self medicating with nutrients

meds were making me worse so i decided to take a break from them for a couple of months
i thought what if my depression results from some kind of deficiency?
but i have no idea how to try it
can somebody help me or give me link to some guide?

Hi blind archer!

You want to be careful if you're stopping taking meds. I would advise you to see your MD about that.

For possible nutritional deficiencies and other medical issues, post #45 in this thread

http://forums.psychcentral.com/depre...escaped-5.html

might be a good starting point. I also like Andrew Weil's web site for advice like that.

- vital

Have a doc order a blood test to check thyroid levels.

Vitamin D deficiency is a possible cause especially if you live in a northern climate.

Studies show Fish Oil can help depression in some people.

L Methyfolate (Deplin) it is prescription and kind of expensive. some people have a polymorphism "defect" in a gene that turns folate into L Methylfolate which is needed to produce serotonin, nor epinephrine, dopamine, it does other things too.

B vitamins - Some people have a different genetic polymorphism that causes them not to form folate efficiently.

Melatonin - hormone that regulates circadian rhythms, sleep patterns, and seasonal rhythms. Not sure how much research. Can be involved in Seasonal Effective Disorder.

5HTP - precursor to serotonin and metatonin

L Tryptophan - precursor to serotonin and metatonin

SamE

St. Johns Wort

There are more that people take. Not sure how effective.

Do your research

6 Conditions that Feel Like Clinical Depression but Aren?t | World of Psychology

JAMA Network | JAMA Internal Medicine | Demographic Differences and Trends of Vitamin D Insufficiency in the US Population, 1988-2004

Fish oil supplements: Can they treat depression? - Mayo Clinic

CNS Spectrums: Novel Therapeutics for Depression: L-methylfolate as a Trimonoamine Modulator and Antidepressant-Augmenting Agent

Common Vitamins and Supplements to Treat Depression

There's a book called " nutrient power" the person who wrote has a lot of experience treating people with bipolar, schizophrenia, depression ect using vitamins.

Also Google search "neurotransmitter test" people and doctors say the test doesn't work it's ineffective but I took it started supplements and got way better. I was hallucinating and had delusions suicidal depression insomnia and anxiety.

Now I drive a truck had the same job 3 years working over 40 hours I have a side business.

This along with being sober from a lot of bad habits I had and working on myself I'm a lot better.

Although I do have mood swings and bad days and I have milder depression still I even am considering a small dose of medication but if I think back to how I used to be wow I should be very thankful because I should be dead from suicide

I'd start easy with a couple foods that help, that I like (eat more of them more consistently) and some exercise and trying to get out more, be with people more, do some good reading, etc.

Diet for Depression | Foods that Help Depression