Posted by Johnnybaklava on January 9, 2012, at 11:15:47
In reply to Gotta try something: Bacopa, Guarana, Gotu Kola???, posted by BetweenDreams81 on January 7, 2012, at 12:29:52
Hi,
Everyone is different, but I've tried a few of the things you mentioned. I was diagnosed with depression, but my pdoc was always trying to push me into bipolar, which never felt right to me. I did have a lot of the signs, but I think this was because she had me try so many different things, never sticking with one for too long, that I was going up and down because of the meds! I quit meds about 3-4 years ago and feel much, much better. But I think I was a pretty mild case, so if you try herbal, give it some time or go in with realistic expectations. From your list, I tried Bacopa which I didn't really like though I have a friend who takes it and she swears by it. For me, it gave me focus which was great but over the course of a few days I would feel just a little weird. More sensitive. Gotu Kola made me very irritable, which is my usual reaction to a lot of things. Maybe a dopamine thing. I'm the same way with tyrosine, though phenylalanine (which works similarly) is great for me! I take about 600mg a day and that has been one of the most important supps for me. Maca made me feel great for a few days then it pooped out. Ginko I liked though I haven't had it in a long time.
I was taking EmPower Plus for a bout a year. It really worked for my mild symptoms. It has phenylalanine and gingko, in addition to a lot of other great stuff. It made me feel motivated and actually had a sort of zoloft quality to it, which was probably my fave drug while it worked. EmPower has a little too much choline for me since I don't have a problem with mania, so if I took too much it actually dampened me more than I like. I stopped taking it ultimately because of cost, and because I was able to simulate its effects with something called Blast, which is basically a multivitamin with caffeine and phenylalanine, grape seed extract, and some adrenal herbs such as holy basil and rhodiola. The combo worked great for me and was actually cheaper than Empower. My latest find is DMAE. That's been working great for me in terms of focus and mood. For sleep, I've tried tons of things but basic melatonin seems to work the best for me. Most everything else I've tried either leaves me groggy the next day, does nothing, or wakes me up in the middle of the night.
poster:Johnnybaklava
thread:1006592
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20111229/msgs/1006773.html