deplin experiences?

[kcpurplehope]

i apologize if this subject irritates some people, but i have had experience with every med, treatment (inc ect) under the sun and ive never heard of this deplin stuff before. so, if the topic bothers you, please don't flame me. i just want some more info and testimonies about whether this med is helpful, necessary or just creatively getting us to buy an otc/vitamin/mineral that is creatively disguised as a prescription.

my doctor just gave me deplin to try. he says it helps with depression. according to the literature, l-mthylfolate is useful for crossing the blood/brain barrier. it also says that 1 tab (7.5 mg) l-methylfolate has the bioequivalent of 66 (800mg) folic acid tablets. i know that i fall into some of the catergories that would cause my folate to be low. from the info my doctor gave me says that using the deplin for brain folate deficiency boosts the production of serotoin, norepinephrine and dopamine. i think i unerstand the concept behind this and i think he is giving me the deplin because i have been having some severe (almost psychotic)meltdowns more frequenlty than ever. i guess that i just wanted to know if people have had experience with this stuff - good, bad or othrewise? i know the literature says that it is equivalent to taking a zillion folic acid tabs but i was wondering if it is like when a doc gives you a prescription for a higher dose of naprosyn when you can really just take a couple more alleve tabs instead?

this is what i am on currently: effexor xr 300mg (am), lamictal 200mg (am,hs), 100mg seroquel (am, noon), seroquel 600mg (hs) plus multivit, nexium, synthroid, calcium, xanax/clonapin prn and ritalin

this combo works well for me. i used to be on 900-1000mg of seroquel a day (im 5'2" and 100lbs) with the effexor and then the lamictal bumped up to 200 bid. after 12 years of taking meds that just kept my nose above water, this combo has changed my life. i got down to only 600-700mg of seroquel (which i was so proud of because i hate being a slave to pills) but because of the increase in massive meltdowns, my seroquel has been bumped back up. im not thrilled but after all of these years, i understand that i have to take this crap to keep me not only sane but alive.

like i said, i hate having to take meds every 4 hours and i just wanted some opinions on the deplin and if it is worth it.

thanks for listening!

[AnneMarie]

I know next to nothing, but can suggest that if you don't get many replies here, enter Deplin in the search function. A number of posts on it will come up.

[kcpurplehope]

I know next to nothing, but can suggest that if you don't get many replies here, enter Deplin in the search function. A number of posts on it will come up.

i did some searching. i did get some more experiences that i was looking for, however, there was a post where someone went off about spamming deplin. it was rude because the poster was just looking for answers.

i read some about people who were just starting it and wanted to know more about people who have been on it longer while on similar meds that i am on.

i apologize if i am being repetative. i might just recopy my post and merge it to a post where people are open-mindedly discussing it.

i don't want to imply that you are one of those people at all! i was just disturbed that someone was asking for help and was basically told that they were an idiot "bying into the pharmacutical machine" or something. if someone asked if tylenol was an antidepressant that would be a different story but people come here with questions - some of us know more than others.

if i don't get many hits - ill keep looking but maybe a newer thread will catch some people who have more questions or answers.

[null0trooper]

i did some searching. i did get some more experiences that i was looking for, however, there was a post where someone went off about spamming deplin. it was rude because the poster was just looking for answers.

It's one of the search terms that consistently brings out spammers promoting it as a magic cure for nearly everything.

For example, Dr. Joseph F Goldberg argues for methylfolate supplementation for depression because:

- tryptophan depletion can transiently make depression symptoms worse ( without recognizing that folic acid isn't an amino acid precursor for serotonin )

- "Alpert and Fava" (somehow the ref. isn't included in my linked abstract, but I'm sure their study can be found somewhere) referenced studies that show that folic acid deficiency can interfere with serotonin synthesis by reducing S-adenosyl-methionine levels. (OK. Now we have a link to serotonin synthesis pathway - now all we need is evidence that this actually happens in real people)

- other studies show that up to 38% of depression patients test low for RBC folic acid levels (Unfortunately, this shows correlation, not causation. The low folic acid levels may simply be an outcome of depressed people not making an effort to eat well enough. More than half of depressed patients improve with therapy alone, noradrenergic meds that don't affect serotonin, or even placebo, so response to SSRIs doesn't discriminate among the potential interpretations of the data )

However, serotonin synthesis isn't dopamine synthesis and certainly not noradrenaline synthesis.

If it makes you feel better about taking Deplin, somewhere in all the handwaving is a mechanism by which severe folate deficiency can, at a minimum, make some depression symptoms worse. So if your folate levels have been tested and know you have a deficiency of folate, which your body needs for a lot of important things, you need to take it. No matter what it's done for others, it may slow the onset or prevent future symptoms for you.

Maybe it's a placebo anyway for you. As long as you don't go off your working psych meds, and it at least seems to work for you, how is that a problem?

