Topic Title: St. John's Wort instead of Paxil
| |  "St. John's Wort instead of Paxil"
, Sat 22 Mar 23:00
SJW has literally been a life saver for me. I started taking Paxil (much to my dismay) 3 years ago. The Paxil made me a very happy lady but the fatigue and the sugar cravings were too much for me so I weaned myself off.
So for another year I was miserable, grouchy and had serious road rage. I tried St. John's wort and my God, vive la difference! I'm not obsessing every minute of the day about stupid stuff and I'm a much nicer person. I never realized that chronic anxiety was asymptomatic of depression. I stopped St. John's wort for a few months and the anxiety and anger came right back.
Now since I'm happier, I'm losing weight, I'm going to church every Sunday, meditating and exercising regularly and designing a powerful life that works for me.
Posts: 0 | | Registered: Sat 22 Mar 2003 22:52 |
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| |  "Re(1):St. John's Wort instead of Paxil"
, Tue 22 Apr 15:53
I too was on Paxil for 9 months, and then I forgot to take my meds for two days. It was the most miserable experience imaginable. Scared the piss out of me, so I decided to quit. Not easy at all. I also had all the crappy side effects.
Much like yogiguru, I too experienced grouchiness, road rage and chronic anxiety -- always obsessing about nonsense, always experiencing an underlying tension I couldn't seem to shake. This went on for a year. I just started taking SJW a week ago. Contrary to what I here about about antidepressants, there was an immediate effect from the first time I took it. No, this is not a Placebo effect, because I have tried many things, over and under the counter, and WHAMO!; SJW had a positive effect. (Strangely, Paxil did too.)
Taking SSRIs or SJW still scares me though. Research the long term effects on the Internet and you'll wonder if you’re better off untreated and ill. The latest research suggests that SSRIs boost Serotonin to potentially pathological levels, which can lead to permanent damage. Regardless though, I going to try low doses of SJW.
I'm curious if yogiguru has had to up her dosage. I get real apprehensive about drugs that develop tolerances because that generally is a prelude to addiction.
Posts: 0 | | Registered: Tue 22 Apr 2003 15:35 |
| | | "Re(2):St. John's Wort instead of Paxil" , Wed 7 May 22:11
Greetings.
I to was on the lowest dose of Zoloft for 3 years, than switched to a combo of 200mg. of SAM-e and HTP.calm (has St. Johns wort in it) I did ok on this, but after 5 months, I"m now having increase anxiety, depression, bad sleeping, etc. It was a long process coming off even 25mg. of Zoloft (took 5 months of weaning)....but at this point I'm possibly going to up my doses, but if this doesn't help....I 'm considering going back onto Zoloft. Do you think that even at the lowest doses, which I felt wonderful on...would be a bad thing for a long term use?
Does it really screw up ones brain that bad? I have to function at work, as my anxiety is getting really bad now.
Thanks. PAR
Pauline
Posts: 111 | | Registered: Wednesday 14 Mar 2001 10:59 |
| | | "Re(2):St. John's Wort instead of Paxil" , Tue 22 Apr 21:42
I've been on 900 milligram of SWJ since the beginning of this year. I find that that works for me. I don't plan on upping my dosage.
Along with the SWJ, I journal write, I'm in a 12 step program for an eating disorder, I meditate, exercise regularly and practice yoga on a regular basis. So I'm taking a comprehensive approach to my underlying tension and anxiety.
I've also redesigned my professional life that I'm now self employed and not in a cubicle all the time. I also got myself completely out of debt so that I don't have the anxiety about money as well.
Depression and anxiety require (for me at least) a complete holistic approach.
Posts: 8 | | Registered: Sat 22 Mar 2003 22:52 |
| | | "Re(3):St. John's Wort instead of Paxil" , Fri 25 Apr 12:13
Yogiguru,
Your symptom profile sounds very similar to mine. I'm just beginning to explore holistic approaches in earnest. (In fact, I have a Yoga International magazine sitting on my desk.) Four years ago I began a business, which is doing well, but it has resulted in consequences that have affected my health. My anxiety problems persist and frankly I'm tired of them. Tired of being curt with people, road rage, getting pissed off at just about anything all the time, racing mind, obsessing about tis or that, etc., etc.
Like I said before, I had been on Paxil, which is some pretty serious medication. I found it to be insidious in the sense that withdrawing from it almost required hospitalization, and I was on it only 9 months at standard dosage. I had balance problems and indescribable feelings of despair, zaps and twitches, far worse than anything I experienced prior to meds. It was worse than awful. It took months to get my head realigned.
The SJW is different. I don't have that stoned feeling I used to get on Paxil. It feels cleaner somehow. Now, my propensity to continual negative thinking and that constant low-level feeling of anxiousness is gone. And, I don't get tired nearly as easily. Its weird: Is this how normal people feel?
