| |  "My general overview of Rhodiola"
, Tue 15 Jul 10:01
I've been to this board on and off for about a year, but haven't ever posted anything So I finally registered today and I hope to be more interactive with this message board as it seems I can learn a whole lot and maybe help others along the way.
I am very interested in Rhodiola and there has been a lot of postings in the past several months about it, so I'll put in what I have to say. I've actually tried to collect information about what everyone has been saying about it, and combine it into 1 "theory" of what Rhodiola does. The way I understand it, biochemically, Rhodiola somehow acts to preserve dopamine and serotonin levels. Maybe this is related to dopamine / serotonin reuptake inhibition or maybe its related to the way it helps the body's stress systems (stress, adrenal glands and brain chemistry are completely intertwined as I understand it). Whatever it is, somehow chemicals in the brain are raised and this creates a desirable result for some people.
Solgar, Nature's plus and Enzymatic Therapy have been effective for people on this board, so if you are looking to try it out, pick one of those 3 brands and you might be better off than some no name brand. I've had success with Enzymatic (what I'm using now) and Solgar, but I haven't had success with Swedish Herbal Institute. I don't know exactly why this is so, but brands and maybe how long the product has been sitting on the shelf matter.
It seems the first week or so of Rhodiola use tends to be the most stimulating and anxiety producing, and might cause some people to be unable to concentrate. Somehow I have a feeling this is similar to SSRI's producing anxiety the first week as a result of increased serotonin levels. After the first week is when the anxiety and stimulation starts to wear off (??), both for Rhodiola and SSRI's, as Serotonin receptors re-regulate and get used to high levels of Serotonin. From my experiences, I have had major feelings of anxiety for the first week of Rhodiola, but more like a caffeine anxiety... like, speedy thinking, talkative, shaky, etc, yet I don't really feel like its a "bad" feeling, just like a nice caffeine high. It felt good. Higher serotonin levels do create anxiety (5-HTP clinical trials produce acute anxiety) but do not create that quicker thinking caffeine-ish feeling. This, on the other hand, is probably due to increased dopamine levels. I suspect this increased dopamine levels that Rhodiola creates is also what helps with social anxiety, people feeling brighter / smarter and people feeling like they can communicate much easier. Some people say how caffeine helps with social anxiety... like, they are quicker thinking in social situations... yet they still might feel shaky and "wired". Some people, though, might feel uncomfortable with that "wired" feeling that Rhodiola produces during the first week or so, and might think its too anxiety producing. I actually really enjoy that feeling. The acute effects of Rhodiola probably indeed are a result of raised serotonin and raised dopamine.
The first week has been described by someone on this board, and I would agree, as "intense". After the first week or so might be the time when Rhodiola becomes less of a stimulant and more of an antidepressant / anxiety reducing med. Maybe this is what some people describe as the "poop-out" or "building up a quick tolerance"? Maybe the tolerance is only re-regulation of serotonin receptors, and less subjective feelings of intense, wiry anxiety (though some people, myself included, might find enjoyable). After the acute increase in Serotonin during the first week, the receptors may re-regulate, as I've said, and the anxiety wears off.
After like a week, the person is left feeling calmer (similar to SSRI's), more positive (similar to SSRI's), thinking clearer (similar to dopamine enhancing meds), improved decision making (similar to dopamine enhancing meds), enhanced interest in life (combo of dopamine / serotonin enhancement), can exercise better (adrenal gland adaptation), stress is easier to deal with. Yet that first week of "intense" energy has worn off.
After my first week of Enzymatic Therapy's Rhodiola, I now feel calm, less restless, level mood, clearer thinking, just better feeling overall, but I've definitely lost that caffeine like "edge". I sleep like a baby, yet I can still read a book in bed and concentrate well 5 minutes before I decide to close my eyes and nod off. I don't have a great deal of energy, but more of a normal level of energy.
Some people on here describe how too much can actually have a sedating type of property. Possibly this is due to too much serotonin overwhelming the dopamine system?? Though excess serotonin creates anxiety, maybe for some people it doesn't create anxiety and creates that SSRI "dumbing" effect?? It's so hard to figure out sometimes. I suspect that each serotonin receptor is very unique in its own way and for some people, excess serotonin can make them drowsy, for others it can make them anxious depending on which particular serotonin receptor has how much serotonin. As I remember, there's at least 8 serotonin receptors, and subtypes within them. Kava's anxiolytic properties are supposed to have to do with Serotonin 1A alterations... whereas 5-HTP's anxiety producing aspects have to do with other serotonin receptors.
I've read from some studies, I guess from the old Russian studies and some American studies, that Rhodiola causes a person to become "more sociable and active and their motivational levels increase." Another trial, which tested 150 depressed people said that "two-thirds had full remission of clinical manafestations of depression and had become more active and social. Daytime weakness and general weakness dissappeared."
This seems to be consistant with people on this board. Hope you all can understand all my nonsense talk in the beginning. I'm trying to get on overview of why certain things happen to certain people, maybe some of you can add some things to what I've said.
In my opinion, Rhodiola is worth a try. It's not like a miracle cure, but certainly worthwhile. Try a decent brand, and if it makes you feel weird the first few days, try to get past that. If you feel a bit abnormally good and energetic the first few days, maybe try to remember that you might not feel that rediculously great level of mental energy after a week and you build up a "tolerance" or whatever. One last thing... the one used (SHR-5) in some of the clinical studies is Enzymatic Therapy's brand. I don't know if Nature's plus uses the same SHR-5 Rhodiola... anyone know? It might. Maybe they use a different Rhodiola that also has some studies to back it. Might bit a situation similar to Kira versus Perika... both have studies to back them, but have some different properties. Who knows.
Posts: 0 | | Registered: Tue 15 Jul 2003 9:5 |
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