Suffers from depression, I don’t think I’ve read any posts with both problems. Is anyone out there has both please share your experience. I feel lonely 😞
I feel like I am the only pwp who also...... - Cure Parkinson's
I feel like I am the only pwp who also......
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Chicafromchitown
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41 Replies
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You’re not alone...I suffer with it too. Mine hits when I think of the future; the fear of the unknown overwhelms me sometimes. I just went to a new movement specialist and she is so positive that it makes me feel positive. She is connecting me with a support group that has a younger group of PWP. I can’t relate to the older patients because I still work and I still have young boys and I needed to talk to someone in my same predicament. I’m hoping this will help. Maybe you should also consider trying to find a support group around your city.Also have you spoken to her doctor about your depression?
Danasr
I see a therapist every 2 months, I am also on antidepressants, Lexapro, Wellbutrin and buspar, the latter I want to stop as I was reading that pwp should avoid it. Thank you for replying I don’t feel lonely anymore 😃
I’m glad I could help. That does seem like a lot . Does excersizing help?
Danasr
I do an hour of walking 🚶♀️ on my treadmill, it does help.
I suffer from depression also, in addition to high anxiety and balance problems. Early on my neurologist prescribed mirtazapine to improve my mood, to help me sleep and to increase my appetite. Started with 15 mg and increased to 30 mg.
It’s scary getting the dx of PD. I got it two months after I retired. My husband and I were planning on going on many self supported bicycle trips but due to PD I started falling when cycling up hills and eventually, due to balance problems, I started falling off the bike when stopping. So I certainly am not living the life I envisioned. After a while you accept the dx and try to live the best life you can.
Antidepressants, exercise, and going to a support group helps. Also I recommend getting “Every Victory Counts”. It is put out by Davis Phinney Foundation and is free. It is very positive and uplifting.
davisphinneyfoundation.org/...
Wishing you the best.
Cycling8
I have the same problem, balance I used to dance 💃 but the last time I did it didn’t go that well, I totally lost the rhythm I don’t know what I was doing 🤷♀️ it was like I never danced before!!! I thought I was going to fall backwards, I went home and started crying 😢 but like you say you got to live the best life you can, sometimes you can’t have it all. God bless 🙏🏽
It’s pretty common I think I recall something about 60% of PD patients have depression . Dopamine is reward hormone so it makes sense. Upside I’ve become fearless because no fight or flight response either just booking a holiday to go hot air balloon something I never envisaged ... life is different than I envisage but hey now I’m brave enough to go hot air ballooning . I have lost my dance rhythm so I now dance like Elaine off Seinfeld, I dance like no one is watching. I try to see light , bright side of PD BUT I too hAve depression but well medicated early. Dx 46 years..now about to turn big 50!!
Sorry to hear about your dx but now I do not feel alone I was dx last April and I am 54; I felt robbed...I’m coping but I still get depressed occasionally thinking; why me? I’ve always taken such good care of myself I.e. no smoking, always ate healthy & excercised as much as possible. My new doc is very positive so that is helpful & this forum is helpful. Thanks for your post.
There is the depression that comes with the chemical changes in the brain and there is the depression that comes with knowing we have a progressive chronic disease. I had the depression well before I had any idea I had Parkinson’s. I take Lexapro which helped a lot, 10 mg, and also Wellbutrin seems to be one that is beneficial to PWP’s.
No, you are definitely not alone. Don’t forget the search engine on this site. You can put in depression and Parkinson’s or anxiety and Parkinson’s and see what comes up from past discussions.
I came across an old post recently where we were talking about how difficult the late afternoon and early evening were and how many of us got hit with depression at that time a day. That is still true for me. It is fear and loneliness and hopelessness and I know it’s coming each day and I just have to tough it out. It helps if someone stops by or if I have someone I can call but that isn’t always possible.
