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Depression and Anxiety at an older age

Depression & Anxiety | Last Active: May 26 11:44am | Replies (625)

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@jakedduck1

@chinchuck
Good afternoon,
A Psychologist could probably help you as you continue your taper, if your feeling every cut you may want to cut your taper amount even more. May I ask how much you decrease your dose by?
Do you know the cause of your anxiety? This is important to know. You need to learn and acknowledge what is off in your life so you know what to fix. You mention losing weight. Do you ever miss meals? It’s important to eat regularly and not now and then to properly maintain your blood sugar. Low blood sugar alters mood.
You mention “I really do wish there was something that would lift my mood,” you May want to try some of these,
First, if you eat or drink things with caffeine in them you should stop, provided you believe in the Serotonin theory. Caffeine depletes Serotonin. If you use caffeine for a boost or energy you may want to replace it with L-Tryptophine (I think that is spelled right) 500-1,000mg
Also, some Serotonin rich foods are wild Salmon, eggs, cheese, poultry, dates, cottage cheese, nuts and seeds and beef. I believe it’s found in all protein containing foods.

1. 5-HTP 50-300 mg up to three times/day -- start at 50mg in the morning. Converts directly into serotonin. If you are taking too much, you will feel sleepy or have runny stools. Also usually helps with anxiety, although sometimes it can paradoxically cause anxiety. Must use with great caution if you're taking an anti-depressant.

2. St. John's Wort 300mg three times/day. If you don't feel better within a week, slowly increase your dose to a max of 600mg three times/day. May decrease the effectiveness of birth control pills.
WARNING, DONT TAKE IF USING ANTIDEPRESSANTS OR ANTICONVULSANTS, Make sure your doctor is aware of any supplements you take.

3. SAMe 200mg on an empty stomach twice/day. Increase your dose every two weeks to a maximum dose of 600mg twice daily. This can be a very effective antidepressant, but it can also be expensive. Side effects at higher doses include GI upset, nausea, agitation, and insomnia.

4. L-Theanine 100-600mg daily. Reduce if you feel sleepy. Found in green tea.

5. Fish oil (DHA/EPA) 1-3 g/day with food. Make sure it's good quality.

Best of luck to you.
Jake

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