Taking Multiple Pharma Drugs Can Increase Likelihood Of Depression

NEWS

In a finding that is anything but surprising, a new study has shown that simultaneously taking multiple prescription drugs that have depression as a potential side effect increases the likelihood of developing the condition.

COMMENT

Known as ‘polypharmacy’, the simultaneous prescribing of multiple pharmaceutical drugs is becoming increasingly common these days. Predictably, the health risks of this practice increase with each medication added to a patient’s regimen. This is particularly the case for older patients. A study published in 2016 found that each additional medication added to an elderly patient’s regimen was associated with a more than 20 percent increase in their risk of going from a state of robust health to dying during the period of the study.

For patients already suffering from depression, studies clearly show that natural health approaches can tackle this condition both safely and effectively. For example, it is already known that low levels of B vitamins are common in patients with depression and that supplementation with this group of micronutrients can improve clinical outcomes.

Research has also shown that magnesium supplements may be an alternative to antidepressant drugs and that omega-3 supplements can help treat even major depression. As these and other such studies therefore demonstrate, natural alternatives to pharmaceutical drugs now exist not only for physical diseases but also for mental health disorders as well.