St John's Wort

Lounge
1

I want to know what people think of this substance specifically. I know theres a lot of powerful natural stuff out there that isnt regulated but isnt without its warnings and precautions.

I dont mind saying that I have personality issues and emotional instability but I’ve been through enough in my life that I know theres no quick fixes for what I have and I’ve deemed seeing a psychologist as a pointless endeavor. Anti depressants and anti anxiety pills will only cause more detriment in my life the way I see it.

2

Never personally used it but I have suggested it to others with good results.

St Johns wort is good for very mild depression and anxiety the problem is finding a good pharmaceutical grade brand. The impure stuff wont do much for you. Its kinda hard to get real high grade brands without seeing some sort of practitioner who uses them.

I use metagenics brand but I get it from my functional medicine practitioner.

I also tried Nutraorigon brands which you can get without a practitioner.

Vitamin Research Productsare pretty good

I think Jasmin uses source Naturals I think and they look good although I couldnt find St Johns wort or certification.

Look for NSF GMP certified brands.

Tisha

3

St Johns Wort has a couple of known side effects - The most common one is that it can increase the sensitivity of skin to the sun, resulting in a greatly increased risk of bad sunburn and in women, it can counteract the effects of certain types of contraceptive pill.

So some care is advised.

4

Yes this is true it can also case stomach irritability so you should always look up the side effects and the dosage requirements of all supplements and herbs. I dont always trust the requirements on the bottle. Keep in mind that Anti depressants and Anti anxiety pills have many more side effects then the natural derivatives. But the doctor will find a pill to combat that and that pill will cause more side effects which you will need another pill to combat and so on and so on… after a while you wont remember what the first pill that started it all was.

Not against medical doctors I just dont care for the big pharmaceutical companies and they way some doctors just jump right into giving you meds without trying other avenues first.

Tisha

5

I use it and I see small results it wont fix all your problems but it’s worth a try.

6

I had a friend who used it for years to fend off mild-depression. Unfortunately they stopped taking it, became despondent and ended up killing themselves. It is for mild depression but this person had bigger issues that went unchecked. While they were on it though they were doing very well. Too bad they stopped taking it and started with the bottle and pills again.

7

I am not a doctor nor do I play one on PheroTalk. I’m only relating my own experiences when I speak to this. :slight_smile:

I’m not a fan of St. John’s Wort. I took it several years ago, for several months, for depression. It didn’t work. In fact it made me downright irritable. Not to mention it ruined my sex life. Yeah. It’s weird but true, lol. Not funny really. Wolf knows how to push my buttons, of course, was goin’ to town and I’m like WTF. Physically I couldn’t feel anything…I mean anything. I tried to persist but after months of that and the irritability, I knew it wasn’t right for me and ditched it. Be that as it may, that doesn’t mean it won’t work for you. If you’re going to try it, it must be standardized to contain 0.3% hypericin, the active component. A typically recommended dose is 300mg/three times a day. I used Nature’s Way brand. They make affordable quality herbs that I use daily, just not the Wort! :smiley:

What did work quite well for me was Sam-e (S-Adenosylmethionine). S-Adenosylmethionine (SAM) is an important physiological agent formed in the body by combining the essential amino acid methionine with andenosyl-triphospate (ATP). It was discovered in Italy in 1952 - not surprisingly, most of the research on SAM has been conducted in the country of it’s discovery and those are the studies that I read. I tried to find them on line to share with you to no avail.

SAM is necessary in the manufacture of important brain compounds such as neurotransmitters and phospholipids. Supplementing the diet with SAM in depressed individuals results in increased levels of serotonine, dopamine, and phosphatidylserine. It improves binding of neurotransmitters to receptor sites, which increases serotonine and dopamine activity and improves brain cell membrane fluidity.

Because SAM is manufactured from methionine, you might think that dietary sources of methionine provide the same benefits as SAM. However, high doses of methionine do not increase levels of SAM, nor do they provide the same pharmacological activity as SAM. On the contrary, high doses of methionine are associated with some degree of toxicity.

For depression this is the way to go: (You read the first line of this post, right?)

On an empty stomach - 400mg three to four times daily. Because SAM can cause nausea and gastrointestinal disturbances in some people, it should be started at a dosage of 200mg twice daily for the first day, increased to 400mg twice daily on day three, 400mg three times daily on day ten, and finally to the full dosage of 400mg four times daily (1600mg total) after 20 days if needed. I’ve read where SAM is tolerated better and has a quicker onset of antidepression action than tryciclic antidepressants.

