| A recent study received considerable media attention due to its negative findings on patients with severe depression; however, the study lacked an active control (no active drug was used to measure the response rate of severely depressed patients vs. SJW and placebo). The first study funded by the NIH s NCCAM (R, DB, PC, MC, 340 participants) found that neither sertraline nor SJW were effective compared to placebo for moderately severe major depressive disorder. |
Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
See book keywords and concepts |
 John's wort discounted its effects against depression, but that study did not discriminate between mild to moderate depression and severe depression. Other studies of St. John's wort have focused on mild to moderate depression and have found the herb effective. In all probability, the herb does not have usefulness in treating severe depression.
• Diabetes. Sometimes, successful treatment of diabetes that has gone uncontrolled for a long time can result in severe nerve pain. |
David Hoffman, FNIMH, AHG
See book keywords and concepts |
 For the majority of people with less severe depression, however, herbal alternatives will be discussed below.
I would also suggest that depression may be a rational and sane response to our society's initial manifestation of 21st century culture! As such, is a chemical "smiley face," whether synthetic or botanical, an ethical response? We don't suppress the inflammatory response simply because it occurs, so why suppress the emotions that accompany depression? Depression can represent an opportunity for self-exploration for the patient, and many lessons may be learned. |
volker schulz and Rudolf Hansel
See book keywords and concepts |
 Scores up to about 12 are classified as normal, up to about 20 as mild depression, up to about 25 as moderate depression, and higher than 25 as severe depression. Treatment response can be assessed by the decrease in total score.
Both the FDA and European approval agencies have issued guidelines for the clinical testing of antidepressants during the past 15 years. |
Joseph E. Mario
See book keywords and concepts |
 Acidophilus, greater amount treatable with dmgs Flagyl or Vancomycin, but control die-off with Bentonite Clay and/or Activated Charcoal). |
H. Winter Griffith, M.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
 Monoamine oxidase
Increased effects of
(MAO) inhibitors* both drugs. severe depression.
Nicardipine
Blood pressure drop.
Dosages may require adjustment.
Nimodipine
Dangerous blood pressure drop.
Nitrates*
Excessive blood pressure drop.
Oxprenolol
Increased antihypertensive effect.
Dosages of drugs may require adjustments.
Pergolide
Decreased pergolide effect.
Potassium
Decreased supplements* potassium effect.
Probenecid
Decreased probenecid effect.
Sotalol
Decreased antihypertensive effect.
Terazosin
Decreased effectiveness of terazosin. |
| Yes Drug class: Antidepressant
Relieves severe depression. (Has less effect on sexual functioning than some other antidepressants and may be more acceptable to some patients.)
May be used in combination with other therapy for smoking cessation. dosage & usage information
How to take:
• Tablets—Swallow with liquid. If you can't swallow whole, crumble tablet and take with liquid or food (but drug does have a bitter taste). May take with food to lessen stomach irritation.
• Sustained-release tablets or extended release tablets—Swallow with liquid. Do not crumble sustained release tablet. |
Dr. Michael Heinrich, Joanne Barnes, Simon Gibbons and Elizabeth M. Williamson
See book keywords and concepts |
 Unfortunately, reserpine depletes neurotransmitter levels in the brain (it is used as a pharmacological tool in neuroscience for this reason) and so can cause severe depression, and it has recently been implicated in the development of breast cancer. There are no other currently useful antipsychotics obtained from plants and they will not be covered here.
Similarly, the useful anti-epileptics are synthetic. However, for milder psychiatric conditions, phytotherapy can provide useful support. |
Natural Prescriptions: Dr. Giller's Natural Treatments & Vitamin Therapies For Over 100 Common AilmentsRobert M. Giller, M.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
| It's very important to consult someone knowledgeable about severe depression. Many prescriptions for antidepressants are written by primary care physicians who don't have sufficient experience to be able to prescribe the right drug, the right dose, and the right duration of treatment. If the patient is unresponsive, it's then wrongly assumed that "drugs won't work." Most people with severe depression can be successfully treated with drugs, psychotherapy, or a combination of the two. |
C. P. Khare
See book keywords and concepts |
 John's Wort extract standardized to 5 % hyperforin gave much better results in patients with severe depression. (Expanded Commission E Monographs, 2000). The drug is not recommended with other antidepressants.