Enidah
Why is that?? I get the same feeling, but to me at no specific time of day, that horrible feeling of emptiness, loneliness, I look out the window and I feel Iike everyone else has no worries they’re all happy 😃 I can’t stop thinking about what I was able to do (fun stuff) before dx that I can’t do now. Thanks for replying 🙏🏽
Yes i suffer from depression to, i take prozac, i use to cry a lot
Yes, im on sinnemet
Many PWP have problems with depression, anxiety, and apathy. Recently, when watching a video, led by a Neurologist-Movement Disorder Specialist, at the University of Michigan, depression, anxiety, and apathy were all symptoms listed, that can be part of a PWP clinical assessment. They are associated with the disease, albeit not with all PWP, though. There are definitely, differences, in types of depression. Some people don't like to admit that they have a depression problem, because of the connotation that others may think a person has a psychiatric problem, rather than a medical disease. I am of the opinion, that this depression issue, concerning PWP, is underreported.
My anxiety comes on so fast and intense that it almost takes my breath away. I had a family situation last night that strung me out and it took hours for my husband to peel me off the ceiling. Today I feel exhausted.
Multipom
Sorry to hear you had a bad day😞 I get those a lot. Take care 😃
Thank you Chicafromchitown. I do appreciate your empathy and support. That means a lot. I'm feeling better but the day is young😉.
Have a fabulous weekend!😊
Hello Birdliuv
First off I'm not a doctor or specialist. I have had underlying mental illness concerns all my life and went through drug and alcohol addictions and other 'self-medicating' behaviors.
In my late 30's I began taking prescription drugs for inconsistent symptoms that at times would be very debilitating. Recently, I came across information - as per below, that I had been hoping to access for decades and as a result I've just starting on Low Dose Lithium Orotate - Lithium ( Elemental ) Orotate ( Carbonate )
Nutritional Supplement
THE FUTURE OF LITHIUM
Recognizing that nutrition is key to brain health is a fundamental premise of integrative medicine. Instead of focusing on just one type of intervention, integrative medicine tries to address all factors that may contribute to a mental disorder – bringing together nutritional supplements, medicines, psychotherapy, and lifestyle changes.
Lithium must be recognized as a critical component of nutritional assessments. Lithium is an underused nutritional supplement. The diverse neuroprotective mechanisms are truly remarkable. The scientific literature has shown that lithium modulates GSK-3, enhances the release of neurotrophic factors such as BDNF, and promotes epigenetic changes that resets the trajectory of mental illness. Lithium is powerful, reliable, cost effective, and, at low doses, completely safe.
And in most countries no prescription is necessary.
With low-dose lithium, we have a safe nutritional supplement that is effective in treating a wide range of disabling symptoms of mental illness. Perhaps in the future, patients like Jamie Lowe, the author of the New York Times article, will not be forced to make a decision between mental and physical health. The compelling and growing scientific literature on the benefits of low-dose lithium therapy combined with over 25 years of clinical practice have convinced me that with low-dose lithium, it is entirely possible to have both.
Lithium ( Elemental ) Orotate ( Carbonate )
Nutritional Supplement
psycheducation.org/treatmen...
The organic orotic acid is a carbon compound that transports the elemental lithium through the cell membrane allowing the body to assimilate it = 100% BIO -AVAILABILITY. Enzymatic Pathways
It has been a miracle for me and I would recommend this for anyone with these kinds of issues.
“Been taking for a month and all my symptoms are gone. I feel more calm, my mind does not race. I can think clearly, more productive. This stuff is amazing, unfortunately not all people know much about it. Thanks to big pharma.”
I purchased first lot from Swansons Supplements
Ultra Lithium Orotate
60 5 mg Veg Caps
Item Total: $NZ 11.49 - 3 X $NZ 3.83
Many other suppliers eg. iherb, Piping Rock supply for similiar price.
There is no doubt about the efficacy as after 1 x 5g taken at 6:00pm yesterday I feel significant difference today ie. Constant Worrying
Maybe you are feeling stuck because you constantly worry about what might happen. The worrying is preoccupying your thoughts and as a result, you hesitate to move forward.
