Tell me yours.

I've taken some form of SSRI or SNRI for at least 14 years. I wasn't sure they were doing a damn thing anymore (if they ever did much), so I weaned myself off of Pristiq about 7 months ago. I definitely don't feel much different at all.

The problem is chronic depression...or what I feel might be dysthymia, mixed with the occasional major depressive episode here and there.

It just popped into my head the other day that this is one of the few things I haven't tried, and I'd like to give it a whirl. I was reading up on it the other day, and while it's not exactly indicated for dysthymia, it might be worth trying. Lots of clinical research in Germany, where it's actually prescribed for 50% of cases of depression.

Short of going into an inpatient treatment facility or having a live-in fucking babysitter, I'm kind of at a loss about what to do next.

3/26/2011 1:38:56 PM

st. johns wort is a pretty potent 3A4 inducer.

meaning that any drugs that you take that are metabolized by this enzyme will be metabolized more quickly when taken st. johns wort.

thats the only thing i can tell you .

i dont really have 1st hand experience

[Edited on March 26, 2011 at 1:42 PM. Reason : asfsd]

3/26/2011 1:41:48 PM

st. john's wort seems to be ok

but I will say that the #1 most effective anti-depressant is exercise.

it's efficacy is immediate, apparent, and continuous

you'll need to set your mind to thinking about jogging or weightlifting being akin to a visit to the psychologist's office

you need to make it regimented

it is a "medicine"

3/26/2011 1:49:59 PM

LOL, that's actually good knowledge to have. I totally geek out on knowing as much as I can about something like this.

You're fueling my inner nerd.

3/26/2011 1:50:31 PM

I'm growing it in a spot in my front yard. It's only a year old and hasn't bloomed or flowered or whatever the hell it's supposed to do. That's all I got.

3/26/2011 2:11:03 PM

germans considered thalidomide so safe and effective it was available without a prescription--i'm just saying...

[Edited on March 26, 2011 at 2:12 PM. Reason : sp]

3/26/2011 2:12:36 PM

Quote :

"but I will say that the #1 most effective anti-depressant is exercise. it's efficacy is immediate, apparent, and continuous you'll need to set your mind to thinking about jogging or weightlifting being akin to a visit to the psychologist's office you need to make it regimented it is a "medicine""

couldn't agree more. toss in some yoga too. oxygen is the ultimate high, and yoga helps your whole body breathe too. but start with the running and lifting first.

do think of it as medicine. hell, think of it as brushing your teeth. would you go a day without brushing your teeth atleast once?

3/26/2011 6:42:25 PM

I agree with the people who recommended exercise. Doesn't have to be running or lifting weights if that's not something you enjoy. Outdoor sports are great because you get the added benefit of sunlight, which is good for you as well. Personally, mountain biking helped me out of depression. Moved on to rock climbing after that. The tough part is getting started in the first place. It helps to have an exercise partner so you can motivate each other.

[Edited on March 27, 2011 at 12:59 AM. Reason : .]

3/27/2011 12:58:14 AM

maybe its anecdotal and a placebo, but I started taking it a few weeks ago and it seems to have made a world of difference.

3/27/2011 5:17:23 AM

Quote :

"st. johns wort is a pretty potent 3A4 inducer. meaning that any drugs that you take that are metabolized by this enzyme will be metabolized more quickly when taken st. johns wort. thats the only thing i can tell you . i dont really have 1st hand experience "

What dosage levels and form causes this effect though?

I remember WAAY back in intro to psych talking about this and the teacher said only certain forms of the St Johns Worts were shown to have a benefit.

3/27/2011 10:56:35 AM

doesnt matter the dose (from my understanding) it will happen.

its a linear relationship-the more you take the more of an effect it will have.

3/27/2011 11:30:41 AM

Exercise is good, but if you have severe anxiety with that depression, working out too hard can make you feel worse. Light exercise would probably work better, from what I've experienced.

