Aye, very interesting.
I mean I know anecdotal evidence isn't held in massively high regard, but in the summer, because they don't mow the verges in Brighton any more, I found myself suffering from hay fever. I lived on antihistamines for a couple of weeks and what was weird was that my mood lifted. I don't have depression, instead I'm an anxiety monkey, but the world just became much less threatening. I didn't put 2 + 2 together.
Over xmas my husband pulled a couple of muscles in his back, and after three days he was in such a foul mood, really quite unpleasant, very irritable and mean. Once tanked up with brufen, the mood passed. Admitedly, this was because he was in lots less pain, but I don't think it was just the pain making him horrid ...
Interesting what Penelope says about experimenting, fingers crossed you get the results you're both after.
And, Kathleen, for me, I think maybe they don't even realise how widespread inflammation is. So, another anecdote, I asked to go on HRT because my muscles were hurting. It was a sports therapist who suggested the HRT. Apparently, my muscles, amongst other things, were inflammed.
CLKD, re: the source of inflammation. For the people with hep, the inflammation was caused by the drug used to treat it, Interferon. For the people currently participating in the study we have running here, the typhoid vaccine is used to cause the inflammation. They are what's known as 'sub clinical', i.e. healthy volunteers, so anyone with depression is screened out. It's not double blind, as it's important someone knows whether or not they've been vaccinated against typhoid (if they want to go on hols, for example), but the data acquisition is via both questionnaire and also MRI scan. It's the MRI that shows whether there's any inflammation. Obviously, if those with inflammation report no low mood, then the conclusion would be that there's not a connection.
I didn't know about the C reactive protein test. Very interesting.
LadyBT, if I read you right you seem to be saying that while you were being treated for inflammation you were kind of ok, but once those treatments stopped you started having difficulties? I mean it's just weird, because I literally Googled Oestrogen and inflammation and it came back saying yes, and this can be clearly seen as more women than men suffer from autoimmune diseases - MS, Fibro, Rheumatoid Arthritis, etc. Oddly, or perhaps not, it would seem that Progesterone is an anti-inflammatory, under certain specific conditions, but dose and timing of dose is absolutely crucial, for example, following brain injury.
I also agree re: nutrition. At the point I found out that it was the deadly nightshade family setting my guts off, I was able to eliminate and felt all over better. Also, I have multiple allergies and am often exposed. I wonder if I've spent my whole life a bit inflammed?
Something to ponder anyway.
Best
EK
