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Alternative medicine

By Mayo Clinic staff

You may be interested in trying to relieve dysthymia symptoms with complementary or alternative medicine strategies, such as nutritional and dietary supplements and mind-body techniques.

Keep in mind that nutritional and dietary products aren't regulated. The FDA doesn't test them for safety, purity or effectiveness. You can't always be sure of what you're getting and if it's safe. Also, be aware that herbal and dietary supplements can interfere with the way certain prescription medications work or can cause dangerous interactions that can harm your health. Talk to your doctors and other health care providers before taking any herbal or dietary supplements.

Nutritional and dietary supplements
Here's a look at some nutritional supplements commonly used for dysthymia and major depression:

  • St. John's wort. This herb has been used to treat a variety of ills, including depression-related disorders. It may be helpful if you have mild or moderate depression, such as dysthymia, but the overall evidence is inconclusive. In addition, St. John's wort has the potential to interact with many medications, such as antidepressants, allergy medicine and blood thinners.
  • SAMe. Pronounced "sam-EE," this is a synthetic form of a chemical that occurs naturally in the body. The name is short for S-adenosylmethionine. This supplement appears to be effective and well tolerated, but it's quite expensive and because it's unregulated, the quality of the product isn't guaranteed. This supplement can also cause harmful reactions if taken with other antidepressants.
  • Omega-3 fatty acids. These are polyunsaturated fats found mostly in seafood. Good sources of omega-3s include fatty, cold-water fish, such as salmon, mackerel and herring. Flaxseed, flax oil and walnuts also contain omega-3 fatty acids, and small amounts are found in soybean and canola oils. Omega-3 fatty acids may be most helpful when combined with antidepressants.

Mind-body connections
Mind-body techniques are thought to strengthen the communication between your mind and your body. Complementary and alternative medicine practitioners believe that these two systems must be in harmony for you to stay healthy or to heal.

As with dietary supplements, take care in using these techniques. Although they may pose less of a risk, relying solely on these to treat dysthymia may not be effective enough. If you try mind-body techniques first to treat your dysthymia but your symptoms worsen or don't improve, be sure to consult your health care providers.

Mind-body techniques that have been used on people with dysthymia symptoms include:

  • Acupuncture
  • Yoga
  • Meditation
  • Guided imagery
  • Massage therapy
Coping and support Lifestyle and home remedies
References
  1. Dysthymic disorder. In: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-IV-TR. Arlington, Va.: American Psychiatric Association; 2000. http://www.psychiatryonline.com/content.aspx?aID=2375. Accessed May 12, 2010.
  2. Loosen PT, et al. Mood disorders. In: Ebert MH, et al. Current Diagnosis and Treatment: Psychiatry. 2nd ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3285019. Accessed May 12, 2010.
  3. Depressive disorders. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/print/sec15/ch200/ch200b.html. Accessed May 12, 2010.
  4. Sansone RA, et al. Dysthymic disorder: Forlorn and overlooked? Psychiatry. 2009;6:46.
  5. Klein DN, et al. Ten-year prospective follow-up study of the naturalistic course of dysthymic disorder and double depression. American Journal of Psychiatry. 2006;163:872.
  6. Cuijpers P, et al. Psychotherapy for chronic major depression and dysthymia: A meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review. 2010;30:51.
  7. Imel ZE, et al. A meta-analysis of psychotherapy and medication in unipolar depression and dysthymia. Journal of Affective Disorders. 2008;110:197.
  8. Mood disorders. In: Stern TA, et al. Massachusetts General Hospital Comprehensive Clinical Psychiatry. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/201023955-5/997725771/1657/636.html#4-u1.0-B978-0-323-04743-2..50071-8--cesec37_1902. Accessed May 13, 2010.
  9. Mead GE, et al. Exercise for depression (Review). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2009:CD004366.
  10. Natural medicines in the clinical management of depression. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. http://www.naturaldatabase.com. Accessed May 13, 2010.
  11. Position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada: Dietary fatty acids. American Dietetic Association. http://www.eatright.org/WorkArea//DownloadAsset.aspx?id=8452. Accessed May 13, 2010.
  12. Smith CA. Acupuncture for depression (Review). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2010:CD004046.
  13. Gray CM, et al. Complementary and alternative medicine use among health plan members. Effective Clinical Practice. 2002;5:17.
  14. Subodh BN. Psychosocial impact of dysthymia: A study among married patients. Journal of Affective Disorders. 2008;109:199.
DS01111 Aug. 26, 2010

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