Posted by bleauberry on November 6, 2009, at 19:53:30
In reply to Underlying cause, posted by dapper on November 5, 2009, at 23:59:36
I want to now offer some ideas to help your mood. While detective work lies in your path, you need something right here right now without delay, to help you feel better and get on with your life.
In my last post I tried to save you years and years of wasted time, thousands of dollars looking in the wrong places, coming up empty handed, doctor shopping with no results. That is the typical scenario. I don't want to see that happen with you. Stay focused on the things that really truly cause serious depression that doesn't respond well to psych meds, and that is easily testable and treatable with nontoxic inexpensive substances.
Though it can look daunting when you are first exposed to it all, it really is pretty simple. It is not rocket science. Everything I talked about is simple, reliable, cheap, and for the most part self-directed. A doctor can help you along the way, but honestly, many of the most striking success stories belong to patients who took responsibility for their own health and treatment. As is seen all the time on the TV show Medical Mysteries. It is almost always the patient that discoveries the mystery, not the doctor. The doctor can then, however, help treat the discovered condition.
Comments on some substances that might help right away:
St Johns Wort. I doubt this one will help. But it could. There are a few stories at sjwinfo.org of people who have been on many ADs who found SJW to be fantastic. It happens. It is also a powerful antimicrobial, which could make you feel worse via the Herx reaction. Or if the whole increase-the-neurotransmitter thing made you feel worse, it might not be a good choice. Hard to tell. In any case, it is generally slow acting, not usually a quick cure.
Rhodiola Rosea. This one can work fast, 10 days or less. Many people including psychiatrists and wives of psychiatrists have been stunned by the effectiveness of this herb. It needs to be Siberian Rhodiola (not Russian or Chinese or any other) and standardized.
Siberian Ginseng (Eleuthero). This can be a very good antidepressant through a multitude of mechanisms, none of which are reuptake inhibition, but it takes time. With capsules it can take up to 6 months to get full benefit (2 caps 3 times per day). More than anything, it is a whole-body tonic that rebalances hormones, immmune system, and nervous system over time. It has mild MAOI action. It is not usually thought of as an antidepressant, but can be an excellent one. For faster more potent action, the liquid tincture made by HerPharm is on par with the good stuff used in Russian studies.
Olive Leaf Extract. What? Kidding? Seriously. This is never thought of as an antidepressant. Do a goodle search on Olive Leaf and depression and you might find a few tidbits here and there, but not much. But what happens very frequently is that patients are finding it very beneficial in things like Lyme, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Fibromyalgia...with some of the noted benefits being more energy, less brain fog, and good mood. I can attest from my own trials of this herb, improvement of mood can be noted within a couple days. It needs to be a standardized capsule extract 500mg taken 3 times a day 20 minutes before meals. It can be increased as high as 3 caps 3 times per day, sometimes even higher. The very first thing you should notice is increased energy and wellbeing, probably by day 2 or 3. It is not a stimulant or an upper, but somehow has the effect of picking you up physically and emotionally. It is a Biblical herb, delivered to Noah as a sign the Great Flood was ended. I've been taking this herb myself for 2 weeks now and I am liking the benefits. Strong at first, more subtle now (some Herxing going on) but a definite keeper no matter what else I take or try. It is in the mix permanently.
Licorice Root extract. If you have low adrenal function, this will help. It also has mild MAOI activity. It slows down the enzymes that destroy your cortisol as well. And many other benefits on digestive system and immune system. This herb is a very common ingredient in most Chinese medicines because of its wide range of benefits on the body and mind.
I could get into some other things for you, but the above should keep you occupied for the near future. In order of preference, I would suggest:
Start Olive Leaf Extract at one 500mg standardized capsule 3 times per day.
After a week, add Siberian Ginseng at a low dose (1 to 3 caps per day) and plan on keeping it for at least 6 months. Don't count on it doing anything right now, just take it like a vitamin.
You are now on a real good whole-body whole-mind tonic booster fortifier, and you are already probably feeling a lot better.
Start Rhodiola Rosea as a bonafide antidepressant trial. This would be the big guns with antidepressant as the goal, if you feel you need it. You might not. I found enough benefit in other herbs to wait on Rhodiola. When I did try it, it made me feel worse...but not to scare you, this is very rare...I only found one other person who had that experience. Almost all others are very positive. Energy will be a side benefit. If jittery, the dose is too high.
At any time you can experiment with Licorice root. Just be stabilized on whatever else you are taking so that you can judge what Licorice feels like.
If sleep or nervousness are ever issues, good choices are Passionflower, Skullcap, Valerian, Herbsom.
Keep in mind, these are not nuclear bomb single function substances like the psych meds were. These are very wide spectrum multifaceted substances that offer a concert of benefits throughout the body and mind and in harmony with the body. They are medicinal foods. Without even knowing what the cause of your depression is, these plants suppress a wide spectrum of them and strengthen your body to naturally overcome them.
In my wildest dreams I never would have expected that someday I might be suggesting Olive Leaf Extract to someone for mood problems. It really is a keeper. The success stories with it are quite fascinating. Better mood is just a side effect. A nice one.
poster:bleauberry
thread:924669
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20091029/msgs/924791.html