Tribe.net. Local Connections yogamoon http://herbalmedicine.tribe.net/thread/bb8269be-cb8c-46b3-9b3c-82100f1250f6#9c8b84b9-1f61-4de8-98f3-3833d40c08f0 2005-08-05T15:43:27Z 2005-08-05T15:43:27Z

hey GiGi maybe back to the drawing board, but you are gettin us closer to some important knowledge thank you

yogamoon 2005-08-05T15:43:27Z 10-9 http://herbalmedicine.tribe.net/thread/bb8269be-cb8c-46b3-9b3c-82100f1250f6#6a66ac03-1343-44c5-8444-ee22f126171e 2005-08-03T20:01:09Z 2005-08-03T20:01:09Z

just wanted to briefly mention that when my therapist suggested 5HTP to me as something to try before moving onto heavier meds, I did some research on it and found that drinking alcohol close to the same time that you take 5HTP generally isn't recommended. I can't remember where I found that info, and I'll look for it and post on here later, if I can find it, so you guys have that source to check out for yourself. Anyway, I'm a beer drinker and have a bottle or two on a weekly basis, and I did notice that I got headaches and woke up feeling really off whenever I drank beer on the same day I took 5HTP. I think the recommended distancing is six or eight hours, but I'm not sure. It was more like I couldn't drink alcoholic beverages at all. Anyway, just a heads up, if you like that glass of wine or bottle of beer every once in a while.

10-9 2005-08-03T20:01:09Z Gi Gi http://herbalmedicine.tribe.net/thread/bb8269be-cb8c-46b3-9b3c-82100f1250f6#8ffb7449-2ad9-4c5a-9ae0-7fec15def266 2005-08-01T19:55:17Z 2005-08-01T19:55:17Z

Firechylde, with St Johnswort. When it was super popular & blowing out the store we had people giving feedback of heightened sensitivities to light, sound, some jitteryness.... it's been quite awhile ago so I could not give details. It seemed like certain light eyed, grey type people. By grey type people I mean their overall tone not their hair color. I'd be curious about a comparison study of Depression use of Phenylalanine people & 5HTPpeople. 5HTP being a Tryptophan & someone like myself being highly allergic to food carriers of Tryptophan (the classic Turkey) but I use Phenyalanine daily as an antidepressant..... hmmm I guess that would get a bit complicated with the Milk source of cheese (Phenylalanine) & Tryptophan thrown in. Hmmm back to the drawing board equations

Gi Gi 2005-08-01T19:55:17Z yogamoon http://herbalmedicine.tribe.net/thread/bb8269be-cb8c-46b3-9b3c-82100f1250f6#7385f1d9-6854-43ab-8701-97cfb40820e1 2005-08-01T14:39:03Z 2005-08-01T14:39:03Z

HTP does help with sleep I felt I got a headache by 5 PM when I took it which felt liek a drug hangover.. so I chose to nto take it much

yogamoon 2005-08-01T14:39:03Z samara http://herbalmedicine.tribe.net/thread/bb8269be-cb8c-46b3-9b3c-82100f1250f6#7956e706-94d4-40c9-8cc6-090ee44b1e72 2005-08-01T09:20:17Z 2005-08-01T09:20:17Z

Gigi, when you say: "I have seen the photo sensitivity effect in light skinned, light eyed people, not albino. " Do you mean with St. John's Wort or with SSRI or with 5-htp?

samara 2005-08-01T09:20:17Z poiboy http://herbalmedicine.tribe.net/thread/bb8269be-cb8c-46b3-9b3c-82100f1250f6#0c079092-e7bd-438d-a3e9-9e40afb02dea 2005-07-31T22:29:17Z 2005-07-31T22:29:17Z

absolutely! e-HTP works wonders and is great for a nice night of sleep. although you can build up a resistant quickly, its still waaay better than an SSRI or prescription-route.