I'm going to try some supplements, which are purported to reduce cortisol, a nasty hormone us stressies tend to overproduce, which depletes serotonin, and dopamine levels. I'll let you know how that goes.
Thanks for being honest and sharing. I didn't know about the relationship between depression and anxiety disorders. I've been looking into it and it appears that the two, and other disorders, tend to blend together. I am encouraged to hear that you haven't had to increase your dosage.
Posts: 3 | | Registered: Tue 22 Apr 2003 15:35 |
| | | "Re(3):St. John's Wort instead of Paxil" , Fri 25 Apr 12:11
Yogiguru,
Your symptom profile sounds very similar to mine. I'm just beginning to explore holistic approaches in earnest. (In fact, I have a Yoga International magazine sitting on my desk.) Four years ago I began a business, which is doing well, but it has resulted in consequences that have affected my health. My anxiety problems persist and frankly I'm tired of them. Tired of being curt with people, road rage, getting pissed off at just about anything all the time, racing mind, obsessing about tis or that, etc., etc.
Like I said before, I had been on Paxil, which is some pretty serious medication. I found it to be insidious in the sense that withdrawing from it almost required hospitalization, and I was on it only 9 months at standard dosage. I had balance problems and indescribable feelings of despair, zaps and twitches, far worse than anything I experienced prior to meds. It was worse than awful. It took months to get my head realigned.
The SJW is different. I don't have that stoned feeling I used to get on Paxil. It feels cleaner somehow. Now, my propensity to continual negative thinking and that constant low-level feeling of anxiousness is gone. And, I don't get tired nearly as easily. Its weird: Is this how normal people feel?
I'm going to try some supplements, which are purported to reduce cortisol, a nasty hormone us stressies tend to overproduce, which depletes serotonin, and dopamine levels. I'll let you know how that goes.
Thanks for being honest and sharing. I didn't know about the relationship between depression and anxiety disorders. I've been looking into it and it appears that the two, and other disorders, tend to blend together. I am encouraged to hear that you haven't had to increase your dosage.
Posts: 2 | | Registered: Tue 22 Apr 2003 15:35 |
| | | "Re(4):St. John's Wort instead of Paxil" , Sun 4 May 04:40
OK here goes - my first discussion board attempt, and I picked here coz of my recent switch from Aropax (which is the Down Under brand name for Paxil) to SJW. Yes folks, even Australians get depressed!! I'm just writing to say hi, and hope the stuff kicks in soon. It's been about 10 days now, and no sign of change (boo-hoo!). But I am heartened, only slightly given that I'm down in the 'its all hopeless' mode, from hearing that it may take 8 weeks?? I am a bit scared that I may be one of the percentage that dont get helped by SJW (depressive thinking??) especially looking at the range of feelings I've read here so far... lots of anger, road rage, mood swings. I've had all that, but I tend to experience more of a low, down mood, with loads of negative thinking, little enjoyment of life, self absorption and fatigue. I have to say Aropax/Paxil for 18 months did me wonders, made me bright as a button for the most part (I got married on drugs!!). But goodbye sex life! And now 4 weeks after coming off the drug I still don't have an aroused bone in my body!! So I'm hoping, praying, PRAYING ! for SJW to help me this time. Nice to meet you, and thanks for "listening".
Bibs
Posts: 0 | | Registered: Sun 4 May 2003 4:24 |
| | "Re(1):St. John's Wort instead of Paxil" , Mon 24 Mar 15:31
How long did it take until you felt good on the SJW? I too have taken Paxil before, and I felt so good on it. However, it stopped working after awhile.
I do also have problems with social anxiety and depression. The Paxil helped both, but I felt really floaty alot. It was a good feeling but kinda weird.
ALso, what brand do you take of SJW??
-soar
Posts: 26 | | Registered: Tue 11 Feb 2003 10:6 |
| | | "Re(2):St. John's Wort instead of Paxil" , Mon 24 Mar 17:02
It took about 3-4 weeks. I still have my days of being down in the dumps, but they don't last very long, maybe a few hours at most.
The brand is Tru Nature that I bought at Costco. I also did a twofold approach is that I also used a whole variety of things to re-create my life. I took out a lot of the stressors such as a really bad job I had plus daily meditation and yoga really helps, even 10 minutes of yoga a day will do you some good.
I've never had social anxiety just a lot of rage and anger here recently. Most of the rage started a few years after my late husband died. So my depression was situational depression, not clinical. Nevertheless, SJW is something I'll have to take for a while.
Posts: 2 | | Registered: Sat 22 Mar 2003 22:52 |
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