My OB suggested fishoil for "borderline depression"

[deborah_r]

I was telling my OB about my moodiness and short fuse with my DH and with Kai when he is being difficult, and she suggested (not as a cure, but as something that might help) taking fishoil capsules. Has anyone heard of this? She said it was good too because of the Omega-3's (for me and Kai, since Kai is still nursing)

She also suggested more calcium...but I already drink milk and usually have cheese every day, so I wasn't sure if I need that. Can you get too much calcium?

[westchicagomom]

I have never heard of fish oil for depression, but I am all for trying non-prescription solutions when possible. The omega-3's probably won't benefit Kai that much at this point but it won't hurt. Try to make sure you get the capsules that are free of heavy metals. If you have a health food store nearby they stock them.

Yes you can get too much calcium. It can cause kidney stones I believe, but I doubt that a calcium supplement will cause those for you. As women, we need soooo much calcium, especially since you are still nursing and it is almost impossible to get it all from your diet. And building up the calcium supply in your bones at this point can only be a good thing.

I have also not heard of calcium for depression, but it is also worth a shot. Make sure to get a supplement that has magnesium and vitamin D in it. W/o the magnesium, too much calcium can cause constipation. Vitamin D helps absorption. If possible find a supplement that is NOT calcium carbonate as that is not a very easily absorbed form.

I say give them a try!

[jubilee]

The mom's group I used to go to had over 90% of the moms taking Omega 3 capsules. They all said it made big improvements for them. And they are cheapest at Costco. I've not taken them, so I can't personally vouch for them.

[kristine_elen]

I like to take flax seed oil everyday (or as often as I remember). It also has Omega 3 in it, but you don't have to worry about mercury from fish. I'm not taking it for mood purposes, so I can't speak to that. I generally buy it in dry/seed form then grind it in a coffee grinder and add it to a protein shake. You can also buy liquid form. If you google "flax seed oil" you'll see lots of info.

[houseof3boys]

It makes sense to me since I was always so happy after eating sushi. :)

I think fish oil is a great thing to take so it sure couldn't hurt Deb.

[Marisa6826]

Uh, Deb. I think that's the sake not the sushi :P

-m

[egoldber]

OMega 3's are great for lots of reasons, I take a supplement every day.

I also take 1200 mg of Calcium per day. Pre-menopausal women need 1200 mg of calcium per day (maybe even more if nursing?). Thats about 4 glasses of milk. The calcium in your diet is better absorbed, but I take the supplements as a precaution. My mother has pre-osteoporosis and I am super paramoid about it.

[Imperia]

There has been a lot of studies in the last few years about Omega-3s and mood. There has been some evidence that they do in fact help. My psychiatrist said basically they won't hurt and they may help so go for it. If you use flax seed in place of fish just know a couple of things:

--the flax seed must be either fresh (you grind yourself like the PP mentioned) or cold pressed and kept in the fridge, otherwise the vitamins will degrade.

---flax doesn't have all three of the Omega-3s but your body can make up the others. Some people still prefer to use the fish capsules because that way they are ensured of getting them all.

If you use fish watch out for yucky burps, hahaha! (I am not kidding!)

Imperia

[egoldber]

LOL! Oddly enough, the other night I burped and thought, hmmm I don't remember eating salmon today? And then remembered I had taken the supplement an hour or so before, LOL!

[ohiomom]

I've been adding ground flaxseed to my oatmeal. Barely notice it.

Also, are you getting enough sleep? I think only getting 6.5-7 hrs of sleep was much of my moodiness, short fuse. I thought the 6.5-7 hrs was a luxury after getting up to feed DD middle of the night for 11 months, but it still wasn't enough. I'm just in the last week making sure I get at least 8 hrs and WOW! What a difference for me. Getting one more thing done at night just isn't worth it after all.

Nicole's Mom 7/03

[Rachels]

I've heard of that. It's certainly worth a try! The other thing to do is to add a B-6 supplement, which helps with moodiness if there's any hormonal basis to it.

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02


"When you know better, you do better."
Maya Angelou

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_sapphire_24m.gif Two years and counting!

[lizajane]

i have heard of taking extra calcium to ward off the evil PMS spirits. ;)

i bet it is the same hormonal balance (or whatever) concept.

