Which Works Better: SJW, RR, or 5HTP?

[DreamGirl]

I'd like to take a little poll:

For those of you that have tried them all seperately or in combination, my question to you is...

If you had to choose only one or a combination, which has worked best for you in reducing depression and anxiety?

St. John's Wort, Rhodiola, or 5-htp?

[echelon]

I take 50mg of 5htp before bed each night and a Rhodiola Rosea each morning and I'm fine. SJW did nothing for me apart from give me anxiety attacks and a racing heart!

I boost with 50mg of 5htp each morning in the week before my period as well and take an extra Rhodiola Rosea each afternoon during that week too. The 5htp helps to keep me chilled :smile:

I give my husband Rhodiola Rosea and he loves it! He's gonna get some for his sister for Christmas as the poor girl is suffering with terrible chronic fatigue (a bit like me a few months ago).

I LOVE Rhodiola!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's saved my life!!!!!!!!! :dance:

[AmyLee]

I hope to be able to give you an informative answer to this in a few weeks. SJW did help me, but not completely, so now I'm trying 5-htp. I haven't ever tried the other you mentioned though.

[DreamGirl]

I love Rhodiola, too. It really works! It takes away the sad look in my eyes and gives me positive energy.

I'm also taking it with SJW, but when I stopped RR for a few days, I really noticed a difference (felt depressed again).

I don't know if SJW is doing anything for me, but I know RR is.

[nomoremeds]

I can't advise on the RR, but 5-htp helps my insomnia and mood. I tried sjw for a few months, but insomnia did not improve. I'd like to try some rr, but afraid to disrupt the sleep issues, having some fatigue and maybe rr would help that? Still "toying" with times to take the 5-htp was only taking it at night and had side effects, so dropped the dosage to 50mg b4 bed and take one earlier in the day, keeping at 100mg, hoping to drop to 50mg soon. ( my daughter saw a major change in me on my last visit! for her to say that is a miracle in itself!:smile:

[DreamGirl]

Yes, I think RR would help with your fatigue. I take my second one no later than lunch and it doesn't interfere with sleep at night.

The 5htp didn't seem to help me sleep. I took one before bed for several nights, and then had to go back to my prescription sleep medication.

Does it take a long while for the 5htp to help with insomnia?

[nomoremeds]

Hi Dreamgirl, maybe try the 5-htp earlier in the day to relax your mind some then when sleep time comes you've taken the 'edge" off for the next dose of it to work better? That's what I'm doing now and so far much better. I'm getting that "groggy" feeling while watching tv and feels so good to not be wired b4 bed. It's been yrs since I've dosed off watching tv!!! (unless I had been drinking) cj

[DreamGirl]

Thanks for the suggestion.

I'm feeling really good now with SJW and RR. And prescription sleep medication.

If the RR starts to lose it's effectiveness, I will start with the 5htp again. I just hope the RR doesn't peter out on me. :smile:

[analea21]

5HTP takes about a week or two to help with insomnia. When I first took it, it made anxiety and insomnia worse. It's important to start off with a lower dose at 50mg. It wasn't until the second week that I began to sleep better. My mood improved greatly, along with anxiety lowering. (Also, I don't take it before bed. I take it 100mg in morning and 100mg in the afternoon. At first I feel quite sleepy during the day, but this effect wears off after a week.)

I've been on 5HTP for 4 months now. This is the first fall in 5 years that I have been off of antidepressants! My life is always stressful around this time. The only issue I've had with 5HTP is that its effects wear off after 2 months. Last month I came down to 100mg and tried RR, but it made my anxiety worse. I ended up staying on 5HTP at 100mg and then this November I went back up to 200mg. It's working again and should last for another two months.

[DreamGirl]

Thanks, Analea. That is awesome information.

[laurie_lu]

I have used all 3(at different times of course). SJW worked the best but made me horribly sleepy. 5-HTP worked good but only for a couple months and then quickly fizzled out. RR did nothing for me.

I'd give SJW another try but shortly after my last round of use with it, I developed floaters in my right eye that hasn't gone away. I have read documentation on the connection with cataracts and SJW also. I'm too afraid to try it again and risk my vision.

Currently I'm test driving SAM-e.

[taheya]

Hi everybody! I have been on sjw for a couple of years and had always found it to be very good for depression and anxiety. However this winter after increasing it to 300mg three times a day it didnt seem to be working. I reduced it to one a day which sort of improved things however I have started to use a light box as I am sure I have SAD. I am now worried about photosensitivity that sjw can do so am weening myself off it. I started RR last week... I wouldnt say that i have noticed any dramatic effects as yet but I will persevere. I am also intending on trying 5htp, so will let you all know if it helps! DOes it take long to get into your system?

[VariableImage]

Morning, taheya.....you are doing nearly the same thing that I have done. You may have seen this in a previous post. For me, the RR did have a positive effect immediately....or could it have been "placebo effect? I don't think so. Now that I am in my 3rd or 4th week of RR, I am VERY noticably feeling better. I even ventured out to apply for jobs yesterday, even feeling well enough to attend a job fair! Whewww! Going back for two interviews today, and I am 100% certain of one of them, and the other 90% certain. I am now taking 300mg RR/day.....150 in the morning, and 150 around noon or early afternoon. I am also taking only 300mg/day or SJW. This combo DOES seem to be working for me(I had to come off the 900mg/day or SJW because at that dose, it just fatigued me). I make a point of taking in about 45min-1hr of "sunlight" walks every day, and have no photosensitivity issues, even when I was taking 900mg. Even if it's cloudy out, I still think it's important to get a healthy dose of "full spectrum" outdoor light exposure. JMHO, but it seems to me if you were going to develop a sensitivity to light, it would have occured at 900mg/day. My thinking is that the light box isn't going to be a problem. Hope it works out for you. Keep us posted!

[taheya]

Hi Variableimage I am so glad you are feeling better..good luck with those jobs you have applied for. I started 5htp the other day, 50mg in the evening. I stopped the SJW cos i got worried about the photosensitivity thing. I have not been too bad just stopping it completely, I have always tailed it off slowly when coming off it in the past. So now i am taking Rhodiiola 250mg in the mornings in addition to the 5htp. I am also using the light box twice a day and have started to try and meditate for 5mins am and pm. This combo seems to be keeping my stress/ anxiety at bay although admitedly had a terrible day at work (came home in tears!) and the next couple of days will be tough but at least I am getting through it without feeling i am having a nervous breakdown!! Let us know about your job hunting hope you find something you love doing!

[Amazed & infused]

Hi, I'd like to say that I had an immediate effect from taking 5HTP and St Johns Wort after a lifetime of sleep and mood "fluctuations". I'd say 5HTP is "better" (more pronounced an effect) for me but they're different.
I started straight on to 3 St John's Wort tea/day and 100 mg 5HTP twice daily in morning and evening 2 wks ago. The first night, I slept better than normal, but fitfully with some minor nightmares, this was after erratic mood/sleep patterns for months, averaging 1hr / night for several days. I moved the 5HTP timing to first thing and lunchtime and have slept 7-9 hrs / night from 10-12PM since. I wake up refreshed and enthused. haven't slept or felt so good since one month, 20 yrs ago.
After a lousy year, I feel transformed and hope it doesn't wear off. I find 5HTP without St John's Wort makes me enthusiastic but slightly edgy and manic during the day and St John's Wort without 5HTP makes me lethargic so I balance timing as required. May try RR to get me over the 5HTP gaps.
:dance: