Another person with atypical depression responds to chromium

Dr. McLeod,
I wanted to share with you my story about Chromium Picolinate. I've dealt with very strong sugar cravings most of my life, and on a random recommendation from someone, I decided to try chromium picolinate to see if it would help. Little did I know what it would do for me.
Within two days, I realized it was having an effect on other symptoms that I've struggled with for over 20 years, and have seen doctors about, but to no avail. I've dealt with insomnia (difficulty in falling asleep and being very restless) and fatigue most prevalently; but I've also felt depressed at times and have had mild social anxiety issues for as long as I can remember. I figured the last two were more of a personal failing than biological, but I had been seeking solutions for the first two for quite awhile (medicine, change of diet and exercise, etc.). Some success, but things never quite felt right. So I started taking CrPic, and all of these symptoms cleared up within two days. I felt like I went to sleep and woke up in a new body. This was so odd that I did some research on "chromium and depression" and found your book. I felt like I was reading about myself in your descriptions of atypical depression. It never dawned on me that perhaps there was a description that encompassed the symptoms I've had. I've been waiting for the effects to die off, but fortunately they haven't. My carbohydrate cravings have all but disappeared. It's literally been a life-changer for me. Although I've learned to cope pretty well, I know that my work and social life have felt the effects. And here's something strange that I don't know if you've run into: I've had a habit of biting my nails for over 25 years and I've never been successful in kicking the habit. In the last two weeks, the impulse behind that action has disappeared, and I haven't bitten them since. I don't know if there's a connection to a less anxious and stable mood, but I feel as if there is a biological connection as well. I'm more "settled" internally, such that it seems to have short-circuited the impulse.
One last observation: when I was seeing the doctor about my fatigue awhile back, I had some blood work done and he mentioned that the tests showed that my blood sugar levels were in the pre-diabetic stage. This was another piece of the puzzle that seemed to correspond to atypical depression, and that CrPic was a genuine solution, and not just a placebo.
Thanks very much for your research in this area. I'm convinced it's helping a lot of people.

Name withheld by request


Dear Sir,

Thank you so much for contacting me and telling me your story. I have had many patients who shortly after beginning to take chromium picolinate have responded exactly as you describe, with rapid lifting of carbohydrate craving, lifting of depression, improved sleep and less anxiety. You are the first person who has reported cessation of nail biting. Your explanation – that stopping nail biting is the result of less anxiety—sounds plausible to me.

Again, thank you for sharing your story. I will post it on my blog with the hope that others will see themselves in your account and will derive benefit from CrPic.

Malcolm N. McLeod, MD