[steph2003]

Deborah -
I agree with what Rachel posted about B vitamins. I just saw a naturopathic physician cause I wanted to take a more "natural" approach to my health after coming off anti-depressants/anxiety medicine for post partum. She recommended ramping up my B vitamins (also she noted birth control pills deplete your B vitamin resources, just as an fyi)

I remember your original post & recalling what you described was a lot like me at times before my DS arrived & then I had post partum depression really bad, more so the obsessive compulsive stuff with things like I couldn't pass the dining room drapes w/o adjusting them if they were messed up - little things like that. Also, this naturopathic physician printed out a list of dietary stuff I can do to help combat depression. I have it at home (not in email form unfortunately) pm if you want me to mail a copy to you.

oh, I'm sure the fishoils can't hurt either!

[starrynight]

I have heard that, also magnesium was suggested to me by my doc. It really does help, especially if you think it's hormone related. If I don't drink enough water and get enough sleep I'm very short tempered also, caffine makes it worse I've found.

[candybomiller]

Deb,

I don't know anything about fishoil, so I'm not going to answer to that. I just basically wanted to say that I suffered from HORRIBLE ppd, as well as suffering from depression pretty much all my life. If you ever need someone to talk to, please don't hesitate to PM or email me. I'll send you my phone number if you ever want to talk. :)

BTW, this is an open suggestion to ANYONE who wonders if they are suffering from depression. I'm a font of information on this and would love to help!

[calebsmama03]

I've heard of this but wanted to add that you should read the label to be sure the fish oil is tested to be free of contaminants (such as mercury, etc.). DH uses Carlson brand cod liver oil. I cannot stomach it being pg, but am sure it would help my moods!

Also, there's some REALLY interesting stuff out there about diet and mood. I noticed a huge difference when I started trying to watch my diet due to concerns about hypoglycemic reactions. I try to eat food as "whole" as possible and avoid as much refined flour and sugar as possible - especially high fructose corn syrup (hidden in LOTS of stuff - even found it in Sara Lee whole grain/low carb bread!). I only buy whole grain cereal and bread/bagels and pasta. Super Walmart, of all places, actually has some good deals on whole grain pasta and bread - just read the labels carefully - you want "whole wheat flour" as the first ingredient, not "enriched wheat flour", etc! I avoid any hormone-treated dairy (which usually means organic is all I buy, but there is a local "hormone free" non-organic dairy too) I think the hormones can't be good for me/my moods or for DS! And try to avoid hormone treated meats as much as possible. I try to eat more "good fats" from nuts and seeds, too, and I keep snacks available to avoid a crash. I'm still kinda b*tchy ;) but this has helped a lot!

Too much info to list all, but try a google search about diet and mood or check out the book section at your local health food store for more info.
ETA some links!
http://www.mercola.com/forms/carlsons.htm
good nutrition and natural health site
http://www.carlsonlabs.com/product_detail.phtml?prodid=00204
This is what DH takes and here is a capsule form
http://www.carlsonlabs.com/product_detail.phtml?prodid=10012879
Lynne
Mommy to Caleb 3/3/03
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_emerald_18m.gif[/img][/url]
Oh my!! #2 5/05

[June Mommy]

I suffered from PPD after I had DS, and though my OB gave me some Wellbutrin samples, I wanted to try the 'natural' route first. I took SAM-e, which is a natural anti-depressant and an Omega 3 complex. The brand I used was Ultimate Omega by Nordic Naturals. It was lemon flavored so you didn't get the fishy aftertaste (I hate fish!) I must say that after taking them for about a month I felt much better and never had to take the Wellbutrin.

[wagner36]

I'm currently having some rather serious problems with my autoimmune system, so I've been taking fish oil (along with a gzillion other medications) .
The best way for your body to absorb it is to take the fish oil liquid. I get it at Whole Foods in the vitamin section, in the cooler area. I buy the lemon flavor one, and it seriously tastes like lemon. I am extremely squeamish about fishy tastes (as in gagging in the seafood area of the grocery store on a regular basis), and I can take the lemon flavored one no problem. I'm taking just the fish oil now, but for winter will take the cod liver oil, which also has vitamin D (since I never see the light of day in the winter).

[deborah_r]

Try to make sure you get the capsules that
>are free of heavy metals. If you have a health food store
>nearby they stock them.
>

Um, dumb question coming...when reading the label, how can I make sure there are no heavy metals? I do have a health food store, but would also love to buy in bulk at Costco if I can...

[missmelis01]

Tara-

Do you take the liquid by itself or do you mix it in with something, like maybe tea?

And different benefits doed the fish oil vs the cod liver oil offer?

TIA!

