hi eury...how did the amytriptline work???...I hope you had a good day...Was cold and rainy here today...but somehow made it through the day without cheating...I am wondering if I may be using too much splenda...I really don't think so..a cup of splenda has 24 grams of carbs..that's alot of splenda...I'm just not gonna give up my coffee..however, I've cut out my diet drinks...drinking mostly water and hot tea...

Hi there, I stopped taking my prozax when I started the Atkins plan. Have been taking Methotrexate injects for 3 years but had stopped taking them (developed an HUGE aversion to needles). Had to return to the injections because I was in LOTS of pain! It will take several weeks to kick in again. HATE to go to the doctor (no insurance). Guess I learned my lesson the hard way! Hopefully I will start to feel better soon. At least I'm losing weight!! ( (Which really helps to keep my mood and attitude better)

Can somebody please tell me why people with depression go for low carb diets? I thought that carbs converted into serotonin, which is what we depressives are short of? Please can someone explain. Thx.

All I know is that I no longer have the mood swings.....I think mine has come when I have such sugar swings say a low of 45 and a high of 285....The carbs kept me on a roller coaster...Dizzyness..headache, shakes...can't think straight...etc...This is a fibromyalgia thread....fibro is something thatis bad enough in it's self...Just not being able to do your normal activities can make you even more depressed...My rheumatologist thinks the diet is a great diet..You should check with your doctor and see what he recommends....Lot's of our meds cause fibro patients gain weight...The antidepressants help me not to feel the pain...but doctor says it can't MAKE you gain weight, but it can get you hungry...a little pill just can't do that...but he told me and pointed to my atkins diet book...when your hungry do what the book says...It the low carb way...

Perhaps I can simplify your question about low carbs and depression.
A lack of protein can sap your energy levels which, in turn, can lead to depression.
Carbohydrates - nutritional info. on the back of your food shows what percentage of your carbs are attained from sugar. Making sure to eat low-glycemic carbs (brown rice, whole wheat products, etc.) rather than high glycemic carbs (white bread, potatoes, white rice, etc.) Much like a mood-enhancing drug, high glycemic carbs give you a rush of energy - only to leave you feeling tired and sluggish later on. High levels of sugar in the diet are one of the primary causes of irritability and depression. Conversely, low-glycemic carbs give out a steady stream of energy throughout the day.

Eating Carbs to increase Serotonin is good...but they have to be the right amount of carbs and in combination with other foods to benefit.
Most people who suffer with depression choose the WRONG carbs, not their fault...it is a comfort thing. Atkins gives us the RIGHT carbs or rather the right amount to start a reformation processs.
I hope this helps.

Let me see if I can respond in a way that makes sense.

I can't do extreme low carb. I get zapped of energy, mentally dumbfounded, etc. etc.

I am a depressive.

Simple carbs are very bad, yet very addictive for depressive types. It lifts your mood (if you are not insuling resistant). I am IR. Simple carbs make me feel crappy. And bloated the next morning.

Now. Carbs do not allow your body to produce serotonin, if there is ANY protein in your stomach when you eat them. Yet, you can not product serotonin if you do not have other precursors (such as tryptophan) which are found in protein/meat. There's the rub.

Now. Most fibromyalgia sufferers are also low on norepinehrine. (Which is why effexor works so well for these sufferers.). That is one of the reasons why we have pain.

So...most authors that are proponents of natural remedies for depression and/or fibro, say to eat at least one meal a day in which there is no protein. But not simple carbs, or high glycemic carbs.

Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah

The one thing that raises serotinin, norephinephrine, dopamine, stops insuling resistance, heart disease and cancer is...exercise!