Anyone who knows me really well knows that I have struggled with anxiety and depression at different times throughout my life. Anyone who sort of knows me has probably heard me talk about this and been surprised. You may fall into that second category now.
I'm naturally a fairly nervous person. What may seem very small and insignificant things to some can send me into a tailspin. I may worry over a mistake on a work project or something stupid I said at a party for weeks after the incident. I get stomach aches when this happens. I give just as much attention to worrying about the future as I do the past, and it results in even more stomach aches.
In my late twenties, I was pretty sick of feeling sick to my stomach from all this worrying all the time. So I started seeing a therapist and started taking anti-anxiety and depression medication. After some time, and dosage adjustments under the guidance of a psychiatrist, it was suggested that I try L-methylfolate in a prescription capsule. Thus Deplin entered my life.
Even though it makes me think of taking a massive Devlin* every time I see the name on the pill bottle, Deplin has been a game-changer for me.
It's a prescription for L-methylfolate, in pill form. New research suggests that some individuals aren't able to convert folic acid into L-methylfolate on their own, and these people are likely depressed people:
Our brain must convert folic acid into L-methylfolate before it can manufacture enough serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine to alleviate depression. However, certain individuals lack the ability to convert folic acid [...].Without any real discussion as to why or how it might help, my psychiatrist and I decided to incorporate Deplin into my daily routine. Within a few weeks, I can honestly say that I started to feel better. It was like I was suddenly able to see how anxious and depressed I'd actually been. I felt different and I started seeing things differently.
From my own research, I now know that Deplin is often prescribed for those with MTHFR Mutation problems. (I personally love the acronym MTHFR because it reminds me of "mother f***er" and I have the sense of humor of a 7th grade boy.) This article about being a genetic mutant simply explains the process of methylation and the group of genes called “methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase” or MTHFR for short. Basically, if you have too many genetic variances in these genes then you're a mother f***ing mutant, son!
So I don't actually know if I'm a MTHFR mutant, but nonetheless I attribute my fertility to taking Deplin as well. (This article explains why there are concerns about MTHFR mutation problems and infertility.)
I found out I was pregnant after I'd been taking Deplin about one year. I have a feeling that Deplin aided in the conception of our baby because we didn't change anything about our birth control methods from around the time I started Deplin until we knew I was already pregnant. I hadn't been on the pill or any other hormones for years, we were using other methods of birth control about as unreliably as ever and we hadn't even had a scare (in about 9 years of dating!).
We were actually not trying for a baby at all, and so for awhile I "blamed" Deplin for making me fertile. Of course now that the baby is almost 5 months old, I can happily "thank" Deplin for helping me along in my wellness journey, for I am now a healthy mom!
BE ADVISED: I have no real evidence to support what I am about to say...
But I also believe that taking Deplin while pregnant was beneficial for baby and for me. I discussed continuing to take it with the OB/GYN and my psychiatrist when we found out I was pregnant. I learned that folic acid and some amount of L-methylfolate is in most prenatal vitamins, so I was encouraged to continue taking it. Side effects of Deplin are minimal, and I hadn't experienced any negative side effects before becoming pregnant. I did not take any antidepressant medication until the baby was born and breastfeeding was well-established, and I think Deplin in combination with prenatal vitamins helped me through the pregnancy and the hardest part of the postpartum period.
I'm now on a very small amount of Zoloft, my Deplin and have continued taking my prenatal vitamins. This seems to have been working well for me over the past few months. I feel I am managing anxiety and depression for myself and our baby is thriving.
I don't know whether Deplin could be a solution for anyone out there with infertility issues or struggling with anxiety and depression, but I had to share my story just in case it might be something for someone.
*name the movie in the comments!
hint: Adam Sandler & Jennifer Aniston
Comments
Post a Comment