Posted by barbaracat on December 31, 2004, at 19:24:09
In reply to sJW, posted by LOOPS on December 31, 2004, at 8:30:40
Sounds to me like you have a touch of good ol' Bipolar II. Have you taken other ADs and gotten the same effects? I too tried Li Orotate when I ran out of my Li carbonate and it simply did not work and I started skidding into a bonda fide dysphoric hypomania. Gave it two attemps too. Dissappointing. But lithium carbonate works great for me, I don't need a huge dose so there aren't the bad side effects. Li Orotate works great for others, though. We're all wired so differently.
I think Herb Pharm products are outrageous rip-offs. Have you ever made a tincture of fresh herb? Just put a 1/4 herb to 3/4 vodka mixture in a dark place and shake everyday and strain it after 2 weeks. Makes you realize how much profit Herb PHarm is realizing.
I like the Flora brand alot. A very reputable company as well. Their method is to infuse SJW flower tops in olive oil for 1000 days, steeping in the hot sun in either Italy or Greece. That method just appeals to me (especially as I sit here watching wet snow falling outside in 20 degree temps). They try to standadize the product as much as possible but it can't be as accurate as standardizing a solvent extract of a particular ingredient. Some day I'm going to see if I can go with Flora alone, if it's strong enough. I've heard you need to double the amount, so 6 pills instead of 3.
I know what you mean about the energetics affecting quality. SJW is not like popping a lifeless pill. At it's best, it's a living organic substance, especially the whole spectrum products, and I've heard talk many times about the plant energy in SJW doing alot of the healing work - as much as the chemical components.
I also take taurine. I've read that it helps stabilize electrical potential in nerves and muscle fibres and any good bipolar needs all the electrical stabilization as possible. I think it helps calm me. - Barbara
> Great post barbaracat!
>
> I always found the powdered N American extracts too stimulating, and the high-quality German liquid extracts very relaxing, but not strong enough as anti-depressants.
>
> I also took sjw with lithium, but it was lithium orotate (I got intense mood-swings - not sure if bipolar or not). I too found mixing different sources of sjw helpful. The first time I tried the wort, I wasn't taking the lith, and I got quite manic. Also I was not sleeping at all. Once I added the lith orotate in I calmed down and was more steady.
>
> I didn't like Perika either. It made me very irritable and withdrawn, although it did help with depression, but not sociability. I found GNC standardized very similar - way too agitating.
>
> I find the tea actually quite good for relaxing, but not for treating depression! However this was tea-bags, and I would love to try getting some fresh home-grown wort and infusing it. I have heard wonderful things about fresh wort, which would indicate an overall energy of the plant being important in effectiveness maybe.
>
> I think this is why fresh tinctures are always raved about. I have heard HerbPharm is a good one, but I have never tried it - it is very expensive for just an ounce of extract, so would really tot up the gold for even a couple weeks continuous usage. But maybe it would carry a 'stronger energy'.
>
> I also tried taurine for awhile, and I keep it for emergencies; however I did find after awhile it started making me impatient with other people. At the time I was taking it I wasn't eating any animal foods, just a lot of beans, rice and veggies (NEVER doing that one again!), so I probably had quite a deficiency going on as I don't think I'm very good at manufacturing it in my body.
>
> If my fish oil stops working (I always dread that placebo possibility), I may try some of that flora wort - it sounds good.
>
> Happy New Year
>
> Loops
poster:barbaracat
thread:435452
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20041212/msgs/436150.html