The Best Antidepressant Herbs . Although mood swings and periodic bouts of sadness are a normal part of life, chronic depression and anxiety are serious disorders. Many doctors prescribe chemical antidepressants to their patients; however, there are also several natural methods available. Mother. Nature. com notes that these natural herbs may not be as fast- acting or as powerful as their pharmaceutical counterparts, but they are safer for the body as they do not incur chemical dependency. Chemical antidepressants work by regulating the hormone serotonin in the brain, and changes in serotonin levels engender changes in mood, according to Med. Net. com. John's Wort, an organic herb, has been shown to help improve serotonin levels as well. A series of studies in 1. How Anxiety May Cause Weight Loss. It's well known that weight and overall health can contribute to anxiety. In fact, inactivity is one of the most common mistakes. She is the group fitness and personal training director for Fitness One in Norman. Discontinuing an antidepressant usually involves reducing your dose in increments, allowing two to six weeks or longer between dose reductions. St. John's Wort was more effective than chemical antidepressants. Over half of the participants who were mildly to moderately depressed improved in less than a month of taking this herb. The depression and accompanying sleep deprivation, anxiety, and fatigue generally improved for over half of the participants, as opposed to improvements in one- third of those who took chemical antidepressants, according to Mother. Nature. com. Unlike many prescribed drugs, St. John's Wort tinctures will not impair concentration, attention or reaction time. Holistic. Online. John's Wort herbs in boiling water for 1. It is most effective if taken once or twice a day for four to six weeks, according to Holistic. Online. com. A colorful spice known for its intense flavor and expensive price tag, saffron is also beneficial as a natural form of treating depression. Clinical findings from the Tehron University of Medical Sciences in Iran suggest that saffron is a safe and effective antidepressant. For example, 3. 0mg of saffron extract taken for six weeks resulted in significant alleviation of depression symptoms compared to those on the placebo- -and with no known side effects, according to ITMonline. Try cooking with saffron by adding it to rice or vegetable dishes. According to The Depression Guide, the extract of gingko biloba- -one of the oldest living tree species- -has been found useful in relieving depression, especially in the elderly. For many patients, gingko has enhanced the potency of other antidepressants, and in some cases it has eliminated the use for chemical antidepressants altogether. Those under the age of 5. Depression. Guide. Best antidepressant for anxiety according to our readers Readers reveal the therapists and drugs that helped. Lexapro (escitalopram) is a prescription drug used to treat depression and generalized anxiety disorder. Side effects may include taste alterations, shaking, fever. Best Supplements For Antidepressant Withdrawal. When withdrawing from any antidepressant, most would agree that it’s best to taper. Tapering reduces the likelihood that you’ll endure protracted withdrawal symptoms, and gives your nervous system a slower readjustment to homeostatic functioning from being under the influence of a drug. Taking steps such as: maintaining a good diet for mental health, staying productive, getting light exercise, enrolling in therapy, and staying socially connected – are all likely to help. However, some people may need a little bit more help in coping with their withdrawal symptoms and returning original symptoms. Certain supplements are well- known to buffer the effects of withdrawal. Most people don’t really know what supplements to take, so they resort to taking a multivitamin or something recommended in a forum. Factors to consider before using supplements. If you plan on taking a supplement (or stack) after you’ve discontinued an antidepressant, there are some factors that you should consider. Things to consider include: whether you’ve fully withdrawn, are taking other medications (or using other drugs), the dosage of the supplement(s) you plan on taking, as well as other interactions. Fully withdrawn vs. Although you may be tempted to take a supplement during the tapering phase, be sure that the supplement(s) you decide to take do not have an interaction with your medication. For more information on potential contraindications, talk to your doctor. Withdrawal symptoms tend to hit hardest when a person is fully withdrawn, not when they’re still tapering. Although it may be difficult to taper, during the tapering process your body is still getting some of the drug. Once you’ve fully discontinued, there’s no more drug to stimulate the nervous system, leaving you with full- blown withdrawals. Other medications. If you are taking other medications, these generally will help buffer the effects of withdrawal. Many people who don’t notice any (severe) withdrawals from antidepressants are on another medication (or cocktail of them). By taking other medications, these serve to mask many of the severe withdrawal symptoms from the antidepressant that you’ve discontinued. All that said, before you consider taking a supplement, you’ll want to make sure that the other medications will not interact with it. Many drugs do have interactions with supplements, which could theoretically create an entirely new set of symptoms from the contraindication. Talk to your doctor to verify that there will be no interaction before supplementing. Severity of withdrawal symptoms. Next you’ll want to analyze your need to take supplement vs. Don’t convince yourself that you need to take a supplement when withdrawal is going alright. Supplementation should be used for only the people that really need it. Think of supplements as additional tools to help you cope with certain difficult symptoms of withdrawal, not a cure for your particular condition. Supplement dosage. Assuming you’re going to take a supplement, it is important to take the proper dosage that works to minimize the withdrawal symptoms. Sometimes people take a supplement, but aren’t taking enough, while in other cases, people are taking too much and end up with unwanted side effects (that become confusing when you’re already dealing with withdrawal). Take the minimal effective dose of whatever supplement(s) you find beneficial. If you are confused about dosing, be sure to talk to your doctor