Posted by JGalt on November 13, 2001, at 11:55:52
In reply to Yohimbine vs. dysthymia/depression, posted by kitty-layne on November 12, 2001, at 23:31:13
I'm not sure on yohimbine, I can only recommend that you do not take the raw herb yohimbe (as is contained in many over the counter products). If you want to try it accept nothing other than yohimbine hcl.
Yohimbe itself has some problems, both in my experience and others, of making anxiety shoot way up, as well as your heart rate. Its like an extremely nervous energy, not pleasant at all.
Yohimbine itself I've heard much more positive things about (the herbal form contains some 10-30 other alkaloids that have properties all their own!). Usually that it increases energy, helps stimulate erections, some people complain of too high of a heart rate but they were using high doses for fat loss. I believe you develop a fairly fast tolerance to it though, like most stimulant drugs. It is also helpful in weight loss (and may be one of the few compounds that can spot reduce fat due to its alpha-2 antagonist properties) Many bodybuilders alternate ephedrine and yohimbine. Take one for a week, take the other for a week (or however you'd like to do it, more than 2 weeks between switches is probably too long). They feel similar to each other (except erections are more difficult on ephedrine), but they seem to counteract each others tolerance (perhaps because ephedrine is primarily a beta-2 agonist, which increases the sensitivity of the alpha-2 receptors, the alpha receptors counteract most of the effects of beta receptors, thus when you go on the yohimbine its alpha-2 antagonist properties reverse that part of the tolerance).Ephedrine and yohimbine both help speed up your metabolism (and you!) and favor the loss of weight to be more by fat loss than muscle loss (if you cared). Caffeine is frequently combined with ephedrine as the two have synergistic effects.
Be aware that this may not be the greatest thing for your heart, and you should not try this if you have any preexisting heart conditions, high blood pressure, or fast pulse rate. It may or may not increase anxiety, depending upon the person and dose. Dose experimentation is obviously very important. Orally I say keep below 6mg, and try doses ranging from 1-6mg to see where the effects are best for you. Its MAOi activities are weak, but both it and ephedrine should not be used with certain drugs due to their norepinephrine releasing properties(no nonselective MAOi's, or other norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors). It has a relatively short half life so you'll probably be dosing it 2-3 times daily.
It releases norepinephrine, as does ephedrine. Making sure your diet is moderate to high in protein or taking an L-phenylaline or L-tyrosine plus B vitamins and vitamin C as cofactors would be a good idea to replace the norepinephrine. Yohimbine could be also be used in lower dosages to counteract the fatigue of the antidepressant/anxiety drugs that agonise the alpha-2 receptor (provided it did not increase anxiety or wasn't contradicted in the patient).
Is it safe to take everyday? We don't know for sure. I would think so provided you only use the minimum dose of it and the dose of ephedrine (should you decide to use the alternating combo) effective for you. Nearly without exception, the people who have died or had bad reactions from using these over the counter stimulants had preexisting heart conditions, took massive dosages, or combined them with other street stimulants. Still, some people seem allergic to ephedrine and yohimbine, and if you get a bad reaction at a dose that isn't too high for the energy/antidepressant level you're seeking, discontinue it! If they increase your blood pressure (they do in some people, in most they just increase pulse rate) then start eating celery, 2 stalks a day everyday...you'd be surprised how well this works on decreasing BP.
The biggest thing I would worry about with you is an increase in anxiety. The herbal form made me nervous, but as I understand it, most people complain of this. I have known 10 other people who took yohimbine (non herbal) and did not say a thing about it. I'd say its worth a try. Perhaps it could be combined with a low dose of a benzo for best results.Well I don't imagine you want to read a book so I'll stop there.
JGalt
poster:JGalt
thread:84037
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20011113/msgs/84078.html