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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 15 of 15. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Jimmyboy on December 14, 2006, at 8:41:32
I know there have been alot of threads on Rhodiola lately, but I was wondering how long it will take to start to feel some positive effects. Also what is the dosing like? That is , do I need to cycle this , like 6 weeks on, take a week off , etc. Also, does anyone know a way to help prevent " poop-out" ? This seems to alsways happen to me.
Also my mail problems are - fatigue, poor memory/concentration, no motivation, no feelings whatsoever, any other herbs that would be beneficial?JB
Posted by TenMan on December 14, 2006, at 10:08:43
In reply to Rhodiola- howlong to help?, posted by Jimmyboy on December 14, 2006, at 8:41:32
I noticed New Chapter brand Rhodiola working on the first day. My dose is 300mgs. once daily in the morning and I'm in the middle of a 4 week break after 8 weeks of use. Rhodiola does need to be cycled or it will begin to lose some of it's effect. I personally noticed it was still working pretty dandy for my mood but the stimulation that I was recieving was gone so I decided to take a break and restart to try and capture that effect.
Make sure your Rho is standardize for around 4% rosavins and .08-.1 salidrosides. Good luck.
Ten
Posted by Jimmyboy on December 14, 2006, at 10:45:55
In reply to Re: Rhodiola- howlong to help?, posted by TenMan on December 14, 2006, at 10:08:43
Tenman,
Thanks for the response.. You said you were taking a break.. did your depression return when you stopped ?
I took my first dose this morning and definitely feel a little more energized than usual. Hopefully it will keep up.
JB
Posted by TenMan on December 14, 2006, at 13:18:29
In reply to Re: Rhodiola- howlong to help? » TenMan, posted by Jimmyboy on December 14, 2006, at 10:45:55
Depression is not black or white. Mood is variable and "floats" throughout the course of the day. Deep, dark depression in my case is held at bay quite nicely by fish oil. However what remains is only best described by me as a mild dysthimia which is alleviated by the Rhodiola. So yes, my mood is poorer off than on but not so much so that I cannot function or take a decent amount of time off so that I can try to regain the energizing effect. Hope this helps.
Ten
Posted by dessbee on December 14, 2006, at 14:03:40
In reply to Rhodiola- howlong to help?, posted by Jimmyboy on December 14, 2006, at 8:41:32
You may want to consider St John Wort 600 mg (0.3% hypericin extract)
Considered the most potent herb for depression.
Posted by Jimmyboy on December 14, 2006, at 14:53:06
In reply to Re: Rhodiola- howlong to help? » Jimmyboy, posted by dessbee on December 14, 2006, at 14:03:40
Can you combine St. John's Wort with Rhodiola?
I really need something that picks up my energy and helps with concentration and memory also, and I beleive Rhodiola is supposed to be good for that.
JB
Posted by dessbee on December 14, 2006, at 15:31:50
In reply to Re: Rhodiola- howlong to help?, posted by Jimmyboy on December 14, 2006, at 14:53:06
Well I would not recommend it.
First you need to find out how the herbs affect you seperately. It will be difficult to conclude what is working and what is not.In my opinion, Rhodiola is a stress inducer. It will stimulate you right away just like coffee. My experience is that this mechanism only works short term. You will end up fatigued when your body can't handle more stress.
St John Wort works more like a regular SSRI, it usually takes two week before mood improves and full effect is reached within 10 weeks.
I think St John Wort is more for long term usage although some claim it poops out as well. Rhodiola is more for short term usage.
Posted by Jimmyboy on December 14, 2006, at 15:40:50
In reply to Re: Rhodiola- howlong to help? » Jimmyboy, posted by dessbee on December 14, 2006, at 15:31:50
Hmm.. thats disappointing to hear , but everything else I have taken has pooped out or just flat out did not work, so I was expecting that anyway.
Anyone have long term success with Rhodiolla?
Oh yeah , from what I have read, it said that RHODIOLLA was an adaptogen and was good to lower your body's response to stress. Is that not correct?
JB
Posted by dessbee on December 14, 2006, at 15:54:47
In reply to Re: Rhodiola, posted by Jimmyboy on December 14, 2006, at 15:40:50
I haven't tried it myself, so I am no expert.
