Posted by Lao Tzu on July 3, 2009, at 11:28:46
For 9 years, I have smoked heavily. Only this month have I begun a smoking cessation program to quit for good. I have been battling depression for over 17 years. The supplements I take did help with my depression, but I've discovered that they work much better if you give up smoking cigarettes. My days lately have been mostly lying in bed and sitting on my front porch smoking, ALL DAY long. Cigarettes, for me, I think kept me in a depressive state. I feel much more alive without them. The first few days of quitting is rough, but possible, considering that I used to smoke a straight two packs per day of the full flavor cigarettes. Now, I'm down to 5 or 6 smokes per day, and it's been a little over two weeks. I still have cravings which on some days just come out of the blue. Some days are good, others are worse, and I imagine I'm going to struggle with this effort to quit for quite a while. All I know is I don't ever want to go back to smoking two packs a day. I realize I felt worse, and the thing about it is that I didn't give a crap about anything else. I was like an automaton everyday. The thing I discovered is that if you are using a smoking cessation program to quit, it is also a good idea to take the right supplements that address your depressive symptoms as well because I've learned that if I am depressed I tend to smoke even more than if my moods were stable throughout the day. The hard thing is finding just the right supplements that address your depressive symptoms. I use specific vitamins and minerals along with medication to help. I also use borage and fish oils, which help a lot. The dosage of each supplement you take is very important, just as the wrong dosage of medication or the wrong medication can make you feel worse. I've noticed that taking too much of any one supplement can possibly make you feel less than your best. The supplements I use focus on are magnesium, B6, vitamin E, vitamin C, vitamin B1, zinc picolinate, selenium, borage oil, fish oil, and Niacin at bedtime. Some people do well by adding a little calcium as well and some also need vitamin B12. I tend to stay away from folic acid (including multivitamins or B-complex vitamins with folic acid in them) because it gives me mood swings. However, some people absolutely need to increase their folic acid to help with their depression. I'm just not one of them. I take low to modest doses despite what a lot of internet sites tell you to take. You have to decide what works best for you as an individual. I always suggest starting on the low side. You may not need high dosages of any one vitamin. More important is the combination of vitamins because your body needs a wide spectrum of different nutrients to function properly. Try small dosages of each first. The exceptions might be B12, Niacin, B6, and folic acid. Some people do fine on low dosages and some require high dosages of these particular B-vitamins. First, establish if B12 and folic acid make you feel worse or better. You may not need them if they make you feel worse. Then establish what dosages of each that help you through trial and error. This is the most frustrating part, but stick with it. Like I said, I always start with lower dosages and go higher if that doesn't help. If possible, find out if you have a B12 deficiency because taking an adequate amount of B12 can really help depression if you are low in this vitamin.
I also take medication for depression, which is helpful to me. This may include an antidepressant, mood stabilizer, and in some cases, a very low dosage of an antipsychotic.
The smoking cessation products I've been using are the Nicoderm CQ patch and a product called Smoke Deter, which is a homeopathic remedy for nicotine cravings which I think does help. However, it may take a few weeks to see the full effect. I'll let you know in a few weeks how this product is working for my nicotine cravings.
poster:Lao Tzu
thread:904728
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20090410/msgs/904728.html