Post by Veritee on May 23, 2005 11:40:43 GMT
If you really do not want to take medication or want to try alternatives to supplement medication here are some things that you can try that others have found useful.
Some are ‘physical’ or external therapies and others are herbal or otherwise taken internally.
However if you do not wish to take medication because of breastfeeding be aware that some ‘internal’ alternatives can pass the to your breast milk or through blood brain barrier to affect you baby.
Also if you are on prescribed medication, please be careful to check for any interactions as substances such as St Johns Wort can interact with Anti Ds.
PNI.ORG is not recommending any of these alternatives or complimentary treatments and if you decide to take or do anything you should do this with medical advice ( it is helpful to consult your GP even if you are considerign a complimentory/alternative medication ) and you do so at your own risk.
So please check with your doctor or pharmacist before trying these things.
Hormone related Treatments:
Cyclogest pesseries :
this is a natural progesterone, as opposed to artificial progesterons which are in the pill, HRT etc. Can be taken when breastfeeding. I do not think you can get them without a prescription.
Normally prescribed for PMS but a Harley Street doctor Kathrine Dalton used it for PNI and wrote a book about its use: Depression After Childbirth Katharina Dalton. isbn: 0-19-263277-9.
Natural Progesterone Cream:
Very simular to the cyclogest pesseries above but slower acting as it is absorbed through the skin and it can be bought without prescription. The Associaltion of Post Natal Illness have a link : www.apni.org/Index.htm have a phone number of a supplier of this cream (Simone Plaut on 020 7794 0709.
It cost approx. £35 for 4 months supply.) But it can also be bought in health food stores and on the internet.
It is intended for PMS/PMT and menopause but many women have found that in the later stages of PNI, when you feel reasonably well although not fully recovered except when you have a massive down related to your menstrual cycle and for a few days or a week or so each month you feel as ill with PNI; as if you have never recovered at all
Oestrogen Therapy:
I can only find one consultant promoting this treatment :
John Studd, DSc, MD, FRCOG Consultant Gynaecologist, Chelsea & Westminster Hospital, London, www.studd.co.uk/post_natal_depression.html
He says:
It is very likely that the essential cause of post-natal depression is the sudden decrease in hormones, particularly oestradiol that occurs after delivery. In this way it is similar to the depression of pre-menstrual syndrome and the menopause which is also related to decreases in ovarian hormones, particularly oestrogen. In fact later on in life it is clear that women who have the most severe "menopausal" depression around the age of 45 are the women who also had post-natal depression, pre-menstrual depression and significantly felt very well during pregnancy when the hormone levels were high.
Moderately high doses of transdermal oestrogens (200 mcgs twice weekly) have been shown to be effective in post-natal depression even in patients where prolonged anti-depressants have failed. We have a Psychoendocrine Unit at the Chelsea & Westminster Hospital, London dealing with this problem and believe this treatment, shown to be effective, by a scientific study published in the Lancet (1) should be used more often..
I have written to him twice to try to get more information from him about this treatment – but he has never replied.
Agnus Castus:
said to contain oestrogen-mimicking substances, have a balancing effect on hormone production, normalise hormone levels (from the 'The Natural Health Bible' by Lisha Simester) but side effects are said to be , reduced sex drive, as if with PNI it can get any lower! Can be bought in health food stores. Holland and Barratt stock them.
This substance can also fit into the herbal category below
Herbal Treatments
St Johns Wort:
Well known herbal antidepressant. Taken for many years by many people and known to have few side effects and to be effective.
However while a herbakl extract SJW is still a powerful substance and should never be taken with any other medication, GP perscribed or 'alternative', without medical supervision.
Therefore if you are considering SJW please check with your GP that it is safe for you to do so and it should only be taken with medical supervision.
Here is an extract from a recent Observer article about recent research published in the British Medical Journal about St Johns Wort observer.guardian.co.uk/magazine/story/0,11913,1431251,00.html
The British National Formulary states:
A herbal remedy for natural sleep.
Nytol Night Time Herbal Sleep Aid
Indication: A traditional herbal remedy to promote calmness and natural sleep.
