Need Depression/Anxiety Supplements

[ddjoyceann]

Too many adverse side effects from Welbutrin and Effexor. Does anyone have good success with natural/herbal supplements for depression and anxiety? :help:

[Cissie_12]

Many use St. John's Wort for depression with great success. Just make sure that IF you are currently taking any form of meds. that you wean off them and try to give 2 weeks between starting St. John's Wort or whatever you might try. Even though SJW is not prescription it is still an anti-depressant.

Good luck to you. I totally understand! Currently on Welbuterin myself. Effexor drove me nuts by all the sweating I did!!

[Gostrydr]

For your anxiety..look into Theanine, from Green Tea . It works alot like GABA but better..

Valerian is also very calming. Try the tea, though I warn you ,it smells like dirty feet before you steep it.

I've seen great things from KAVA KAVA..but make sure it is the extract!

Your cortisol is most definetley through the roof. Research all you can on Holy Basil(Tolsi),PS,Glycine..those are excellent for lowering cortisol levels while you are in a heightened state of anixiety.

St Johns is excellent but I like 5HTP alot better. SAME Is also great but it is expensive. And it must be a certain form of it. Jarrow has a great SAME in blister paks..do not settle for cheap ass SAME like the one from Nature Made.

Taking lots of fish oils can also help tremendously with your depression.

Look into an adrenal support formula..one that supports its funcion. One that has at least 500 mgs of Pantothenic acid or use something like Planetarys Schizandra Adrenal Support which is excellent.
I know this is alot of stuff,but you have to attack this from all angles if you want to resolve this issue.

Good luck

[Zuleikaa]

Vitamin D and magnesium.

[cs_carver]

By which I mean, you may also be new to low carbing, and you may still be transitioning from a high-carb WOE, and your body may not have adjusted. I don't recognize your name, by which I really mean here, "I don't know what your basic approach to supplementation is." Many of us on this particular part of the forum recognize each other's supplement patterns, to some extent.

So--Above advice is all good, and on top of that, make sure your basic food intake is as sound as you can manage, and that you are covering all the basic supplementation bases too.

Exercise is a huge component of a "natural" approach to treating depression and anxiety. I forgot to look at where you're from; if you're in the northern hemisphere, then your D stores are likely to be very low right now.

Dr. Atkin's Vitanutrient Solution is a good reference book, as is Joan Larson's Depression-Free, Naturally.

Good luck.

St. John's wort can make you more sensitive to the sun. Be careful with that.

[kebaldwin]

Low carb diet is a great start.

A good high quality "mega" multivitamin and fish oil are a great start.

I assume you get some moderate exercise like walking?

Make sure you do the above first. This will eliminate or at least improve most symptoms. Not only with depression and anxiety - but many other problems. For example, imagine what would happen if you started sleeping better and deeper.

Your problems could be because of any nutritional (including vitamin and mineral) problems. Taking a high quality "mega" multi-vitamin eliminates most of those problems.

Fish oil does many things for health. It also helps a lot of women with anxiety & depression.

Then many of the recommendations the other posters gave above are good and will give your further improvement. But I don't recommend them by themself -- I would do the LC diet, multi-vitamin and fish oil.

Also note that these natural remedies can take weeks or months. It is not like taking one pill and a switch is thrown an hour later.

http://www.lef.org/protocols/emotional_health/anxiety_01.htm

http://www.lef.org/protocols/emotional_health/depression_01.htm

http://www.vitacost.com/EmotionalHealth.html

http://www.vitacost.com/WomensHealth.html

http://www.vitacost.com/articleResults.aspx?Ntk=articles&.y=6&ss=1&.x=18&Ntt=anxiety

http://www.vitacost.com/articleResults.aspx?Ntk=articles&previousText=anxiety&ss=1&Ntt=depression

[ddjoyceann]