[notfred]

I would not spend my money on Deplin until I had a folate level done and I showed I was low on folate. Mine is normal.

nf

[kcpurplehope]

i did some searching. i did get some more experiences that i was looking for, however, there was a post where someone went off about spamming deplin. it was rude because the poster was just looking for answers.

It's one of the search terms that consistently brings out spammers promoting it as a magic cure for nearly everything.

For example, Dr. Joseph F Goldberg argues for methylfolate supplementation for depression because:

- tryptophan depletion can transiently make depression symptoms worse ( without recognizing that folic acid isn't an amino acid precursor for serotonin )

- "Alpert and Fava" (somehow the ref. isn't included in my linked abstract, but I'm sure their study can be found somewhere) referenced studies that show that folic acid deficiency can interfere with serotonin synthesis by reducing S-adenosyl-methionine levels. (OK. Now we have a link to serotonin synthesis pathway - now all we need is evidence that this actually happens in real people)

- other studies show that up to 38% of depression patients test low for RBC folic acid levels (Unfortunately, this shows correlation, not causation. The low folic acid levels may simply be an outcome of depressed people not making an effort to eat well enough. More than half of depressed patients improve with therapy alone, noradrenergic meds that don't affect serotonin, or even placebo, so response to SSRIs doesn't discriminate among the potential interpretations of the data )

However, serotonin synthesis isn't dopamine synthesis and certainly not noradrenaline synthesis.

If it makes you feel better about taking Deplin, somewhere in all the handwaving is a mechanism by which severe folate deficiency can, at a minimum, make some depression symptoms worse. So if your folate levels have been tested and know you have a deficiency of folate, which your body needs for a lot of important things, you need to take it. No matter what it's done for others, it may slow the onset or prevent future symptoms for you.

Maybe it's a placebo anyway for you. As long as you don't go off your working psych meds, and it at least seems to work for you, how is that a problem?

im really sorry, i didn't mean to come across as rude or disrespectful in any way. i didn't know that it was being promoted as a cure all, unlike acia berries . also, i was referring to the literature that i had that says "correcting suboptimal folate levels in the brain is necessary to boost the production of these neurotransmitters (serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine) which may improve the way your antidepressant works."

i know that this stuff was written by the people selling the stuff, that's kinda why i wanted to ask some questions. im not going of my psych meds - trust me! i don't know a lot about this stuff so, that is part of the way i research it - to hear from people who have or who have known people on it.

i did find a similar thread about deplin where people were talking about it and not telling people they were idiots. i just thought a newer thread could restart conversation and whatnot.

oh, by the way, if that acai berry hasn't cleared up your gout, lukemeia, herpes or your stigmata, i think this week it has been recommended that becoming an alcoholic - as long as you only drink red wine- will make you live well into your 20's - your 120's.

[kcpurplehope]

null0trooper-

sorry i didn't post this but thank you for some of the facts and research that are out there discussing the validity of these meds. i like that sort of information - i usually come here for some contributions or subjects or whatever but i also like to look into studies and research. thank you for also telling me that it is being thrown into people's faces as something that is going to change your life. does it have an infomercial? i know for 10 easy payments of $19.99 jack lalane's juicer can change lives. well, not as well as the shamwow.

[AnneMarie]

Why not ask your doc to test your folate level? Maybe your levels are low and it could possibly help.

I suggested the search because a deplin question usually does not result in many replies. I wasn't steering you to anything in particular.

[null0trooper]

im really sorry, i didn't mean to come across as rude or disrespectful in any way. i didn't know that it was being promoted as a cure all, unlike acia berries . also, i was referring to the literature that i had that says "correcting suboptimal folate levels in the brain is necessary to boost the production of these neurotransmitters (serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine) which may improve the way your antidepressant works."

One of the local health food stores sells acai-filled toaster pastries. They're tasty.

As far as the standard neurotransmitter-based theories go, there are multiple points for the systems to go wrong, which is why many people are on reuptake inhibitors (keep the signal molecules in action longer) but some people still are on MAOIs (reclaimed signal molecules go back into storage instead of being tossed out), and stimulants still have a place in treatment (force the signal to go out) Maybe ACs may work by lowering the threshold for sending the signal? No one really knows. A deficiency *could* make your meds less effective, but the effect in most people could be far too small to affect how the psych meds work.

That's why we push so hard for backing decisions with hard science, because otherwise it's *all* voodoo, smoke, and mirrors.

