IV Infusion Treatment for Depression
WHAT IS DEPRESSION?
Depression is a mental health condition that is prominent across ages, cultures, gender, sexual orientation, and family of origin. It is oftentimes a very internal process of experience a person will go through on their own. Despite depression being so widespread and treatable, many never seek treatment because of the stigma associated with it in society. Depression is treatable. There is little doubt, also, that there are multiple ways to treat depression both externally and internally and treatment various depending on the person. Vitamin IV Therapy is one way to provide support of alleviating symptoms of depression with known natural vitamin boosters.
WHAT VITAMINS TREAT DEPRESSION THROUGH IV THERAPY?
B12 is perhaps one of the most well known vitamins used to treat depression. B12 is also well known for use with people early in sobriety to boost their levels of vitamin B12 and provide support for increased wellness feeling throughout their body and mind.
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is absorbed in the blood stream and helps reduce anxiety and depression when stable in the body. Only about 1/5 of the body’s needed vitamin D is obtained through dietary means while the other 4/5 of vitamin D comes from sunshine and outside energy through the skin to support body functioning. Some symptoms and outcomes of deficient levels of vitamin D include cystic fibrosis, short bowel syndrome, gastric bypass, chronic pancreatic insufficiency, and depression or mood disorders. Therefore, supplementing with vitamin D is a helpful support to decrease, reduce risk of, or treat depression.
Folate is also known as Folic Acid or Vitamin B9 and can be consumed through dietary food such as leafy green vegetables and fortified grains. It can also be consumed through dietary supplements when a persons diet is not rich with a consumption of these food types. When possible, try to include in your diet sources of this vitamin to ensure proper intake and reduction of negative symptoms. There are times however when certain events can make consumption of this vitamin more difficult. These events include certain disease, sickness, and life choices such as cancer, alcoholism, smoking, poor diet, and certain medications. These medications include mood stabilizers, L-dopa, statins, anti-diabetic oral medications, and chemotherapy medications. Folate has shown in studies to decrease depression and increase feelings of wellness and has support as a stand alone vitamin for depression treatment.
Vitamin C continues to be reviewed for its positive impact on depression and mood disorders. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that is focused on supporting free radicals from damaging cells. It is used to help support cartilage, vessels, muscle, and bone collagen. This critical vitamin is paramount in protecting humans from disease including forms of cancer. Vitamin C is not naturally made in the body so requires people to take on Vitamin C through means of a rich diet of fruits and vegetables. Common colds and eye diseases also have a reduced chance of growth and risk when a person’s diet is rich with Vitamin C. Depression is also one disease that is positively impacted and risk for onset of depression lowered when Vitamin C is implemented into a diet of a person who is deficient in Vitamin C (Plevin & Galletly, 2020).
Niacin, also known as vitamin B3, is nutritional precursor to the metabolism of mitochondrial energy. What is mitochondrial energy? Mitochondrial energy what happens when we eat food and process food into energy through our bodies. This growth and energy is paramount in our body’s growth, movement, and homeostasis (Tian et al., 2023). There is not a lot of research to date regarding niacin and depression levels or impact however there is some. Tian et al. for instance studied the correlation of depression and intake of niacin and hypothesized that each would follow the correlational direction. Their study focused on a large sample size of 16,098 people (1,244 with depression and 14,854 without depression). In general the same of people with depression were younger, female, with higher body mass index (BMI), diabetic, lower energy levels, engage in less activity, and are former or current alcohol consumers and smokers. Their result conclusion reported that a moderate intake of niacin can protect against depression and lower risk of depression in people consuming niacin of 36 mg/day.
Magnesium is stored in a person’s bones and tissues in their body. It comes through the food we eat and consume daily. What we eat is important to our health. Magnesium also comes through antacids and laxatives. Magnesium can help with digestive issues and constipation, and also sleep issues. It is an important and very powerful vitamin to supporting whole health. Magnesium has a role in functioning of our bones, muscles, nerves and other parts of our bodies and when not at optimal levels we can suffer in these very areas. Unlike some other vitamins, Magnesium has been studied more widely in its use in treating depression and mood disorders. Because of its neurological pathway connection, Magnesium plays an important role in a person’s mental health wellness. While studies do show some directional support for depression and magnesium intake studies have not been extensive in using large sample sizes to run studies with statistical support for Magnesium having a direct effect on the treatment of depression or increase risk of depression when low. There is some indirect support however that when Magnesium is low symptoms can include fatigue, poor appetite, sickness, tingling in skin, muscle cramps, heart rate abnormality and seizures which are all symptoms that when experienced acutely or over a long duration can themselves lead to low depressed mood. It is important to realize that although there is not necessarily a cause and effect relationship there are negative outcomes resulting from low levels of Magnesium, all of which can then increase risk to depression. (Harved T.H. Chan, 2023).
