 Sometimes clients ask what I think about a particular selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) medication that you're considering taking for anxiety or OCD. More often, you tell me you want to come off your SSRI. Clients who say this have usually been taking SSRIs for 10 years or longer and frequently share that "It helped me at the start but it's not helping anymore."
As a nutritionist, I can't tell you to take or not take medication because this is out of my scope of practice. I can tell you that you may benefit from taking specific supplements alongside your SSRI, *and* that research shows when you come off an SSRI, you need to do so very, very slowly. I'll share more on this below. Because I've seen some questionable claims and culture around SSRI medications on social media recently, I'm going to share some facts and thoughts for you to consider.  The following blood tests are worth requesting from your family doctor/GP if you have been struggling with...
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) anxiety or depression fatigue mental health changes maternal mental health changes (OCD, anxiety, depression). If your doctor wont order all or some of these tests (sometimes there are public health funding reasons for this), it’s worth investing in having them done via a private lab. It will cost more but then you have a baseline to work from as you work on your health. And as you focus on improving your health, blood tests only need to be repeated once every six to 12 months at most.  Aim to have pee that matches 1, 2 or 3! Did you know your body is made of around 60% water? That water's key roles include carrying oxygen to your cells, regulating your blood pressure and body temperature, helping to eliminate wastes and toxins, and dissolving nutrients and transporting them throughout your body. Pretty amazing, huh! Water also helps dissolve and flush uric acid, which can build up around your joints and cause pain and discomfort. It helps flush your gall bladder and bile ducts in your liver, keeping bile flowing so that it can break down fats you eat. Water also helps make digestive secretions that break down your food so you can absorb nutrients. Knowing this, it's perhaps not surprising that dehydration can affect us in a multitude of ways. Dehydration can hamper your liver's detoxification processes and digestive function. It creates extra demand on your heart by decreasing blood volume and causing your heart to beat faster. Indeed, if you've been diagnosed with high blood pressure, one of the first things I recommend is you start drinking more water every day (and fewer diuretic drinks such as coffee, tea and alcoholic drinks). And if you suffer from headaches, be aware that dehydration can play a role. Expecting a baby? Dehydration can also make you more susceptible to overheating when pregnant. So how much water do you need to drink? |