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RoseTattoo
Wed, Aug-06-03, 06:42
I've been taking Paxil for an eternity and it's usually fine--keeps the depression and anxiety under control. But this week, out of the blue, I've been zapped with extreme depression and self-consciousness--and am somewhat paranoid, to boot. I don't know how to explain this, but it FEELS biochemical, because it was so sudden and doesn't seem connected with life events. Is there a chance that it's associated with this WOE? I'm still strictly limiting carbs and am basically at goal weight.

Forgot to say: I'm taking a gazillion vitamins and supplements, including daily potassium and magnesium. Could the magnesium have a depressive effect?

Thanks! Help!

skeeweeaka
Wed, Aug-06-03, 14:46
Oddly enough rose I just started trying to decrease my carb count back down to less than 20 to break my stall.... My depression has worsened when it was getting better... I think for me it might have to do with carb restriction.....because I was feeling much better at around 30-40 but stalled at 200.... Interesting...

RoseTattoo
Wed, Aug-06-03, 16:40
Thanks, skee. I may try to eat a few more carbs (just fruits) and see if that helps...and have decided to forego the magnesium for now, just in case that's contributing. Other than that, it may be that the Paxil has decided not to work anymore; I know that can happen. :cry:

Here's hoping for the best for you, too; I know you're a bit frustrated at this point. Please hang in there, you'll find the balance of foods that's right for you.

Zuleikaa
Wed, Aug-06-03, 17:05
Some people do react to magnesium with numbing fatigue.

Hope it's not the Pxil.

Mellow
Wed, Aug-06-03, 17:38
I would definitely contact my doctor if I were you, Rose! Paxil is not something you want to play around with.

Hope things work out for you.

RoseTattoo
Wed, Aug-06-03, 18:47
Thanks, Zul. I'm going to cut out the magnesium starting tonight and see if that makes a difference.

And thanks for your advice, too, Mellow. It's my GP who prescribes the Paxil for me, and I KNOW that he's going to send me to a psychiatrist if I need anything else. So starteth the long and expensive journey to find an effective anti-depressant. So I'm hoping it's the magnesium.

RoseTattoo
Sat, Aug-09-03, 16:43
Update: I did stop the magnesium and it did help. And something else--I've been drinking a bit more caffeine. I notice that it does tend to cheer me up. Not good; obviously an addiction; but I'll deal with that one later.

Thanks everyone who reached out and helped! :)

Agnes
Wed, Aug-13-03, 10:41
Dear RoseTattoo,

I am sorry this is such a late reply to this thread. I was browsing through this sub-forum and saw your 1st post in it. You definitely are on to something with magnesium, or even excess vitamin B ( if you are taking one of these B-complexes).

I have found I had the same reaction with what they call women's formulas (tons of B's in there too). I tried the "one-a-day" and another one which I forget now. I also found an extreme sensitivity to black cohosh which I took hoping it would smooth my mood upheavals down, only to find out it made me extremely peevish. Like you, after a about a week or less of discontinuation, I would become myself again.

Hope this helps :).

Agnes

Agnes
Wed, Aug-13-03, 10:51
P.S.

I too take coffee to further medicate my depression problems.

RoseTattoo
Wed, Aug-13-03, 14:53
Thanks for your helpful reply, Agnes. When I mentioned to a psychologist that caffeine really seemed to help--even more than the Paxil--she looked at me like I was insane. But it does, and I wish it were possible to drink coffee all day without the horrid side effects.

And now that I've stopped the magnesium, I do feel better. :)

One of these days I will take the trouble to find a good psychopharmacologist.

Agnes
Wed, Aug-13-03, 18:32
My psychiatrist actually interrupted his practised for 10 years to study the pharmacology of medicine, food and other substances in terms of their effect on mental ease/disease.

He was not surprised by my unconscious reflex of medicating myself with caffeine - carbs play a role too, actually (!), but just warned me of the crashing effect, much like any other addictive drugs and substances, if I abused.:)

Agnes

RoseTattoo
Thu, Aug-14-03, 05:39
You are lucky to have found such a great practitioner, Agnes!

And as for self-medicating on caffeine, I'm sure it beats the self-medicting on alcohol that I used to do. :devil:

You've just given me a brainstorm, which is that the anxiety might have gotten worse lately because of the very low level of carbs I'm eating. I guess there's a serotonin relationship??? Thanks for that thought!

Hopefully the body adjusts over time to the low level of carbs. I don't intend to give this up--in every OTHER way, I feel loads better. :)

Margme
Tue, Aug-19-03, 08:18
HI Rose:
I am on my 5th week of low carbing and this week I am experiencing terrible depression along with that familar feeling of self consciousness I haven't felt in a very long time. I believe it is a bio problem because I have no reason to really be depressed right now! I previously have not been on any type of anit-drepressant med but I believe I do tend to lean toward depression and have had prolonged depression about 10 years ago. :cry: Silly me I thought it was gone forever. I seriously do think the lack of Serotonan produced by low carbs is triggering it.

I'm looking to Serotonan supplements Serotan...one is called but that scares me ...says on the web site that it's not an indirect supply but pure Serotanan....also looking into 5HTP ....have you ever taken this? Anywho.....I must take care of this now.

Take care,
M

RoseTattoo
Tue, Aug-19-03, 09:29
Margme, glad I caught your post...but sorry you're going through the depression. Zulekia (sp?) gave me the idea that maybe it was the magnesium that was causing it, and sure enough, two days after I stopped taking it, and flushed it out of my system, the depression lifted completely!!! That seems to have been the problem, not the low carb eating. I would beware of taking in serotonin as a supplement. The biochemistry is very complicated and it might make things worse. What supplements are you already taking? I wouldn't be surprised if it was one of them.

Please write back and let me know how you're doing.

Margme
Tue, Aug-19-03, 19:09
Hey Rose: Thanks so much for responding to my post. VERY interesting about the Magnesium!!!!! I just started taking CAlcium w/Magnesium but just for the last few days. I will discontinue to see what happens! I also purchased 5 HTP today as mood enhancer and help with appetite. I will tell you how it goes. Thanks again.
Marg

RoseTattoo
Thu, Aug-21-03, 09:39
I'd like to know how you respond to stopping the magnesium, Margeme. It really did the trick for me--I don't know if I can't take magnesium in general, or if the dose was just too high.

What is 5 HTP? That sounds interesting.

Agnes
Mon, Aug-25-03, 08:35
Hey there,

for more info on 5-HTP go here (http://www.medformation.com/mf/CAM.nsf/conssupplements/5Hydroxytryptophan5HTPcs.html).

Agnes