Natural anti-depressants

[DanieMarie]

Re: Natural anti-depressants

Just like any medication, herbal or manufactured, YMMV. For me, antidepressants (SSRIs, tricyclics, MAOIs, all of 'em) took away most of the benefits of taking the Pill, and it's always a possibility depending on the hormone & its strength/absorbency rate/time release, etc. If the SJW works w/your birth control, that's fantastic. I was just responding to your original mention of the Pill being less effective at actual birth control

I get that, I just really worry because I'm on the pill to try to control endometriosis. It feels kind of like a no-win. Either I'm depressed or my uterus hates me :/

[Ophidia]

Re: Natural anti-depressants

I do take it for other stuff (that's the only reason I'm on it) but I just don't know what else to do. I don't want to be on anything stronger than St. John's Wort because I've adversely reacted to anti-depressants in the past. Other herbal stuff has not worked for me. BUT my body hates me, and my uterus is trying to take it over. I've stopped getting my period (I was fine on both the pill and St. John's Wort until about a month ago), but haven't stopped getting cramps. I guess if it took away the effects of the pill though and that was the problem, I'd be getting the periods I have off the pill, which are spaced closer together (about 21 days apart), long and heavy and PAINFUL.

Blech I hate my body so much....

Just like any medication, herbal or manufactured, YMMV. For me, antidepressants (SSRIs, tricyclics, MAOIs, all of 'em) took away most of the benefits of taking the Pill, and it's always a possibility depending on the hormone & its strength/absorbency rate/time release, etc. If the SJW works w/your birth control, that's fantastic. I was just responding to your original mention of the Pill being less effective at actual birth control

[DanieMarie]

Re: Natural anti-depressants

Ya gotta remember, some women take the pill for other reasons than just stopping babies - I was on it for years to control symptoms of PCOS. SJW reduces the effectiveness of birth control for everything (as well as increases the risk of photoreactiveness that bc already has).

I do take it for other stuff (that's the only reason I'm on it) but I just don't know what else to do. I don't want to be on anything stronger than St. John's Wort because I've adversely reacted to anti-depressants in the past. Other herbal stuff has not worked for me. BUT my body hates me, and my uterus is trying to take it over. I've stopped getting my period (I was fine on both the pill and St. John's Wort until about a month ago), but haven't stopped getting cramps. I guess if it took away the effects of the pill though and that was the problem, I'd be getting the periods I have off the pill, which are spaced closer together (about 21 days apart), long and heavy and PAINFUL.

Blech I hate my body so much....

[Ophidia]

Re: Natural anti-depressants

You can still take it but it can reduce its effectiveness. Since I don't have sex I've chosen to ignore this issue for the time being.

Ya gotta remember, some women take the pill for other reasons than just stopping babies - I was on it for years to control symptoms of PCOS. SJW reduces the effectiveness of birth control for everything (as well as increases the risk of photoreactiveness that bc already has).

[DanieMarie]

Re: Natural anti-depressants

You can still take it but it can reduce its effectiveness. Since I don't have sex I've chosen to ignore this issue for the time being.

[Jembru]

Re: Natural anti-depressants

I used to take St. John's wort because every now and then, I get very low moods that can last a few months. I am not sure but, isn't there something about not taking it if you're on the contraceptive pill? I'd ask my doctor but he'd probably just tell me herbal remedies are a load of crap and not to take them at all.

[DanieMarie]

Re: Natural anti-depressants

i got a stronger dosage of pill for St John's Wort prescribed to me by my doctor. Apparently there are enough conclusive studies pointing to its effectiveness that the German health care system pays for it. So....strong doses and large package size for 5 Euros (the normal price for any subsidized drug...we pay 5 and health care pays the rest)...yay!

[GypsySeaWitch]

Re: Natural anti-depressants

I can't find the study (hooray for anti-SOPA blackouts), but a few years ago a consumer study was conducted on echinacea (which is becoming harder & harder to grow and harvest) supplements. It found that a large portion of what was being sold commercially as echinacea was actually ragweed.

Ack. That is not good. Most people in my area are allergic to ragweed. So, now I'm off to find articles on best companies that offer herbal pills. However, I haven't ever had a problem with any of the companies my local health food store carries. Better safe than sorry.

