Antidepressants Cause Your Arteries to Thicken 400% More Than Aging
Depression may be the worst emotional experience there is. The causes are many, and it often drives people to zig-zag past everything that matters and into a pill bottle of pharmaceutical ‘treatments’. But these solutions offered by the pharmaceutical industry are nothing but a sham, and their antidepressant products only make you more depressed and trigger suicidal thoughts. One study has also found that antidepressants cause your arteries to thicken 400% more than aging – a main factor in the thickening of the arteries.
Antidepressants Linked to Heart Disease and Stroke
A study conducted by the Emory University School of Medicine included over 500 middle-aged male twins, both who served in the U.S. military during the Vietnam War. The researchers noted that among 59 pairs of twins where only one brother was on antidepressants, the one ingesting the drugs usually had higher carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) – the thickness of main arteries in the neck.
“One of the strongest and best-studied factors that thickens someone’s arteries is age, and that happens at around 10 microns per year…In our study, users of antidepressants see an average 40 micron increase in IMT, so their carotid arteries are in effect four years older,” says the first study author Amit Shah, MD.
The most commonly prescribed antidepressants are known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as Prozac. Researchers found that participants who used SSRIs, which were 60 percent of those taking antidepressants, had higher carotid IMT. This may be due to the effects antidepressants have on serotonin levels, which is a chemical in your body that helps some brain cells communicate.
These findings are just one more thing to add to the long list of why people shouldn’t be taking many harmful pharmaceuticals. More than 1 in 10 Americans are on these suicide-linked antidepressants even though they do not work and only make the problem worse. Instead of resorting to these pharmaceuticals, try supplementing with vitamin D, as it has been shown to defeat depression naturally. It is also key to de-stress the brain, as depression is always cultivated from stress-related aspects of your life.
Yet another reason to avoid this toxic waste!!
Why are they depressed! I'll tell you why. Because they eat the wrong foods. There diet should consist of 60% fat and 35% protein and the rest can be carbohydrates. They can get their fat from oils like olive oil and safflower oil. By removing carbs from the diet blood sugar and seratonin levels will stabilize and overall energy will be up. 1800 calories a day are not enough. An adult needs to eat 3000 calories a day, 2000 calories from fat and 1000 calories from protein. It's that simple, eating protein and fat in the absence of carbs will not make you fat. This isn't Atkins or the paleo diet or any of that nonsense. You don't have to be picky about it, just get off the carbs, it does alot more than just make you fat, it makes you crazy.
I agree, just another reason to avoid (boycott) fast food. I feel sorry for the kids who have mothers that can't (won't) cook and bring home fast food 6 or 7 days a week.
Great article! Thanks!
read the works of Dr Peter Breggin on the evils of prozac and other such "anti" depressants, these medications are quite bad for everyone who takes them, they act on the brain the same way cocaine does and they are very hard to stop taking, they have terrible withdrawal symptoms much worse than nicotine or opiates and I would not wish these withdrawals on anyone. These are details that Eli Lily has worked very hard to keep out of the public domain – all in the interest of fast profits and a government for sale to the highest bidder. This is what will bring America down to 3rd world status, just like China in the ealry 1900's, corruption was king and it made it all that much easier for the communistas like Nobama to take over. Sad but true
yes but you'll be happy doing it! dieing, I mean.
One study found that women on SSRI's had a 32% increased rate of mortality from all kinds of causes of death, right across the board.
Over consumption stimulates the brain too much. The mind delusion-ally grasps on to the idea that "pleasure equals happiness." Little children believe this and eat sweets until they hurt themselves. Unfortunately adults in the West especially haven't learned this and their minds develop disease. It's addiction plain and simple only food or other pleasures act in the same way as hard drugs.
Good mental health requires discipline and effort and should be encouraged for children. Unfortunately in the West we have had a hundred years of , "if it feels good do it." Behold the results of over consumption.