and ask for some advice. Realize that dosing may require some individual experimentation to find what is most effective for withdrawal symptom reduction. Supplement interactions & side effects. Before blindly throwing a supplement stack down the hatch, make sure you aren’t taking multiple supplements that have detrimental interactions. Additionally in order to minimize potential side effects and interaction effects, you’ll want to remain on the smallest dose of each that provides you with benefit. If you aren’t sure whether supplements interact with each other, look them up online and talk to a medical professional. It’s better to err on the side of caution as you won’t want more crazy side effects emerging with already- present withdrawal symptoms. Best Supplements for Antidepressant Withdrawal (List)Below is a comprehensive list of the best supplements to consider when withdrawing from an antidepressant. Understand that not everyone will benefit from all the supplements listed below. Some people may not find any supplement on this list helpful, and find them nothing but a waste of money. If you’re really struggling to recover from your withdrawal, the right supplements can make a huge difference in expediting your recovery. Assuming you have taken your final dose of an antidepressant, you may want to consider taking activated charcoal to clear your body of potential drug- related toxins. Most people that take pharmaceutical drugs for a long- term (e. To be on the safe side, you may want to consider taking some activated charcoal to help clear these. Accumulated toxins can have detrimental effects on brain activity as well as general health. Activated charcoal has been around for thousands (upon thousands) of years and used as a way to improve the health of intestines. It functions through a mechanism referred to as “adsorption” which means “binding to,” which is different than “absorption.” While most people know activated charcoal is used to help clear the body of poisons and drugs (in the event of an overdose), it is a healthy supplement for detoxification. Taking activated charcoal prevents poisons from being absorbed by the stomach, and inhibits the circulation of drugs, toxins, and all of their metabolites throughout the body. The activated charcoal is created by burning a carbon source (e. As a result an “adsorbent” material is created that contains millions of tiny pores that bind to any toxins within your body. These pores have thousands of times more weight than the actual charcoal. Just a couple grams of this stuff has the same surface area as a football field. Numerous medical studies show that taking activated charcoal is completely safe for humans. You need not take activated charcoal frequently unless exposed to toxins. Also, it probably shouldn’t be taken with other supplements as it may affect their absorption. Therefore you may want to supplement this within one or two days after your final antidepressant dose. The DHA serves as an essential building block for your brain, and EPA helps reduce inflammation. There is scientific evidence supporting that omega- 3 fatty acids can help increase brain volume, grey matter, and healthy brain processes. During withdrawal from an antidepressant, one of the quickest ways to help the brain heal is to supplement high- quality omega- 3s. You could consider taking either fish oil or krill oil – each has its pros and cons. I would recommend fish oil vs. There is less research of krill oil’s benefits, particularly in regards to brain health. Therefore, pick a high- quality fish oil supplement, try it, and determine whether you get any benefit. The nice thing about fish oil is that you can generally take them with your antidepressant (assuming you aren’t on any anticoagulants). Therefore you could begin supplementing omega- 3s and let them build up in your system before you are completely off of your antidepressant. Omega- 3s may improve the following withdrawal symptoms: Aggression: Some people notice that after continuous supplementation of omega- 3 fatty acids, they become significantly less aggressive. This could be due to changes in neurotransmission (both levels and efficiency) as well as a result of increasing activity in the prefrontal cortex. Anxiety: Some studies have demonstrated that omega- 3 fatty acids are capable of reducing production of the hormone “cortisol” which is directly tied to stress, anxiety, and the fight- or- flight response. For some people, omega- 3s may significantly improve symptoms of anxiety. Brain zaps: One of the most effective treatments for the dreaded electrical shock sensations a. While it is unclear as to how omega- 3s help these, many people have documented significant reductions in the frequency and number of zaps they experience during withdrawal as a result of supplementation. Concentration problems: There is some scientific evidence in support of the idea that omega- 3 fatty acids can help improve symptoms of inattentiveness and attentional deficits. Most people can’t think clearly when they discontinue an antidepressant, and the DHA contained within omeag- 3s usually helps a little. Depression: Some would argue that omega- 3 fatty acids (particularly EPA) are capable of treating depression. While they may not be quite as potent as an antidepressant, they can be effective when taken at the right dose. While omega- 3s will likely not cure the irritability, they may help improve it. The improvement is likely a result of changes in brain activity and neurotransmission. Note: It’s important to understand that although fish oil may help or not have a profound effect for certain people, others find that fish oil makes depression or anxiety worse. Every single cell contains glutathione, which helps reduce accumulation of toxins and prevents inflammation. Some speculate that as we age, the endogenous glutathione production within the body decreases. If you aren’t making enough, it could compromise your immune system and/or cause cellular damage. Those who were taking an antidepressant daily for a long- term may have experienced liver problems. In fact, many antidepressants have a warning about the possibility to cause hepatotoxicity or liver damage. While most people won’t end up with damaged livers as a result of taking antidepressants, you may want to help your liver properly heal and your immune system stay strong upon discontinuation. For some people, glutathione makes a huge difference in improving their health during the withdrawal process.
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