Posted by Tony P on September 4, 2001, at 0:59:00
In reply to ne1 really helped by herb? cayenne, ginko, sjw, , posted by nutsy on September 3, 2001, at 9:51:34
*** Please excuse if this shows up as a duplicate post - I refreshed several times, then logged in 20 min. later - no show. Here goes again.
I haven't yet found an herb (or combination of herbs) that comes even close to meeting my needs in the way that Rx A/Ds have. I simply couldn't make it right now on herbs alone. That being said, some herbs have definitely helped me.
I haven't ever tried St. John's Wort, because of concern over negative reactions with the other meds I am taking (it's either an MAOI or has similar risks when combined with some A/D). I think the evidence is pretty clear by now that it _does_ significantly help some people.
Among the many herbals I have tried, here's a few highlights from my personal experience - yours may be very different:
Valerian - can't even feel any effect. Certainly doesn't ease my anxiety or help insomnia. I do believe it is effective for some people.
Gingko - I take it, but mostly on faith. Maybe I haven't experimented enough with/without to notice the difference. Some suggestion in the literature it enhances antidepressant med effects, and it's pretty much harmless, so why not.
Ginseng - Relatively minor but definite energizing effect for me, from top quality Red Korean/Panax ginseng only.
Yohimbe - VERY powerful herb. Whether it's useful or not (except for some sexual dysfunctions) is another question. Highly stimulating in a really weird-feeling way - see several threads in the archives for various personal experiences.
DHEA - some would question whether this should be classified as an herbal or hormone (especially the Canadian government, who seem to classify it as somewhat more dangerous than heroin). No direct effect on my feeling of well being, but very successful in combination with other herbs/vitamins/minerals (too lengthy to go into here) in reversing my generalized sexual dysfunction, which HAS had a HUGE effect on my emotional well-being. Email me if interested in more details, or start another thread.
Kava-kava - this one really DOES work for me, especially for some kinds of social anxiety and panic. It can be both mentally energizing and anxiolytic in moderate doses.
*** Relatively long post on kava-kava follows - stop reading here if not interested ;-) TP
I would not go nearly as far as some advocates have gone in suggesting it will ever replace Valium or the other benzodiazepines. However, it is 1) very pleasant in its effects 2) fast-acting when taken properly 3) non-addicting, with little or no tolerance buildup or withdrawal effects (but can be _quite_ habitforming) 4) Very few side effects - dry skin, slight nausea and appetite reduction at moderate dose (but VERY dry, peeling skin at high doses).
For those who want to try kava, effectiveness depends a great deal on the form it's in and how you take it. I have NOT found whole root in capsule form particularly effective, at least in the quality generally available. High concentration gel-caps ought in theory to work best - but they _don't_ work for me. Tincture is effective if strong enough (look for 1:1) but seems more sedating and less energizing than other forms. Regular gelatin capsules and dry caplets only really work well on an empty stomach followed by a warm drink. Labelled doses are usually much too low to be effective (for me at least) - I take 900-1200 mg of the common 30% standardized extract as one dose, i.e. 6-8 150mg caps or 3-4 300 mg. at one time. If I wanted to compare it to Valium (although their effects are significantly different in quality), I'd say 1200 mg. of 30% extract is similar to 10 mg. of Valium (blue tab.), but Your Mileage May Vary.
Much the most effective way I've found to take kava is to thoroughly mix the powder from the ordinary caps with 2-3 tsp hot chocolate mix, and add boiling water as usual.
I emphasize that though not physically addictive, Kava can defintely get you hooked psychologically - I speak from experience! But with minimal or no withdrawal symptoms and few side effects, it's got to be one of the safest effective treatments to experiment with for some kinds of anxiety. It has no serious negative interactions with Rx meds that I know of.
Anyone interested, feel free to email me - or start a new thread. I've experimented with it quite a bit and read a lot on the web.
My take on the world of herbals, for what it's worth, is that a very few really are consistently effective for everybody (e.g. opium! < g >), some are effective in varying degrees for different people, and the vast majority are completely ineffective, especially compared to the Rx meds now available.
Tony P
> kava kava, valerian, etc.? Curious if anyone has been able to do well without scripts simply utilizing herbal products.
>
> Curious thing has been garlic - eating it provides a nice lift and mild euphoria.
poster:Tony P
thread:77527
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010902/msgs/77642.html