Speaking from experience, my partner had been on anti-depressants for many years when we married & as his doctor increased his medications, we noticed a decline in his mental & his physical health. Researching the effects & causes of depression on the net, I found how diet & exercise play important roles in keeping the mind healthy, in addition to readjusting ones mind to stop the negative filtering.
When we began to insure my partner's diet was whole foods instead of the pre-packaged rubbish so predominate in our society, we noticed a change in his behaviour, we also added supplements of Vit D, Omega 3,6 & 9, Vit, B complex & probiotics; which helped his over-all health too.
I'm not saying it's easy, but it is worth the effort to change ones diet & lifestyle rather than accept modern medicine & take these toxic medications.
The choice is always with the person involved, but be assured, if you truly wish to dump these poison pills, you can thru commitment & perseverance! The results are worth every minute of the struggle; the victory of being free of these & other toxic medications is liberating!
3 months ago I had my medicare drug plan (Anthem Blue Cross) cancelled. I started planning to cut down my medications until I could find an alternative. I had been taking 200mg Zoloft a day for twenty years. I remember my doctor warning me not to just quit cold. I had tried several times to cut down then out my anti depressant intake but I always felt that my depression came back, so I gave up.
I totally ran out about a month and a half ago after a slow withdrawal. I can now attest to a profound change. I feel like I have been in a coma, or maybe being drugged as in opiates is a better way of putting it. I can now think much more clearly and have much more energy. I used to be able to sit and stare out into space for hours. No more. I since have cut out any other drugs that are not "essential" and find myself repulsed by the thought of eating processed food. I am finally learning how to cook and love it. Of course the "scientists will say this simply anecdotal and they are absolutely right. It is first hand testimony as is used in our courts to convict criminals. Count up all similar testimonies and you have a conviction.
When I got off the last one of these drugs (Effexor XR) it was as though I'd had a gray tubesock pulled over my head for years. (And with Topamax as the cherry on the cake….I was bound and gagged.) Like someone here said, a coma. Inept doctors with big house payments. A caring neurologist (who later was fired from the practice for spending too much time with patients…..) finally diagnosed epilepsy (several concussions) and another endo found I had Vitamin D deficiency! Let alone hypothyroidism which was rarely adjusted. I believe "they" want us to sit down & shut up……kindof the nursing home syndrome where all the patients are drugged up and tied to the railing…..like my bumper sticker says: "If we do not act, we are acted upon."
Finding the right doctor and the right anti-depressant is of key importance. Many anti-depressants have a slight sedative component and can make one feel groggy or not quite there, if that is not what is needed. I had to try many different types of anti-depressants before finding the right one. As there are many diseases that cause depression, it's best to have a through work-up done before trying anti-depressants. Any doctor who would prescribe anti-depressants before ruling out other possible diseases is a doctor I would never see again.
I read on Byron J Richards website that things like paracetomol limit the effect of antidepressants because antidepressants work over time by producung a substance called DBNF in the brain, which is caused in some instances by diet and excercise, but with antidepressants its caused in response to brain inflamation. And so mood may improve a time. But with all the while the ultimate consequnce of brain damage caused by the inflamation, over the long term. My experience with antidepressants is that you forget everything. Which can help some people who still remember things that said wrong 30 years ago.I also read by Byron J Richards that antidepressants increase breast cancer risk and high serotonin interferes with bone manufacture in the body. But I'm not a scientist that might know or be able to prove such things. Though I know people forget everything on antidepressants. And so many stories of side effects and the obvious impact on sexual performance put me off.
I dealt with agitation and depression due to alzheimers. I was caregiver for both parents with AD. When they came to live with me, the first order of business was getting off the depression drugs and all drugs for that matter. Medical marijuana and nutrition was the script in our house. I am not going to pretend it was easy after that but in was a hell of lot better. We ate all organic fresh food and occasionally cannabis cookies. My mom was in late stage and has since died. My Dad is doing so well now that I will say this is easy. Right now the only thing my dad takes is Krill Oil and Vit D3. No cannabis even. The changes in him are more than unbelievable, they are miracle stuff. The doctors who prescribe these anti depressants are useless garbage.
