Note to self and friends

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10 December 2009 @ 04:24 pm

Okay, starting yesterday, my own depression symptoms have gotten markedly worse (on a scale of 1-10, I'd say I went from a 2 on Tuesday to about a 6 yesterday). I'm apologizing for everything, even more than usual, and feeling twitchy and anxious and guilty as hell. I suspect right now I could fail a lie detector test asking nothing more threatening than "State your full name and date of birth." I'm not worried about it yet; it could just be a short-term blip. However, I'm noting here as a way of keeping myself honest.

The psych nurse practitioner did say when I saw her last month that some new research is linking depression to levels of Vitamin D3, and that taking a supplement is helpful to some people, so I will swing by one of the health-food stores on my way home and pick up a bottle. It can't do me any harm, I don't think, as long as I don't go way the hell overboard (one of the things I remember from high school: the fat-soluble vitamins are A, D, E, and K, and they can pile up in the system if you take too much, unlike the water-solubles that wash out with your urine).

13 comments | Leave a comment

13 comments —

( 13 comments — Leave a comment )

ororo on December 10th, 2009 10:00 pm (UTC)

Interesting. Good luck managing that; it sounds like your NP knows what she's doing.

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guppiecat on December 11th, 2009 01:26 am (UTC)

Vitamin D was wonderfully helpful to me. I combine it with Omega3 pills and a light box, and it keeps me on an even keel during the winter.

I do not, however, know of any studies involving D3 in conjunction with antidepressent pharmaceuticals. It would be naive to assume that there is none, but my gut feeling is that it may likely be minimal.

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janetmiles on December 11th, 2009 02:22 am (UTC)

Funny you should mention Omega 3 -- I had a serious craving for fish this evening, and perked up slightly and briefly after eating some. I have asked Dale to pick up some flax seed tomorrow, and I'll start adding that to my morning yogurt.

I don't know of any studies about combining D3 and prescription meds, but since it was recommended by the PNP, I figure it can't hurt to try.

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bldrnrpdx on December 11th, 2009 01:59 am (UTC)

Another low-cost, low-tech thing for depression is moderate exercise. It's tough to go for long walks outside in winter, yes, but even some serious housework goes a long way. I've been trying hard to do at least 10-20 minutes of something in the morning before I leave for work, like handweights or walking in place or things like that. At night, sometimes I go to the mall and walk for an hour or so. I've noticed it makes a big difference in my anxiety and depression levels.

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violet_tigress1 on December 11th, 2009 02:43 am (UTC)

Interesting.

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janetmiles on December 11th, 2009 01:38 pm (UTC)

I only do sunscreen if I'm going to be outside all day during the summer. For everyday use, no way.

But I am indoors, in a windowless office, all day every day.

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pir_anha on December 11th, 2009 06:51 am (UTC)

*meh*. sorry you're feeling bad. hope it passes soon.

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janetmiles on December 11th, 2009 01:36 pm (UTC)

Thank you most kindly. Me too.

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eyverska on December 11th, 2009 02:06 pm (UTC)
depression

You are never alone. I deal with my depression and (less frequent now)panic attacks. I will send you my phone number if you need a listener. A lot of people have your back.

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janetmiles on December 11th, 2009 04:33 pm (UTC)
Re: depression

Thank you; much appreciated. I know it will get better. I was posting mostly to keep myself honest about when it started, so I could decide if I needed to talk to the PNP about meds or make an appointment with my therapist.

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bibliofile on December 13th, 2009 07:29 am (UTC)

Hmm, that's a pretty interesting study. Yet another incentive for me to take my multivitamin (which I chose for its sufficiency of D).

Sorry to hear that your depression is worsening. I hope that the D helps you kick the depression back (literally, if possible).

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janetmiles on December 13th, 2009 02:33 pm (UTC)

One thing the PNP said is that most multivitamins contain 200-300 IU of Vitamin D3, whereas the dose that appears to improve depression is around 4,000 IU.

For what it's worth, I've been taking the D3 for three days and I'm starting to notice an improvement. Of course, I don't know whether I would have improved without the vitamin; that's one problem with not being able to do controlled studies :-).

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bibliofile on December 13th, 2009 06:31 pm (UTC)

The multivitamins that I looked at (at Walgreen's, mainly) had either 400 IU or 1000 IU of D, depending on which RDA they tried to suit (old or recently revised). The multis cost about the same as the just-D supplements, so I thought the extra vitamins and minerals sure couldn't hurt. However, I may go out & buy some D by itself. And hey, I'll take improvement if it lasts -- don't care if it's placebo effect or the D doing its stuff!

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