Topic Title: STJ vs. Valerian Root
| |  "STJ vs. Valerian Root"
, Thu 24 Jun 11:20
My 13 year old daughter has always been difficult - high strung and tempermental. Doctors and teachers say she isn't ADHD, but I feel puberty has brought on mild depression, more than just cyclical pms. I think either St. Johns Wort or Valerian Root may be helpful. Does anyone recommend one over the other, and why?
THX!
Posts: 0 | | Registered: Thu 24 Jun 2004 11:14 |
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| | "Re(1):STJ vs. Valerian Root" , Thu 24 Jun 14:28
Valerian Root is often used to calm people and help them sleep. Seeing as it's the less medicinal of the two (in my opinion) I would certainly start with that one only -- especially because your daughter is only 13. That's a pretty young age to try and diagnose her with depression, especially when there are so many other factors involved with teenagers: PMS (for girls), other aspects of puberty, social conditions at school, and lots of others. I would hate to see her taking SJW and regretting it (and possibly, you giving it to her) later in life. I would also highly recommend counselling over the use of any drug at this point except on the advice of a doctor. Best of luck.
Posts: 661 | | Registered: Thu 5 Oct 2000 21:48 |
| | | "Re(2):STJ vs. Valerian Root" , Mon 28 Jun 12:52
Why would she regret taking STJ? Are there side effects that I'm not aware of? Are there long term problems with taking it. I thought it was pretty harmless. My understanding was that Valerian Root, in addition to being helpful for calming and sleeping, was that it helped settle down nervousness & hyperactivity, and was considering trying it on my ADHD son as an alternative to Stratera.
Posts: 1 | | Registered: Thu 24 Jun 2004 11:14 |
| | | "Re(3):STJ vs. Valerian Root" , Mon 28 Jun 19:53
I was reading this post and wondering the same. I would agree that Valerian should be used first though...maybe the effects of someone taking SJW who shouldn't ideally be taking it are more noticeable??
Posts: 35 | | Registered: Wed 14 Apr 2004 23:27 |
| | | "Re(4):STJ vs. Valerian Root" , Mon 28 Jun 20:57
Well, my personal view on growing up and those formative teenage years is that there are far, far too many things happening during puberty to chalk it up to depression. It's simply too soon to say. I'm sure I'll cause some controversy by saying that I believe depression is far more often an "adult" disease and that we shouldn't treat children for it except in exceptional circumstances. I've taken SJW for most of the past seven years, so my experience is that there are no long term concerns at all, but I'm an adult. If you can avoid giving an antidepressant (even a harmless herbal one) to children, please do so.
Kelly
Posts: 662 | | Registered: Thu 5 Oct 2000 21:48 |
| | | "Re(5):STJ vs. Valerian Root" , Tue 29 Jun 00:34
Sounds wise Kelly. I guess I hadn't thought of those implications. There's definitely a worrying tendency in our societies to over prescribe medicine to children... can't help but think it's treating symptoms rather than acting as a real cure, or even worse, some attempt to somehow 'normalise' individuals who don't fit into a predefined mould.
Great site by the way!
Daniel
Posts: 38 | | Registered: Wed 14 Apr 2004 23:27 |
| | | "Re(6):STJ vs. Valerian Root" , Tue 29 Jun 17:01
Excellent points kelly and daniel... But there are some mds that are prescribing ssri to children of that age. If you get to the poing where a md wants to prescribe an antidepressant, I would try st johns wort first for sure....
Posts: 8 | | Registered: Thu 24 Jun 2004 19:28 |
| | | "Re(7):STJ vs. Valerian Root" , Tue 29 Jun 19:59
Absolutely.
And MDs are just regular people like the rest of us. Their opinion is just that: an opinion and not always one we should accept without questioning, especially when it involves treating children or teenagers on mental health issues. A psychiatrist is really much more trained in this area.
Posts: 666 | | Registered: Thu 5 Oct 2000 21:48 |
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