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Inflammation markers, high and low


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I have read that being on and being off pill this a major side effect....there are so many people here that are way more versed than I arm in this...if can share articles, research, your knowledgeable on brain inflammation from pills....I would really appreciate it...I like to learn from others...thks

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cookie, brain inflammation is a very serious health condition. Encephalitis is a condition causing brain inflammation.

 

It is unlikely that withdrawal syndrome alone causes brain inflammation.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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I am not saving it is true or not true but I did know I had read something about it and here it is.

http://www.wellnessresources.com/freedom/articles/why_antidepressants_cause_brain_damage_breast_cancer_and_early_mortality/

 

 

FREEDOM NEWS

Why Antidepressants Cause Brain Damage, Breast Cancer, and Early Mortality

 

Thursday, May 12, 2011 - Byron Richards, CCNPrint E-mail

 

 

 

 

When you see a headline like this in the news, “Anti-inflammatory Drugs Reduce the Effectiveness of SSRI Antidepressants,” what does it make you think? The impression given is that if you are taking an SSRI then you shouldn’t take any pain pills if you want the antidepressants to work – which is the clear message of the press release1 that accompanied the study. If you’re keeping up with your health knowledge, you would realize that SSRI antidepressants must be “working” by some type of inflammatory method. It is now common knowledge that low-grade excess inflammation is behind virtually every disease of aging. The obvious contradictions don’t add up to health. Pulling strings further, as I explain in this article, leads to an understanding as to why antidepressants are associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, brain damage over time, and a significantly increased risk of early mortality. This is information the pill pushers at Big Pharma would prefer you never understood.

 

The study showed that the use of anti-inflammatory pain medications, such as ibuprofen, aspirin and naproxen, reduced the “effectiveness” of the most widely used type of antidepressants. A combination of an animal study and a large scale human data evaluation led researchers to conclude that the typical response rate to SSRIs of 54% dropped to 40%.

 

“The mechanism underlying these effects is not yet clear. Nevertheless, our results may have profound implications for patients, given the very high treatment resistance rates for depressed individuals taking SSRIs,” notes Dr. Jennifer Warner-Schmidt. “Many elderly individuals suffering from depression also have arthritic or related diseases and as a consequence are taking both antidepressant and anti-inflammatory medications. Our results suggest that physicians should carefully balance the advantages and disadvantages of continuing anti-inflammatory therapy in patients being treated with antidepressant medications.”

 

I guess she is trying to say that if you want to try to help your brain pain you may need to live with your physical pain – a testament to the ineptitude of Western Medicine’s drug-based therapies. The real story is what isn’t being said or explained – as almost nobody would take an SSRI antidepressant for any length of time if they understood what was actually just discovered.

 

These researchers noted that SSRIs provoked a release of pro-inflammatory signals in the brain, TNFa and IFNy, which were blocked by the anti-inflammatory drugs. TNFa (tumor necrosis factor alpha) is an inflammatory cytokine produced by immune cells and by glial cells in the brain – in response to a problem. For example, overweight people make far too much TNFa in their inflamed white adipose tissue, which can travel up to the brain, cross the blood brain barrier, and induce brain-inflammation resulting in the cognitive decline and depression that is so closely linked to obesity. IFNy (interferon gamma) is a potent activator of an immune-related response – typically to viral infection or a tumor. It specifically boosts up the production of highly inflammatory nitric oxide (iNOS), a compound that is essential for an immune system battle and is highly inflammatory to healthy nerve cells and to the cardiovascular system.

 

So how on earth could taking these brain-inflammatory SSRI antidepressant drugs help a person feel better mentally?

 

The BDNF Response to Health and Trauma

 

BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) is one of the most potent healing compounds in your brain. Adequate BDNF is needed for brain plasticity, cognitive intelligence, optimal learning, positive mood, etc. In other words BDNF is your brain rejuvenation compound. BDNF can prevent and treat Alzheimer’s disease. BDNF is even active outside your brain wherein it helps your muscles burn fat! A lack of BDNF sets the stage for addictive behavior2, including compulsive overeating3. Those with the lowest levels of BDNF have the worst depression4.

 

You can activate BDNF with aerobic exercise, even consistent moderate aerobics. Aerobics in older adults has been shown to stop brain shrinkage5 and boost BDNF while preventing depression. There are many nutrients6 that facilitate the production and release of BDNF (DHA, pantethine7, acetyl-l-carnitine8, zinc9, blueberries10, curcumin11, niacin12, DHEA13, and likely many others). Nutrients work very well to maintain BDNF levels in the face of high levels of stress14, as clicking on any of the prior study links will explain. In order to properly activate BDNF it also requires proper function of thyroid hormone15 – an issue that is problematic in many people with depression.

