Discussion Does anyone know an alternative to antidepressants?

[olvalgon]

So I was on 40mg of Prozac (fluoxetine) however I lost my job last month due to COVID-19 and run out last week. They were the only thing keeping me 'stable' and from feeling suicidal 24/7 but now I have nothing. Anyone know of any alternatives.

 

[Nem]

Sorry to hear about the loss of your job
In my opinion the strongest non-pharmaceutical treatment of depression is Sam-e. First time I took it my depression lifted or lessened in a matter of hours...it is that strong. Don't recommend combining it with meds but on it's own it is so strong and effective that I'm sure big pharma would love to have it removed from existence.

If you start to take it longer term try to add b12 sublingual tablets as part of your regiment.

I also want to point out that generic drugs are not always the same as the name brand drugs. I can tell you firsthand that sometimes the difference is night and day and often worse.

This is just my opinion and I'm not a dr

Hugs

 

[4eyebiped]

There is a long list of supplements that can possibly help with depression, the problem is going through the process of sampling them all till you find one that might work. And some, like the one mentioned above can sometimes cost more. SAM-e dosage that is needed for some can be 8 gram and can be expensive. Then you have St. John's Wart, 5-HTP, Saffron extract, Ginseng, Fish Oil, Vitamin D (if deficient), Rhodiola, Goat's Rue, and a dozen more. Pay attention to factors like if the it is enteric coated, if it is full spectrum versus an extract and if an extract which active ingredients are being used (Some have multiple active ingredients and which one may determine if it is effective for you). I hate to complicate it but that is the real world reality. Then you have exercise, intimacy, hobbies and a slew of other activities that can greatly help with depression, depending on the person.

Everything depends on you and all your variables. Do keep in mind that some supplements affect other things in the body. Some will affect hormone levels, like estrogen, absorption of other nutrients and medications, can affect the effectiveness of certain birth control methods and so forth. Mixing supplements with other drugs can be detrimental if you do not research first, like Berberine some use as a replacement for metformin, can make some drugs far more potent causing major issues. The negatives are rarely discuss as everyone wants to find the magic cure all. So, be careful and read up on anything you try to find out what the possible downsides are, they are shamefully hard to dig up. The benefit of the doctor is whatever drug he prescribes, he should take into consideration a lot of the above.

Best wishes and hope it works out for you.

 

[Insomniac]

Combining antidepressants with A LOT of coffee helps me a lot

 

[Sister of the Moon]

St John's Wort and 5-HTP are the main ones. I also take L-Theanine, Ashwaganda, Spirulina and Magnesium supplements for anxiety and general mood. I'm not saying they work wonders but I certainly do notice a difference for the worse when I don't take them.

 

[Sister of the Moon]

Would you be able to help me out with the money to refill my prescription?

I wish I could, I'm sorry I can't. I hope you do manage to get it sorted though.

 

[poisonedminds]

Kratom can help massively with mood and energy. Can only recommend. Also shrooms!

 

[ket]

There is a long list of supplements that can possibly help with depression, the problem is going through the process of sampling them all till you find one that might work. And some, like the one mentioned above can sometimes cost more. SAM-e dosage that is needed for some can be 8 gram and can be expensive. Then you have St. John's Wart, 5-HTP, Saffron extract, Ginseng, Fish Oil, Vitamin D (if deficient), Rhodiola, Goat's Rue, and a dozen more. Pay attention to factors like if the it is enteric coated, if it is full spectrum versus an extract and if an extract which active ingredients are being used (Some have multiple active ingredients and which one may determine if it is effective for you). I hate to complicate it but that is the real world reality. Then you have exercise, intimacy, hobbies and a slew of other activities that can greatly help with depression, depending on the person.

Everything depends on you and all your variables. Do keep in mind that some supplements affect other things in the body. Some will affect hormone levels, like estrogen, absorption of other nutrients and medications, can affect the effectiveness of certain birth control methods and so forth. Mixing supplements with other drugs can be detrimental if you do not research first, like Berberine some use as a replacement for metformin, can make some drugs far more potent causing major issues. The negatives are rarely discuss as everyone wants to find the magic cure all. So, be careful and read up on anything you try to find out what the possible downsides are, they are shamefully hard to dig up. The benefit of the doctor is whatever drug he prescribes, he should take into consideration a lot of the above.

Best wishes and hope it works out for you.

this is the right answer. your ability to promote enhanced prozac-like serotonergic transmission is likely going to be through stuff like 5-htp, which is a serotonin precursor (though evidence in the lit linking 5ht precursors/metabolites to depression is mixed), or st john's wort, which kind of (promiscuously) approximates how ssris work. other than that, fixing hormonal (thyroid, etc) or nutrient deficiencies are all you can really do otc.

your other alternatives are still experimental and generally illegal. maybe someone is running a clinical trial near you.

 

[stellabelle]

So I was on 40mg of Prozac (fluoxetine) however I lost my job last month due to COVID-19 and run out last week. They were the only thing keeping me 'stable' and from feeling suicidal 24/7 but now I have nothing. Anyone know of any alternatives.

Walk into some shithole hospital and "tell them" so you can go inpatient. And they'll "stabilize" you and throw you back to the street and then you can just go back in again. Or commit a crime and take yourself into the prison system. The longer you stay, the more care you can get.

 

[olvalgon]

Could someone please message me? I'd like to ask a private question about this.

 

[BeansOfRequirement]

Yeah, there are several: life purpose, romantic relationship, career, goals.

 

[CogitoMori]

Microdosing magic mushrooms (like eating one or two mushrooms in the morning) is supposed to give you a natural boost in seratonin and if I'm remembering correctly, they can also help rebuild certain parts of your brain.

 

[Pluto]

 

[crayonscrayons]

it's fucked up that you have to pay for something that keeps you alive.

i've heard lithium is sometimes used to treat depression, but it's another prescription. I don't know if it;s cheaper or not, but I do know is that drug companies tried to make lithium seem "scary" sometime during the '90s in the USA, because lithium doesn't make them as much money due to it being a natural occurring metal.

So it sounds like it might be cheaper than a named antidepressant. I've seen it for sale online, prescription free, but personally I'm not sure if I trust the supplements on the site, as I also once saw they had a certain mineral I used to supplement, but suddenly that mineral stopped being sold in any shop I entered (as if they discovered it was too risky to sell supplements of that latter mineral in case people consumed it wrong, or something else idk). (the reason I found the site was because I was looking for that latter mineral after it disappeared from shelves). Also, if taking lithium, you need to have your blood (or something else idk) monitored so that you don't get lithium poisoning.

tho if the antidepressant dosage and brand you were on was actually working for you, I hope you can find a way to get back on it. Everyone's brains react differently to different combos/doses of meds and minerals/vitamins & it can be diffcult to find the right doses/brands/meds/(other things)<3