poiboy 2005-07-31T22:29:17Z yogamoon http://herbalmedicine.tribe.net/thread/bb8269be-cb8c-46b3-9b3c-82100f1250f6#ef387c8c-4aa9-44fa-9699-1898159c15d6 2005-07-31T20:52:33Z 2005-07-31T20:52:33Z

also get into yoga journal write create pray go to a spiritual retreat center

yogamoon 2005-07-31T20:52:33Z liz http://herbalmedicine.tribe.net/thread/bb8269be-cb8c-46b3-9b3c-82100f1250f6#2f8cd88c-97f7-4552-8ecf-78353db7127e 2005-07-31T20:37:53Z 2005-07-31T20:37:53Z

dont take st. johns wort in capusles or tablets. take a tincture of the fresh plant. st johns wort is a fresh plant only kind of herb, and capsules of it are typically "standardized extracts" which basically means that someone decided that certain chemicals or a certain group of chemicals are what makes it work and has made sure that you are getting very high levels of those constituents. and the side effects with perscription drugs came from using the standardized extracts, not the whole plant. this herb works best as a whole plant, where all the constituents can work together. the dose is typically 1-3 dropperfuls 1-3 times a day. i would also suggest using mugwort for your depression.

liz 2005-07-31T20:37:53Z Gi Gi http://herbalmedicine.tribe.net/thread/bb8269be-cb8c-46b3-9b3c-82100f1250f6#a8c16faf-71e7-4cbc-989f-2c3df758d54f 2005-07-31T18:46:56Z 2005-07-31T18:46:56Z

5HTP is Tryptophan split & more costly than the original. It is the opposite end of the Phenylalanine - Tyrosine - Serotonin - GABA pathway. Some of 5HTPs mood elavation is from sound restful sleep & the added resource for the biochemical productin for the Serotonin. Phenyalanine is found in foods & a intrinsic Amino Acid for the human being. Tyrosine is a synaptic quickener. Serotonin considered a happy mood... I have seen the photo sensitivity effect in light skinned, light eyed people, not albino. You might consider a green mix of herbs such as Crystal Stars Energy Green - Spirulina, Alfalfa, Ginsengs +etc to raise yr general metabolism Licorice to help restore & support the Adrenals Ginsengs come in many forms of cool to warm, relaxing nourishing to energizing Primrose oil, Dong Quai, or such for homonal support & balance With Depression any of these need to have the back up basics of a Multi Vitamin & a separate Muli full spectrum mineral along with the AAs for body & mind maintenence You might check out Healing the Mind Naturally by Lasarus or Depression by Rita Elkins (not correct title I think)

Gi Gi 2005-07-31T18:46:56Z $item.owner.firstName http://herbalmedicine.tribe.net/thread/bb8269be-cb8c-46b3-9b3c-82100f1250f6#4fc7e0ba-af54-4b18-a702-15d726650771 2005-07-31T01:18:35Z 2005-07-31T01:18:35Z

had to chuckle when I read this - my "side effect" is now 14 yrs old! He's a blessing, wouldn't trade him for the world, but almost had a stroke when it happened!!! Just cause it's natural don't mean that it can't interact! :o)

$item.owner.firstName 2005-07-31T01:18:35Z Sugar Britches http://herbalmedicine.tribe.net/thread/bb8269be-cb8c-46b3-9b3c-82100f1250f6#2497c713-1e09-4092-99bf-064bce813a63 2005-07-30T22:56:43Z 2005-07-30T22:56:43Z

It's worth mentioning for anyone on birth control pills that St. John's Wort has been shown to decrease their effectiveness. You can find several palatable articles about the how and whys at WebMD.com

Sugar Britches 2005-07-30T22:56:43Z ! http://herbalmedicine.tribe.net/thread/bb8269be-cb8c-46b3-9b3c-82100f1250f6#dd5018e9-a17d-4e16-9415-78a8609614a8 2005-07-30T22:26:34Z 2005-07-30T22:26:34Z

Oh, 5-htp, absolutely! I don't know how that skipped my mind. For a lot of people whose antidepressants (natural or otherwise) aren't quite doing the trick, 100 mg. of 5-htp at bedtime both helps them get a good night's sleep, and also makes a noticeable difference in their depression. Like SAM-e, no side effects at all, almost no bad interactions with other medications or supplements, and highly recommended. The only people who should avoid it are phenylketonurics, and those on MAOIs should use reduced dosages. For the other 99.9% of the population, it's pretty much risk-free.

! 2005-07-30T22:26:34Z $item.owner.firstName http://herbalmedicine.tribe.net/thread/bb8269be-cb8c-46b3-9b3c-82100f1250f6#f8b6a464-56b7-4265-b1a1-a9db8b8eb828 2005-07-30T21:10:38Z 2005-07-30T21:10:38Z

nettle tea is good too ,has alot of minerals and can really pick you up....