Is there an underlying cause e.g. mental illness – depression?
The ‘LOOP’ – constant negative emotions – self talk, like digging a hole for myself into the pit of despair etc suicidal thinking returning.
Hope that is of some help to you and others like us.
Kind Regards
Norman
New Zealand
How did you get lithium in NZ? When I have tried to find it from eg vitacost is says it can’t be imported into NZ. And the dr and psychiatrist refuse to prescribe it. We finally have managed to find it in Hardy’s daily essential nutrients but the quantity isn’t specified. It could be part of the reason it works so well.
Yes Swansons said same to me.
Neither of the companies below have - at present, said no to supply of Lithium Orotate which is a dietary supplement not a Prescription drug.
In alternative medicine, lithium orotate is sometimes promoted as an alternative to lithium, a medication prescribed to treat and prevent episodes of mania in people with bipolar disorder. ... Although orotic acid is sometimes referred to as vitamin B13, it's not actually considered a vitamin.Oct 27, 2018'
Naturally occurring lithium-rich mineral baths and springs attracted people for their numerous health benefits, even including the word “Lith” in their establishment name to allure the public. Lithium used to be considered a good thing and sought after for its health benefits. Now it holds a stigma almost as strong as mental illness does.
Natural forms of lithium are less concentrated and are compounded differently than the prescription forms, so side effects are not as great an issue.
I am neither for nor against medications as a strict rule; I am however, very much for you knowing all of your options and alternatives. The doctors can let you know about all of the prescription options available to you, but they may not know about a safe, natural form of lithium.
Although this lithium, called lithium orotate, has not been clinically studied side by side with lithium in actual clinical trials that I am aware of, it has been tested by several of my peers with bipolar who did pretty well for years on lithium carbonate (by prescription), and then transitioned over to lithium orotate (found in health food stores). They found even greater health and stability without the side effects, prescription refills, blood tests, and fear of kidney failure.
If there were a safer, more effective form of lithium that you could get without a prescription, wouldn’t you want to know about it? I did, and even got righteously angry the more I learned. The very thought of doctors prescribing the prescription form of lithium makes me sick to my stomach since I discovered a healthy rather than toxic alternative!
NOTE: When using the Med Free Method™, it is important to follow water and salt recommendations. Too much water can dilute stomach acid and digestive enzymes, as well as flush out minerals and nutrients, while too little water will leave you with even bigger problems like constipation and dehydration, especially due to the increased salt intake.
Lithium Orotate is available over the counter in health food stores
.
Most people don’t realize that lithium itself is not a drug, but a naturally occurring mineral salt, like potassium. It can be found in water, soil, and in fruits and vegetables. Lithium is vital for the proper functioning of every brain.
I often get asked how is lithium orotate different from lithium carbonate and lithium citrate (the ones prescribed)? Lithium orotate is in its natural mineral form, requiring less to affect more results. The body utilizes about 97%, whereas it takes large quantities of the pharmaceutical grade lithium, at near toxic levels, to be effective.
Dr. Hans Nieper of Germany discovered that lithium orotate or lithium aspartate penetrate cells more effectively than lithium carbonate. This means that smaller doses can be used to achieve therapeutic results, versus the higher doses of prescription lithium that borderline toxicity levels. The effective therapeutic window using prescription lithium is dangerously close to the toxicity level, which is why regular blood/toxicity levels need to be checked through doctor supervision.
Lithium orotate is a safe over-the-counter mineral supple-ment that can be safely used to augment symptoms of:
• Stress
• Bipolar Disorder I & II (formerly known as manic depression)
• ADHD and ADD, Depression
• Alcoholism, Aggression
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Alzheimer’s, and much more
It is said to be effective for 70-80 percent of individuals with bipolar who take it! I was scared of this natural remedy for quite a while. Even the name scared me into thinking it was like the prescription lithium, of which I had heard horror stories of kidney failure, blood lithium level checks, and other debilitating side effects similar to what I experienced while taking Depakote.
