Ways to Treat Depression That Aren’t Antidepressants
Unlike ketamine, though, nitrous oxide had few side effects. The benefits lasted from 24 hours to a full week in some of the 10 people in the study. Much more research needs to be done on the safety and effectiveness of nitrous oxide, but Manevitz says it’s promising.
“For people who are in suicidal despair or crisis, it may, like ketamine, temporarily relieve that person and act as a bridge until other treatments start working,” he says.
Botox. Best known for temporarily erasing frown lines and crow's feet, onabotulinumtoxinA (Botox) has recently attracted interest as a novel means of lifting major depression. The theory is simple: If you can’t frown, you won’t be sad. And some research has borne this out.
A single Botox injection into the facial "frown muscles" provided lasting relief from depression symptoms, according to a study published last spring in the Journal of Psychiatric Research. Another study found similar effects following Botox injections into frown lines around the eyebrows. Many questions remain, though.
“The Botox is very interesting, and the best evidence [it helps] is as an add-on to antidepressants, but what’s going on?” asks Kramer. “Is it really feedback to the brain, that if you can’t frown, do you feel more resilient? Or is it that people respond to you differently?”
Anti-inflammatory medications. Inflammation has been linked to depression for several years now, says Brown. A recent review of studies, published in JAMA Psychiatry, further backs up the connection. The researchers found that painkillers such as celecoxib, ibuprofen, and naproxen reduced depression symptoms. Another class of anti-inflammatory drugs, called cytokine inhibitors, also showed some benefit.
The authors of the review call their findings "proof of concept," meaning that their results are strong enough to encourage further research. Another recent study reports that omega-3 fatty acids, which have anti-inflammatory properties, helped treat depression linked to chronic hepatitis C.
“If you could actually treat depression symptoms along these lines, that would be interesting,” Kramer says. “Some of the antidepressants are also anti-inflammatories, and some people have thought that maybe it’s just coincidence that they work on [the brain chemicals] serotonin and norepinephrine, and that the real effect is anti-inflammatory.”
Treating Depression Without Antidepressants
Unlike ketamine, though, nitrous oxide had few side effects. The benefits lasted from 24 hours to a full week in some of the 10 people in the study. Much more research needs to be done on the safety and effectiveness of nitrous oxide, but Manevitz says it’s promising.
“For people who are in suicidal despair or crisis, it may, like ketamine, temporarily relieve that person and act as a bridge until other treatments start working,” he says.
Botox. Best known for temporarily erasing frown lines and crow's feet, onabotulinumtoxinA (Botox) has recently attracted interest as a novel means of lifting major depression. The theory is simple: If you can’t frown, you won’t be sad. And some research has borne this out.
A single Botox injection into the facial "frown muscles" provided lasting relief from depression symptoms, according to a study published last spring in the Journal of Psychiatric Research. Another study found similar effects following Botox injections into frown lines around the eyebrows. Many questions remain, though.
“The Botox is very interesting, and the best evidence [it helps] is as an add-on to antidepressants, but what’s going on?” asks Kramer. “Is it really feedback to the brain, that if you can’t frown, do you feel more resilient? Or is it that people respond to you differently?”
Anti-inflammatory medications. Inflammation has been linked to depression for several years now, says Brown. A recent review of studies, published in JAMA Psychiatry, further backs up the connection. The researchers found that painkillers such as celecoxib, ibuprofen, and naproxen reduced depression symptoms. Another class of anti-inflammatory drugs, called cytokine inhibitors, also showed some benefit.
The authors of the review call their findings "proof of concept," meaning that their results are strong enough to encourage further research. Another recent study reports that omega-3 fatty acids, which have anti-inflammatory properties, helped treat depression linked to chronic hepatitis C.
“If you could actually treat depression symptoms along these lines, that would be interesting,” Kramer says. “Some of the antidepressants are also anti-inflammatories, and some people have thought that maybe it’s just coincidence that they work on [the brain chemicals] serotonin and norepinephrine, and that the real effect is anti-inflammatory.”
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