 

BDNF production in your brain occurs within glial cells (astrocytes). It is very important to understand that BDNF production can be activated by multiple signals coming into the glial cells, not just one type of input. In other words, we have glial cell activation in response to healthy behaviors like exercise and good nutrition, part of the ongoing process of keeping your brain rejuvenated and in tip-top working condition. In animal experiments following stroke, voluntary exercise16 helps produce high levels of BDNF and nerve regeneration whereas forced exercise does not.

 

BDNF is also activated during times of brain injury, so as to repair the injury17. Nerve cells do not split and divide like other cells in your body. Rather, nerve cells must either fix themselves or have a strategy to develop new nerve growth, and both processes require BDNF. Thus, one way to stimulate BDNF is to injure nerve cells.

 

It is this latter strategy that SSRI antidepressants utilize – in a manner never intended by Mother Nature. The details of this rather bizarre method of operation are explained in a detailed review article18. In brief, one way SSRIs are supposed to work is by enhancing the flow of serotonin – an effect that would be felt immediately upon taking. It is well recognized that an additional mechanism is in play, as for many it takes several weeks or longer before mood seems to improve. This latter effect is due to the SSRI medication progressively accumulating in glial cells, inducing a highly inflammatory toxic response, and triggering the release of BDNF. Now you can understand why taking anti-inflammatory drugs would interfere with SSRI function.

 

It should be understood that such a strategy to boost BDNF production is highly problematic and can just as readily result in suicide or worsened depression. First of all, a person who is depressed is lacking BDNF. This means their credit cards for BDNF have been maxed out trying to cope with the stress in their life. In essence, SSRI antidepressants are like getting a new BDNF credit card from a loan shark. The interest rates are astronomically high, i.e., the loan is given in the form of excitotoxic brain cell injury. Talk about robbing Peter to pay Paul. A very short term remedy at best.

 

According to the review article above, the method of BDNF activation by SSRI antidepressants utilizes a specific gene signaling pathway called TrkB (Tropomyosin-associated kinase). The overexpression of this particular gene signal is known to cause breast cancer19. It is not that BDNF causes breast cancer. Indeed, just about every nutrient listed above that boosts BDNF production naturally also protects against breast cancer. This is the difference between nutrition and drugs. Nutrients and exercise act in harmony with the brain to bolster its natural function, while nourishing and protecting other areas of the body. In this case SSRIs are manipulating an injury recovery strategy to boost BDNF by actually poisoning brain cells. This strategy was never intended to be used on an ongoing basis. It is quite clear that the TNFa activation of BDNF20 can have deleterious effects on the nervous systems and may not help BDNF production at all. The science provides a direct link to cancer, especially breast cancer.

 

Breast Cancer and SSRI Use

 

Human data regarding SSRI use and breast cancer is highly controversial. The reason it is controversial is due to Big Pharma-funded “scientists for hire” who crank out studies that say there is no risk. This is only one aspect of the blatant and fraudulent misrepresentation of SSRI risks and benefits.

 

This issue came front and center in an April 2011 open access article published in Plos One21 that reviewed 61 studies regarding breast and ovarian cancer and antidepressant use. The overall data showed that there was an 11% increased risk for breast and ovarian cancer associated with all types of antidepressants. The association between the SSRI type of antidepressants and cancer was stronger than for any other type of antidepressant, with all SSRI studies but one showing an increased risk of female cancer. Additionally, this April 2011 study also evaluated the financial ties of study authors to the companies that make antidepressants. Shockingly, none of the 15 researchers with financial ties to the industry found any risk for breast/ovarian cancer in the studies they conducted, whereas 43% of the researchers without industry ties found clear evidence of cancer risk. The authors called for more research to determine the exact nature of this risk, since 10% - 15% of women are on these drugs. Don’t expect the FDA to do anything meaningful any time soon.

 

Another angle is that women with breast cancer are often put on SSRI medications because they are depressed about their health. According to a February 2010 open access article published in the British Medical Journal22, the SSRI antidepressants block the effectiveness of Tamoxifen causing up to a 91% increased risk of death from breast cancer in a 2.5 year period of follow up.

The Disturbing Picture of the Cruel SSRI Scam

 

The SSRI literature cover-up extends far beyond attempting to hide or negate the link to breast cancer. The fraudulent scam goes to the heart of the matter- whether the drugs even work very well at all.

 

In 2008 the New England Journal of Medicine exposed the extent of the antidepressant deception. The great majority of negative SSRI studies were never published. A whistleblower who had worked at the FDA and was familiar with the data forced the data to public view. It showed 37 studies the FDA considered positive were published, whereas only 3 negative studies were published. 33 studies the FDA considered negative or questionable were either not published (22) or published with spin to look positive when they were not (11). This made antidepressant studies appear 96% positive in the literature, when in fact the studies were only 51% positive. In fact, as Newsweek magazine explained in January of 2010, that “benefit” was hardly any different than the placebo.