I would also consider taking a good high-potency B-complex vitamin as well because SAM functions closely with B12, B6, folic acid and choline in methylation reactions. Watch your diet. Increase the consumption of fiber rich plant foods. Avoid caffeine, nicotine, other stimulants and especially alcohol. Set positive goals for yourself and use affirmations. Exercise regularly. Perform relaxation/stress reduction techniques 10-15 minutes a each day. And try to interject humor and laughter into your your life as much as possible. :slight_smile:

In general, the longer SAM is used, the more beneficial the results. It’s perfectly suited for long term use because of it’s excellent safety profile. No significant side effects have been reported with oral SAM other than the occasional nausea and gastrointestinal disturbances. However, individuals with bi-polar (manic) depression shouldn’t take SAM unless under strict medical supervision as SAM’s antidepressant activity may lead to the manic phase in these individuals. This is exclusive to some individuals with bipolar depression.

This is the one I used, by Jarrow. https://www.swansonvitamins.com/Search?keyword=SAM-E&doSearch=true&ntt=&n=0&ntk=Level1&x=33&y=7 (https://www.swansonvitamins.com/Search?keyword=SAM-E&doSearch=true&ntt=&n=0&ntk=Level1&x=33&y=7)

L-Theanine is also good for depression. INSERT_TITLE (INSERT_TITLE) …I use Source Naturals… http://www.vitacost.com/Source-Naturals-L-Theanine-200-mg-60-Capsules/?pd_section=pr (http://www.vitacost.com/Source-Naturals-L-Theanine-200-mg-60-Capsules/?pd_section=pr)

5-HTP is also worth looking into for depression. It’s closer to serotonin, is more effective than L-tryptophan, and also safer. Although L-tryptophan is safe if properly prepared and free of the contaminants linked to severe allergic reaction known as eosinophilia myalgia syndrome (EMS), L-tryptophan is still produced with the help of bacterial fermentation, a situation that lends itself to contamination. In contrast, 5-HTP is isolated from a natural source - a seed from an African plant (Griffonia simplicifolia). It must still be used with caution however.

http://www.raysahelian.com/5-htp.html

I’ve also used The Bach Remedies for years. They really work and are also worth looking into. I have a thread about them somewhere around here from a couple of years ago.

I know this isn’t exactly what you asked for OlAm, but I hope it helps! :wink:

Bella

8

OA, I know you’re against the whole psychiatrist/psychologist routine, and I don’t know the extent of the issue you may have but I can tell you from personal experience, I’ve used pharmaceutical Anti-Depressants for a year and along with self motivation and self help, I was able to use it as a supplement to help me condition my thinking. I do agree that for the most part, these things are more dangerous, but sometimes they are neccessary. I can tell you from experience I suffered from it for a good 8 years, and it took one event that finally led me to seriously consider it, and I haven’t looked back since.

If you find a responsible doctor and a good therapist, it does help for whatever means you might need it for.

Just a little insight from the other side of the spectrum

9

Well one thing I can tell you that is the most prevalent issue at hand when it comes to any form of depression is lack of water. I know that might sound just silly but most people are so dehydrated they don’t even know it. I went through a bout of depression for a while and I tried many different things. As much as I didn’t want to admit it, I was drinking coffee and soda instead of water and when I changed to drink more water daily the depression faded to a mild roar.

So I started drinking even more water and now I’m up to about a gallon a day. No more depression ever. That is unless I go on a reckless abandonment binge and stop drinking water. First it starts with anxiety and then if I don’t catch the signs the spiral downward. You might not appreciate it but if you’re not drinking enough water there is NOTHING in the world that will change the pattern.

10

I’m not a doctor either. Nor do I play one on internet forums. But if I may ask, OA, how are you sleeping?

I have encountered people with depression, irritability etc and I always ask them what their sleep patterns are like. Without exception, their answer is always ‘Not good’.

I’ve never had depression, but I have felt down on occasion. Everyone does. But my point is: get a full night’s sleep. I wake up feeling like I can tackle anything the day throws at me if I get at least 7 hours sleep a night. It doesn’t matter how bad I felt the night before. It hits the brain’s reset button every night. Works a charm.

You might not need drugs - of any description, natural or man-made. Again, I’m not a doctor and this shouldn’t be taken as medical advice.

Musk

11

I sleep okay for the most part. At this point in my life I enjoy bustling around in my comforter for a good 15-30 minutes before actually get out of bed. Considering my horrible Tinnitus and my not so good back I do really well with sleep.

I understand where your going with it because I had a long week where I didnt sleep. Sadly now I dont think I can go to bed unless certain provisions are met (melatonin, HTP, lavender around my neck) My daily living has become more than quite miserable for me but at least my sadness/ anxiety are from “real” tensions in my life and not simply just perceived ones.

The real reason I made this thread is because someone privately suggested to me the use of St Johns Wort because he mustve read one of my real downer downer “I hate myself” posts/threads. I’ll admit I have to look for reasons to live everyday because I know my life will be fractured forever and even simple things like having a family of my own and close friends are out of my grasp. The health problems I have cant be fixed and I just have to live through my own misery on whatever terms these conditions let me.

Sounds bleak but its true. I know I sound depressed saying that but I’ve rationally went through it over and over and theres nothing I can do.