Back to Deplin, folate, and you. IF you haven't had your folate levels checked, have your regular physician add that to your next bloodwork, along with Vitamins B12 and D, thyroid hormones, etc. (Yes, we are going to harp on keeping up with basic bloodwork )

[kcpurplehope]

yeah, i know it is wierd about not checking the folate levels. i mean, im not pregnant or anything (don't prenatal vits have folate?). i just had a very through blood work up donee last week. i really like my psych and my medical doctor and they listen and try to see what fits, what has and hasn't worked and stuff. basically, i had a psychotic meltdown and to avoid going straight into the hospital, my psych squeezed me in and i brought my mom. it was wierd because he was very short, didn't really listen and seemed really annoyed. i know that they somehow just squeezed me in and i think that he was just really short on time. we re-worked my seroquel and he gave me more xanax so i can calm myself quickly before things get bad. then, he just throws this deplin at me. he kinda said something about helping depression and then said here is a pamphlet, read about it on-line. then he made me sign something to get him off the hook because i was refusing to go to the hospital. the depression wasn't really an issue - my mood swings were getting dangerous. so, i was confused that he wanted to give me something to help depression. i was also confused because ive never heard of it and because of academics, jobs and having tried every med under the sun, i am usually aware of meds. the labs showed that i still have hypothyroidism (probably because i havent taken my synthroid since june) and the other blood tests just showed that my white cells are low. i know that they didn't check vitamin levels though. so why on earth he decided to give me this stuff - i don't know. plus he gave me samples - a bunch of bottles, so i was thinking, "ok, cool. i won't need a script to try it." well, each bottle only has three pills in it. about enough for a week. i don't know if im imagining things, or it is because my life is really chaotic right now, but ive actually been feeling more depressed.

one question - because it is basically a vitamin, it shouldn't take a long time to work like an antidepressant, right? so, you should know from the get go how it will work, right?

it really surprises me that my doc would kinda throw some new stuff that is obviously trying to clamp patients into paying for another, possibly useless, pill. he isn't like that.

he's been really short and annoyed with me - i never bother my docs unless it is really serious. i know he is very busy. maybe if he takes some deplin he might be in a better mood...

[notfred]

yeah, i know it is wierd about not checking the folate levels. i mean, im not pregnant or anything (don't prenatal vits have folate?). i just had a very through blood work up donee last week.

Did you get a folate level ? It is not a standard test. You can't assume in something as important as your health.

Folate is added (fortified) to a whole lot of foods to the point that many get more than the RDA of folate. That is OK, but it makes folate deficiency unusual.

nf

[null0trooper]

one question - because it is basically a vitamin, it shouldn't take a long time to work like an antidepressant, right? so, you should know from the get go how it will work, right?

No. Other than (maybe) scurvy, I think that correcting clinically-significant vitamin deficiencies can take weeks. Nutrients that can be stored require depleted storage to be replenished, which may not be an efficient process (iron can be a notable exception), and some other effects may need to be healed.

it really surprises me that my doc would kinda throw some new stuff that is obviously trying to clamp patients into paying for another, possibly useless, pill. he isn't like that.

he's been really short and annoyed with me - i never bother my docs unless it is really serious. i know he is very busy. maybe if he takes some deplin he might be in a better mood...

It's remotely possible that he was prescribing it as a placebo, just in case your worsening symptoms are a temporary setback and not a reason to add more drugs with even more potential problems once they become over-medication. But he could be legitimately worried that your diet has gone to hell, in which case this may help.

Since you don't have a baseline test to check for improvement, do YOU have any new side-effects or worsening symptoms that suggest that a standard 6-8 week trial would be counter-productive? After all, I have no proof that I physically need my Vitamin E and flax oil capsules, but since they are cheap and seem to benefit me without making anything worse, I'm keeping on using them (And I DO keep taking my psych meds )

[mj1127]

i have heard of people having great results with this stuff, but that has not been my experience. I've done two trials, each about a month. At 1 tablet daily, it made me more anxious, and did nothing for my depression. At half a tablet daily, it still made me more anxious and still did nothing for my depression. When my pdoc wanted to go to 1/4 tablet, I passed. It's important to note, also, that this stuff is expensive - with the mfg.'s discount card, $60 minimum/month if you're taking 1tab/day - and I just can't afford a $60+/month supplement that doesn't work.

[notfred]

It's important to note, also, that this stuff is expensive - with the mfg.'s discount card, $60 minimum/month if you're taking 1tab/day - and I just can't afford a $60+/month supplement that doesn't work.

You can buy l-methylfolate on the OTC market, it is cheaper. Deplin is l-methylfolate.

nf

[mj1127]

It's important to note, also, that this stuff is expensive - with the mfg.'s discount card, $60 minimum/month if you're taking 1tab/day - and I just can't afford a $60+/month supplement that doesn't work.

You can buy l-methylfolate on the OTC market, it is cheaper. Deplin is l-methylfolate.

nf

Interesting - I had thought it was at one time available OTC but was not anymore.

[miss_invisible]

Well, personally, I LOVE the stuff. My antidepressants weren't ever quite doing it for me, but when I had the Deplin added, bam. Anti-depressants actually... helping the depression. Who would have thought? And I had no side effects or anything, so for me I wouldn't live without the stuff. It's probably the reason I'm not still trying new meds.