Thank-you, Thank-you everyone. You guys are so knowledgable on this subject. I look forward to getting started with some of these "new" supplements and herbs. I had been on effexor for anxiety/depression and then he started me on wellbutrin. It was fine for awhile but then I started having s/e that I couldn't live with: headaches, nausea, decreased libido, profuse sweating just like hot flashes and feeling of no interest in anything or anybody. I weaned down on the meds until I just stopped them cold turkey. I was sick with withdrawls for 2 weeks: severe h/a, nausea, and crying. That was about a year ago. Since then I've been taking anxietol, amoryn and seredyn very sporatically. Of late, I have had some days of depression with crying but what bothers me most is this anxiety about any kind of new situation. I have panic attacks just thinking of what may happen. I hate it!!! My heart beats out of my chest, I cry and just really want to hide. I just moved from the South to the North and started a new job, all big stressors in and of themselves but even more so with this added anxiety problem. So I really hope that all this advise will be the answer I need to feel a little more balanced. Thanks again for all the input, DD

[sxb]

ddjoyceann,
are you having trouble sleeping along with depression?
i took some melatonin and it helped right away... i woke up in the morning clear head...and my mood was happy... then i got a ticket... so it wasn't so happy afterwards...
but it works very well for me... 3mg could too much... so take it in halfs...

i believe sometimes people get depression like SAD. which seasonal depression... happens during winter alot ...
but, anywho... i noticed when i took melatonin is took care of my anxiety... i was not freaking out anymore...

my doctor also recommended me to go exposure to sun for atleast 30 min when feeling depressed...
my depression was due to lack of sleep and my melatonin was not forming enough to make me sleep...

after two weeks now i feel my body sleeps and wakes on time... don't need an alarm clock anymore(but i still set an alarm just in case)

You should ask doctor about it... i don't know what category of depression you are in... but if you are looking for herbal supplements...

it won't hurt ot try melatonin... you can get it from walgreens...
no prescription needed...

I recommend scheffs brand...below is the link...

http://www.walgreens.com/store/product.jsp?id=prod3189678&CATID=100182&skuid=sku3188511&V=G&ec=frgl_121652#

hope this helps... :)

[ddjoyceann]

Hey Gostrydr and all,
A few weeks ago you gave me some great advice for suppliments for deppression/anxiety. I just wanted to thank you all and let you know what all I'm taking and see if this is good or add/delete something.

Anxietiol 2 daily (vit c,B6,B12,5-HTP250mg,GABA200mg,Theanine 120mg,panax ginsing100mg,l-tyrosine60mg,vinpoceine10mg)

Theanine 100mg 1 daily
Schiz adrenal complex 711mg 2 daily
PS 100 1 daily
Fish oil 1000mg 1-2 daily
Multi Vit 1 daily
melatonin occasionally if i think about it before bed.
Am I taking the right amts daily of these herbs should I add something I missed. Just started with all recently but have been feeling better....less crying and less anxiety /panic feelings. Thanks so much for any thoughts you have on this. Be well, DD

[Nancy LC]

Slight hijack, I just started some Holy Basil seeds for my Thai cooking. That is a very tasty herb!

Back on topic, I know a lot of people who had their depression lift when they went on a gluten-free diet. You might give that a try!

[Zuleikaa]

Vitamin D and magnesium are also good for depression/anxiety.

[Kaspof]

Vitamin D and magnesium are also good for depression/anxiety.

Add vitamin B6 and it's perfect. ;)

[Whoa182]

I find the best thing for when Im a little anxious or on edge is to exercise, go for a walk everyday or a run for at least 20 minutes. Keep occupied with things. Pills wont fix all causes of anxiety/depression, although might lessen the negative effects of it.

[Gostrydr]

Hey DD, Looks goood and congrats on feeling better.

I know the PS is expensive ,but if things are bad take 2 of those a day spread out.

Fish oil I defientely would up to 5 grams a day. How about 2 with each meal?
Take your multi twice a day as well.

Much continued success.

[dina1957]

I find the best thing for when Im a little anxious or on edge is to exercise, go for a walk everyday or a run for at least 20 minutes. Keep occupied with things. Pills wont fix all causes of anxiety/depression, although might lessen the negative effects of it.
Ditto for me Whoa,
I have some anxiety due to hormonal changes. I have tried every suppelement listed above, and found that but exericse works the best and low dose xanax (as needed) . if i wake up anxious (almost every morning, LOL) , I just hope on my ellptical and run for 30-40 minutes, and it goes away immediately. brisk walk/jog on a beach does the same trick.:)
As for pills, I disagree a bit, some ppl need Rx meds to treat depression, clinical depression can lead to suicide.
JMO

[kebaldwin]

Congrats on finding something that works for you.

Note that normally it takes a couple of weeks to see results - so it may continue to get better.