spinninghead
Member
I quit taking Prozac cold turkey because enough people believed it possible that any SSRI could aggravate twitching, and at the time I made the decision I was desperate to get relief. I took Prozac for 13 years and although had a few withdrawal symptoms, it has been relatively easy to stop taking it although I have only been off for about 3 weeks. Honestly, I took the drug so long that I felt for the last 3 years that it was losing effectiveness anyway so this was not a real hardship for me. However, for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is BFS symptoms, I still have mild to moderate depression and anxiety.
My question is whether any of you have positive (or negative) experiences with replacing your anti-depressant or anti-anxiety med with pharmaceutical grade St. John's Wort and 5-HTP. I have read in some studies that St. John's Wort and 5-HTP, if taken together, 3 times a day, can act in a synergistic way that makes both drugs more effective, i.e. 1+1=3. And I know that in Germany, St. John's Wort is prescribed by doctors as a treatment for depression more often than Prozac-type drugs.
Can anyone comment on personal experiences with either of these alternative therapies and their effectiveness to treat mild or slightly moderate depression & anxiety?
I'll insert a little disclaimer in here: Research from NIH has shown that St. John's wort interacts with some drugs--including certain drugs used to control HIV infection (such as indinavir). Other research shows that St. John's wort can interact with chemotherapeutic, or anticancer, drugs (such as irinotecan). The herb may also interact with drugs that help prevent the body from rejecting transplanted organs (such as cyclosporine). Using St. John's wort limits these drugs' effectiveness.
Since I am not taking any of the drugs mentioned, I am not concerned for myself. I would suggest that anyone else considering St. John's Wort or 5-HTP do the same thing I am doing and discuss it with your doctor and read everything you can find from reputable sources regarding how either non-prescription remedy interacts with certain prescription drugs.
If you have used other non-prescription herbal treatments, can you tell me something about them and which of your symptoms they might have helped. The reason I am asking this question here is that I know many of you suffer from varying degress of depression, anxiety, and stress. Even if these conditions were not caused by BFS, they can certainly make BFS symptoms worse.
As usual, even on a beautiful Texas day, I am in pursuit of ways to relieve symptoms of BFS along with depression and anxiety that go along with health fears. I'll also get outside for a while and enjoy the day, catch a bit of sun, and then check later to see if anyone has responded.
Thanks so much in advance for taking time to answer.
)
~ ~ Tex
My question is whether any of you have positive (or negative) experiences with replacing your anti-depressant or anti-anxiety med with pharmaceutical grade St. John's Wort and 5-HTP. I have read in some studies that St. John's Wort and 5-HTP, if taken together, 3 times a day, can act in a synergistic way that makes both drugs more effective, i.e. 1+1=3. And I know that in Germany, St. John's Wort is prescribed by doctors as a treatment for depression more often than Prozac-type drugs.
Can anyone comment on personal experiences with either of these alternative therapies and their effectiveness to treat mild or slightly moderate depression & anxiety?
I'll insert a little disclaimer in here: Research from NIH has shown that St. John's wort interacts with some drugs--including certain drugs used to control HIV infection (such as indinavir). Other research shows that St. John's wort can interact with chemotherapeutic, or anticancer, drugs (such as irinotecan). The herb may also interact with drugs that help prevent the body from rejecting transplanted organs (such as cyclosporine). Using St. John's wort limits these drugs' effectiveness.
Since I am not taking any of the drugs mentioned, I am not concerned for myself. I would suggest that anyone else considering St. John's Wort or 5-HTP do the same thing I am doing and discuss it with your doctor and read everything you can find from reputable sources regarding how either non-prescription remedy interacts with certain prescription drugs.
If you have used other non-prescription herbal treatments, can you tell me something about them and which of your symptoms they might have helped. The reason I am asking this question here is that I know many of you suffer from varying degress of depression, anxiety, and stress. Even if these conditions were not caused by BFS, they can certainly make BFS symptoms worse.
As usual, even on a beautiful Texas day, I am in pursuit of ways to relieve symptoms of BFS along with depression and anxiety that go along with health fears. I'll also get outside for a while and enjoy the day, catch a bit of sun, and then check later to see if anyone has responded.
Thanks so much in advance for taking time to answer.
)~ ~ Tex