 

On the other hand, rather extreme side effect data from taking SSRI antidepressants continues to pour in. In November of 2008, it was shown that anyone over the age of 50 taking SSRIs on a continual basis had double the risk for fractures, as excessive serotonin production directly blocks new bone formation. In March of 2009 it was reported in a large study of women that antidepressant use, independent of other variables, was linked to a statistically increased risk of sudden cardiac death. In December of 2009 researchers reported that in 136,000 postmenopausal women taking SSRIs there was a 45% increased risk of stroke of any kind, a 32% increased risk of mortality23 from any cause, a 212% increased risk of a hemorrhagic stroke, and a 210% increased risk that the stroke damage would be so severe it would cause death. As mentioned at the beginning of this article, the increased rate of inflammation in the brain, especially activating highly inflammatory iNOS in response to INFy, is a clear mechanism that could cause these dangerous strokes in the brain.

 

The issue of cardiovascular, breast cancer, and mortality adverse effects from SSRIs is far from settled. The industry will do everything in its power to pay scientists to publish studies that state or imply there are no problems. The battle will go on for years, with massive litigation expenses hanging over the heads of Big Pharma. The FDA, as always, is missing in action. However, to the person taking an SSRI to feel better, it is clear that the drugs work by inflammatory mechanisms that are not healthy over the long haul and possibly even in the short term. SSRIs are a credit card at best and one day you will need to pay up.

 

While I am well aware of people who feel symptomatic improvement from taking antidepressants, this information serves as a wake-up call and hopefully will help such people find alternative solutions such as exercise, weight loss, a better diet, dietary supplements that can help boost BDNF, improved stress management skills, and non-drug psychotherapy as needed. Getting off SSRI medications requires that you work with your doctor – and the long term goal is to be off them because you don’t need them. I also have first hand knowledge of many people who have been injured by SSRI medications, including suicide. The fact that the SSRI medications, while helpful to some, are clinically proven to be no better than a placebo, represents one of the great con jobs of all time on the unsuspecting American public. Maybe Congress should investigate this issue instead of wasting time and taxpayer money on Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens.

WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG
Had a car accident in 85
Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89
Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which year
Was not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.
One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking.

As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/

There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in :)

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sorry I really messed that up can you fix it please thanks

WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG
Had a car accident in 85
Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89
Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which year
Was not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.
One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking.

As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/

There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in :)

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Yes, interesting. Thanks, I wasn't trying to trigger anyone my apologizes if I did. I am just saying could be why so many are suffering. Like I said ion my post, I could of been wrong in what I read, and please correct me if I am wrong.

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For anyone interested in the studies posted with the above article here is the list.

Referenced Studies:

^ Effectiveness of SSRI Antidepressants Reduced by Anti-inflammatory Drugs Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Jennifer L. Warner-Schmidt, Kimberly E. Vanover, Emily Y. Chen, John J. Marshall, and Paul Greengard.

^ Adequate BDNF Helps Stop Addiction Brain Res. McGinty JF, Whitfield TW Jr, Berglind WJ.

^ BDNF and Obesity New England Journal of Medicine Joan C. Han, M.D., Qing-Rong Liu, Ph.D., MaryPat Jones, M.S., Rebecca L. Levinn, B.A., Carolyn M. Menzie, B.S., Kyra S. Jefferson-George, Diane C. Adler-Wailes, M.S., Ethan L. Sanford, B.A., Felicitas L. Lacbawan, M.D., George R. Uhl, M.D., Ph.D., Owen M.

^ Low BDNF in Schizophrenia and Depression Molecular Psychiatry F Angelucci, S Brenè and A A Mathé.

^ Aerobic Exercise, Depression, and BDNF Neuroscientist. Erickson KI, Miller DL, Roecklein KA.

^ Brain Boosting Nutrition Nature Reviews Neuroscience Fernando Gómez-Pinilla

^ Pantethine Helps Your Brain Med Hypotheses. Tsai SJ.

^ ALC Helps Sustain BDNF Levels Under Stress Neurosci Lett. Bigini P, Larini S, Pasquali C, Muzio V, Mennini T.

^ Zinc and BDNF J Neural Transm. Sowa-Kućma M, Legutko B, Szewczyk B, Novak K, Znojek P, Poleszak E, Papp M, Pilc A, Nowak G.

^ Blueberries Boost BDNF Production Free Radic Biol Med. Williams CM, El Mohsen MA, Vauzour D, Rendeiro C, Butler LT, Ellis JA, Whiteman M, Spencer JP.

