I would like to stop taking Prozac (I take 10 mg a day) for depression and use a natural product instead. Anyone have any success stories or suggestions? My psychiatrist is not prone towards natural ingredients. Though he states I do not have a psychosis, that I just need more serotonin...I know medical advice is not given, but is anyone out there successful using natural ingredients vs. Prozac?

I get my extra serotonin by taking St John's Wort from about October to May, I use a light box during the same months (well, I stop about March) and I run. They all produce serotonin.
All of these keep me 'up', to the extent that, since a major 6 month depression 8 years ago (before I knew about these things), I don't have to take anything else. Mine is SAD - winter related, but its still a lack of serotonin.

The things above take a while to get going. Exercise is pretty immediate, the light box takes a week or so and the St John's wort a month or so.

I'd say give it a go. I have no side effects from the St John's Wort, though you have to watch it in conjunction with some other medicines, especially the BC pill, which it can stop working (oops!). The other two are side effect free (well, the exercise has other good side effects).

I've also just read an article that says that 5-HTP (5 hydroxytryptophan) that you can buy from the health food shop, is very effective at producing serotonin and therefore reducing depression too - I might try that as well. Recommended dose, 100mg (up to 300mg).

Hope this helps, good luck, Jay

Wow-that's very interesting. I do swim 5 days a week, but I'm not much of a runner. I think I'll start taking the stuff for a month before I think about going off the Prozac-, and of course, I'll try to get my Dr. to go along with me. He did mention the SAD disease, and I bought the special light from Canada, but I just can't get into a good habit with it....
Thank you for your input-anyone else have any comments?

I suffered with severe depression. I went through a whole lot of prescription antidepressants, the side effects were to much for me so I also wanted to switch to something natural. I tried SJW but had an allergic reaction to it, so then I tried 5htp. I felt better the first day I took 5htp. I continued to take it for 2 years, along with therapy, exercise, prayer, meditation, reading books about depression, and listening to uplifting music. For the most part I'm cured, and now when I feel "it" coming on I have the resources to stop "it".

Here is a website with more info, and dosing guidlines on 5htp.

Wean yourself off of the prozac slowly and expect to go through withdrawals.

Good site on 5HTP - thanks for that. I wondered about combining it with St John's Wort, its useful to know what to do.
I like the idea it helps sleep and reduces carb cravings too - very useful - I'm heading for the health food shop in the morning!

Has anyone on the forum tried SAM-E? I have read a bit about it on the internet and it is a natural product. It is supposed to be just as effective in treating dperession as some of the older depression meds, but hasn't been trialed with Prozac as yet as far as I am aware.

When I started Prozak years ago it changed my life..and I lost 15lbs immediately...but the effects diminished over 2 or 3 years. Now I'm on Celexa and welbutrin. I have gained 20lbs and its not budging. I've done the Atkins for a couple of months and the initial 5 to 6 lbs loss is all I've seen.

After much research I think its the SSRI drug. So I'm weaning off it, but living in dread of the awful electric shock feelings that come with any manipulations. The precurser to seratonin is 5htp..so I'm going to that after one more week or so. Does anyone know, or had experience with how long to wean off the SSRI drug..before starting the 5HTP.? I have read that taking the 5htp with an ssri is not a good idea.

I'm just disappointed that the atkins hasn't worked as well for me as I hoped. However, I'm not quitting it. Its been the best, easiest diet way of life I've ever tried. My cholesterol is down too.

Ideas/feedback/experiences anyone?? Thankyou

Thats a terrific site on 5htp and also your experience has been interesting and encouraging to me. Thanks MJ Dupont !!

Diana,
You are the same Diana that I recently wrote to at Kelly's forum, right? I think once you are off prozac and you find the right dose of 5htp you will be able to stick with Atkins. I find it hard to follow when I'm not feeling well. Even a cold can throw me off. I know that the coffee and artificial sweeteners stall my weight loss, but I'm having a hard time quitting. Maybe I should just try BLACK coffee. Anywho, we can talk more about 5htp at Kelly's

Are you experiencing any withdrawals?

The wonderful thing about 5-HTP is that it pretty much starts working almost immediately. I took prozac for about a year and a half. What I didn't like is that it takes like 3 weeks to work because of the half-life of the drug. 5-HTP is much cheaper than prozac, and I have noticed NO side effects at all.

I got some 5-HTP on Saturday, took one that evening and was bouncing on Sunday! Didn't take any on Sunday (Had a drink so thought it best not to) but took some today and I've been feeling happy as larry I haven't noticed any side effects but two days isn't enought to know!! I've also come of the mini=pill

If any of you guys reading this are in New Zealand the Good Health Deep Sleep is an excellent 5HTP product to take, available at Health Stores and some Pharmacies.

Wow! What an awesome sight!! I'm going to make an appointment with my doctor and ask him to read all the info I printed out from this site. Thank you for sharing it!!!

Please be careful with 5HTP. Taking too much can result in Seritonian (sp?) syndrome. Also, combining with Prozac is a huge no-no. As for 5HTP and SJW, I do not know but you should assume its not a good combo unless you can findout otherwise.

Yes, it is safe to take the 5htp and sjw together. In fact, Michael Murray, the author of "5-htp; the natural way to overcome depression, obesity and insomnia," often uses the two in tandem, if one or the other alone is not enough.