Your Antidepressant May Be Weakening Your Bones

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Your Antidepressant May Be Weakening Your Bones

There’s a strong link between some types of prescription antidepressant medication and osteoporosis. This is concerning because osteoporosis is a growing worldwide problem, especially in post-menopausal women. An elderly person who breaks their hip usually ends up with a much shorter lifespan.

Recent research has shown that the type of antidepressants called SSRIs increase bone fracture risk in menopausal women. Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor antidepressants are the third biggest selling category of drugs in the world (after cholesterol-lowering drugs and proton pump inhibitors for reflux/heartburn). Many doctors prescribe them to menopausal women to help them cope with menopause symptoms such as anxiety, hot flashes, night sweats, and poor sleep quality. They are particularly popular in women who need to avoid taking hormones because of a history of breast cancer, or just because they’d rather not use hormone replacement therapy.

Researchers have found that antidepressants seem to alter bone turnover; they shift the balance in favor of bone thinning rather than bone building. This is particularly worrisome at menopause time, when the drop in hormones causes women to lose bone density at a rapid rate. Therefore, to minimize risks, doctors are suggesting SSRIs be taken for as short a period of time as necessary to get through the most intense mental health or menopause symptoms.

Some women sail through menopause and the cessation of menstruation feels like a blessing. Other women suffer with such debilitating symptoms that they find it impossible to continue with the demands of their career and home lives. If you are looking for natural solutions for menopause symptoms you can find some in my book, Hormone Replacement the Real Truth. Please don’t discontinue any medication without consulting your doctor.

Important tips for depression and anxiety sufferers

Eat a diet composed of plenty of raw vegetables – To provide health giving antioxidants that protect our cells from damage. Include raw vegetable juices which are well absorbed and easily assimilated.
Avoid consuming too many sugars and grains – these contribute to inflammation and high carbohydrate intake is associated with fatty liver and type 2 diabetes.
Eat good quality protein regularly to obtain amino acids for production of neurotransmitters and to control cravings for carbohydrate rich foods. If you are short on time, adding a whey protein powder to smoothies is a fast and delicious option.
Make sure you include good quality fats in your diet regularly and avoid industrial seed oils found in pre-packaged, fried and processed foods.
Include magnesium rich foods in your diet, these include green leafy vegetables, nuts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds or take a good quality magnesium supplement if you suffer from high stress levels.
Remember that you are not alone and that there are people going through the same challenges and a support network is out there when you need it.
Meditate, take a yoga class or take a walk. Calm your mind and focus as much as possible on the positives that are all around you. If you look for them, they are there, although at times we find it hard to see them and focus too much on the negatives which are all around us (And again, if you go looking for them – the negatives can be very easy to find and focus on!)