"Hyman Rapaport, MD, of the Emory University School of Medicine, and colleagues conducted a trial involving 155 participants with major depressive disorder where one group was given either two capsules containing the Omega-3 fatty acid EPA (eicosapentataenoic acid) or placebo over eight weeks. Another group was given four capsules of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), another type of Omega-3, or placebo.
In patients who had one of four markers of inflammation based on a blood test, those who took EPA capsules showed an improvement in mood, the researchers reported in the journal Molecular Psychiatry. The effect, however, was not seen in inflammatory patients who took DHA."
psychiatryadvisor.com/omega...
If we are honest, I think we'd all acknowledge that living with a CLL diagnosis does affect our mood and increases our risk of suffering from depression. While most of us adjust, for some, living with CLL might be the tipping point in which we do need to seek professional help and some of us may already have the challenge of living with depression.
When I read the above article, what jumped out at me was the section I've underlined above. Purely conjecture on my part, but given CLL can be associated with greater levels of inflammation (because our immune system doesn't work properly), if you do have a major depressive order, bring this article to your doctor's attention and ask whether taking EPA is worth a try. Bear in mind too, that another common problem with CLL is low platelet levels and taking EPA may not be wise if you have low platelets. I'm not medically trained, so you'd be foolish to try this just because I've draw this article to your attention, but perhaps following up this research finding with your doctor could be a turning point for you.
Neil
Photo: Banksia flowers beginning to bloom