[wagner36]

I take it by itself, just in a spoon. I could add it to something, I suppose, but I'd rather just get it over with!

I think the main difference between the fish oil vs. cod liver oil is that cod liver oil has high levels of vitamins A and D. If you're taking a multi-vitamin and other supplements, you may want to make sure you're not getting too much A and D when you take the cod liver oil.

[MamaKath]

I haven't read the previous posters info, but yes. It has to be Omega 3 in high doses. It has been used in double blind studies for depression, bipolar disorder, and other things. The doses taken are very high, but it does work well. It certainly doesn't replace therapy or monitoring of some kind (as with any medication even OTC) but is an excellent treatment.

HTH~

[sadie427]

I don't know what kind of discussion your OB had with you, but if it was just a quick conversation I'd seek some more help. Many ob/gyns do a lot of primary care and are familiar w/ diagnosing and treating depression, but many are not. Your primary care doctor can evaluate you and help you decide whether you might need medication and/or therapy, and/or a referral to my psychiatrist.

SSRI's have been proven to work in large studies and are quite safe, where as we really don't have good large studies of large doses of Omega-3's, especially since those kind of supplements are not regulated that closely. They probably won't hurt, but they probably won't help either.

[C99]

I have heard of fishoils before. In fact, someone on one of my breastfeeding communities recommended to me when I was wondering about taking St. John's Wort (which does affect BFing). The same person also recommended taking regular vitamins as often poor diet/vitamins can affect mood. Also, there's no such thing as too much calcium! My GP recommended that I take calcium supplements...even on top of the ton of daily dairy I consume and prenatals.

HTH

[westchicagomom]

Definitely not a dumb question! If it says nothing on the label regarding heavy metals such as cadmium, mercury, etc, then they may or may not be contaminated.

I took them when I was pg and bf for the first 6 months so I wanted to make sure there was no contamination in the pills I took.

Carlsons is one brand. The current brand I have at home is:

Spectrum Essentials Omega-3 Norwegian Fish Oil

It has a circle w/ the words PCB's, Mercury, Lead crossed out in red on the front.
On the back it says "Our fish oil comes from deep arctic waters and is verified by third party testing to be free of PCB's, dioxins, arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury and other contaminants."

I got them at whole foods for about $20 for 250 softgels. The serving size is 2 a day but I only took one every other day or so, so they lasted a long time. I doubt Costco carries these specialized brands.

If it were just me, I wouldn't have worried about contamination. And since I assume Kai isn't nursing that much at this point, any possible contamination would have minimal effect. So if you are not one to worry about such things, I would just buy whatever in bulk at Costco.

And definitely watch out for those icky burps. I am a vegetarian and was making the sacrifice to take these suckers for dd because of their supposed impact on brain development. They definitely did not make me miss fish at all!

[MamaKath]

Just realize the dosing for a supplement as stated on the bottle (about 2 a day) is different than the dosing for theraputic use which is considerably higher (about 10 a day).

As for the better brands, when dh researched this the brands that came out on top were Kirkland (Costco) and the BJ's brand. Their bottles should be about $10 for 300 capsules.

If you are vegetarian and needing to take Omega 3 for theraputic use, your doctor should be able to research who has pharmecutical (I am sure the spelling of that is off, it is late) grade synthetic Omega 3. It is expensive, but excellent also.

HTH~

[westchicagomom]

After reading Kath's post, I just remembered Consumer Reports did a study on these and just looked it up.

Their results: all of the top 16 brands tested contained roughly as much omega-3 as the labels promised. None contained significant amounts of mercury, PCBs, or dioxin - they only tested for those 3 toxins I guess.

So they say the choice really should be based on price and listed these as CR best buys:
1. Kirkland Signature Natural Fish Oil
2. Member’s Mark (sam's club) Omega 3 Fish Oil

Other top brands:
Spring Valley
Walgreens
Vitasmart (kmart)
CVS


The costco/sam's club brands would cost you about $22 a year if you were taking 3 pills a day - obviously more if you take the therapeutic dose Kath mentions - I personally couldn't take that many in a day although CR recommends that you **freeze** the pills before taking them to stop the burp!

So Deborah I guess you can get them at Costco w/o worry!

[tippy]

Hi Deb,

Not sure if anyone mentioned this but I also read/heard that Evening Primrose Oil is supposed to be really good for PMS. (Not that you have PMS but if it helps with the "moodiness" it might be beneficial.

[fauve01]

so what is the high dose?

Anne