German Commission E monograph on St. John's Wort lists psychovegetative disturbances, depressive states, fear, and nervous disturbances as clinical indications for the extract. It recognized the drug's efficacy in the following areas:
> Anxiety
> Depressed moods
> Inflammation of the skin
> Blunt injuries
> Wounds and burns (first degree). |
Healing Children's Attention & Behavior DisordersDr. Abram Hoffer, M.D., FRCP(C)
See book keywords and concepts |
| Her mother was worried about her frequent bouts of severe depression lasting up to one day. Otherwise she was cheerful. She was also beginning to have difficulty in school. I started her on niacinamide 1 G tid. One month later she was calmer, better at school, and seldom complained of pain. On April 21,1972 she was living with her father. Her mother had been ill over the summer and had sent 4 children to him. He did not give F.U. any vitamins. She came home March 1972 very ill and her mother resumed the niacinamide. She began to improve. On October 20,1972 she was nearly normal. |
| She was seen by a psychiatrist and admitted because of severe depression and suicide intention. She also had suffered a series of convulsions for which no organic reason was found. An examination of her mental state showed perceptual changes, including illusions and very clear visual hallucinations. She saw people killing each other, ghosts, tigers, etc. She heard voices, mostly nasty, telling her that someone would kill her. She had withheld this information from her psychiatrist because she found it difficult to talk about this, even though she liked him. |
| When I saw her she suffered from voices, unreality feelings, out of the body experiences, paranoia, blocking, and poor memory and concentration with severe depression. In February 1973 she received a series of 9 ECT and after that recovered. She was on niacin 1 G bid, niacinamide 1 G bid, pyridoxine 250 mg tid, and ascorbic acid 1 G tid.
Two years before I saw her daughter L.S., she had developed severe temper outbursts and hyperactivity. She saw words move on the page and collide with each other. She heard voices and footsteps, saw ghosts which were adult size in blue, and saw women. |
Katharine Greider
See book keywords and concepts |
 This might be seen as a reinterpretation of the term "miracle drug," for while Moerman does not believe in the pharmacological power of SSRIs, he has seen that when his wife, Claudine Ferrand, takes Zoloft, she is free of the severe depression to which she had been prey. And here we return to drugs as a uniquely complex "experience" product.
Ferrand, for her part, is well aware of the research on antidepressants and placebo. She admits to an occasional uneasiness, a feeling that perhaps she's been cheated somehow. |
The Life Extension Editorial Staff
See book keywords and concepts |
 For people with chronic or severe depression, a combination of psychotherapy and medications may be the best option. Electroconvulsive therapy, while effective, is generally reserved for people with chronic depression unresponsive to medication.
COMMONLY USED PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS
Today, physicians and psychiatrists have numerous drugs at their disposal. Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) include Tofranil (imipramine) and Elavil (amitriptyline). |
volker schulz and Rudolf Hansel
See book keywords and concepts |
| Epidemiologic studies indicate a 13-20 % prevalence of depressive symptoms in the population as a whole, with a 2-5 % prevalence of severe depression. Thus, adjustment disorders with depressed mood, brief depressive reactions, and mild depressive episodes are about 5-10 times more prevalent in the general population than full-blown clinical depression. The lifetime prevalence of depressive disorders requiring treatment is about 10-20 %, because depressive disorders have a high rate of recurrence and mood disturbances may progress to depression. |
Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
See book keywords and concepts |
 Researchers are discovering that an overactive immune system just might be one of the causes of severe depression. Levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin are often lower than normal in depressed people, and immune-boosting substances can deplete tryptophan, a precursor the body uses to make serotonin. If this process goes on for too long, it may affect moods and cause depression. |
Mark Stengler, N.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
 This study was important because it examined people with moderate to severe depression. Most studies have been done on people with mild to moderate depression. Further studies will clarify the value of St. John's wort for severe depression.
Overall, I would recommend that doctors start antidepressant therapy with St. John's wort instead of with pharmaceutical antidepressants. My reasoning for this is that St. John's wort has proven to have less risk of side effects. For people who do not respond to adequate trials and dosages of St. John's wort, pharmaceutical treatment can be considered. |
Simon Mills and Kerry Bone
See book keywords and concepts |
 Both treatments were found to be equally effective in improving symptoms of severe depression but the decrease in depressive symptoms tended to be greater for imipramine. Even at the higher dose hypericum was better tolerated than imipramine, as evidenced by fewer patients reporting adverse effects and fewer dropouts (one dropout versus eight). There were no reports of photosensitivity.99 This trial is significant because patients had severe depression and the doses of hypericum and imipramine were both relatively high. |
The Life Extension Editorial Staff
See book keywords and concepts |
| The treatment generally is restricted to people with treatment-resistant OCD accompanied by severe depression (Maletzky 1994; Schott 1992).
NATURAL TREATMENTS
Some naturopathic physicians have reported success in treating OCD with a variety of natural therapies.
Certain herbs and supplements act directly on the nervous system, promoting relaxation and feelings of tranquillity. Others may relax tense muscles, ease stress-related headaches, soothe stomachs upset by stress, and encourage restful sleep.
