a quick update on my depression situation and what I decided to do about it. I decided to take St. John's Wort to start and then turn to the prescription meds if necessary. I'm just about one month in on the St. John's Wort and I have noticed a difference. For anyone considering it, I did quite a bit of research. You need to find one that is guaranteed to provide the maximum effective dosage--300 mg/ 3 times per day. Here is a link to the one that I found: http://www.vitaminlife.com/product-exec/PNAME/One_Daily_St__John_s_Wort_... It is "Solaray St. John's Wort One Daily 900 mg." I take it each morning at breakfast. It has a better stated guaranteed miligrams of the hypericum. You can buy St. John's Wort almost any place, BUT there is a big difference in the guaranteed milligrams provided between a general drugstore brand (for example) and some others. Anyway, this one seemed to help me. I bought it at Whole Foods (about $19??) where I now see it for about half the cost on various websites. It has helped to take the edge off for me and helps me to feel more positive throughout my day. I also noticed that if I do have a need to cry, it's just a normal cry and not a sobbing type of cry. With St. John's Wort, it does take time for it to build up in your system, so the effects are not immediate, but I am definitely going to stay on it now that I seem to have a noticeable level in my system. Honestly, I wish there was a higher dose! But I don't want to mess with taking it incorrectly OR mess with Mother Nature. So, I stick with the once a day, 900 mg, with 2.7 mg guaranteed. Hope this helps anyone else who may need this type of support! Ana
I agree with balancemt1.
I agree with balancemt1. There's no sense trying to work itself out when you could put your thoughts into something else. Go to the doctor; let the meds help you if they can. Good Luck.
Hi, I saw that you were
Hi,
I saw that you were thinking of wellbutrin but also suffer from anxiety. Wellbutrin is a good anti-depressant but it can actually increase our anxiety. I found out the hard way. I use Paxil now, a very small dose. It has enabled me to remain calm through all of this crazy diagnosis time and for me that is a godsend! I also do not feel depressed anymore. If you are depressed and anxious that can actually be caused by a chemical imbalance in your brain and the medicine can actually help to regulate things. The anxiety and stress can also add to your symptoms of ms just as any stressful situation can exacerbate things. I say, go to your doctor, tell them all your symptoms (anxiety, depression, etc.) and let them tell you your choices and the possible side effects so you can make an informed decision. It is no fun to feel anxious and depressed and the sooner you start feeling better, the sooner you can focus on other, more enjoyable things.
Okay, here's my update.
Okay, here's my update. Last night I had another terrible night with worry/anxiety AND I woke up this morning feeling like I had to cry but couldn't do it! UGH! I talked with my husband about it all and decided to try an herbal/natural route for a month (or however long makes sense) and then go to the regular medicine world. I just don't know if the herbal route will be strong enough for me, but I'm going to try it to see. I went to Whole Foods and bought a one-a-day stronger dose St. John's Wort and a stress relief herbal remedy. I will see if these two items help me. If not, then I will get the meds. It's not worth feeling this way when I have so much more important stuff to focus on. . .like recovery! Thank you to your posts.
ALSO SUE, for nuts, I also found the same problem with the nuts purchased in the "snack nuts" area of the grocery stores. You need to buy "raw" nuts only--they do not have anything in them but the nuts themselves. I've found them at one of our larger groceries that also carries some organics and health type foods. So, they have more of that type of thing. Call around and see if you can find "raw nuts." You will be happy to have the added snack and nutrition. keep up wiht the diet. It does kick in, but it takes a while to figure it out to your own body. I'm in by 7.5 months now and I'm definitely noticing some changes. For example, I can feel my face!!! No more blowing my nose and missing my nose!! It's hard to blow a nose that you can't feel! Just as an FYI for you, I have eliminated all five from the book, plus oats, corn, pork, soy, all white starches and grains, keep fat low, sugar low, and take in my healthy oils. It's taken time to come to this recipe. . .
Fortunately I have not had
Fortunately I have not had any problems with depression. Yes I get mad sometimes that I can't do the stuff I want to, but I've not really had any depression problems. I am really trying to work the diet and have been on it for 2 1/2 months. I haven't found any real changes yet but still hopeful. I keep getting confused with food items and that may be a problem. I bought some cashews thinking I could have them only to discouver they are processed in peanut and cottonseed oil. It seems like all the nuts are processed on machines used to process peanuts.
Sue
Thank you for your response.
Thank you for your response. It sounds like the meds have helped you. I'm looking at Wellbutrin. I also have a lot of crying spells. I think I will call my doctor for an appointment. I was concerned that because the meds have an impact somehow on the brain that they might impact the MS, but I read the chapter in the MS Recovery Diet book again on depression, and it does talk about meds. It doesn't mention any adverse effects in relation to MS symptoms, so I may try it for a while to see if it will help stabilize some of this! Thanks again for responding.
I can't say whether the diet
I can't say whether the diet has effect on depression, but I do know before I was on Prozac I had terrible feelings of hopelessness. I did a lot of crying. Thank goodness my husband recognized it.