Posted by JohnL on June 17, 2000, at 4:29:40
In reply to Fish Oil - has anyone tried this?, posted by Angela5 on June 16, 2000, at 12:55:58
Angela,
Have you tried St Johnswort? Or SAMe? It just seems to me that if one is going to try natural remedies, it would be wise to start with the two proven powerhorses in that field. In terms of research, clinical evidence, anecdotal evidence, and likelihood of working, fish oil falls way short in comparison to SJW or SAMe.SJW. It inhibits reuptake of serotonin, much like Prozac. But it also inhibits reuptake of norepinephrine, dopamine, and GABA as well. A wide spectrum antidepressant. The pharmaceutical grade stuff is available from the brands Kira, Movana, and Nature's Way Perika. Ricola has also jumped on the 3% hyperforin bandwagon. A newer brand called New Chapter, at health food stores, now has 10% hyperforin. That's powerful stuff. Hyperforin is the suspected primary active ingredient in SJW.
While this board is visited mainly by folks dealing with prescription meds, there are actually a lot of people out there doing very well with SJW. It's just my opinion, but I think the standard 3 pills a day dose is way too low. That's because one clinical study showed a regular 300mg dose is roughly the same as a 10mg dose of a tricyclic antidepressant. Tricyclic therapeutic doses usually begin at 75mg, so obviously 10mg three times a day is not enough. In a couple of the most successful clinical trials of SJW, the doses used were 2700mg a day, which is 9 pills a day. While there are many clinical trials of SJW showing it to be as good or better than a prescription, many of those trials were flawed somewhat and can be picked apart. Yet, there are so many of them all pointing in the same direction it's hard to ignore the potential. A couple trials were indeed completely legit, and they too showed SJW to be as good or better than prescrip.
We usually think of SJW for mild to moderate depression. Those studies that used 2700mg proved that SJW is good for severe depression as well, and they even stated as such. So whether you've tried SJW or not, you might want to give it a solid trial with minimum 3 tabs a day, maximum 9, for 4 to 6 weeks. Since I realize finances are a major concern right now, the price tag of less than $10 should make this option even more attractive.
Does it really work? Yes it does. With everyone? No it doesn't. Just like any other antidepressant. I've heard a few real life accounts of SJW working very well. It works with me too, though not totally. I can feel its benefits a little bit by day 3, but more pronounced at about 3 weeks. The longer the better. It keeps on getting better up to about 3 months. Even though I've found other things I like even better, I still keep some SJW in my system. Usually one dose every other day or so. Just enough to keep it in the background. I know it's doing something good, because I definitely notice when I stop taking it. When I was taking it fulltime, I discovered my optimum dose was 5 pills a day.
If you want to see all the info and review the clinical trials of SJW, go to www.hypericum.com. It's all there.
I've also tried SAMe. It too is backed up by decades of research, mostly in Europe. In my experience SAMe's primary benefit is the potential to lift someone out of that deep dark hole FAST. For me, it has done so time and again (6 different times, all the same). When I experienced a real bad slump, I would take 2 pills with water in midmorning on an empty stomach, 2 more in midafternoon the same way. By day 3 I was out of that deep hole and then reduced dosage to 2 pills a day. The only reason I never stayed with it was the cost. That's a problem. $20 for barely a 5 day supply.
Either of these options--SJW or SAMe, or both together--seem much more credible and likely to work than fish oil. The optimum approach would be to start both at the same time...SAMe for fast relief, and then taper off it while the SJW has a chance to take over for longer term.
This is a lot longer than I planned. But I just wanted to say that if you are looking for natural methods, nothing compares to SJW. It's a serious herb. And if you need FAST results, SAMe is the one. The major obstacle is probably the cost, which makes SJW look the most attractive of the two.
You could take fish oil along with SJW of SAMe. But quite honestly, I don't think fish oil by itself stands a chance in hell of ending your despair.
JohnL
poster:JohnL
thread:37548
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000610/msgs/37612.html