Zinc is a mineral found in food and is only needed in small amounts for the body to function at a high level. It is a small amount but a big purpose in the role of moving chemicals throughout the body for whole functioning. Zinc helps cells to grow and multiply and a leading role in creation of DNA, growth of cells, proteins building, tissues replenishing and healing, and the immune system running at its optimal level. Due to its needed impact on growth and development the time periods of most importance is childhood, adolescence, and young adults. The younger the person the more this mineral seems to be more critical because of the rapid cell development in human development (Harvard T.H. Chan, 2023). In consideration of Zinc on depression levels, a 25 mg intake supplement of Zinc daily for 12 weeks was shown in a randomized sample of individuals to decrease significantly levels and experience of depression (Ranjbar et al., 2013).
Calcium is a primary source of teeth and bone health. It takes a role in messages carrying from nerve cells, release of hormones, and is positively impacted with intake of vitamin D. Like other important vitamins, calcium is best when it is received through the food you eat such as dairy products, grains, and vegetables.
HOW OFTEN SHOULD I GET IV THERAPY TO TREAT MY DEPRESSION?
It is up to you and your provider working with you to decide what is your best approach to treat depression. There is not necessarily one for all approach to treatment of depression. Utilizing IV treatment with vitamins to treat depression shows to be a good direction of a plan based on the outcome literature support of vitamin impact to depression scores. You should get the support of your providers when seeking to understand your body and mind to vitamin intake need. Also know that an increase to vitamins is not always going to help you if the intake is an overload of what you actually need and your body can use (Harvard T.H. Chan, 2019).
SHOULD I ALSO TAKE PHARMACEUTICAL MEDICINE?
Whether you should seek to follow a prescription medicine regimen is up to you and your provider. We at On the Move (OTM) can certainly help you take the steps to speak to a provider. A provider can assess the level of depression, order labs to ensure organic disorders are ruled out, and prescribe medication to treat your symptoms alongside vitamins. There is a vast array of evidenced based support for medication to treat symptoms of depression including Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Make sure when speaking to your doctor you provide an overview of the vitamins you are on and any medication.
TO END
IV Infusion Treatment can absolutely help feelings of depression and sadness. Making sure you address questions and symptoms with one of our providers or you preferred provider is important to make sure each chioce you choose is going to help you in your goals and care.
References
Akpınar Ş, Karadağ MG. Is Vitamin D Important in Anxiety or Depression? What Is the Truth? Curr Nutr Rep. 2022 Dec;11(4):675-681. doi: 10.1007/s13668-022-00441-0. Epub 2022 Sep 13. PMID: 36097104; PMCID: PMC9468237. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9468237/#:~:text=Low%20vitamin%20D%20levels%20are,planning%20of%20these%20mood%20disorders.
Harvard T.H. Chan. (2019). Too many vitamins may be risky for health. Retrieved from https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/too-many-vitamins-may-be-risky-for-health/
Harvard T.H. Chan. (2023). Magnesium. Retrieved from https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/magnesium/#:~:text=Magnesium%20is%20a%20component%20of,hormone%2C%20which%20regulates%20calcium%20levels.
Harvard T.H. Chan. (2023). Zinc. Retrieved from https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/zinc/
Mental Health America. (2016). Complimentary and alternative medicine. Retrieved from https://www.mhanational.org/folate#:~:text=Folate%20is%20especially%20promising%20for,is%20good%20for%20almost%20everyone.
Plevin, D., Galletly, C. The neuropsychiatric effects of vitamin C deficiency: a systematic review. BMC Psychiatry 20, 315 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-020-02730-w
Ranjbar E, Kasaei MS, Mohammad-Shirazi M, Nasrollahzadeh J, Rashidkhani B, Shams J, Mostafavi SA, Mohammadi MR. (2013). Effects of zinc supplementation in patients with major depression: a randomized clinical trial. Iran J Psychiatry. 8(2):73-9. PMID: 24130605; PMCID: PMC3796297.
Tian S, Wu L, Zheng H, Zhong X, Liu M, Yu X, Wu W. Dietary niacin intake in relation to depression among adults: a population-based study. BMC Psychiatry. 2023 Sep 18;23(1):678. doi: 10.1186/s12888-023-05188-8. PMID: 37723526; PMCID: PMC10506255.
