Antidepressant medications are one of the most common treatment options for those suffering from depression. Though typically effective, antidepressants can cause several negative side effects. There are several natural treatment options for depression, ranging from lifestyle changes to dietary supplements to ketamine infusions. SAM-e has earned recent attention as an effective alternative to traditional antidepressants.…
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Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid gland) can cause severe headaches. How it causes headaches is unclear, but nearly one-third of hypothyroid patients report frequent headaches. Magnesium supplementation and levothyroxine may both help reduce the frequency and severity of hypothyroidism-related headaches. At least 5% of American adults have hypothyroidism (probably many more undiagnosed), while more than 50% of…
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Nightshades are a group of foods belonging to the Solanaceae family (in the Solanum genus) that are generally classified as a healthy part of a balanced diet. However, for people who suffer from autoimmune diseases, the lectins and small amounts of alkaloids in nightshades can worsen their symptoms. Below, we’ll discuss why they are called…
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Dietary supplements like ashwagandha, valerian root, and L-theanine can naturally ease your anxiety. There are also lifestyle changes, dietary changes, and medicines that could help. Anxiety is a feeling of fear, dread, or unease. Anxiety disorders are when certain events or stimuli trigger anxiety, restlessness, panic, and other symptoms. Recurring anxiety may result in mental…
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Certain forms of magnesium help relieve symptoms of anxiety and other mental health conditions. Magnesium is a relatively inexpensive essential mineral sold in capsule form in most grocery and health food stores. Other natural remedies for anxiety, like CBD or microdosing mushrooms, are much more expensive and less accessible, which makes magnesium an attractive alternative.…
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Methylene blue (brand name: Provayblue) is an over-the-counter and prescription medication (prescriptions are required for injections). It may be able to help with a variety of conditions, including methemoglobinemia, malaria, chronic infections like Lyme disease, long-COVID, and even Alzheimer’s disease. Methylene blue (MB) started as a dye in the 1800s, notably used to treat malaria…
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Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) may be to blame for your back pain, particularly lower back pain during the night. It’s essential to treat the root cause of your back pain, instead of masking the symptoms with pain blockers. Most of our patients with IBS will find relief from their symptoms, including abdominal and back pain…
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According to a systematic review from 2019 and our own clinical practice, probiotics can effectively treat the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) with a few caveats: As long as a patient tests negative for SIBO, probiotics are one of my first go-to treatments to address IBS. Probiotics (specific strains of “good bacteria”) repopulate the…
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Advocating for your bowel health rests on your awareness of concerning symptoms and their potential connections to medical issues, such as bowel cancer. Higher frequency and louder bowel sounds, especially when accompanied by bloody stool or pain, may be bowel cancer symptoms. When I have encountered such symptoms in a patient at PrimeHealth, I recommend…
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IBS flare-ups are relatively common, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t treatable and preventable. Irritable bowel syndrome can greatly impact your quality of life, but by gaining a greater understanding of your triggers, you’re one step closer to reducing how often flare-ups happen. At least 12% of adults experience irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) — most…
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