[Ophidia]

Re: Natural anti-depressants

I don't know about Canada, but some reasons some people in the U.S. don't want too much regulation of natural products like herbs is that

A. It puts the power to control these things into the hands of the government instead in the hands of the people

B. it raises the cost of producing the compounds so much that small producers are forced out of business, or end up being swallowed up by factory producers

But it sure would be nice if I could buy a bottle of some herb extract and actually know for sure what's in there. I wonder if there is a middle way?

The big reason is because under US patent laws, you cannot patent organic material. Patents = money. No patents = no money. Since there is no money in it for pharmaceutical companies, there's no interest in devoting time and money to experimenting on herbs, animal tissue, vitamins, minerals, etc. to find out exactly what they do and don't do. So the FDA doesn't really care what you stick in the herb or supplement bottles (with some notable DEA-Scheduled exceptions) as long as you make no absolute claims on what the substance may or may not do.

I can't find the study (hooray for anti-SOPA blackouts), but a few years ago a consumer study was conducted on echinacea (which is becoming harder & harder to grow and harvest) supplements. It found that a large portion of what was being sold commercially as echinacea was actually ragweed.

[LadyGarnetRose]

Re: Natural anti-depressants

I don't know about Canada, but some reasons some people in the U.S. don't want too much regulation of natural products like herbs is that

A. It puts the power to control these things into the hands of the government instead in the hands of the people

B. it raises the cost of producing the compounds so much that small producers are forced out of business, or end up being swallowed up by factory producers

But it sure would be nice if I could buy a bottle of some herb extract and actually know for sure what's in there. I wonder if there is a middle way?

A reputable company, and it involves going into a store.

GNC (really no joke) is a good place when the manager is there, also a lot of times your local hippie healthy foods and incense store can help.

A few brands I know and trust and actually used to get at the homeopath school in NYC were Nature Made, Nature Bounty and NOW.

That reminds me, I have to make an appointment with the local "witchdoctor" (that's what he calls himself) and get my hands looked at again.

[anunitu]

Re: Natural anti-depressants

About coffee,I have nasty arthritis,and coffee seems to work as a pain suppressant for me. It has been an additive with Aspirin for some time. I also take non-aspirin pain relievers(generic) It also does seem to help my mood.

[Corvus]

Re: Natural anti-depressants

I've heard of St. John's Wort, might give it a try since I refuse to take the prescription stuff. I'm already photosensitive though so that might be an issue.

[GypsySeaWitch]

Re: Natural anti-depressants

I take St. John's Wort too. It seems to work better for my depression than the stuff the doctors have given me. The prescription stuff always seemed to keep me at a level of calm that kept me from being happy and not just from being depressed. I also had a therapist tell me about 5-HTP, which is a natural anti-depressant too. However, the 5-HTP always made me feel like I had a fake happy or calm feeling....like I knew it wasn't normal. It was weird. So now I only take the St. John's Wort.

I haven't had any negative side effects from it either. It hasn't seemed to interfere with my birth-control or increase my photosensitivity. My doctors never mentioned these side efforts and neither did my mom's medical herbal books...or I over looked that part.

[DanieMarie]

Re: Natural anti-depressants

I doubt that's why in Canada. Canadians are a LOT less concerned with regulation and things like that being in the hands of the government than Americans. I think that's definitely an American-specific cultural thing

I'd really prefer that there is some sort of standard. i don't find it puts small producers out at all. As long as they can meet the requirements and properly label their products, it's not a problem really. It's sort of like with meat and dairy here (and to a lesser extent Canada). There's a LOT you can't do with meat and dairy in Europe that you can in the US (farming standards, can't give them antibiotics or hormones, etc), but it doesn't really make big business take over. In fact, it makes it easier for small farms with free-range products to compete. I think it's the same with the herbal remedies. There are a lot of big producers and the small ones have to label their products in the same way, but because there is a standard, there's more trust for those products and that makes it easier to compete.

[B. de Corbin]

Re: Natural anti-depressants

Canada wanted to pass similar laws and people were really upset about it, and I was like WHY? All it does is make it more consistent and overall, safer. People there have a big natural vs conventional medicine beef though and it seems really counterproductive. A lot of people into natural medicine are against conventional and vice versa...after living here it seems really ridiculous.

I don't know about Canada, but some reasons some people in the U.S. don't want too much regulation of natural products like herbs is that

A. It puts the power to control these things into the hands of the government instead in the hands of the people

B. it raises the cost of producing the compounds so much that small producers are forced out of business, or end up being swallowed up by factory producers

But it sure would be nice if I could buy a bottle of some herb extract and actually know for sure what's in there. I wonder if there is a middle way?