Vitamins and Antidepressants for Depression

In previous generations, vitamins for depression and antidepressant treatments wasn't as commonplace as it is in the 21^st century. Some people suffering from mental illnesses have low levels of vitamins in their bodies and their brain chemistries do not produce enough serotonin to promote a sense of well-being, according to the Mayo Clinic. Before taking any medications or vitamins for depression, talk to your doctor or a mental health professional especially if you have thoughts of hurting yourself or others.

If you don't get enough Vitamin B-12, you might experience depression even if you take other medications, warns the Mayo Clinic. Eating plenty of green leafy vegetables, fish, meat, poultry, eggs, milk and fortified breakfast cereals is the best way for you to increase your B-12 intake. While Vitamin B-12 capsules do not interact with antidepressants such as Prozac, talk to your doctor before taking such vitamins for depression because you can consume more B-12 than is really healthy for your body.

Low levels of folate and Vitamin B-6 can also contribute to depression, according to the Mayo Clinic. Folate or folic acid helps promote cell growth and may prevent some types of cancer. While you can safely take most folate or B-6 vitamins for depression with psychiatric drugs, you should strive to get most of your folic acid from your diet. Good sources of folate include spinach, turnip greens, fruit juices, citrus fruits, dried beans and peas.

Your doctor might prescribe an antidepressant such as trazodone to help you overcome your symptoms, according to MedlinePlus. Trazodone, a serotonin modulator, increases the amount of serotonin in your brain to help control depression. However, trazodone and other antidepressants do not cure depression and it might take at least two weeks for your symptoms to improve. Potential side effects include headache, muscle pain, confusion, nightmares, weakness, tiredness and dry mouth. Trazodone does not interact with most vitamins for depression, but talk to your doctor before adding new supplements to your treatment plan.

In most cases, you can take selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as fluoxetine or Prozac along with vitamins for depression, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center Drug Checker. However, be careful not to take too many vitamins for depression. After taking a drug such as fluoxetine, you might experience side effects such as nausea, dry mouth, sore throat, weight loss, appetite loss and excessive sweating. It takes at least four weeks to feel the full therapeutic effect of SSRIs whether or not you take vitamins for depression.

References:

• Mayo Clinic; Vitamin B-12 and Depression; February 2011: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/vitamin-b12-and-depression/AN01543
• MedlinePlus; Fluoxetine; August 2011: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/meds/a689006.html
• MedlinePlus; Trazodone; August 2009:http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/meds/a681038.html
• MedlinePlus; Vitamins; March 2011: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/vitamins.html
• National Institutes of Health; Mood Disorders; February 2011: http://report.nih.gov/NIHfactsheets/ViewFactSheet.aspx?csid=48&key=M#M
• Office of Dietary Supplements; Folate: http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/folate
• University of Maryland Medical Center: Drug Checker: http://www.umm.edu/adam/drug_checker.htm