Natural ways to sidestep the deadly new NSAID/antidepressant risk

Last week I told you about a scary new risk linked to NSAIDs and antidepressants.  And if their track record is any indication, it will be years before the FDA gets around to warning the general public about this potentially lethal combination.

The sad thing is, it may be too late for some people by the time they get the warning.

This is one reason why I have dedicated my life to educating you about natural alternatives… because in many cases, natural therapies are far better—and most definitely safer.

And when it comes to combating depression and pain, there are plenty of studies that back up my point.

In fact, scientists from Georgetown University Medical Center recently found that applying the “electroacupuncture” technique to a single but powerful point located in the shin can blunt activity in the hypothalamus pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis. The HPA axis is the pathway associated with stress, chronic pain, mood, and emotions.

This was an animal study, which isn’t my first choice when it comes to research I like to share with you. But it was the first trial of its kind, so I thought it was worth noting. Especially since the study found that when the specific point—called the Stomach Meridian Point 36, or St36—was targeted, the production of stress hormones was reduced. And it stayed that way for four days following treatment.

Hopefully these promising results will spur more research in humans on acupuncture for treating depression and pain.

In addition to acupuncture, there’s also lots of research showing that a common spice I’ve written about many times before can combat both depression and pain. I’m talking about curcumin.

In fact, studies have shown taking 500 mg of curcumin twice a day can work as well as Prozac when treating major depression. Curcumin also appears to work well for a condition known as “atypical depression,” which regular antidepressants historically have not done a great job with.

And another study found that 2 grams of curcumin extract provides pain relief similar to ibuprofen. You can read more about curcumin and other natural pain relievers in the June 2012 issue of my Logical Health Alternatives newsletter. Subscribers can download this issue for free by logging on to my website with your username and password. (And if you’re not already a subscriber, now is the perfect time to get started.)

If you or someone you know is suffering with chronic pain and/or depression, it’s well worth seeking out the help of an alternative health professional instead of just popping a cocktail of Advil and Prozac. This is a risk that you do not want to take.

Source:

“Effects of Acupuncture, RU-486 on the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis in Chronically Stressed Adult Male Rats.” Endocrinology, 2015; EN.2015-1018 DOI: 10.1210/EN.2015-1018