Topic Title: My Experience with Perika
| |  "My Experience with Perika"
, Tue 6 Jul 02:16:
I promised everyone here that I would update you all on my Perika experience, so here I am. I began taking Perika a while ago to treat mild-moderate depression. My depression is tied up with anxiety, tension, and especially obsessive negative thinking (ruminating). Sometimes the worrying is so bad that I'll stay home all day and obsess over the slightest things, especially what most people would consider minor relationship problems. I did a lot of research on St. John's Wort and decided that Perika seemed like the best option by far. I stuck with it at 900mg/day for about 2 1/2 months. The first couple of days, I had mild side effects like foggy-headedness and tiredness, but those went away quickly. I also felt that my negative thoughts were improving during that first week, but unfortunately that also went away--I think it must have been a placebo effect. I faithfully kept taking the Perika even though I hate taking pills every day, since I've read that some people don't see an effect for weeks. I took about two weeks off at one point because I was losing hope, but then went back on it and increased my dose to 1200 mg/day, for about two weeks as a last resort. Unfortunately, I'm sad to report that all of this time on Perika did not really seem to have any positive impact on my mood. In fact, I have a suspicion that the last couple of months I have become increasingly more obsessive in my thinking. I've had an increasingly hard time letting little things go, and I've become very worrisome and oversensitive to criticism. Sometimes I border on paranoid, like for example, when I think someone said something critical of me when in fact they didn't. It seemed like the obsessiveness got worse when I was on the higher dose for two weeks. It's hard to determine whether these symptoms are just coincidental or actually due to the St. John's Wort, but I can't identify any other cause (e.g., I don't have more stress than I did before starting the Perika). I wonder if anyone else has experienced this? I have decided to stop the St. John's Wort cold turkey, and I've switched to 5-HTP (150 mg/day). It's been only 2 days so far, so it's too early to tell, but I will keep everyone updated. I really wish I could have been one of those SJW success stories, but I'm not. Let's hope 5-HTP does the trick. I am also in counselling, and recently started taking a fish oil supplement, so hopefully these will help as well. Thanks for listening!
[this message was edited by dreamerboy on Tue 6 Jul 02:24]
Posts: 5 | | Registered: Thu 17 Jun 2004 16:17 |
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| | "Re(1):My Experience with Perika" , Tue 6 Jul 06:36
Hi dreamerboy,
Thank you for sharing your experience. I seem to suffer the same symptoms you do, especially the obsessive negative thinking, sometimes I think I'm purposely trying to make myself crazy!
After reading a lot of the posts on this site, I decided against St- John's Wort, I didn't think it would work for me, but, I did go with Gotu Kola. I've been on Gotu Kola for 5 weeks now, as well as a multi vitamin and flax seed oil, and so far, it's not working very well, my negative thoughts and my anxiety are still with me on a daily basis, though not as bad. I need something more.
Let us know how the 5-HTP is working out.
Posts: 23 | | Registered: Thu 29 Apr 2004 7:11 |
| | | "Re(2):My Experience with Perika" , Tue 6 Jul 17:15
Hi dancingqueen, Thank you for your message. It's always good to hear that I'm not alone with the obsessive worrying. You took the words right out of my mouth when you said that you sometimes feel like you're purposely driving yourself crazy--I feel the same way! I'm sorry to hear that Gotu Kola hasen't been working out. I promise to update everyone on my experience with 5-HTP in the 5-HTP section of the board. Good luck to you!
Posts: 8 | | Registered: Thu 17 Jun 2004 16:17 |
| | | "Re(3):My Experience with Perika" , Fri 6 Aug 23:10
You shouldn't give up yet on SJW. You should try another brand first. You picked the brand that is the most stimulating and not the best one for someone with anxiety. From what I've been reading, it's a great choice for people with anergic, low energy/low motivation depression. It can make anxious people more anxious and more irritable. You should try any of the other highly rated brands. They're all more calming and serotonergic. (I bet there's a good chance you'd react a lot better to Kira or HBC Protocols for instance.)
Posts: 33 | | Registered: Sat 19 Jun 2004 14:4 |
| | | "Re(4):My Experience with Perika" , Sat 7 Aug 17:57
Wow thanks for the info, k8samms. Where did you read about that? I have heard anecdotes that Perika is more stimulating, and if it's true, that would explain my reaction to it. I'm currently trying 5-HTP with good success, but you have made me reconsider SJW. I'd feel more comfortable on SJW since there's more research on it. Thanks!
Posts: 14 | | Registered: Thu 17 Jun 2004 16:17 |
| | | "Re(5):My Experience with Perika" , Sat 7 Aug 22:40
I wasn't sure you'd see my post because I answered a month after the last response... but I'm glad you did.
Anyway, I've been reading a lot on the Internet (including this site and Psycho-Babble) about SJW. I wasn't going to try it because I need the stimulation. Then I read (in more than one place - wish I could give you exact citations but I didn't bookmark anything) that Perika is a lot more stimulating than other forms of SJW as it is more dopaminergic, then I decided to try it. I've only taken a small amount for a couple of days so I don't really know what it's going to do for me. So far it makes me tired and a bit nauseous but I'm told that will probably go away and then the activation will kick in. Of course there are always those who react paradoxically to herbs or medications so I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that I can tolerate this stuff and that it will be energizing for me eventually.
If you are having success with 5-htp, my first reaction is why rock the boat but I can understand your fears about it. On the otherhand, if SJW doesn't work out for you, you can always go back to the 5-htp.
Good luck either way. If you do go back to try SJW, please keep us posted.
Posts: 34 | | Registered: Sat 19 Jun 2004 14:4 |
| | | "Re(6):My Experience with Perika" , Tue 10 Aug 01:19
Thanks for your message, k8. You seem really well-read on these matters and informed. I try to do the same because it seems like you really have to do your own homework when it comes to herbal remedies. I have decided to take a "drug holiday" and see what happens. I will definitely keep everyone posted. Thanks again for your help!! :O)
Posts: 19 | | Registered: Thu 17 Jun 2004 16:17 |
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