All psychiatric medications work on priciples of toxicity and disabling! Rather than "fix" "chemical imbalances," these medications CAUSE "chemical balances" which often become permanent Brain Damage!
I was on SSRIs for over 10 years and they just made me more depressed and manic. I weaned myself off of them. Today, I eat better, get exercise and work on my problems instead of medicate them.
Wow what an eyeopener….I was on Prozac 10 years 20mg 3 times a day..took myself off of it i couldnt even cry there was no feelings at all. then 4 years ago i had to get new arteries in my legs they were so clogged. After 4 stents only thing left was new arteries funny thing the dr never explained prozac could of been the cause.
"It's important to take studies like this into account when assessing risks and benefits, particularly in cases where patients might not be experiencing much benefit from antidepressants," said Shah. He stressed, however, the observational nature of the analysis, noting that these results do not imply causality. He added that antidepressants provide symptom relief of depression and that depression itself is a risk factor for heart disease.
Well, I take anticonvulsant medication. Does the same apply there? I've been on them for almost 60 years and when I stop taking them the seizures start. These medications all have side effects such as, production of excess mucous – hence I'm more prone to infections in the cold weather-overgrowth of gums or the opposite. One of the medications affects my libido, they make me feel drowsy, especially first thing in the morning (side effect of a tablet I take before going to bed). Another one (I was warned before taking it), has a side effect of making your hair fall out, mine did but it was my choice to take the medication. Other side effects are confusion, anxiety and depression. But these medications work for me, they stop my seizures and I am prepared to put up with the side effects so that I can live a better quality of life. I also take anti depressants as epilepsy in itself causes depression. The anti depressants work for me and take away my miserableness and help take away my suicidal thoughts. So for those of you who don't suffer from depression or any medical condition, you don't know what you're talking about so stop pontificating.
Only sufferers understand.
There would have to be many more studies with hard core facts before I'd quit taking my SSRI. WTF? The human body is complex – telling people SSRI's are going to shorten your life? I would much rather have a quality of life that I can contribute to society NOW than be a depressive miserable basket case for the rest of my life.
The serotonin you retain is not the same as freshly produced serotonin, you are operating on low grade fuel for the mind if you take these SSRI's…why wouldn't you shoose psylisibin and start to enjoy this life a lot more…
this is just my own view on anti depressants,my mum suffered with manic depression,when she wasnt manic she was rock bottom depressed,at one time she was going to be put in an asyslum,this was in the 60s,but my dadsaid he would look after her,the stress killed him. she was on anti depressants i can honestly say they did absolutely nothing for her,I think they made her worse if anything,doing all sorts of things,it makes me shudder to think,she was a lovely lady,yet she was like an animal on anti depressants. she was on them up until the day she died. for the last year of her life,her looks had gone,she looked liked something out of a horror film,she could not eat,she was been investigated for gastro probs. she was found dead,and her cause of death was pulmonary embolism,ischaemic heart disease,hypertensive heart disease none of this was diagnosed whilst she was alive,everything was put down to depression,huh. A doctor tried to make me have them saying I had a chemical imbalance in my brain,he got irate when I said you think i am a neurotic middle aged woman. If they help people good,my daughter was on them,she went manic,the doctor wont put her on them because of reaction.
I think the pro-pill crowd here is terrified of new ideas and thoughts on the subject. No worries, nobody is going to take away your SSRIs but I for one am off them and finally feel better for the first time in a decade!
