SingaporeGuy
Well-known member
Anybody uses this herb to reduce anxiety?
Can it be taken for example, before an anxiety-provoked event?
Can it be taken for example, before an anxiety-provoked event?
St john wart
- Thread starter SingaporeGuy
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Anonymous
Well-known member
I used to use St John's Wort, but I took it for depression. It does nothing for anxiety as far as I can tell-- but everyone responds differently.
Best bet is to get a benzodiazepine drug from your doctor. Failing that, kava kava is the only herb I know of that is at all useful for anxiety (and only slightly, in my experience--better than nothing but definitely not a benzo!).
I now take Effexor which is supposed to be good for anxiety (SA and GAD)as well as depression--but in my experience it's useless for anxiety (GREAT for depression though). I've had two panic attacks since I started on it, and I hadn't had one of those for over a year before starting Effexor (methinks the norepinephrine boost raises anxiety, as it is stimulating). Darn doctors are too scared to prescribe ebnzos so they give us all this useless stuff first. I'm still trying to get a benzo out of my doc--I've taken them before and they worked GREAT but still she won't give them to me.
Best bet is to get a benzodiazepine drug from your doctor. Failing that, kava kava is the only herb I know of that is at all useful for anxiety (and only slightly, in my experience--better than nothing but definitely not a benzo!).
I now take Effexor which is supposed to be good for anxiety (SA and GAD)as well as depression--but in my experience it's useless for anxiety (GREAT for depression though). I've had two panic attacks since I started on it, and I hadn't had one of those for over a year before starting Effexor (methinks the norepinephrine boost raises anxiety, as it is stimulating). Darn doctors are too scared to prescribe ebnzos so they give us all this useless stuff first. I'm still trying to get a benzo out of my doc--I've taken them before and they worked GREAT but still she won't give them to me.
Anonymous
Well-known member
Not so. The FDA only issued a warning, which led many stores to stop carrying it. I know of stores on- and offline where you can still get kava kava. BTW, the FDA is going to review further data in coming months and may end up rescinding the warning.
Kava has been used for thousands of years in the South Seas, and while it has documented side effects and reversible problems associated with abuse, liver problems were never an issue. I suspect that the liver damage was due to either a) product contamination with a hepatotoxic chemical or b) using kava in combination with other drugs that can harm the liver-- especially alcohol and acetaminophen.
L-tryptophan was taken off the market in the 80s (right around the time Prozac came out, hmmm...) due to being linked with illness and death (eosinophilia). It turned out that the illness were due to contamination, thanks to one manufacturer's shoddy practices. Even so, it's still banned. (?) But 5-htp is a better, stronger version essentially, so noone needs to take grams and grams of L-tryptophan anymore anyway.
Kava has been used for thousands of years in the South Seas, and while it has documented side effects and reversible problems associated with abuse, liver problems were never an issue. I suspect that the liver damage was due to either a) product contamination with a hepatotoxic chemical or b) using kava in combination with other drugs that can harm the liver-- especially alcohol and acetaminophen.
L-tryptophan was taken off the market in the 80s (right around the time Prozac came out, hmmm...) due to being linked with illness and death (eosinophilia). It turned out that the illness were due to contamination, thanks to one manufacturer's shoddy practices. Even so, it's still banned. (?) But 5-htp is a better, stronger version essentially, so noone needs to take grams and grams of L-tryptophan anymore anyway.
SingaporeGuy
Well-known member
WEEEEEEEE!~
Just had a st john pill, and minutes after that I could feel the effects of it. I knew it wasnt a placebo effect.
there were alot of things going on in my mind, constantly gettting worried and stuff, but after this pill, i tried my best to get worried, but it just chokes off that wooried feel. the feeling was just happy, it felt weird, cos im not used to that.
when the phone rang, i was quite shocked when i didnt even feel jittery. my pronounciations were clear, i wasnt scared.
the best thing was to be able to communicate happily with people that i have met and my smile was for real....not faking or anything...
Just had a st john pill, and minutes after that I could feel the effects of it. I knew it wasnt a placebo effect.
there were alot of things going on in my mind, constantly gettting worried and stuff, but after this pill, i tried my best to get worried, but it just chokes off that wooried feel. the feeling was just happy, it felt weird, cos im not used to that.
when the phone rang, i was quite shocked when i didnt even feel jittery. my pronounciations were clear, i wasnt scared.
the best thing was to be able to communicate happily with people that i have met and my smile was for real....not faking or anything...
