Thanks for your post, Dannilo. Anxiety and depression are multi-faceted in causation and require a multi-faceted approach in treatment as well. Interventions should ideally include biological (nutrition, supplements/medications, sleep, and movement/exercise), psychological (counseling, support groups, art therapy, etc.), social  (friends, peers, co-workers, community, family, etc.), and spiritual (sense of purpose, creativity, meditation/prayer, connection with higher power or something greater than self) treatment approaches. I think of each of these areas as providing a ‘leg’ to the ‘table’ that is optimal health. We can find greater balance in our health, and a deeper sense of healing when they are all utilized in our treatment.

As you mentioned, genetic variants can make certain nutrients and lifestyle factors even more important. For instance, the COMT variants can make optimal levels of key nutrients like magnesium and vitamin C even more important, while intake of caffeine and other stimulants must be acutely monitored. A CYP2D6 rapid metabolizer variant may make you ‘use up’ medications more rapidly, thus requiring a higher level to reach the desired effect. So while supplements like St. John’s Wort have similar efficacy to several anti-depressants, they must be used at a therapeutic dose for your bio-individuality in order to be effective. 

I would encourage you to work with an integrative psychiatrist or functional medicine practitioner who can provide a variety of potential alternatives or additions to the medications you are finding to be helpful.

Best!

Zoe

Hi Zoe,

Thanks for your reply!

Would you be able to recommend a specialist? I’m based in Sao Paulo, Brazil and it’s quite hard to find a integrative psychiatrist or functional medicine practitioner.

Also, would you know if there is any doctor that perform brain SPECT in Brazil or somehow works with Amen Clinics approach/model?

Best regards,
Dannilo.

Hi Dannilo,

Here are a list of functional medicine practitioners in Brazil. You can of course narrow the search to your city or cities close to you.

I don’t know of any SPECT imaging specialists in Brazil, but you can certainly give us a call and see if our resource team has any information for you: 844-241-6629.

Best!

Zoe

That’s great Zoe – thanks for the info. I’ll give it a call sometime this week.

I just have one last question and I’ll stop bothering – is there any nutraceutical or supplement that is equivalent/similar Quetiapine?

Best,
Dannilo.

Hi Dannilo,

No bother at all! There are many supplements and nutritional interventions that support a healthy mood but specific recommendations would be based on your individual health as Quetiapine can be used to treat different symptoms and conditions.

Some basic supplements for mood support include omega-3, vitamin D, probiotics, and key B vitamins, but depending on what you are specifically needing Quetiapine for, there are other interventions that might be helpful for you. Sorry I can’t be more specific!

Warmly,

Zoe