L-Theanine
L-Theanine is an amino acid derived from green tea. |
volker schulz and Rudolf Hansel
See book keywords and concepts |
| John's wort, but this therapy has proven effective for various depressive mood disorders including moderate and severe depression. Since 1997, the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices in Germany has recognized "mild depression" as the only indication for most new products made from St. John's wort while recognizing that some specific products with documented efficacy are appropriate for "mild to moderate depressive episodes." Commission E
Table 2.1. |
John D. Lantos, M.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
 He periodically has episodes of severe depression, requiring mysterious leaves of absence for long inpatient hospitalizations. The other psychiatrists in the medical center are strangely peripheral, and Lazar is threatening to close down their inpatient treatment unit and build them a community mental health center instead. Levine is an expert on hepatitis, but Hishin's attitude about hepatitis is that "there isn't much to be done in these cases. Just reassure them all psychologically. Everything's psychological nowadays. . . . Hepatitis is a self-limited disease" (p. 22). |
Gary Null, Ph.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
 John's wort extract, Li 160, on patients suffering from moderateley severe depression. 66% of those receiving treatment responded positively versus only 26.7% of the controls.
—U. Schmidt & H. Sommer, [St. John's Wort Extract in the Ambulatory Therapy of Depression: Attention and Reaction Ability are Preserved], Fortschr Med, 111(19), July 10, 1993, p. 339-342.
This study compared the antidepressive-anxiolytic effects of a Valerian root and St. John's wort extract to amitriptyline. |
Ann Blake Tracy, Ph.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
| Addiction and withdrawal symptoms are common, including severe depression and a worsening of suicidal or violent impulses.
During the drug reaction, individuals do not realize that they are behaving abnormally, but later they may be appalled by their actions. Afterward, they frequently cannot clearly recall their actions. "
This toxic reaction is an emotional nightmare - a mental and emotional "living hell". The symptoms are emotional in appearance, stemming from a chemically induced brain disorder. |
Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
See book keywords and concepts |
| In all probability, the herb does not have usefulness in treating severe depression.
• Diabetes. Sometimes, successful treatment of diabetes that has gone uncontrolled for a long time can result in severe nerve pain. This happens because lowering blood sugar leads to restored nerve function, but the "pain fibers" in the nerves are disproportionately stimulated. St. John's wort is an alternative to the tricyclic antidepressant usually prescribed for the condition, amitriptyline (Elavil). Unlike amitriptyline, St. |
Ann Blake Tracy, Ph.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
| Steroid users often report severe depression in withdrawal. Some people become suicidal as well. Patients report, "They make me more impatient. I'd get angry very easily, especially when I was driving my car. If I had to stop for a red light, I'd get very upset. I felt rushed, always in a hurry, kind of 'on edge' all the time. I also had trouble sleeping at night. My blood pressure went way up, too. I started to lose my hair. And I got some fatty tumors on my body. Steroids made me feel that I could do anything. |
| It also is producing terrible depression upon withdrawal (in fact some medical studies and the FDA's adverse reaction reports indicate that Prozac tends to produce more depression in the long run than it cures and the excess production of Cortisol would indicate the same). The severe depression brought on by withdrawal compels the patient to begin their use of Prozac again. The most deceptive aspect of Prozac, which seems to set it apart (except for the benzodiazepines), is that of a delayed withdrawal. This is not always the case. |
the Editors of PREVENTION Magazine Health Books
See book keywords and concepts |
 You sometimes have periods of intense elation followed by severe depression.
• Your sleep patterns are disrupted.
What Your Symptom Is Telling You
A person with a mood problem is like a human roller coaster. One minute he's up, the next minute he's down. And he never seems to be able to get off the ride. His mood swings are intense, sudden and out of control.
Symptom Relief
Chronic and severe mood swings—like chronic depression or panic attacks—are a psychological disorder, a health problem every bit as real as a physical ailment. |
Jean Carper
See book keywords and concepts |
 Increasing evidence suggests the herb can also relieve some types of severe depression (not manic depression), but the research is not as extensive or firm in such cases.
¦ Take St. John's wort for at least six weeks before deciding whether it works. Quitting any earlier is too soon, since, as with other antidepressants, it will take a while for St. John's wort to produce benefits.
¦ If your depression worsens or you have suicidal impulses, or you notice severe side effects while taking St. John's wort, stop taking it and see your doctor immediately. |
Jean Carper
See book keywords and concepts |
 In one case, an eighteen-year-old girl, diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, was under psychiatric care for severe depression and was on antidepressant medication. She turned out to be allergic to wheat. "She went on a wheat-free diet and within three weeks the symptoms began to disappear. She stopped seeing the psychiatrist and quit taking the antidepressants and is doing fine," says Dr. Nsouli. Since remnants of the food may circulate in the body for a long time, it usually takes three to four weeks before you can expect to see improvement, he stresses.
CROHN'S DISEASE: WRONG FOODS? |
Email this page to a friend