^ Curcumin Offsets Chonic Stress by Boosting BDNF Brain Research Ying Xua, Baoshan Kub, Li Cuic, Xuejun Lib, Philip A. Barisha, Thomas C. Fosterc and William O. Oglea.

^ Niacin Boosts BDNF Production Stroke. Cui X, Chopp M, Zacharek A, Roberts C, Buller B, Ion M, Chen J.

^ DHEA Boosts BDNF Production Neuroscience. Pinnock SB, Lazic SE, Wong HT, Wong IH, Herbert J.

^ Curcumin Boosts BDNF Production, Alleviates Depression Neurosci Lett. Huang Z, Zhong XM, Li ZY, Feng CR, Pan AJ, Mao QQ.

^ Thyroid Function, BDNF, and Brain Plasticity Mol Cell Neurosci. Shulga A, Blaesse A, Kysenius K, Huttunen HJ, Tanhuanpää K, Saarma M, Rivera C.

^ Voluntary Exercise is Best for Boosting BDNF PLoS One. Ke Z, Yip SP, Li L, Zheng XX, Tong KY.

^ BDNF, A Key to Repairing and Maintaining Your Brain Brain Willson ML, McElnea C, Mariani J, Lohof AM, Sherrard RM.

^ BDNF and SSRIs PLoS One. Scarlett B. Pinnock, Alastair M. Blake, Nicola J. Platt, and Joe Herbert

^ Inapproproate BDNF/TrkB Activation May Lead to Cancer PLoS One. Cameron HL, Foster WG.

^ Mechanism of NF-kappaB Activation Determines if BDNF Helps Brain Cells J Neurosci. Gutierrez H, O’Keeffe GW, Gavaldà N, Gallagher D, Davies AM.

^ Plos One

^ British Medical Journal

^ Are Antidepressants Killers? Arch Intern Med. Jordan W. Smoller; Matthew Allison; Barbara B. Cochrane; J. David Curb; Roy H. Perlis; Jennifer G. Robinson; Milagros C. Rosal; Nanette K. Wenger; Sylvia Wassertheil-Smoller

WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG
Had a car accident in 85
Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89
Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which year
Was not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.
One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking.

As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/

There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in :)

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Yep, it's clear that antidepressants can set off a lot of reactions in the body that are not good for your health.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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I am especially curious about the immune issues I have not looked seriously at this as I just found out my immune system is under par. Makes sense with all the infections I was having back in 05 onward still having them but not as often as I do not tax myself by having a real life. The other thing I want an answer to is the breast cancer question as I have had some issues with this in the past year and a half still checking with mamograms so often it worries me.

Maybe I should say this as other may have it too the immune issue is low gamma globulins they make up 80% of the immune system so when they are low you cannot get better fast or fight off infections as well. I cannot seem to go to the dentist without getting an infection and it takes 2-3 bottles of antibiotics to heal. very tiresome.

 

 

ps is there something wrong with this thread as half the information (all the links to above mentioned articles and the article itself is below this post???? I was posting on the last post but this is showing up in the middle site problem?

WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG
Had a car accident in 85
Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89
Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which year
Was not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.
One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking.

As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/

There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in :)

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  • 6 months later...

Great article. One thing that stood out for me was BDNF. There is a way to increase that naturally. This could spell great news to ppl in WD. I remember this because I once studied Intermittent Fasting (I.F). This is when someone eats for 24hrs, then fasts on water for 24hrs. Don't worry, you can eat the same amount of food as you normally would. It has huge health benefits as in our evolution our body is hard wired for it. We haven't always been able to wake up and go to the fridge to get breakfast or had food so readily available.

 

Basically, you pick a time of the day to stop eating, and you fast til that time the next day. So if you eat breakfast and lunch and stop eating at 2pm, then you don't eat again til 2pm the next day. If you're really hungry, you can still 'catch up' your calories by eating the same amount of food that you missed in that time with a big feast. So you eat for 24hrs as much as you want, then 2pm the following day you do it again.

 

Here's a quote from an article. I've read better ones but i couldn't be bothered hunting for one right now:

 

"Like caloric restriction, intermittent fasting reduces oxidative stress, makes the animals more resistant to acute stress in general, reduces blood pressure, reduces blood sugar, improves insulin sensitivity, reduces the incidence of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, and improves cognitive ability. But IF does even more. Animals that are intermittently fasted greatly increase the amount of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) relative to CR animals. CR animals don’t produce much more BDNF than do ad libitum fed animals.