Active Ingredients:
Each tablet contains: Hops 30mg, Dogwood Jamaica 90mg, dry extract wild lettuce 5=1 54mg, dry extract passiflora 5=1 36mg, dry extract pulsatilla 3=1 15mg. Also Contains: Sucrose, lactose, pre-gelatinised starch, acacia, talc, magnesium stearate, ethyl cellulose.Interactions with other medicines: None known.
Miscellaneous
Nytol one-a-night:
Night time sleep aid One-A-Night is an antihistamine which causes sleepiness or drowsiness and is used to help relieve temporary sleeping difficulties.
Each Nytol One-A-Night caplet contains 50mg of the active ingredient Diphenhydramine Hydrochloride BP.
The caplets also contain: Anhydrous Lactose, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Maize Starch, Stearic Acid and Silicon Dioxide.
Useful for temporary sleep problems, without the side effects of sleeping tablets
Diet
It is well known that you are what you eat, but as for a specific dies to help you - you would need to go to a nutritionist - either a private one or if like me yu have a food intolerance or allergy - a nutritionist on the HHS
But as a rough guide as to what kind of diet will help Depression and possibly PNI:
*****************************************
There was an article on LK Today - on the 27/10/05 that suggested eating fish itself upped the seretonin levels in all ages and that the omega- 3 in fish oils are :
'intimately associated with mood. These are especially rich in salmon, mackerel, herring, kippers, sardines and tuna. Also have an omega 3 fish oil supplement every day'
and
Get enough tryptophan
Serotonin is made from a constituent of protein, the amino acid tryptophan Tryptophan is especially rich in fish, turkey, chicken, cheese, beans, tofu, oats and eggs. You can also supplement a type of tryptophan extracted from beans called 5-HTP 100mg a day'
It said also
'Even the brain's 'happy' neurotransmitter serotonin is made directly from tryptophan, an amino acid found in protein rich foods such as fish and meat'
and
Bump Up Your Bs
Your brain and body needs B vitamins, especially folic acid. These are rich in green leafy vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds, and other whole foods. Supplement a mood food formula providing at least 100mcg of folic acid, 10mcg of B12, 20mg of B6, 40mg of niacin (B3), together with 100mg of 5-HTP and tyrosine, another important amino acid.
Exercise is natural light
Modest exercise such as a daily 30 minute walking regime can significantly help to boost mood and increasing exposure to natural daylight or using full-spectrum light bulbs for indoor lighting also helps, especially if you are prone to the winter blues.
Have your thyroid level checked
A classic cause of depression is having an underactive thyroid. The telltale signs of an underactive thyroid are lethargy, depression, indigestion or constipation, poor memory and weight gain. If you have these symptoms and nothing else is working see your doctor and check for this. Also check yourself for food intolerance or allergy. A gluten or wheat allergy is a common cause of depression
-------------------------------------------------
- and these principles were used on a mother who although she did not say she had PNI had felt low, sleepy and apathetic since her first child
- I think now aged 9ish - and she had another much younger child born since and she still had the same symptoms .
She did not take fish oil supplements but changed her diet to include a lot of fatty fish and other foods with Omega oils .
She also cut out all fizzy , sugary drinks and tea and coffee ie caffeine as this affects seretonin and blood sugar and ate several smaller meals several times a day - little and often - all containing fish oil and Omega oils and complex carbohydrates
All I can say is it certainly worked for her as she now looks great , has lost neatly a stone in just 2 weeks and her symptoms have gone -
the article about the food he put her on is here : www.gm.tv/index.cfm?articleid=17064
Perhaps all we need to do it change our diet and our kids diet??
External Therapies that have been known to help
Reflexology:
Rekki: lovely so relaxing and while you lie on a couch it does not involve actually being touched as the practitioner keeps their hands just above you body to harness the worlds ( and yours and their) natural energy. You would not thin you could feel so relaxed without being touched , so it is great for those who can not at present bear being touched or their personal space being invaded – common with PNI.
Healing:
Aromatherapy:
Hypnotherapy:
Counselling and Psychotherapy
CBT:
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.
