It's one of the most widely used medications out there. There are a number of reasons why many young ladies take them including to prevent pregnancies, to manage painful cramps and to avoid having a period altogether.
While many people know about these positives, few know about the possible side effects, the worst of which are blood clots that have lead to a number of deaths as reported by CBC news. The statistics show that approximately 1 in 10,000 women taking any form of birth control experience some form of blood clot, but Yaz and Yasmin have higher incidences.
Usually side effects such as mood based changes (ie. depression) are noticed by the women taking the drugs, but few know about the slow creeping effects of the pills. Over time, birth control pills can leach nutrients from your body, the way other medications such as steroids and reflux medications can. Take a look at this article from a registered pharmacist describing what vitamins and minerals are leached from chronic use of these meds.
http://metronews.ca/health/709891/taking-a-birth-control-pill-it-might-be-leaching-nutrients-from-your-body/
Yours in Health,
Ian Koo, ND
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www.NaturopathicEssentials.com
"The care you want, the health you need."
Showing posts with label depression. Show all posts
Showing posts with label depression. Show all posts
Further Evidence showing that certain Antidepressant Medications Increase Risks of Birth Defects
Obstet Gynecol. 2011;118:111-120.
This is the latest study showing that Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) increase the risk of heart defects in newborns. The first report to raise a red flag was published in the New England Journal of Medicine back in 1996 (Chambers et al. N Engl J Med. 1996;335:1010-1015).
Women who use SSRIs, particularly fluoxetine and paroxetine for depression while pregnant showed a 2-fold and 4-fold increased risk to ventricular heart defects in the newborns.
So far, these two specific SSRIs have been implicated and other SSRIs seem to be ok in the statistical analysis. There was also a statistically significant association between citalopram (a SSRI) and neural tube defects.
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders have been observed to be nearly 10 times more common in SSRI-exposed offspring than in unexposed offspring. Therefore, expecting moms on SSRIs need to be especially cautious with alcohol use in pregnancy.
Yours in Health,
Ian Koo, ND
Visit us on our new Facebook page!
www.NaturopathicEssentials.com
"The care you want, the health you need."
This is the latest study showing that Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) increase the risk of heart defects in newborns. The first report to raise a red flag was published in the New England Journal of Medicine back in 1996 (Chambers et al. N Engl J Med. 1996;335:1010-1015).
Women who use SSRIs, particularly fluoxetine and paroxetine for depression while pregnant showed a 2-fold and 4-fold increased risk to ventricular heart defects in the newborns.
So far, these two specific SSRIs have been implicated and other SSRIs seem to be ok in the statistical analysis. There was also a statistically significant association between citalopram (a SSRI) and neural tube defects.
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders have been observed to be nearly 10 times more common in SSRI-exposed offspring than in unexposed offspring. Therefore, expecting moms on SSRIs need to be especially cautious with alcohol use in pregnancy.
Yours in Health,
Ian Koo, ND
Visit us on our new Facebook page!
www.NaturopathicEssentials.com
"The care you want, the health you need."
Fast facts: Interesting medical news
Women are two times more likely to develop depression than men.
If you're elderly and depressed, you are twice as likely to put on visceral fat - the kind that shows up around your belly and increases your risk of heart disease and diabetes.
There is a link between people who experience sleeping problems to depression & diabetes. Sleeping problems include everything from quality and quantity of sleep.
An afternoon siesta brings more mental alertness and improved physical performance than a strong cup of coffee.
Regular, moderate exercise during pregnancy helps to reduce the need for an epidural when giving birth compared to sedentary mothers.
Yours in health,
Dr. Ian Koo, ND
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine
Naturopathic Essentials Health Centre
"The care you want, the health you need"
If you're elderly and depressed, you are twice as likely to put on visceral fat - the kind that shows up around your belly and increases your risk of heart disease and diabetes.
There is a link between people who experience sleeping problems to depression & diabetes. Sleeping problems include everything from quality and quantity of sleep.
An afternoon siesta brings more mental alertness and improved physical performance than a strong cup of coffee.
Regular, moderate exercise during pregnancy helps to reduce the need for an epidural when giving birth compared to sedentary mothers.
Yours in health,
Dr. Ian Koo, ND
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine
Naturopathic Essentials Health Centre
"The care you want, the health you need"
Exposed: The truth about anti-depressants from a Naturopathic Doctor
Even here in Canada, we've seen the US style big pharma commercials touting the latest and greatest cure for all that ails you. Lately, it seems that many research papers have come out against one drug or another. How can that be, you ask? These drugs undergo years of clinical trials and have to pass stringent requirements to get on the market. Even in naturopathic medical school, we were taught that anti-depressants work, albeit not without side effects and should not be used as first line treatment for most cases.
As a naturopathic doctor, I can tell you that there are many people out there on anti-depressants for all sorts of psychological conditions.....some of it may be warranted, but I definitely believe that it is over-prescribed, much like Ritalin for children with supposed signs and symptoms of ADHD.
