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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 3 of 3. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by LongRoad on June 8, 2009, at 22:18:21
I had a tyrosine question that I accidentally posted on the medication section and the response I got back was that using 5 htp and tyrosine as stand alone methods to treat depression was essentially useless.
I recently got off Pristiq in hopes of going mostly natural. I'm now having second thoughts. Being that there really isn't a ton of evidence to support alternative treatment, all we have to really go on is the individual experiences of people.
Can anyone chime in who has made a switch from ssri's or snri's or AD's in general to a natural route and has had success with it? I'm feeling pretty uneasy about this decision. Thanks.
Posted by bleauberry on June 10, 2009, at 19:38:42
In reply to Success on supplements?, posted by LongRoad on June 8, 2009, at 22:18:21
Well, you could go to sjwinfo.org and read the hundreds of posts of St Johnswort users. Many of them have a long history of meds and found SJW pretty good.
Other than that, taking "some" 5htp and tyrosine is probably a decent idea. I would not count on them for a miraculous cure, but using them in moderation as a foundation for other things to work sounds like a decent plan to me. I am talking 25mg 5htp twice per day, or 50mg 5htp once per day, max. Low doses on the tyrosine too. Higher doses won't make any difference. On the tyrosine topic, there is clinical evidence to support the use of DL-phenylalanine in clinical depression, with doses ranging from 150mg to 500mg per day, with decent remission rates at six weeks later. So you might consider DLPA instead of tyrosine.
While meds can take a long time to work, if they work at all, natural things take even longer. So do not expect overnight miracles or you may easily abandon something that was perfectly on target if you had only given it the time.
Other than that, everything you can do naturally to improve conditions that "might" be involved in the cause of your depression should be addressed. For example, experiment with borage oil, flax oil, and fish oil. Immune system is a big player, so experiment with Astragalus and Reishi root extracts. One natural pdoc says Reishi works for depression when SJW doesn't. Digestive system, take probiotics and digestive enzymes to fight off or prevent any dysbiosis, yeast, or food intolerances that might be flooding you with toxins that "feel" just like depression. Adrenals, consider support with Astragalus+Siberian ginseng combination (clinically supported evidence on this combo), and if you suspect weak adrenal function, try adrenal cortex extracts. Isocort is a premiere brand used by many people with diagnosed hypoadrenalism or adrenal fatigue. This is a huge issue in most depressions in my opinion.
Immune, gastrointestinal, adrenals, precursors for neurotransmitters...and what else...well, if there are any hidden infections causing your depression (more common than most admit, I feel) then there is great benefit in things like Grapefruit Seed extract, Pau D'Arco tea, high doses of garlic extract, Oregon Grape extract, and Cat's Claw. From Lyme to yeast, these herbs are heavy hitters.
What I am saying is...to go the natural route is very cool and likely to lead to a better outcome than medicines, IF the natural route is directed at improving ALL bodily functions. Focus just on the brain, as psych meds do, and I believe the destiny is failure, much the same as psych meds.
Posted by verne on June 11, 2009, at 10:14:59
In reply to Re: Success on supplements?, posted by bleauberry on June 10, 2009, at 19:38:42
Thanks for reminding me of grapefruit seed extract. It is a heavy hitter! Does better against hospital germs than the usual germicides.
I like it because it always clears my head which in turn eases the depression.
Verne
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