Often used for PNI Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, is a short term therapy that focuses on the connection between our thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. Research has shown that CBT is very effective in treating many problems, including depression, anxiety, panic attacks, stress, obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders, post traumatic stress, and low self-esteem. Because how we think and behave have a powerful impact on how we feel, CBT focuses on making positive changes in our thought patterns and our actions. By understanding and challenging automatic thoughts and assumptions, behaviours and feelings can be changed. By experimenting with new behaviours, feelings and thoughts can be also changed. Within about 8 -15 sessions, most clients see marked improvements in both their symptoms and their quality of life.
Psychotherapy:
treatment of mental and emotional disorders using psychological methods. Psychotherapy, thus, does not include physiological interventions, such as drug therapy
see:http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/p1/psychoth.asp
Psychoanalysis:For differences between psychotherapy and psychoanaliysis see www.aboutpsychotherapy.com/
Sugggested by others:
thought i would write a quick note to say that one thing i have had recommended to me and have had done is an indian head massage. it did work wonders, i felt so relaxed afterwards.
its recommended as indian women have these head massages for 60 days after the birth of their babies as it is supposed to help with mental and physical recovery after giving birth.
by Lana
This list is by no means finished. I will be adding to it as women report they have had successes from various alternatives complimentary therapies.
Some are ‘physical’ or external therapies and others are herbal or otherwise taken internally.
However if you do not wish to take medication because of breastfeeding be aware that some ‘internal’ alternatives can pass the to your breast milk or through blood brain barrier to affect you baby.
Also if you are on prescribed medication, please be careful to check for any interactions as substances such as St Johns Wort can interact with Anti Ds.
PNI.ORG is not recommending any of these alternatives or complimentary treatments and if you decide to take or do anything you should do this with medical advice ( it is helpful to consult your GP even if you are considerign a complimentory/alternative medication ) and you do so at your own risk.
So please check with your doctor or pharmacist before trying these things.
Hormone related Treatments:
Cyclogest pesseries :
this is a natural progesterone, as opposed to artificial progesterons which are in the pill, HRT etc. Can be taken when breastfeeding. I do not think you can get them without a prescription.
Normally prescribed for PMS but a Harley Street doctor Kathrine Dalton used it for PNI and wrote a book about its use: Depression After Childbirth Katharina Dalton. isbn: 0-19-263277-9.
Natural Progesterone Cream:
Very simular to the cyclogest pesseries above but slower acting as it is absorbed through the skin and it can be bought without prescription. The Associaltion of Post Natal Illness have a link : www.apni.org/Index.htm have a phone number of a supplier of this cream (Simone Plaut on 020 7794 0709.
It cost approx. £35 for 4 months supply.) But it can also be bought in health food stores and on the internet.
It is intended for PMS/PMT and menopause but many women have found that in the later stages of PNI, when you feel reasonably well although not fully recovered except when you have a massive down related to your menstrual cycle and for a few days or a week or so each month you feel as ill with PNI; as if you have never recovered at all
Oestrogen Therapy:
I can only find one consultant promoting this treatment :
John Studd, DSc, MD, FRCOG Consultant Gynaecologist, Chelsea & Westminster Hospital, London, www.studd.co.uk/post_natal_depression.html
He says:
It is very likely that the essential cause of post-natal depression is the sudden decrease in hormones, particularly oestradiol that occurs after delivery. In this way it is similar to the depression of pre-menstrual syndrome and the menopause which is also related to decreases in ovarian hormones, particularly oestrogen. In fact later on in life it is clear that women who have the most severe "menopausal" depression around the age of 45 are the women who also had post-natal depression, pre-menstrual depression and significantly felt very well during pregnancy when the hormone levels were high.
Moderately high doses of transdermal oestrogens (200 mcgs twice weekly) have been shown to be effective in post-natal depression even in patients where prolonged anti-depressants have failed. We have a Psychoendocrine Unit at the Chelsea & Westminster Hospital, London dealing with this problem and believe this treatment, shown to be effective, by a scientific study published in the Lancet (1) should be used more often..
I have written to him twice to try to get more information from him about this treatment – but he has never replied.