I encourage you to do your own research, but I have read quite extensively now on this natural salt. I have talked to chiropractors, health-food storeowners, and naturopaths about its safety and efficacy. I can see that it may be amazingly beneficial to many people without the harmful side effects.
For the “broke, busy, or lazy,” lithium orotate could be a first natural treatment protocol if desired, as it is quite inexpensive. It is more effective at much lower doses than prescription lithium because it goes directly into the blood stream and is more potent at low doses!
It can also be beneficial for every “normal” brain as well! It protects the brain in a number of important ways, and has recently been found that low doses can actually restore and increase the grey matter in the brain, which is said to be the source of intelligence. It preserves and even renews brain cells. Eight out of ten people given lithium orotate increased their grey matter by 3% in only four weeks! Nothing else so far has been shown to do this. Supplementing with small amounts of lithium orotate may also provide anti-aging benefits to the brain, as well as protecting it from toxins. Lithium can also:
• Block the damaging effects of excitotoxins like Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), aspartame (found in diet sodas), and other chemicals found in processed foods
• Help form new cells by enhancing DNA replication
• Help protect against brain cell death caused by anti-convulsant drugs
• May protect against damaging effects of illegal drugs, alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, and marijuana
• May repair the brain’s abnormally-functioning neural pathways
• Help chelate aluminum thought to cause Alzheimer’s disease (AD) so that it can be expelled from the body according to a 2001 abstract in Society for Neuroscience.
The most interesting thing that I found in my research of lithium was a case study where 27 Texas counties found that the incidences of homicide, rape, robbery, burglary, suicides, and arrests for drug possession were significantly higher in counties whose drinking water contained little or no lithium. Comparatively, places where water naturally contained higher amounts of lithium had lower crime rates, and fewer hospitalizations for mental illness, psychosis, neurosis, personality disorders, schizophrenia, and even eating disorders.
SQUIRREL POINT
James Howenstine, M.D. spent thirty-four years as an internal medicine specialist before becoming convinced that natural products are safer, more effective, and less expensive than pharmaceutical drugs. He is the author of A Physicians Guide to Natural Products that Work, and believes that lithium should be added directly to the water supply instead of fluoride, especially in counties where lithium levels are deficient. Doing so would reduce crime rates, increase longevity of brain function in seniors, and help curtail the staggering number of children who are diagnosed with learning disabilities. “Since placing lithium in our water could improve general health and decrease the need for pharmaceutical drugs, there is little possibility this will occur,” Howenstine said.
................................................................................................
Order Number: 707720594 | Order Date: March 30 2019 Total: NZ$82.36
Delivered
iherb:
KAL, Lithium Orotate, 5 mg, 60 VegCaps
Item Price
NZ$6.76
Delivered
...............................................................................................
Piping Rock:
Item #Name & DescriptionQty.Item PriceTotal
40502Lithium Orotate, 5 mg, 60 Capsules, 2 Bottles1NZ$ 10.39NZ$ 10.39
...............................................................................................
HOPE THIS IS OF HELP
The Hardy’s product has lithium orotate in as one of its proprietary ingredients. You need to have authority from your gp to get it as it works so well and quickly that you can become overmedicated on your pharmaceutical antidepressants so may need to be slowly weaned off them under medical supervision. The gp may need to ring them and chat to them too. They contact you every couple of weeks to check you are ok and the price of the supplement includes free consults over the phone with their specialists. We can’t recommend them enough. I know I rave on about these supplements most days but I can honestly say they have been a miracle cure for my husband’s depression when nothing the psychiatrist of gp gave him made him feel any better. In fact all their drugs made him feel worse.
hardynutritionals.com/produ...
In NZ I get it from naturezone
naturezonehealth.com/collec...
Ring and ask to talk to Eric and tell him Lynley recommended you ring him as it worked so well for her husband. He will talk you through their process.
When you read the ingredients you will see they look very strong and I was a bit worried they might be overdosing him on vitamins but a friends son has been taking them for at least 5 years now since he was 7 for adhd and they also have made an amazing difference to that child.