$item.owner.firstName 2005-07-30T21:10:38Z ellen http://herbalmedicine.tribe.net/thread/bb8269be-cb8c-46b3-9b3c-82100f1250f6#0694e9f6-0d05-4947-b79b-2cff6f948e3d 2005-07-30T14:41:17Z 2005-07-30T14:41:17Z

I have heard great things about SAMe, too, and I think it performs better than St. John's in clinical trials.

ellen 2005-07-30T14:41:17Z $item.owner.firstName http://herbalmedicine.tribe.net/thread/bb8269be-cb8c-46b3-9b3c-82100f1250f6#38b40488-03b0-46f6-96d1-84ef32bbb168 2005-07-30T11:23:46Z 2005-07-30T11:23:46Z

one thing that made me feel on top of the world was red clover. it is a blood cleanser and not specifically for depression. but it really did make me feel alot better.

$item.owner.firstName 2005-07-30T11:23:46Z $item.owner.firstName http://herbalmedicine.tribe.net/thread/bb8269be-cb8c-46b3-9b3c-82100f1250f6#1539cedc-bda7-4401-b1ac-a93a9d4fd288 2005-07-30T09:23:53Z 2005-07-30T09:23:53Z

yes agree with 5HTP,heard some great reports about it from those sufferring depression who have gotten off the anti depressant bandwagon....

$item.owner.firstName 2005-07-30T09:23:53Z samara http://herbalmedicine.tribe.net/thread/bb8269be-cb8c-46b3-9b3c-82100f1250f6#6ae2bec2-23ec-4124-9a03-a6f86254b0d6 2005-07-30T06:14:40Z 2005-07-30T06:14:40Z

My understanding from speaking to herbalists with 30 or more years experience is that photosensitivity from St. John's wort generally only happens in albinos, and when taking super-concentrated doses of hypericin (one of the main active chemicals in St. John's Wort). However, photosensitivity IS caused by many synthetic antidepressants. I've also learned that St. John's Wort is especially good for S.A.D. (seasonal affective disorder) type depression. Other than SAM-e, you might want to try 5HTP which is a supplement that the body uses to produce seratonin. I know someone who was helped by it greatly, and I don't think it has ill side-effects at normal dosages. Good luck.

samara 2005-07-30T06:14:40Z ! http://herbalmedicine.tribe.net/thread/bb8269be-cb8c-46b3-9b3c-82100f1250f6#4dc07ddc-9826-46cc-bf37-9e4261ac2bb3 2005-07-30T05:32:38Z 2005-07-30T05:32:38Z

The dosage will be somewhat variable, both because patients differ and because products differ. If you decide that St. John's Wort is something to try, and you're buying it as capsules or tablets, the dosage suggested on the bottle will probably be a good starting point. Note that St. John's Wort will not be the perfect solution for everyone. It has a few side effects that sometimes crop up, like making one sensitive to sunlight. It is a mild monoamine oxidase inhibitor, which means that it can interact with some medications (including most synthetic antidepressants) and foods to cause a temporary increase in blood pressure, which could be a bad thing if the patient already had a blood pressure problem. It has done pretty well in a number of trials when used to treat mild depression, but evidence that it does as well for moderate to severe depression are lacking. Another natural, over-the-health-food-store-counter approach is SAM-e (S-adenosylmethionine). It has done well in studies where it was combined with the current generation of synthetic antidepressants (SSRIs), and many people have found it to work on its own, including people who did not respond to St. John's Wort. It has no side effects at any reasonable dosage. Exercise is good at shaking depression too, although getting a depressed person to stick to an exercise regimen may not be easy. Note that none of the above will work overnight, just like synthetic antidepressants they take a little time. Also like synthetic antidepressants, some treatments will work a lot better on a given individual than others. Some treatments which are considered effective simply will not work on some people, but they'll respond nicely to something different. So, if one approach has been tried for a few weeks and doesn't seem to be going anywhere, don't be afraid to try another! Or a combination.

! 2005-07-30T05:32:38Z Trish http://herbalmedicine.tribe.net/thread/bb8269be-cb8c-46b3-9b3c-82100f1250f6#903c5262-ccfb-4cdb-ae45-4968d3113efa 2005-07-30T03:54:31Z 2005-07-30T03:54:31Z

Can some one tell me what the therapeutic dose of St. John's Wort is to control depression . Is there a better herb for this?

Trish 2005-07-30T03:54:31Z