Agnus Castus:
said to contain oestrogen-mimicking substances, have a balancing effect on hormone production, normalise hormone levels (from the 'The Natural Health Bible' by Lisha Simester) but side effects are said to be , reduced sex drive, as if with PNI it can get any lower! Can be bought in health food stores. Holland and Barratt stock them.
This substance can also fit into the herbal category below
Herbal Treatments
St Johns Wort:
Well known herbal antidepressant. Taken for many years by many people and known to have few side effects and to be effective.
However while a herbakl extract SJW is still a powerful substance and should never be taken with any other medication, GP perscribed or 'alternative', without medical supervision.
Therefore if you are considering SJW please check with your GP that it is safe for you to do so and it should only be taken with medical supervision.
Here is an extract from a recent Observer article about recent research published in the British Medical Journal about St Johns Wort observer.guardian.co.uk/magazine/story/0,11913,1431251,00.html
‘German researchers have found that the herb St John's wort (hypericum perforatum) is at least as effective as the drug paroxetine in relieving moderate to severe depression. Not only that, but its capacity to induce side-effects was substantially lower than that of the conventional drug.
This is the latest in a mass of evidence which shows St John's wort can put a smile on the faces of those seeking a natural remedy for depression. Several studies have found it to be more effective than placebo (inactive medication) and about as useful as conventional antidepressants. What is noteworthy about the BMJ study is that it suggests that the herb may benefit those with severe depression, too.
Scientists believe that St John's wort's antidepressant action is attributable to two compounds, hypericin and hyperforin. Extracts of the herb potentiate the feel-good brain chemical serotonin in a way reminiscent of the SSRI drugs. It also appears to boost the effect of chemicals that are believed to have an antidepressant action, including noradrenaline and dopamine.
Although generally safe, St John's wort can increase the metabolism, reducing the effectiveness of drugs such as indinavir, cyclosporin, digoxin, warfarin, and the pill.
Those who take these drugs should use it under medical supervision. The recommended dose is 300mg of extract, taken three times a day. Benefits are apparent within two to four weeks. Those on conventional antidepressant medication should not reduce this without consulting their doctor. That said, considerable evidence suggests that for those seeking a natural alternative to antidepressants, St John's wort is certainly worth bearing in mind.
The British National Formulary states:
St John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) is a popular unlicensed herbal remedy for treating mild depression. However, preparations of St John’s wort can induce drug metabolising enzymes and a number of important interactions with conventional drugs have been identified, see Appendix 1 (St John’s wort). The amount of active ingredient can vary between different preparations of St John’s wort and switching from one to another can change the degree of enzyme induction. Furthermore, when a patient stops taking St John’s wort, concentrations of interacting drugs may increase, leading to toxicity. Antidepressants should not be used with St John's wort because of the potential for interactionNytol Herbal
A herbal remedy for natural sleep.
Nytol Night Time Herbal Sleep Aid
Indication: A traditional herbal remedy to promote calmness and natural sleep.
Active Ingredients:
Each tablet contains: Hops 30mg, Dogwood Jamaica 90mg, dry extract wild lettuce 5=1 54mg, dry extract passiflora 5=1 36mg, dry extract pulsatilla 3=1 15mg. Also Contains: Sucrose, lactose, pre-gelatinised starch, acacia, talc, magnesium stearate, ethyl cellulose.Interactions with other medicines: None known.
Miscellaneous
Nytol one-a-night:
Night time sleep aid One-A-Night is an antihistamine which causes sleepiness or drowsiness and is used to help relieve temporary sleeping difficulties.
Each Nytol One-A-Night caplet contains 50mg of the active ingredient Diphenhydramine Hydrochloride BP.
The caplets also contain: Anhydrous Lactose, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Maize Starch, Stearic Acid and Silicon Dioxide.