I'm taking nativeremedies' "Mindsoothe", which is a combination of St. John's wort and passion flower. Vastly superior to any medicine as I was taking Lexipro for a short while. It pretty much tripled my depression or something. Be wary of cheap St. John wort products. In this case, you get what you pay for.

3/27/2011 12:04:06 PM

Quote :

"I wasn't sure they were doing a damn thing anymore (if they ever did much), so I weaned myself off of Pristiq about 7 months ago."

The last time I did this, it was smooth sailing for about a year and then things went south FAST.

3/27/2011 12:16:54 PM

For all of you who posted about exercise, I agree. That's a given. In a lot of circumstances, exercise does a lot toward treating depression, and I'm all for it.

But...I need more than just exercise, eating right, etc. and this thread is about finding more about people's experiences with natural or homeopathic alternatives to mainstream psychiatric pharmacology as we know it in the US. And I want to know more about St. John's Wort in particular.

Carry on.

3/28/2011 1:27:56 AM

http://www.nativeremedies.com/products/mindsoothe-emotional-wellness-info.html

3/28/2011 11:15:05 AM

^^

no no

I liked how you lumped "eating right" with what we're talking about as if you dismiss it as "I know I'm not living right but..."

we're talking about regimented exercise as a way to combat depression.

not as a "life change" not as a "living well"

but fucking going out and walking/running 1 hour a day to fight your depression.

as a direct method with proven results.

3/28/2011 12:21:34 PM

Sir, I quite understand your argument. I'm quite aware of what you're presenting; I've done exactly that for a large part of 20 years. As a matter of fact, it was during a major depressive episode when I was 19 that my father used to take me on 3 or 4 mile walks to help me stabilize. And it worked. At the time I could not function at all. I probably should have gone into an inpatient program at the time, but I was living with my parents at the time, and they were a tremendous help.

Rarely do they get that bad anymore; it's more like a constant low- to mid-level depression that I can't get on top of.

I'm not dismissing anything. I know the benefits; I've been there and done that, and it's NOT ENOUGH.

[Edited on March 28, 2011 at 12:34 PM. Reason : okay?]

3/28/2011 12:33:02 PM

Something tells me you do not take 3 to 4 miles walks now.

You should do that on a daily basis.

That's your "natural" medicine.

3/28/2011 12:35:08 PM

Just to let you know, I think taking St. John's Wort is fine.

I take it.

I also exercise.

3/28/2011 12:44:23 PM

Well, how does it work for you? Can you tell any difference? How much do you take? How long before you noticed any difference? This is the information I'd like.

3/28/2011 12:53:32 PM

I know it's information you'd like.

But it's not really information you need.

I think you missed the point where I was trying to show solidarity.

My point is to focus on walking for one hour daily.

3/28/2011 1:04:24 PM

Thank you for that assessment.

3/28/2011 1:11:59 PM

for me the effects were noticeable within three days of taking 600mg 3x a day. That being said, I've also started training for a triathlon about a month ago so I'm getting significantly more exercise than I have been, I just got back from mexico where I spent a lot of time in the sun compared with the usual gray oregon winters, and I started taking fish oil. So I don't know what really is making me feel more mentally stable, but its one or a combination of these factors.

3/28/2011 2:18:52 PM

I felt the effects of St. John's after two weeks. There are not many side effects at all, however one side effect that I noticed in the past is that your dreams can seem very real. Not sure if that makes sense because some people have very "real" dreams --- but I mean, the dreams feel REAL lol. But that goes away within the first couple of weeks so it's not a long-term thing.

3/28/2011 2:28:30 PM

http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/69385.cfm

st john's wort is notorious for causing all sorts of drug-drug interactions, so you might want to check with your healthcare provider before starting it if you are taking any other medications

there is some evidence for use in depression, but the problem with herbals in general is that they are not well-regulated by the FDA, so you can't really know what you're getting

3/28/2011 2:40:00 PM