Every week I tell my patients “you’re not crazy, it’s not your fault, it’s copper toxicity that’s to blame.” Born with copper toxicity that was passed on to me from my mother, I understand all too well what my female patients are going through.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, 11 to 20% of women who give birth each year have postpartum depression symptoms. Out of 4 million annual live births, approximately 600,000 women in the U.S. may possibly be diagnosed with PPD each year. Women with a history of postpartum depression tend to have unusually high levels of copper in their blood, according to a study published in the Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology, in February 2007.
Elevated copper can affect a wide range of women’s health issues and is at the core of many conditions such as fibroid tumors, endometriosis, and certain types of cancer (such as breast and uterine). A higher susceptibility toward postpartum depression in women who’ve had depression earlier in life while experiencing hormonal changes is also very common.
As a result of copper toxicity associated with postpartum depression in females, many physiological and emotional manifestations may be present.
Physiological and Emotional Symptoms of Postpartum Depression
- Irregular menstrual cycles
- Painful menstrual cycles
- Fibroid tumors
- Adrenal fatigue
- Endometriosis
- Certain types of cancer such as breast and uterine
- Overwhelming sadness
- Inability to bond with baby
- Numbness, disconnectedness
- Heightened irritability, anger, rage
- History of depression with hormonal changes
- Inability to cope with normal stress
Copper-toxic females have what is called “poor copper detox mechanisms.” For these women, copper levels rise with each pregnancy and do not come down. These women find themselves depressed after pregnancy and unable to recover, even years later.
Some of these females move from postpartum depression to postpartum psychosis. Women with postpartum depression after their first two children are at greater risk with subsequent pregnancies unless they receive proper treatment for their biochemical imbalance. It is not solely the number of pregnancies but the actual copper level that affects the risk for postpartum psychosis.
Symptoms of Postpartum Psychosis
- Hallucinations
- Strange beliefs or delusions
- Extreme heightened irritability
- Hyperactivity and impulsivity
- Insomnia
- Paranoia
- Rapid mood swings
- Inability to concentrate
To complicate things further, women with copper toxicity and estrogen dominance often inadvertently exacerbate their condition with oral contraceptives including the copper IUD and hormone replacement therapy (HRT). In general, the greater the number of pregnancies, the higher copper levels rise in women biochemically susceptible to postpartum depression and psychosis.
Healing Postpartum Depression and Copper Toxicity
During pregnancy, a woman’s copper levels will naturally increase in order to make blood vessels to create baby. This is perfectly normal. In a healthy female that detoxes copper properly, levels will normalize naturally. But in a large majority of females, copper levels do not normalize on their own, which can then develop into postpartum depression. Excess copper in the brain pushes dopamine into norepinephrine, which alters the delicate balance of these two mood-regulating chemicals.
A low copper diet along with nutrient therapy is the first step towards healing. Copper must be carefully and slowly eliminated from the system and levels must be determined via diagnostic laboratory testing before a healing protocol is created. If copper is removed too quickly it will cause a worsening of symptoms that can last for weeks at a time. This is a much safer approach than stripping the system as in traditional chelation methods.
If you know of someone who struggles with postpartum depression, please share this post. If you currently struggling, please share your experience in the comments below. It is through sharing your story that we create community, eliminate guilt and shame, and bring about healing.
9 Responses
I would like to be able to share this article to a Facebook page I manage, but not computer literate enough to be able to do so. Do not have tweet. Sometimes the people posting it have a Facebook connection which enables you to do this.
Hi there, how interesting! I had postnatal depression and I’m feeling up and down being perimenopausal. What are the tests to find out please.
Thanks
Alison
Sami has helped me greatly this far. I do want to state that my initial symptom was pure O type of anxiety that was terrible the depression was awful as well but came second. I have been through this twice and have found such relief in the explanation of why it happened and the treatment.
Hi how do you recommend testing copper levels?
This is amazing article. I recently just got tested and found I had crazy high amount of copper levels after trying to treat my adrenal fatigue, and at the same time I finally accepted that i have been in denial of my post partum depression. It’s definitely a topic that needs to be shared and raise awareness levels. My question is, how can we find out if we were born with high copper levels from our mothers?
Hi Sami,
I am currently undergoing a program to lower my copper levels and support methylation as i am an undermethylator. The first 2 weeks on the supplements I felt great, but then started experiencing more symptoms, especially no appetite and insomnia, but some anxiety as well. Would this be due to copper elimination or the doses of the vitamins?
Theresa
After reading this I no longer deny that I suffered post natal depression,post natal psychosis was a given in my view there’s a bad history of mental health in my family. However at least I feel slightly less of a shitty mother,I wish it hasn’t cost me my child. I pray with my mentally strong spouse I’ll regain custody of my child and be able to manage my own health without the ignorant system leading me astray.
I’d like to commend you on writing this article. You have affirmed my thoughts on the copper coil causing my post partum depression and anxiety. It has been such a rollercoaster and I have lost a lot of good days to this disease, that my doctor refuses to acknowledge. Thank you for helping women look to recovery.
A bit of my history: I had 2 babies within a year of each other, no ppd with the first, although I did have undiagnosed prenatal depression most likely from the severe morning sickness I suffered. I did not have ppd at my 6 week pp checkup with baby number 2. This is when I got the IUD. 2 weeks later I am back in the doctors office sobbing and inconsolable. She made no link to the IUD. 5 subsequent visits later begging for the IUD to be removed, she refused rolling her eyes at the thought of it causing my depression and mood swings. I had it in for 8 months and am 15 months free. I most certainly have been affected by this experience. My relationship deteriorated, I was suicidal even after removal. It has been a very long road to recovery.
A ewe must have copper two months in lamb – or the lamb can have “swayback”. Incurable weakness of the back legs