Useful for temporary sleep problems, without the side effects of sleeping tablets
Diet
It is well known that you are what you eat, but as for a specific dies to help you - you would need to go to a nutritionist - either a private one or if like me yu have a food intolerance or allergy - a nutritionist on the HHS
But as a rough guide as to what kind of diet will help Depression and possibly PNI:
*****************************************
There was an article on LK Today - on the 27/10/05 that suggested eating fish itself upped the seretonin levels in all ages and that the omega- 3 in fish oils are :
'intimately associated with mood. These are especially rich in salmon, mackerel, herring, kippers, sardines and tuna. Also have an omega 3 fish oil supplement every day'
and
Get enough tryptophan
Serotonin is made from a constituent of protein, the amino acid tryptophan Tryptophan is especially rich in fish, turkey, chicken, cheese, beans, tofu, oats and eggs. You can also supplement a type of tryptophan extracted from beans called 5-HTP 100mg a day'
It said also
'Even the brain's 'happy' neurotransmitter serotonin is made directly from tryptophan, an amino acid found in protein rich foods such as fish and meat'
and
Bump Up Your Bs
Your brain and body needs B vitamins, especially folic acid. These are rich in green leafy vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds, and other whole foods. Supplement a mood food formula providing at least 100mcg of folic acid, 10mcg of B12, 20mg of B6, 40mg of niacin (B3), together with 100mg of 5-HTP and tyrosine, another important amino acid.
Exercise is natural light
Modest exercise such as a daily 30 minute walking regime can significantly help to boost mood and increasing exposure to natural daylight or using full-spectrum light bulbs for indoor lighting also helps, especially if you are prone to the winter blues.
Have your thyroid level checked
A classic cause of depression is having an underactive thyroid. The telltale signs of an underactive thyroid are lethargy, depression, indigestion or constipation, poor memory and weight gain. If you have these symptoms and nothing else is working see your doctor and check for this. Also check yourself for food intolerance or allergy. A gluten or wheat allergy is a common cause of depression
-------------------------------------------------
- and these principles were used on a mother who although she did not say she had PNI had felt low, sleepy and apathetic since her first child
- I think now aged 9ish - and she had another much younger child born since and she still had the same symptoms .
She did not take fish oil supplements but changed her diet to include a lot of fatty fish and other foods with Omega oils .
She also cut out all fizzy , sugary drinks and tea and coffee ie caffeine as this affects seretonin and blood sugar and ate several smaller meals several times a day - little and often - all containing fish oil and Omega oils and complex carbohydrates
All I can say is it certainly worked for her as she now looks great , has lost neatly a stone in just 2 weeks and her symptoms have gone -
the article about the food he put her on is here : www.gm.tv/index.cfm?articleid=17064
Perhaps all we need to do it change our diet and our kids diet??
External Therapies that have been known to help
Reflexology:
Rekki: lovely so relaxing and while you lie on a couch it does not involve actually being touched as the practitioner keeps their hands just above you body to harness the worlds ( and yours and their) natural energy. You would not thin you could feel so relaxed without being touched , so it is great for those who can not at present bear being touched or their personal space being invaded – common with PNI.
Healing:
Aromatherapy:
Hypnotherapy:
Counselling and Psychotherapy
CBT:
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.
Often used for PNI Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, is a short term therapy that focuses on the connection between our thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. Research has shown that CBT is very effective in treating many problems, including depression, anxiety, panic attacks, stress, obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders, post traumatic stress, and low self-esteem. Because how we think and behave have a powerful impact on how we feel, CBT focuses on making positive changes in our thought patterns and our actions. By understanding and challenging automatic thoughts and assumptions, behaviours and feelings can be changed. By experimenting with new behaviours, feelings and thoughts can be also changed. Within about 8 -15 sessions, most clients see marked improvements in both their symptoms and their quality of life.
Psychotherapy:
treatment of mental and emotional disorders using psychological methods. Psychotherapy, thus, does not include physiological interventions, such as drug therapy
see:http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/p1/psychoth.asp
Psychoanalysis:For differences between psychotherapy and psychoanaliysis see www.aboutpsychotherapy.com/
Sugggested by others:
thought i would write a quick note to say that one thing i have had recommended to me and have had done is an indian head massage. it did work wonders, i felt so relaxed afterwards.
its recommended as indian women have these head massages for 60 days after the birth of their babies as it is supposed to help with mental and physical recovery after giving birth.
by Lana
This list is by no means finished. I will be adding to it as women report they have had successes from various alternatives complimentary therapies.