 

What’s BDNF? (The Wikipedia definition is actually pretty good)

 

BDNF, as its name implies, is a substance that increases the growth of new nerve cells in the brain, but it does much more than that. BDNF is neuroprotective against stress and toxic insults to the brain and is somehow–no one yet knows how, exactly–involved in the insulin sensitivity/glucose regulating mechanism. Infusing BDNF into animals increases their insulin sensitivity and makes them lose weight. Humans with greater levels of BDNF have lower levels of depression. BDNF given to depressed humans reduces their depression. And Increased levels of BDNF improves cognitive ability. In short, you want as much BDNF as you can get., and with IF you can get a lot."

 

I'm going to start immediately as my WD is really making my life hell.

 

Will update y'all in how it pans out.

 

BB

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Please do, bb.

 

I suggest, though, that the variation in blood sugar levels may exacerbate your symptoms.

 

When you have withdrawal syndrome, you want to keep your entire system as level and steady as possible.

 

A gentler and effective way to increase BDNF is simply walking, breathing deeply, and doing what you can to enjoy the scenery.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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Thanks Alto. But I'm a stubborn Taurus and I won't know for sure unless I try myself. I do know a fair bit about fasting and it's healing effects on the body from a personal interest I had a few yrs ago. While the body isn't digesting food(which is a huge energetic task for it) it repairs itself. Gut wall, brain, the works. As long as the fast is kept short it won't go into starvation mode consuming itself.

 

I tried a short stint with this intermittent fasting for a couple of weeks, a couple of years ago. Yes, the first 2 or 3 fasting days you can really feel your bloodsugar go down and there's a headache and a slight feeling of weakness. It really isn't that bad tho. People are so terrified of going without food. It's an irrational fear really. Each time after that is easier as the body adjust and insulin resistance improves etc, until you don't notice much at all. And that's just in the space of 2wks so I'd imagine long term it would be even easier. Towards the end of the 2wks that i was trying it out, i really didn't notice I was fasting at all. The day flew by and just felt like a normal day.

 

I normally eat dinner around 8pm and breakfast about 10am, which is a 14hr fast. So I'm really going without food for 10hrs. I remember how much time it freed up as I would clean my house and do other things. My skin cleared up as well, that was great. I didn't lose any weight as I made up those calories in the next 24hrs. I'm already thin I don't want to lose weight. But I made an effort to make up those calories, ppl who eat normal after the fasting period is up will lose weight. My personal hunch is that that is not from the body using fat while fasting, it's from improved insulin resistance. Can't prove it, just a hunch.

 

Anyway, I haven't seen any posts of anyone trying this on this forum so I will try. And if there's a chance that this could help people, then I'll take the risk. Who knows, it could become a protocal for a way out of this nasty situation we find ourselves in. A bit ambitious but there's only one way to find out

 

It's my first morning of fasting today. I'm going to have a cup of herbal tea without honey in it. Pretty bland, but i know you can put artificial sweetener in it (most ppl I've read about like coffee on their fasting days, but I'm not a fan of caffeine). Anything non caloric will not interupt the fasting state. I'm not into artificial sweeteners as i know how bad they are for ppls health and especially the brain. I may buy some Stevia (natural sweetener) today as that's natural and only 1/2 a calorie per tablet.

 

At 4pm (when I break the fast) I'm going to make the best smoothie with fresh berries, bananas, cinamin, 2 raw eggs, and bee pollen. Yum.

 

BB

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  • 6 months later...

Very good article. I have the brain damage - lesions in the white matter/glia.

Pristiq tapered over 8 months ending Spring 2011 after 18 years of polydrugging that began w/Zoloft for fatigue/general malaise (not mood). CURRENT: 1mg Klonopin qhs (SSRI bruxism), 75mg trazodone qhs, various hormonesLitigation for 11 years for Work-related injury, settled 2004. Involuntary medical retirement in 2001 (age 39). 2012 - brain MRI showing diffuse, chronic cerebrovascular damage/demyelination possibly vasculitis/cerebritis. Dx w/autoimmune polyendocrine failure.<p>2013 - Dx w/CNS Sjogren's Lupus (FANA antibodies first appeared in 1997 but missed by doc).

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  • 3 years later...

After being a little nervous of the similarities of brain inflammation symptoms and my symptoms (lethargy, fog, fatigue and drowsiness) I looked it up. Feel much better and saved a lot of money on unnecessary tests (MRIs and EEG).

 

http://binged.it/1rvJSrB

Lexapro: started in 2002 at 10 mgs.

Ambien: started as a as needed sleep aid in 2010.

Quit Lexapro cold turkey in June 20015 due to contributing to low sodium issues.

Restarted Lexapro in late November for a week (only 5 mgs) but quit due to dizziness side effects. Side effects worsened for 3 weeks until

12/24/15: Protracted WD hit, experienced extreme anxiety, insomnia lack of full concentration and social challenges.

