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Widow deals with trauma after her husband dies of suicide
The Detroit News • • health
Key Points:
- A 79-year-old woman experiencing severe anxiety after her husband's suicide is seeking advice on over-the-counter supplements for stress, avoiding prescribed medications due to her husband's experience.
- Dr. Roach advises that supplements generally have limited effectiveness for anxiety, with lavender extract showing the best evidence for benefit, while B-complex vitamins at the doses mentioned are safe but unlikely to help anxiety.
- High doses of B vitamins like niacin, thiamine, and riboflavin are generally safe and not associated with liver damage at the levels discussed, as they are water-soluble and excreted by the kidneys.
- Antidepressant medications, particularly SSRIs, have strong evidence for reducing suicide risk in older adults despite some risks in younger populations, and their use should be carefully weighed by healthcare providers.
- Dr. Roach expresses sympathy for the patient's loss and highlights that some cases of depression may be resistant to treatment or diagnosed too late for optimal intervention.