SingaporeGuy
Well-known member
around 10 minutes?
and also partly because i have recovered around 60% of my SA, without meds or therapy, everything was done by force, desensitizing, sheer determination, research, relaxation techniques, and mind you, 60% is a lot.
maybe my anxiety is under control, except that it needs something, like SJW to further withstand that grip.
Or maybe its my body?
and who knows as day go by, ill be more immune to SJW, and will need a bigger percentage of that med? God knows..
and also partly because i have recovered around 60% of my SA, without meds or therapy, everything was done by force, desensitizing, sheer determination, research, relaxation techniques, and mind you, 60% is a lot.
maybe my anxiety is under control, except that it needs something, like SJW to further withstand that grip.
Or maybe its my body?
and who knows as day go by, ill be more immune to SJW, and will need a bigger percentage of that med? God knows..
Hope
Well-known member
10 minutes is remarkable. The main thing is it appears to work. My benzo takes about 20min before I feel any effect.SingaporeGuy said:
My late mother used to use valerian (the herb) for her angina attacks as well as sleep, and found it helpful. I can't say it did anything at all for me. The point is I guess we're all wired differently.
SingaporeGuy
Well-known member
Exactly bro. thats what i had tried to say..
and damn, I had my clock and handphone alarm on to wake me up at 330am to watch Arsenal against Rosenborg, but I slept the night through!
I did not even hear a sound, and when I woke up, i felt i was floating water on that soft velvety mattress...super calm and sedated
And the SJW effect has not disappear till now!
My mom's friends came this morning, and i expected my usual nervous self to show, but when I met them, I was laughing, taking craps to them they were dumbfounded. Still felt good.
I think Ill be taking this once for every 2 days man...
and damn, I had my clock and handphone alarm on to wake me up at 330am to watch Arsenal against Rosenborg, but I slept the night through!
I did not even hear a sound, and when I woke up, i felt i was floating water on that soft velvety mattress...super calm and sedated
And the SJW effect has not disappear till now!
My mom's friends came this morning, and i expected my usual nervous self to show, but when I met them, I was laughing, taking craps to them they were dumbfounded. Still felt good.
I think Ill be taking this once for every 2 days man...
SingaporeGuy
Well-known member
yo shyboy, i take SJW once a day.
and by the way skylark, how many perday do you use this thing?
and by the way skylark, how many perday do you use this thing?
Anonymous
Well-known member
worrydoll said:i found this really interesting artice on kava kava on new scientist..okay interesting to the kind of people who like NS
http://www.newscientist.com/lastword/article.jsp?id=lw1020
I subscribe to NS! I was just reading it while eating pizza, just minutes ago.
tommydog
Well-known member
hey good stuff singapore guy
i was just bout to post about this ... but i decided to see if a thread already existed .. and there you go !! :lol:
i spoke to my pharmacist yesterday, his a top bloke real honest down to earth sorta guy yer. i went in thier to get a thing called rescue remedy that a friend recomended. he told me that its bullshit and does nothing.
he said i should get st johns wort, and another mild over the counter sleeping pill called restavit. He said st johns wort is proven to work equally as well as prescription drugs ... and if its gonna work on you, it takes 6 weeks for full effect. restavit is more for immediate relief.
havnt taken any yet .. but im hopeful.
i was just bout to post about this ... but i decided to see if a thread already existed .. and there you go !! :lol:
i spoke to my pharmacist yesterday, his a top bloke real honest down to earth sorta guy yer. i went in thier to get a thing called rescue remedy that a friend recomended. he told me that its bullshit and does nothing.
he said i should get st johns wort, and another mild over the counter sleeping pill called restavit. He said st johns wort is proven to work equally as well as prescription drugs ... and if its gonna work on you, it takes 6 weeks for full effect. restavit is more for immediate relief.
havnt taken any yet .. but im hopeful.
tommydog
Well-known member
yes iv been on st johns wort 3 times a day for a few weeks know and yes you know what i definetly feel calmer.
the pharmacist told me it works with many people equally as well as subscription meds but without the side effect ... looks like im one of those many people. he also told me id get the full effect within 6 weeks
the pharmacist told me it works with many people equally as well as subscription meds but without the side effect ... looks like im one of those many people. he also told me id get the full effect within 6 weeks