Reinstated Lexapro on 1/1/16 at 5 mgs. Increased per Dr to 7.5 MG. Tapered off Lexapro in March 2016.

Started 50MG of Seroquel in late January 2016 for bedtime to help in eliminate Ambien. Tapered off both Seroquel and Ambien in March 2016.

2/14/16: Prescribed both Remeron (15 MG) and Temazapam (15 MG) for sleep. Also use Klonopin and Ambien again in place of Temazapam to avoid addiction. However I did take Temazapam 60 straight days

6/15/16: Stopped use of all benzo's and now use Belsomra 1-2 times a week. Still on 15 MG of Remeron

10/11/16: Off all psych medications

 

After kindling, trying to regain my strength suffering from severe mental and physical fatigue.

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  • 7 months later...

Hi,

My CRP is below 0,6 mg/L when measured in January and in August, Is it stupid of me to try a high dose of EPA + some DHA? 

Zoloft: summer of 2005, age 15, until Dec. 2005

Fluoxetine: Started in either 2009, 2010 or 2011, reaching 60 mg. Stopped (cold turkey) and started again. Stopped again in spring or summer of 2012. Started again in July 2013 and stopped in 2014.

Anafranil: 2014 - 2016, different doses, highest was 150 mg in spring of 2016.
June 2016, 150 mg to 75 mg overnight;

June - August 2016 reduced dosage, reaching 25 mg
Sept. 2016 last dose either 25 mg or half that dose

Lyrica: some weeks uptil a few months in 2012 and/or 2013.
Cymbalta30 mg June 14, 2016; 60 mg June 23; c/t off early July.
Inderal: 40 mg May 2015, reaching 120 mg 2016. Stopped the daily medication in fall of 2016.

Modiodal: Taken as needed, started April 2016 and stopped October 2016
Other medications taken briefly: Mirtazapin, Risperidon, Valdoxan, EdronaxLamotrigine, Tryptizol, Olanzapine, Propavan, Imovane, Lergigan, Atarax, Ipren, Citodon, Alvedon, Omeprazole
Current medications: None

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Hi,

 

Listened to the swedish radio today and the main topic was recovery after stroke. The scientist talked about the good effects of inflammation (in the brain) on the recovery of the brain after a stroke. It made me wonder if my brain isn't healing from my depression. Because I know that my CRP is low (below 0,6 mg/L). What do you think? The scientist also mentioned a theory that SSRI could help the brain to heal after a stroke... Weird.

Zoloft: summer of 2005, age 15, until Dec. 2005

Fluoxetine: Started in either 2009, 2010 or 2011, reaching 60 mg. Stopped (cold turkey) and started again. Stopped again in spring or summer of 2012. Started again in July 2013 and stopped in 2014.

Anafranil: 2014 - 2016, different doses, highest was 150 mg in spring of 2016.
June 2016, 150 mg to 75 mg overnight;

June - August 2016 reduced dosage, reaching 25 mg
Sept. 2016 last dose either 25 mg or half that dose

Lyrica: some weeks uptil a few months in 2012 and/or 2013.
Cymbalta30 mg June 14, 2016; 60 mg June 23; c/t off early July.
Inderal: 40 mg May 2015, reaching 120 mg 2016. Stopped the daily medication in fall of 2016.

Modiodal: Taken as needed, started April 2016 and stopped October 2016
Other medications taken briefly: Mirtazapin, Risperidon, Valdoxan, EdronaxLamotrigine, Tryptizol, Olanzapine, Propavan, Imovane, Lergigan, Atarax, Ipren, Citodon, Alvedon, Omeprazole
Current medications: None

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  • 5 months later...
On 6/19/2016 at 11:16 AM, Christian said:

After being a little nervous of the similarities of brain inflammation symptoms and my symptoms (lethargy, fog, fatigue and drowsiness) I looked it up. Feel much better and saved a lot of money on unnecessary tests (MRIs and EEG).

 

http://binged.it/1rvJSrB

Hi Christian, Can you please link the particular article from his site?

Thank you so much!

Sheri

Effexor XR 300 (brand) mg & various SSRIs 15 yrs (Effexor XR 300 mg past 10 yrs

Clonazepam, 1.0 mg. am, .5 mg pm. - 15 yrs, 7-17-16- Began .5 three times a day

Vyvanse 60 mg, - 2 yrs, Cut to 50 mg for 6 mths, Cut to 30 mg. on 4-1-16. Tapering.

Approx. 4-1-15 began Effexor XR 300 taper, very slowly for a year. Held at 37.5 for about 3 mths. Cut to 18 mg for 2 wks to 0. WD began 2 wks later. Depression, anxiety, paranoia, low appetite, nausea.

