I rarely post but I need some advice. I've been following Q since the second week of posting. I used to have all the apps until they were cancelled to keep pinged with updates, OH those were the days. I've kept my father who's 75 and suffering from depression up to date, he has also helped me see the bigger picture by introducing Joe M, then the Luther Blissett - Q books and other research he's done, he's aware of the fight, the threat, the hypocrisy, the fraud and has an IQ that can't be registered with MENSA, it's off the scale. He's quite a character, mixed with all walks, seen some extraordinary things in his life and taught me well, I'll just leave it at that but without his insight I would never have had the moral compass I have. The problem is he's suffered from depression since childhood, I've some theories on why, but they aren't really relevent for this post. I think quite a lot of extreme high IQ individuals do have problems with depression. I'm unable to visit him because I'm unvaxed and we are seperated by countries. Anyway, back in early Jan 2020 he went to a cash machine located inside a bank and the man doing the servicing of the other machine was coughing badly, this is somewhere in Europe. He then went down with a serious illness that lasted four weeks, almost killed him, very edgy from what I gather. He's not been right ever since, crying, major depression and now is in hospital having a complete breakdown. Apparently he's been on Cipramil for twenty years, 20 didn't work, 30 did, 40 sent him mad again. Has anyone here got any advice on alternative meds, or ideas I can help my family with. Apparently he will not stop crying and I'm very worried indeed. If anyone here has some insight into possible remedies it would be much appreciated. Had it happened several months later, thanks to the Q movement I would have gone for zinc, vit D amoung other things and advised, he was taken out early and they also didn't inform me until later, it's his current depression I need insight into. Many thanks in advance. WWG1WGA
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Good advice from some of the other replies on this post - so I won't repeat. One thing is for sure, he is being poorly managed. I noted a reply from another fren on this post that is good. Celexa is an older drug with a nasty side effect profile. See if he can be switched to another antidepressant.
The problem with many people suffering from depression, as like with other chronic illness, is that there are often severe nutritional deficiencies that are either causative in nature, or act comitant to whatever the underlying causes are. At your father's age it may be nearly impossible to get at an underlying causation that can be corrected. It is like peeling back the layers of an onion so to speak.
Deficiencies are often exacerbated by prescription meds. Unless those deficiencies that are critical for proper brain and gut function are addressed, it makes no difference how much or what type of medication is thrown at the problem. Even though there may be some improvement in symptoms, those improvements are often short lived because the underlying problems are not addressed. In addition, those deficient states can require larger doses of medications to have an effect. Depression is a common problem among the geriatric population simply because of the higher incidence of polypharmacy. All of which continues to contribute to nutritionally deficient states. It is a vicious cycle.
The information I am passing along comes from a psychiatrist that worked with the street people in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco. Her approach to treating patients with a wide diversity of mental and emotional maladies has been unique. She has been pretty much ignored by the mainstream in her field, but at the same time, she has been allowed to work unhindered among that high risk population because no one else will. She uses supplementation in conjunction with prescription drugs. I applied her principles myself and had good results. If she did not correct the conditions altogether, which speaks to the likelihood that the problems actually stemmed from a deficient state, she was at least able to control many conditions with the minimal amount of prescription drugs and dosages possible while using supplementation - thereby minimizing the side effect profiles that often accompany the drugs.
The simplest and easiest deficiency to address, and one that is rampant in populations like your father's, is Vitamin D deficiency. D is absolutely essential for proper brain function, along with almost every other metabolic function in the body. Most clinicians are ill-equipped to monitor D and often recommend levels that are far too low to be helpful - so just a head's up. Blood levels need to be at least 80 ng/ml. The only real caveat is in the case of renal impairment where levels of everything need to be very closely monitored. Most clinicians are happy with 30 ng/ml but that is far too low for someone with ongoing health challenges.
Good quality fish oil is also critical for brain function. However, it must be good fish oil and not made from farm raised fish which are often loaded with toxins. In addition it needs to be cold processed with no solvents. Nordic and Carlson are two brands I am familiar with. But I am sure there are others so do your homework. The brain needs fat to function. The old adage about fish being brain food is no joke. So, if someone calls you a fat head, they are actually paying you a complement.
Probiotics are a must in addition to regular intake of soluble fibers. Many of the neurotransmitters used in the brain are actually made in the gut. So, if the gut is not working properly, neither will the brain.
B vitamins are another area that is overlooked, especially in geriatric populations. B12 needs to be taken separately as either a sublingual or an injection. By age 80 the likelihood of the digestive tract being able to process B12 is slim to none - so it must be in a bioavailable form that the body can take up. It has actually been quite remarkable to watch patients improve with just taking some B vitamins.
Do some research on phosphatidyl serines/cholines and see if you think that might be helpful. Especially if your father may have been on statin therapy - which many geriatrics are. If that is the case, also consider CoQ10. Curcumin is also a good supplement to fight inflammation. It can cross the blood brain barrier and high amounts of turmeric are associated with lower levels of dementia.
I hope this has been helpful. These are some of the easiest things to do that can have some big payoffs - especially in someone that has possibly been deficient for years. These supplements are also not inclined to be contraindicated with many of the medications someone like your father is possibly taking. Don't be surprised however if you are met with resistance. Much of this is completely rejected by mainstream medicine and thought of as a useless waste of money. You will often find the same resistance as those today trying to get their loved ones treatment for Covid. Good luck fren. Thanks for reaching out. We are here to help each other.