The premise behind selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) is that it helps to balance a deficiency of serotonin in the brain. And this deficiency of this feel good hormone leads us to become depressed or overly anxious. It makes logical sense, except that science has failed to prove that depressed people have this serotonin deficiency! The serotonin deficiency hypothesis is based on evidence that because SSRIs help depressed people, then there must be low levels of serotonin in the brain. To demonstrate the flawed logic in this proof, I will quote Lacasse & Leo in their essay entitled "Serotonin and Depression: A Disconnect between the Advertisements and the Scientific Literature":
"the fact that aspirin cures headaches does not prove that headaches are due to low levels of aspirin in the brain."
The latest, most comprehensive set of data to date about anti-depressants have started to make the news and the results don't look promising for these drugs. Dr. Irving Kirsch & colleagues have analyzed 47 clinical trials incorporating data not released by drug companies and conclude that anti-depressants are no better than placebo for all but the most severe cases of depression. This is a big blow to the pharmaceutical industry and they will no doubt fight this research vehemently.
The reductionist model of health has always been that if you have a disease then there is a "simple" answer. In depression cases, it's that these people have a simple neurochemical deficiency. Unfortunately, our brains, our bodies and our health aren't so simple. There can be several factors contributing to a person's depression and a naturopathic doctor will investigate all these aspects before heading down the path of prescription anti-depressants.
There usually is no such thing as a one pill cure all for anything in life. Remember that next time you're bombarded with advertisements for drugs claiming to fix all of your concerns.
As a naturopathic doctor, I can tell you that there are many people out there on anti-depressants for all sorts of psychological conditions.....some of it may be warranted, but I definitely believe that it is over-prescribed, much like Ritalin for children with supposed signs and symptoms of ADHD.
The premise behind selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) is that it helps to balance a deficiency of serotonin in the brain. And this deficiency of this feel good hormone leads us to become depressed or overly anxious. It makes logical sense, except that science has failed to prove that depressed people have this serotonin deficiency! The serotonin deficiency hypothesis is based on evidence that because SSRIs help depressed people, then there must be low levels of serotonin in the brain. To demonstrate the flawed logic in this proof, I will quote Lacasse & Leo in their essay entitled "Serotonin and Depression: A Disconnect between the Advertisements and the Scientific Literature":
"the fact that aspirin cures headaches does not prove that headaches are due to low levels of aspirin in the brain."
The latest, most comprehensive set of data to date about anti-depressants have started to make the news and the results don't look promising for these drugs. Dr. Irving Kirsch & colleagues have analyzed 47 clinical trials incorporating data not released by drug companies and conclude that anti-depressants are no better than placebo for all but the most severe cases of depression. This is a big blow to the pharmaceutical industry and they will no doubt fight this research vehemently.
The reductionist model of health has always been that if you have a disease then there is a "simple" answer. In depression cases, it's that these people have a simple neurochemical deficiency. Unfortunately, our brains, our bodies and our health aren't so simple. There can be several factors contributing to a person's depression and a naturopathic doctor will investigate all these aspects before heading down the path of prescription anti-depressants.
There usually is no such thing as a one pill cure all for anything in life. Remember that next time you're bombarded with advertisements for drugs claiming to fix all of your concerns.
The “winter blues” getting your down?
Have you ever noticed that people are a lot cheerier in the summer than they are in the winter? One of the reasons attributed to that is the decrease in sunlight that we get in the winter months. Some people are more vulnerable to the change in sunlight and are vulnerable to a type of depression called seasonal affective disorder (SAD). This seasonal pattern begins in the autumn months as the days become shorter and can last until spring. It is estimated that two to three percent of the Canadian population suffers from this condition and a higher percentage suffer from a less serious version commonly known as the “winter blues.”
Who is at risk?
Women are twice as likely to suffer from SAD as men and as with most forms of depression, a familial history of it is common and increases the likelihood of being afflicted by “the blues”. It is also known that the latitude you live at plays a factor. The farther you live from the Earth’s equator, whether it be higher or lower latitudes, the greater the risk for developing SAD.
What are the possible symptoms of SAD?
• Low mood
• Fatigue, low energy
• Reduced interest in usual activities
• Decreased concentration
• Weight gain
• Increased appetite
• Increased sleep
Please see a health care professional or a naturopath if you feel that you may have seasonal affective disorder. Paint those winter blues away!
Who is at risk?
Women are twice as likely to suffer from SAD as men and as with most forms of depression, a familial history of it is common and increases the likelihood of being afflicted by “the blues”. It is also known that the latitude you live at plays a factor. The farther you live from the Earth’s equator, whether it be higher or lower latitudes, the greater the risk for developing SAD.
What are the possible symptoms of SAD?
• Low mood
• Fatigue, low energy
• Reduced interest in usual activities
• Decreased concentration
• Weight gain
• Increased appetite
• Increased sleep
Please see a health care professional or a naturopath if you feel that you may have seasonal affective disorder. Paint those winter blues away!
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