Sorry..I have to put my 2 cents in.I have been "diagnosed" with "clinical depression".To make a long story short,I have probably taken almost every available "prescribed" anti-depressant on the market.Some alone, some together."Depression diagnosis" was made in my teens.I am now 51.The latest drug used was effexor xr.I personally believe that many take these drugs expecting said drugs to "cure" the problem.This does NOT happen.Personal opinion is #1-get a good doctor,one that is open to suggestions and really "listens" to you. #2-get a counsler.Between the 3 of you working together,the outcome can be good.I have "weaned" myself off effexor xr with their help.First yes I am lucky to have insurance (I won't get into the fights I have had and still do,with said insurance co. about coverage).Second,the only good thing I can say about this drug is that it's only good for "short" term use.The "weaning" off time is so horrible, words can not describe what I went through (brain zaps,physical pain,racing thoughts,etc).I was on this drug for many years and had to keep increasing the dosage for it to "work".My final words are to research any drug you use.Every one and every body is different.Do NOT rely on what drug companies tell you.I know I still have a long road ahead,but now have complete confidence that I can survive w/o this drug.I hope that all of you will find the help you need to be able to live "outside" of the fog that "some" of these drugs create.Be strong, you can survive.
I, too, have been through the hell of withdrawal off of Effexor. I had been on it for a number of years and though I hadn't really seen/felt any significant improvement (and yes, I went to a couple of therapists), it took me months to wean myself off with my Dr's help, of course.
So, the problem is that this all correlational. For instance, the folks with depression may not exercise, may not sleep well, may not eat well, etc. Depression itself can raise cortisol levels which could damage arteries, so to say that SSRIs cause this is bad science. You could also say that intima wall thickening is associated with depression in twin studies and with lack of exercise, etc.
Forbes Unpublishes Commentary on Medication/Violence Link A google link to a Forbes magazine article titled “Psychiatric Drugs, Not A Lack Of Gun Control, Are The Common Denominator In Murderous Violence” now leads to a page on the Forbes website that says “Oops!”
Original Link → http://www.forbes.com/sites/lawrencehunter/2013/0…
A cached version of the missing Forbes article follows:
Lawrence Hunter, Contributor – Forbes.com
OP/ED | 1/14/2013 @ 8:00AM |9 views
Psychiatric Drugs, Not A Lack Of Gun Control, Are The Common Denominator In Murderous Violence
In 2000, New York legislators recognized the ubiquitous and unambiguous connection between violence, especially gun violence and mass murder, and the widespread prescribed use of psychiatric drugs. Senate Bill 7035 was introduced in the New York State Senate that year requiring police agencies to report to the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) on certain crimes and suicides committed by a person who is using psychiatric drugs, including assault, homicide, sex offenses, robbery offenses, firearms and other dangerous weapons offenses, kidnapping and arson. The preamble to the bill read, in part:
There is a large body of scientific research establishing a connection between violence and suicide and the use of psychotropic drugs in some cases. This research, which has been published in peer reviewed publications such as the American Journal of Psychiatry, The Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and The Journal of Forensic Science, has shown, among other things, that: certain drugs can induce mania (a psychosis which can produce bizarre, grandiose and highly elaborated destructive plans, including mass murder);. . .and certain drugs can produce an acute psychotic reaction in an individual not previously psychotic.
The bill died in committee. Since that time, there have been at least 12 additional high-profile mass murders linked to the use of psychiatric drugs, about one a year. And, in virtually every mass school shooting during the past 15 years, the shooter has been on or in withdrawal from psychiatric drugs. Here is a partial list of 24 such horrific events that occurred since 1998, not including the Virginia Tech shootings and the recent Sandy Hook shootings where the authorities continue to suppress information about whether and to what extent the shooters were on or in withdrawal from a psychiatric drug.
These examples are not unique. According to the Citizens Commission On Human Rights International (CCHR), between 2004 and 2011, there were 12,755 reports to the U.S. FDA’s MedWatch system of psychiatric drugs causing violent side effects including: 1,231 cases of homicidal ideation/homicide, 2,795 cases of mania and 7,250 cases of aggression. Since the FDA admits that only one to ten percent of all side effects are ever reported to it, the actual occurrence of violent side effects from psychiatric drugs is certainly nine or ten times higher than the official data suggest.
