8 9
Nutrient deficiencies: Poor diet is a major cause of depression. The resultant nutritional
deficiencies can wreak havoc on the brain. Low levels of folate, vitamin B12, vitamin D, magnesium, zinc, and vanadium (just to name a few) are associated with depression.
Heavy-metal toxicity: Modern- day living exposes us to an abundance of toxic metals, most
notably lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic. T e heavy metals are highly toxic and have been linked to a variety of mood disorders, including depression. Due to their abundance and pervasiveness, these metals build up over time and become stored in the brain, liver, bone, and fatty tissue.
10
Leaky-gut syndrome: Modern-day living also exposes us to a host
of man-made chemicals that can damage the gut lining. Leaky gut syndrome—also known as intestinal hyperpermeability—is a condition leading to a group of symptoms that occur when the lining of the small intestine becomes damaged, causing undigested food particles, bacteria, and toxic waste products to “leak” through the intestinal lining and into the bloodstream. Leaky gut is a major underlying cause of chronic disease. It is a dangerous and hidden source of illness (including depression) that medical science is only beginning to realize.
Depression is a problem worth
solving, especially since recent medical studies are showing that it may lead to faster brain aging and be the fi rst symptom of Alzheimer’s disease. In other words, on the spectrum of dementia, depression may, in fact, be “pre-Alzheimer’s” and not a separate disease. And simply treating depression but not reversing it, you may run the risk of depression progressing to full- blown Alzheimer’s. Once the underlying causes of
depression have been carefully uncovered, intelligent, logical, and targeted treatment
can commence, and true healing can begin. In my expert medical opinion, it is unacceptable for a doctor to prescribe an antidepressant without fi rst doing the proper detective work. Located in Mount Dora, Florida,
Dr. Daniel T omas, DO, MS has over 30 years of experience and is a leader in metabolic and nutritional medicine. People throughout the country seek his expertise
to prevent and reverse disease, improve health, slow aging, and increase lifespan. To learn more about his credentials and how he may be able to help you, visit
HealthyAndStrong.com or call 352-729-0923. If you or someone you love suff ers from depression and would like help, please contact Dr. Daniel T omas.
K
When it comes to conventional treatment, there is an urgent need for medications that are more eff ective, work quicker, and have fewer side eff ects.
etamine is a medication that is used intravenously for anesthesia, but a number of studies have shown that a single intravenous dose of ketamine can produce a
rapid and profound antidepressant eff ect. Research indicates that regular intravenous treatment is extremely eff ective but is expensive and impractical. Oral ketamine, on the other hand, is broken down by the liver before it enters the bloodstream, so this option is out. As an alternative, intranasal administration has been investigated. Intranasal drug delivery provides a direct and rapid therapeutic eff ect on the brain. Intranasal administration avoids problems related to gastrointestinal absorption. It also avoids the inconvenience and expense of intravenous therapy. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover clinical trial
conducted in 20 patients with severe depression, researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, tested the safety, tolerability, and eff ectiveness of intranasal ketamine in patients who had failed prior antidepressant treatment. T e researchers found that a single intranasal dose of ketamine outperformed placebo. T e response rate was 44% versus 6%, respectively. Anxiety ratings also decreased signifi cantly more with ketamine. Patients showed signifi cant improvement in depressive symptoms within just 24 hours. Intranasal ketamine was well tolerated and had far fewer side eff ects compared to conventional antidepressants. Patients experienced nearly 7 days of relief of depression aſt er just a single dose of intranasal ketamine. Intranasal ketamine represents a genuine breakthrough, especially for Treatment-
Resistant Depression. Intranasal ketamine is not commercially available, however. It must be custom compounded. Most doctors have little to no experience in the use of custom compounded medications. Over the past 30 years, I have been using such medications to meet my patient’s specifi c needs. If you or someone you love is suff ering from depression and would like to learn if intranasal ketamine may help, please contact my offi ce.
Once the underlying causes of depression have been carefully uncovered, intelligent, logical, and targeted treatment can commence, and true healing can begin. In my expert medical opinion, it is unacceptable for a doctor to prescribe an antidepressant without first doing the proper detective work.
July 2018 17
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40