Have you actually been able to buy it from a health shop in NZ? Which one? I couldn’t see it in our local one but I guess I should have asked at the counter. I just tried piping rock and it won’t go through to the check out for me.
Ps I just found it on trademe too! That is so strange as I tried to buy some about a year ago but couldn’t get through to the checkout on any site as they say it can’t be shipped to your country! Oh well, it is in the Hardy’s product we are using anyway .
We called Dr. Mischley's office a few days ago, and we asked her assistant to pass on that we are interested in the Hardy's Nutrients protocol. Our next appointment is on May 23, and we will discuss it. I also know that Dr. Mischley thinks highly of Lithium Orotate.
Great, I would love a few more people to try it to see if it is as good for them as it has been for my husband. I feel it may be a good thing for people who try b1 but don’t seem to have a huge improvement to take as well. Just in case they are missing a trace mineral eg lithium, or one of the other b vitamins.
U r definitely not alone. Talking helps. Professional or just with friends or family. Councillors r good but just remember if you don't click with a counsellor you can go to another one . In my experience they're not all the same
Hi, I was not exactly depressed but very scared of everything and worried about the least little thing. I certainly had a "brain fog", is the only way to discribe it. I read about vitamin B1 Thiamin and started taking them. I only take 250mg three times a day at meal times and my brain fog is very much better and my anxiety much, much better. My husband says I am back to myself again. It only took a couple of weeks to see an improvement. It's worth a try as it's only a supplement so will not do any harm if it does no good. Wishing you well.
Chicafromchinatown, do not be lonely. You are not alone. I was being treated for anxiety and depression for three years before my Parkinson's diagnosis. I realise now that there were other symptoms, the depression was the focus. It is part of this journey..and like most other Parkinson's symptoms..no two experience it the same way.
Look at it as part of the nasty deal you have been dealt...learn how to radically accept...I have found that process a huge help. Don't fight it.. Exercise gently and rest a lot...these things have helped me.
I am with you on this one. We can travel together.
Take good care
Yes, I agree. One of my friends said it perfectly, she told me “you are in a battle and you are tough enough to fight It”! We all need to find the fight in ourselves.💪🏻
Maxjc
Thanks for the encouragement!!! I am starting to feel better now, knowing that I am not alone in this battle. 🙏🏽
Chicafromchitown you are definitely not alone. Before I was diagnosed last year at 38 years old, I suffered for years from confusing symptoms of anxiety, depression, and moodiness. Over the years I on and off sought counseling but never was really able to get much relief. Once I got my dx it all made sense and I was able to start healing. The medication, exercise, good diet, and keeping stress as low as possible all make such a huge impact on my well being. I still fight anxiety, depression, and moodiness at times but all the aforementioned strategies, along with trying to keep a good attitude, make it much more manageable. Still, with a young family and a full time job there are times I'm overwhelmed and just struggle, and the people around me are just oblivious to it. I've learned to be as up front as possible with my family and co-workers about what I'm experiencing to help them understand. They are usually sympathetic. You are not alone.
Thank you 😊
Hi Chicafromchitown.
Depression is a common symptom of Pd. I have over 40 different symptoms of Pd but I have been able to reverse most of those symptoms and have lived Pd medication-free since 2002.
Did you look at my website - reverseparkinsons.net. If you have then have you tried to contact me? I don't charge anybody for helping them. I jus want everybody with Pd to overcome their symptoms as I have.
My doctor gave me the information. I am on my 3rd movement specialist & I think the 3rd time is a charm! Ironically, my doctor’s friend leads the group & the group leader has Parkinson’s. She is 50 years old and is a classical pianist. She’s very inspiring.
Yes, depression is one of the key symptoms I'm fighting now. Very tough. You're not alone.
Tenafterten
I’m so sorry you’re going through this tough time, I know how it is, luckily I found this forum we help each other. Do you also have PD?
Yes, was diagnosed in November.
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