Depression and Natural Progesterone

Background on Depression

The causes of depression are not fully known. It is possibly a combination of genetic, biologic, and environmental factors at work. In women, the female hormones estrogen and progesterone most likely play a role.

Women experience depression at roughly twice the rate of men.

One in five women can expect to develop clinical depression during their lifetime. Regardless of age, race, or income clinical depression can occur in any woman, and can be serious enough to lead to suicide.

Depression is second only to high blood pressure as a chronic condition encountered by primary care physicians. It is estimated that 10% of people who visit their physician suffer from major depression, although it in most cases it goes unrecognized or inadequately treated.

Depression is an illness that can afflict anyone, and it is sometimes referred to as the common cold of mental illness.

Although some evidence suggests the depression has increased over recent decades, one 40-year analysis found the overall rate to be holding steady, although the burden of depression may be shifting to women younger than 45.

Selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are now the first-line treatment of major depression. They work by increasing levels of serotonin in the brain. SSRIs include fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft), paroxetine (Paxil), fluvoxamine (Luvox), and citalopram (Celexa, Cipramil).

Some of the side effects of SSRIs include dizziness, dry mouth, weight gain, headaches, lack of motivation, sexual dysfunction and worsening of glaucoma. Reducing the dose of the antidepressant before stopping it is recommended.

The Dark Side of Prozac

Millions of Americans, and Australians for that matter, are on Prozac to treat everything from serious depression to shyness, obesity, PMS, and back pain. They’ve been told it has few, or no, side effects.

But what is the dark side of Prozac?

What essential facts must you have if you are already taking Prozac, or are considering taking it?

Dr. Robert Bourgignon who runs Securimed, a small company on Avenue Louise that provides doctors with information about drugs, sent questionnaires to doctors, inviting them to note their patients’ reactions to Prozac. Eighty responded and reported reactions that included suicidal tendencies and violence.

Many doctors admit that Prozac is not as effective as they had at first believed.

Dr. Guido Peeters, a Flemish psychiatrist who works with the Community Help Service, suggests why:

It’s well known in medical circles that you are more likely to prescribe a drug when it’s new. There’s a placebo effect that produces hope in the scientific community and among patients. Prozac seemed to work well in the beginning and it can be useful, although it’s probably over-prescribed. It’s easy for doctors to hand out pills and many patients prefer to go for the ‘quick-fix’ pill rather than discuss their problems.

Eldred Taylor, M.D. and Ava Bell-Taylor, M.D., authors of Are Your Hormones Making You Sick? A Woman’s Guide to Better Health Through Hormonal Balance make the following arguement;

In the body, pregnanolone and allopregnanolone are derived from progesterone. These chemicals behave like sedative drugs i.e. Xanax, Prozac, Zoloft, and barbiturates.

The majority of patients prescribed Prozac and other SSRIs are women between the ages of 25-50. These are also the same age ranges in which women commonly complain about PMS symptoms. A recent study suggests that synthetic SSRI’s are helpful in the treatment of PMS because they increase the level of allpregnanolone.

In other words, these drugs are mimicking the effect of progesterone.

Approximately 36% of women with PMS complain of depression, confusion, crying and forgetfulness. These symptoms are usually found in the most severe cases of PMS. Neurotransmitters (chemicals that transmit messages within the brain and help control mood) decrease with increasing estrogen levels. The SSRI drugs that are used for depression increase neurotransmitters called monoamines. Estrogen inhibits the synthesis of monoamines. Endorphins are also a group of compounds made in the brain that normalize or elevate the mood. Estrogen excess in the luteal phase decreases endorphin levels in the brain. Studies have shown that low endorphin levels in the luteal phase are common in women with PMS.

Cortisol is a hormone that scientists associate with stress as well as chronic mood disorders. During times of stress, cortisol levels rise and then subside as the stress subsides.

If stress is chronic or if a chronic mood disorder (anxiety, depression) is present, increased cortisol levels may indicate that the brain has become resistant to cortisol’s effects, scientists believe.

Copper and zinc are involved in enzymes within brain cells. The balance of zinc and copper are very important in the brain’s regulation of mood and reaction to stress.

Vitamin B6 is the vitamin most commonly needed by these particular enzymes, which is why it often is effective in treating depression.

There’s an association between high copper levels, low zinc levels, and the rage that can be associated with PMS. Long term exposure to excessive estrogen (and synthetic progestins) can lead to copper and zinc imbalance. Imbalance of these two minerials results in unbalanced activity of the enzymes for which they are cofactors and leads to exaggerated stress reastions, serious mood swings, and depression.

Studies have shown that in countries where large amounts of fish are consumed, rates of depression are low as compared with countries where little fish is consumed. This has led researchers to examine whether omega-3 fats found in the fish are responsible for the decreased evidence of depression.

Low vitamin D may contribute to depression. For most of us, during the winter this becomes an important consideration as we don’t receive enough sun exposure to generate the vitamin D we need to provide us with all the health benefits vitamin D has to offer.

Cod liver oil as a supplement is the same as fish oil, but it has natural vitamin D and A. Seasonal Affective Disorder has been treated successfully with vitamin D.

There ARE laboratory tests available to help your treating GP make a more informed diagnosis. A full salivary hormone panel can be ordered to determine whether you are dealing with high or low cortisol & progesterone levels. Also available is specialised reference testing of trace elements copper, zinc, selenium, manganese.

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