7-14-16-Reinstated 5 beads Effx after 4 mths misery.Pooped out 10 days.

9-12-16-to present- Wide eyed terror, bedridden fear, no appetite/feeling of being full.

10-30-16- Began 15% liquid tapering of 30 mg Vyvanse. (25 mg)

11-13-16- Liquid Vyvanse 22 mg,11-27-16- Liquid 15 mg, 12-12-16- Vyvanse 12.5 for 5 days. 12-16 - 12-29, 15 mg.

11-20-16- Switched back to 1.0 clonazepam am & .5 bedtime

12-30-16- Moved to 15 mg COMPOUNDED Vyvanse.Current 4/11-4/25 7.5 mg.(10% ev 2 wks) Off Vyvanse

Current meds:Effexor XR- 3 Beads, Clonazepam-1.0 mg am, .5 mg bedtime,Vyvanse-(tapering) Estradiol- 2

mg,Progesterone 200 mg,Testosterone 30 mg/ml,Nature Throid- 48.75 mg.(12-21-16-65 mg.) (4-18-17-81.25 mg) Current supplements: Fish Oil-1360 mg, Curamin- 2706 mg.

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  • ChessieCat changed the title to Brain inflammation
  • 7 months later...

Those interested in the connection between inflammation and, say, the functioning of the brain, may find useful information here.

Have not tried yet, myself, but was amazed that such a centre existed.

 

https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/inflammation-ageing/index.aspx

Born 1945. 

1999 - First Effexor/Venlafaxine

2016 Withdrawal research. Effexor.  13Jul - 212.5mg;  6Aug - 200.0mg;  24Aug - 187.5mg;  13Sep - 175.0mg;  3Oct - 162.5mg;  26Oct - 150mg 

2017  9Jan - 150.00mg;  23Mar - 137.50mg;  24Apr - 125.00mg;  31May - 112.50mg holding;  3Sep - 100.00mg;  20Sep - 93.75mg;  20Oct - 87.5mg;  12Nov - 81.25mg;  13 Dec - 75.00mg

2018  18Jan - 69.1mg; 16Feb - 62.5mg; 16March - 57.5mg (-8%); 22Apr - 56.3mg(-2%); CRASHED - Updose 29May - 62.5mg; Updose - 1Jul - 75.0mg. Updose - 2Aug - 87.5mg. Updose - 27Aug - 100.0mg. Updose - 11Oct 112.5mg. Updose - 6Nov 125.00mg

2019 Updoses 19 Jan - 150.0mg. 1April - 162.5mg. 24 April - Feeling better - doing tasks, getting outside.  7 May - usual depression questionnaire gives "probably no depression" result.

Supps/Vits  Omega 3;  Chelated Magnesium;  Prebiotics/Probiotics, Vit D3. 

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  • 3 years later...

Has anyone had high blood inflammation markers due to withdrawal from a long history of psych drug usage/being polydrugged? My MMP9 and TGF- beta 1 is high.

2009-2018, Paxil 40 mg. Tapered-0mg in 6 weeks.

October 2020-May 2021

Zoloft, 25mg, 50mg, then 100mg. Tapered 25mg a week then 0mg less than a month. 

July 2021-  Zoloft reinstated  25mg 1 week , 50 mg 1 week later, 100mg 2 weeks later.

March 2022- began taper from 100mg, 10%/ 4 weeks. Got to 75mg around July 2022. Bad fatigue, body pain, OCD thoughts, intrusive fears/thoughts, occasional nightmares, memory loss, tongue tied, more frequent headaches, fear of losing everything, bipolar like behavior, paranoia that everyone is watching and judging me, unprovoked anger/rage, occasional flu like symptoms, dizziness, hair loss becoming the norm in the last few months.

Still in treatment for Lyme Disease and  Bartonella 4 years later as well as for Mycotoxins, EBV, MCAS with no resolution or positive responses to treatment protocols.

May 2023-August 2023 75mg-62.5mg.

August 2023-Current 50mg

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  • Administrator

Never, and I was in a telomere study, too. Not a sign of inflammation (other than thyroid antibodies, which might have been coincidental). Telomere length was absolutely normal as well -- and this was after many years of protracted withdrawal syndrome.

 

I had CRP test many times. About half-way into protracted withdrawal (several years), I developed lone atrial fibrillation, which is an arrhythmia without any signs of disease. Zero inflammation in connection with that, too.

 

I developed histamine intolerance had inflammation tests through the phase of gut healing and dietary restriction, for years. Never any sign of inflammation.

