Antidepressant drugs don't work - official study

A recent meta-analysis shocked many experts when it concluded that antidepressants don’t work. In fact, the effectiveness of antidepressants could be explained by the placebo effect.

In the study, researchers conducted a meta-analysis of all 47 published and unpublished clinical trials which were submitted to the Food and Drug Administration in the US, made in support of approving antidepressant drugs such as Prozac, Seroxat and Efexor. The results found the drugs were effective only in a very small group of the most extremely depressed.

Professor Irving Kirsch of the University of Hull, who led the study published in the online journal Public Library of Science (PLoS) Medicine, said: “Given these results, there seems to be little reason to prescribe antidepressant medication to any but the most severely depressed patients, unless alternative treatments have failed to provide a benefit. This study raises serious issues that need to be addressed surrounding drug licensing and how drug trial data is reported.”

Why is there such a big difference between the published reports on antidepressants and the conclusions of this large meta study?

The key word is published. Big Pharma selectively chooses which reports they want to publish, thus disregarding the studies showing that the drugs were ineffective. When researchers asked for both published and unpublished reports from the FDA under the Freedom of Information Act, they discovered that half of the studies showed that antidepressant drugs didn’t work as claimed.

If Antidepressants Don’t Work, Then What Does?

1. Spirulina Supplementation. A 2018 paper states that spirulina might be beneficial in treating mood disorders. This is due to a high content of tryptophan in spirulina. Tryptophan is an amino acid that promotes serotonin production.

Since people with depression and anxiety may have reduced levels of serotonin, taking spirulina can help to maintain healthy serotonin levels.

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2. Magnesium supplementation. A 2006 study found that magnesium supplementation improved neurological dysfunction, such as depression, in magnesium-deficient individuals.

3. Regular Exercise. Regular exercise is one of best tool to fight depression. It can help boost the “feel good” hormones in your brain.

As Dr. James S. Gordon, MD, a world-renowned expert in using mind-body medicine to heal depression, said:

“What we’re finding in the research on physical exercise is that exercise is at least as good as antidepressants for helping people who are depressed… physical exercise changes the level of serotonin in your brain. And it increases your endorphin levels, your “feel good hormones.”

Sources

_{P J Carek, S E Laibstain, S M Carek. Exercise for the treatment of depression and anxiety. Int J Psychiatry Med. 2011;41(1):15-28.}
_{E Penn, D K Tracy. The drugs don’t work? antidepressants and the current and future pharmacological management of depression. Ther Adv Psychopharmacol. 2012 Oct; 2(5): 179–188.}
_{D Spence. Are antidepressants overprescribed? Yes. BMJ. 2013 Jan 22;346:f191.}
_{I Kirsch. Antidepressants and the Placebo Effect. Z Psychol. 2014;222(3):128-134.}