depression and medications causing headaches and other sympt

Vicki Sindel · Joined: 01 Jun 2009 Posts: 1

I have been on Zoloft at 100 mg for years. I started taking 5-HTP with this because I was still depressed and my doctor increased my antidepression meds, but they gave me constant headaches. At first when I started taking the 5-HTP at 100 mg it really helped and as far as
feeling depressed I do feel better then when I am in a spiral downward.
Anyone with depression can understand that one. What is happening is
I am getting such bad headaches now that it feels like my head is about to explode. And I have noticed something else lately. frenquently throughout the day I will get a throbbing ache in my spine. It only last for about 2 minutes, but it seems to be connected in someway. I am wondering if I am getting too much seratonin. Could to much cause this problem? I am also on other medications for anxiety and thyroid. Those levels were just checked and are within normal ranges. I also take Lyrica and Hydoxizine. I also take Vitamins B complex. Vit-C 1000mgs,
Q10,50mgs, And Super Cleanse at night for intestinal health since I have had major surgery on my bowels. I have talked to my doctor and he
told me to keep taking the 5-HTP w/antidepressant. Is all this safe for me? When I don't take the 5-HTP I get very depressed and get a migraine w/ throwing up all day the first day. I feel like my doctor doesn't really know enough about depression or the medications. Do you have any advice for me? Sincerely Vicki

Boss · Joined: 27 Mar 2008 Posts: 96 Location: The end of a wire.

Well I will try to answer this as best I can, and firstly I would like to say, I empathise very much with your situation. I am not in your situation, but I appreciate it must be very hard, and you have my deepest empathy and best wishes. You sound like a really great person.

You need to be aware that some supplements can interefere with medications, and so can the compounds in Grapefruit and Grapefuit juices, just incase you do consume Grapefruit or associated products of any kind.

If you do have any reservations about continuing the 5-HTP, you might want to try supplemental Tryptophan, as Tryptophan is a neurotransmitter type of Amino Acid, and 5-HTP is a player in Tryptophan actions to some extent.

I don't think, though I cannot be certain, that you can get side effects from possible excess Seratonin levels, but as I say, I cannot be 100% certain of that, as I don't know what constitutes an excess level.

The Lyrica and Hydoxizine, what is the purpose of taking those?

As for the Thyroid problem, well it's clear you are taking a Neurotransmitter in 5-HTP, but also the Thyroid meds could be interacting with the Hypothalamus, as the Hypothalamus controls all the Endocrine system, obviously including the Thyroid.

If you are getting any possible issues off yhe Vit C, perhaps try taking buffered, and see if that helps at all.

As for the potential Neurotransmission issues, don't forget that B Vitamins can play a role in Neurotransmission in some respects, so the B complex, might be having soime effect there.

So you're looking at B complex, 5-HTP, Thyroid Meds, possibly the Zoloft I would think, and maybe one or two of the other things as well. That's a lot of supplement and chemical stimulation for the Brain, and the same sort of area of the Brain.

The reason being, the Limbic system, the area contain the Amygdala, (emotions), and the Hippocampus, (memory), is kind of pretty close to the Hypothalamus, the area that controls Endocrine function, temperature control and obviously Seratonin levels, Growth Hormones, Thyroid hormones etc etc.

So that area of the Brain is getting a lot of stimulus from supplemental and chemical interaction, so it could possibly be one of the things you're taking having an interaction issue with something else.

I would suggest the easiest things to try, would be switching to buffered Vit C, and possibly removing the B complex out of the equation, and maybe swtiching the 5-HTP for just a Tryptophan supplement.

However it's a sort of guessing game, so I wouldn't be too quick to make multiple changes, I would do it gradually one by one, and probably wait a week or two between changes, to ascertain what effect one change has, because multiple changes might correct the problem, but then you might possibly be depriving yourself of one or two supplements, for no reason, because you can't prove exactly what was causing your issues, if you eliminate 2-3 supplements at once.

I doubt the Co-Q10, would do it, as that's normally used for Heart and Cholesterol health.

Should alterations to your supplement regime fail to do anything, you will then have to look at changes in your medication, I.E. type or dose.

Your Doctor may possibly with the Anti-d's, be recommending something else like Wellbutrin, Paxil, I think Phentermine is one too, but the sides off that I believe are quite scary for some.

I hope all that possibly helps in some way, and I really, really wish you so much luck and best wishes for the future.

There's no doubt you deserve to be happy, and of course without trying to sound patronising, you should be very, very proud of talking about your issues, as it can't be easy, but well done all the same, as I think it speaks volumes about you as a person.

Please do come back and post how you get on. I for one would really like to see how this pans out for you.

Take care, best wishes and good luck again.

mrkuch67 · Guest

I do not know what it is like to have to be on all those different types of meds and experiencing those side affect,but i think the best medicine are the natural ones.You shoulds look into finding a maximize living doctor.I am sure he can help you get of those meds permanent. checkout this site> http://www.maximizedlivinghealthsite.com/ It doesn't hurt to look into it.He will be a Chiropractor.The best doctors in the whole world.I would also recommend googling Gwen Olsen and she will tell her side of the big pharma...Confessions of an Rx Drug Pusher

Best of luck...

Kuch...

Boss · Joined: 27 Mar 2008 Posts: 96 Location: The end of a wire.

I'm going to respond to this out or respect and politeness to you, not to patronise or chide.

The only drugs that work, are ones that work. I don't beleive in alternative over mainstream, if something works it will, otherwise not, and Chiropractors can be just as bad as anyone. Some good some bad.

They don't treat the reasons behind the problem anyway, most will probably treat the problem, but if it's something that could reoccur, any person in a curable situation, could remain ignorant as to the cause and relapse.

Chiropractors might not address other pain management symptoms for Chronic people, like whether some supplements or certin types of foods, will assist with their management of symptoms. Again a potential failing of clients / patients when that happened.

So Chiropractors are not necessarily the best Doctors. Medicine works when it works, not because it's a certain type prescribed by one type of medic.

Same with Medical practitioners. You get good and you get bad ones, where they work and the ethos of their working environment, isn't neessarily a big factor in their quality of patient care.

The only truely bad medicine is homeopathy, which is largely regarded as stuff and nonsense, backed by little to no credible science.