 

Personally, I am very skeptical about theories that inflammation contributes to psychiatric disorder or is a result of psychiatric symptoms. However, people can have various infections or inflammation from diseases while experiencing "psychiatric" symptoms (which are so vague, they are nearly synonymous with simply being alive and aware in the modern world).

 

Not all signs of inflammation are significant. In a general population, signs of inflammation are probably as common and widely distributed as, say, shoe size. Because something is measurable doesn't mean it's meaningful.

 

That said, you should research to see what the significance of your test results might be. Beyond withdrawal syndrome, you might be seeing signs of a disease starting and you might be able to make a lifestyle change or get other treatment to reduce it. We should not assume every symptom is from withdrawal (though many are).

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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  • Mentor
On 12/18/2021 at 2:37 PM, Mountainsky said:

Has anyone had high blood inflammation markers due to withdrawal from a long history of psych drug usage/being polydrugged? My MMP9 and TGF- beta 1 is high.

not me,

my hCRP (or is it called hs? high sensitivity one done  for poss. cardiac issues) was and continues to be, very low. 

 

I've never heard of MMP9 or TGF, what are those?

 

cool that you were in a telomere study Alto.

I'm afraid to know what the length of mine are LOL I'd rather 

 

 

  • pysch med history: 1974 @ age 18 to Oct 2017 (approx 43 yrs total) 
  •  Drug list: stelazine, haldol, elavil, lithium, zoloft, celexa, lexapro(doses as high as 40mgs), klonopin, ambien, seroquel(high doses), depakote, zyprexa, lamictal- plus brief trials of dozens of other psych meds over the years
  • started lexapro 2002, dose varied from 20mgs to 40mgs. First attempt to get off it was 2007- WD symptoms were mistaken for "relapse". 
  •  2013 too fast taper down to 5mg but WD forced me back to 20mgs
  •  June of 2105, tapered again too rapidly to 2.5mgs by Dec 2015. Found SA, held at 2.5 mgs til May 2016 when I foolishly "jumped off". felt ok until  Sept, then acute WD hit!!  reinstated at 0.3mgs in Oct. 2106
  • Tapered off to zero by  Oct. 2017 Doing very well. 
  • Nov. 2018 feel 95% healed, age 63 
  • Jan. 2020 feel 100% healed, peaceful and content
  • Dec 2023 Loving life! ❤️ with all it's ups and downs ;) 
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  • Altostrata changed the title to Inflammation markers, high and low
  • 9 months later...
On 12/18/2021 at 2:37 PM, Mountainsky said:

Has anyone had high blood inflammation markers due to withdrawal from a long history of psych drug usage/being polydrugged? My MMP9 and TGF- beta 1 is high.

Yes. I had these, the crp, sed and esr for me were also normal.... this test is different and shows systemic inflammation.  My tgf1 was 19k and the cut off was 6. Please write me back because I was wondering if it was possible for wd to effect this. 

- 10 mg lexparo 1.5 years

- ativan for panic 0.5 , never more than once daily and not everyday for 4 years.

-cold turkeyed in June 5 of 2021.

 

Buspar a few days and had severe muscle pain. July 26, 27, then 30 of 2021.

 

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On 12/19/2021 at 3:09 PM, Altostrata said:

Never, and I was in a telomere study, too. Not a sign of inflammation (other than thyroid antibodies, which might have been coincidental). Telomere length was absolutely normal as well -- and this was after many years of protracted withdrawal syndrome.

 

I had CRP test many times. About half-way into protracted withdrawal (several years), I developed lone atrial fibrillation, which is an arrhythmia without any signs of disease. Zero inflammation in connection with that, too.

 

I developed histamine intolerance had inflammation tests through the phase of gut healing and dietary restriction, for years. Never any sign of inflammation.

 

Personally, I am very skeptical about theories that inflammation contributes to psychiatric disorder or is a result of psychiatric symptoms. However, people can have various infections or inflammation from diseases while experiencing "psychiatric" symptoms (which are so vague, they are nearly synonymous with simply being alive and aware in the modern world).

 

Not all signs of inflammation are significant. In a general population, signs of inflammation are probably as common and widely distributed as, say, shoe size. Because something is measurable doesn't mean it's meaningful.

 

That said, you should research to see what the significance of your test results might be. Beyond withdrawal syndrome, you might be seeing signs of a disease starting and you might be able to make a lifestyle change or get other treatment to reduce it. We should not assume every symptom is from withdrawal (though many are).

Yeah, the ones you had were also normal  for me, these tests are different. I wish I'd known about them a long time ago. 

- 10 mg lexparo 1.5 years

- ativan for panic 0.5 , never more than once daily and not everyday for 4 years.

-cold turkeyed in June 5 of 2021.

 

Buspar a few days and had severe muscle pain. July 26, 27, then 30 of 2021.

 

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