Although, I have read several posts complaining about anxiety and insomnia. I just can't interpret these side effects as stress relievement.
Posted by blueberry1 on December 15, 2006, at 4:30:57
In reply to Rhodiola- howlong to help?, posted by Jimmyboy on December 14, 2006, at 8:41:32
I'm not sure how long rhodiola will take to work, if it will work for everyone, or what the side effects will be. It seems to vary a lot from person to person.
It can be combined with st johns wort. You would likely need less of a dose of sjw, like maybe 150mg twice or three times a day.
Though rhodiola is a stress reducer with longterm use, it can induce stress in the beginning by being too stimulating for some people. I tried it for a few days and I got real good energy and a decent mood boost for half the day, followed by a fatigue type crash the second half of the day. It was too short of a trial to give it time, but the first few days were rough. I was also withdrawing from st johns wort and zyprexa at the same time and ended up in the emergency room with my first ever full blown panic attack. Was it the rhodiola or was it the withdrawals or a combination of them all? Don.t know.
For people who do have a hard time with over stimulation or insomnia during early treatment with rhodiola, it might be best to break tablets or dump some powder out of capsules to get 25mg twice a day and slowly increase as tolerated.
I think to give it a real good trial it needs at least 4 weeks. There isn't enough scientific data on rhodiola though, so that is just opinion.
Other herbs to consider for cognitive enhancing are panax ginseng or ginkgo biloba. I'm not an expert on herbs or anything, but from reading people who do specialize in them it seems that combinations are usually used, where you have your main ingredient backed up by small doses of two or three or more other things.
Posted by dessbee on December 15, 2006, at 11:53:42
In reply to Rhodiola- howlong to help?, posted by Jimmyboy on December 14, 2006, at 8:41:32
You seem to be looking for something that will give you more energy.
I would recommend free fatty acid EPA/DHA. It's spliced fish oil triglycerides, fish oil freed from glycerol.
It is quite potent, the only problem is the risk of insomnia.
Posted by blueberry1 on December 16, 2006, at 10:42:47
In reply to Rhodiola- howlong to help?, posted by Jimmyboy on December 14, 2006, at 8:41:32
The directions on the brand I have say to take 100mg 30 minutes before breakfast. After 3 day if there is no effect, take another one 30 minutes before lunch. Then wait 3 weeks to see the effect. A third or fourth can then be added if needed, separated by 3 days. So by 4 - 6 weeks there should be some hint of what rhodiola will do for you.
I took 50mg yesterday and was sorry I did. I felt increased energy, but also uncomfortable agitation, muscle cramps and pains in the legs, and worsened depression. My depression has been fairly steady, so I can tell when it gets worse. It definitely got worse after that dose. I slept great though. When I woke the depression was still there along with a headache. I am so darn sensitive to so many things. It's a good thing most people do not respond as poorly as I do.
Posted by Jimmyboy on December 17, 2006, at 11:33:56
In reply to Re: free fatty acid EPA/DHA » Jimmyboy, posted by dessbee on December 15, 2006, at 11:53:42
Dessbee,
What brand of fish oil do you take? I have tried high EPA formulas before and really didn't notice any effects at all. Unfortuantely I can fall asleep standing up in the middle of a hurricane .. so i am pretty sure it wouldnl't keep me up.
Thanks
JB
Posted by dessbee on December 18, 2006, at 10:19:07
In reply to Re: free fatty acid EPA/DHA » dessbee, posted by Jimmyboy on December 17, 2006, at 11:33:56
Right now I am on a fatty fish diet, due to problems with insomnia.
I used take Bio-Marin - 70% free fatty acid EPA/DHA. Unfortunately it is only available in Scandinavia. But I am sure similar products are available elsewhere, although I have had difficulties finding these on google.
Posted by dessbee on December 18, 2006, at 13:08:35
In reply to Re: free fatty acid EPA/DHA » dessbee, posted by Jimmyboy on December 17, 2006, at 11:33:56
You can see when it is free fatty acid EPA/DHA, since the oil has a dark redish color.
This is the end of the thread.
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