Yet, federal and state governments continue to ignore the connection between psychiatric drugs and murderous violence, preferring instead to exploit these tragedies in an oppressive and unconstitutional power grab to snatch guns away from innocent, law-abiding people who are guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution the right to own and bear arms to deter government tyranny and to use firearms in self defense against any miscreant who would do them harm. Therefore, it is pharmaceutical makers, not law-abiding gun owners or gun manufacturers, who should be held to account for the series of “lone-wolf,” mass shootings that have occurred since the widespread use of psychiatric drugs began.
Although it is doubtful any single variable can explain what causes someone to commit such unspeakable acts as we saw recently at Sandy Hook, one common denominator surfaces time and time again, in hundreds and hundreds of cases where a “lone wolf” commits violence, murder and mayhem for apparently no reason: Prescribed psychiatric drugs, which are well documented to induce mania, psychosis, violence, suicide and murder, including mass murder for no apparent reason by otherwise non-psychotic people.
Given the mass of supporting data linking psychiatric drug use/withdrawal and violence, and given the fact it has been ignored studiously by the U.S. Congress and federal agencies, it is well past time that Congress and state legislatures and government agencies at all levels formally investigate the well established link between prescribed use of psychiatric drugs, school shootings and similar acts of senseless violence.
This video reveals the indisputable connection between psychiatric drugs and violence, especially young “lone-wolf” shooters in gun massacres.
As psychiatrist Peter Breggin observes in the video:
“One of the things in the past that we’ve known about depression is that it very, very rarely leads to violence. It’s only been since the advent of these new SSRI drugs that we’ve had murderers even mass murders taking these antidepressant drugs.”
I’m not responding to endorse naturopathy, but the effects of SSRI’s are more insidious than people want to acknowledge. My mother took Paxil for over 15 years for depression. then one day her body started reacting to it in a negative way. It wasn’t working anymore. she started developing parkinson’s like symptoms, a well known but little discussed side effect of prolonged SSRI use.
She was admitted to a centre that specializes in moving people off one type of depression medication to another. she spent three months in that institution as they tried every combination and type of replacement anti=depressant they could imagine. The withdrawal symptoms were a nightmare. Extreme anxiety attacks, restless leg syndrome sensitive skin, vision problems and pain. lots of pain.
During the attempts to transition her to new medication she got weaker and weaker and had more parkinson’s like symptoms. by the end she was practically bedridden having been otherwise mobile and strong going into this.
The Specialist acknowledged that she had parkinson’s like syndrome from extended use of anti-depressants and that their attempts to transition her had accelerated the problem. Then they said there was nothing they could do and told her he had to leave the facility.
She never recovered, and she has no options fro treatment left to her.. she suffers from ongoing neuropathic pain and is now overly sensitive to many medications.
Having shared this, let me say that I understand fully the struggles some people have with depression. For those who take antidepressants for control of seizures etc. i understand the quality of life issues and the decision made to choose what they consider the lesser of two evils. I also acknowledge that not everyone will find themselves reacting to long term use of anti-depressants like my mother did (although the number of incidences in nursing homes is disturbing) However, for those who are considering SSRI’s for depression. I urge you to consider the long term risk and go into it with the intention of using them only to get over the hump, not as a long term fix.
Anti-depressants should be used of no longer than a year and then wean off of them to see where you are at. The withdrawal is not easy and t can take several more months after withdrawal to start feeling better again, but many people who make it through find they are fine again. some never have another bout of depression and some may have it again sometime down the road in which case they could consider other short term period of use.
in my mother’s experience, however, long term use destroyed her life. she is now heading for a wheelchair in great pain, but otherwise healthy, and will likely suffer through a long life.
The specialists who deal with these medications are aware of these things, and there are many studies with factual information of the side effects, but psychiatrists and general practitioners are shockingly unaware where these things are concerned.
Hear hear to both of the above. Last time I tapered off of SSRI medication (over a six month period, nothing abrupt), I fell back into major depression. Exercise and everything else mentioned does not touch this. I HAD to take two weeks off work. I am pretty tough and it could easily have been much more. I am the breadwinner, not to mention my quality of life. Once I figure out alternatives to the meds I’ll go off of them but in the meantime they are a lifeline.