Do natural antidepressants really work?

Question

Due to rise in insurance, I need to find an all natural antidepressant that really works. Use to take zoloft and wellabuttrin-and they made a big difference w/my moodiness and crying episodes. My insurance is so high now that I can no longer afford these meds even w/the copay. Just heard about Protazen and wondering if it or anything else works. Tried Saint Johns Wort before but didn't take it long enough b/c of the dosage. Had to take 4 pills through the day and couldn't remember. Any suggestions?

Answer 1

Well , I tried them all too and did not work. I got discouraged because I really wanted to use natural. I just went on Lexapro and no side effects . It really has helped.

Answer 2

Protazen is actually far less effective than St. John's Wort, and as you discovered, the latter is little better than placebo.  It does have an effect, to be sure, but there are also problems with toxicity at the high doses required to achieve a meaningful pharmaceutical effect.  

Speak to your pharmacist/chemist.  Some of the major chains do offer assistance to low-income clients and if yours cannot, they may be able to refer you to one that will.

There really aren't any natural or "alternative" antidepressants that work satisfactorily for most folks.  The active chemicals in them either are present in too small a quantity to be of help or they're accompanied by a number of other chemicals that can do harm.  Pharmacy research has found those helpful chemicals and can synthesize them so that you can safely get a helpful dose without the danger of the other plant chemicals.

Answer 3

If you can remember to take Zoloft, you can remember to take St. John's Wort.  And yes, it works.  Other good choices: B-12, Choline, and running.

Of course natural antidepressants don't work the same as prescriptions: They will never cause side effects which require another medication, which will eventually cause side effects requiring another medication.

Answer 4

there is some weak evidence that St John's Wart, and SAMe may have weak antidepressant effects and may have some use in mild depression.

Most of the studies on St John's Wart come out of Germany, which has notorious lax standards for investigating alternative medicine, as there is a historical culture of belief.

what is interesting is that a recent study suggests that many of the prescription antidepressants may work by the placebo effect as well, and that people do better if they just have somebody to talk to on a regular basis.

Answer 5

From what my dr has told me...alot of the "natural antidepressants" dont really work! I hate to take medicine so when I found out I need it for anxiety attacks my first thought I am going to try natural things first, nothing worked just as my dr had said before I started trying things! I took Wellbutrin and it worked wonders, but now I take Celexa and I LOVE it! It is a little more pricey then Wellbutrin but I like it so much better! Have you tried getting your prescriptions filled at Walmart? They are pretty cheap from what I have heard.

Answer 6

i think a change in lifestyle is the only thing that really works. and try hypnotherapy.

st johns wort did nothing for me...

but each to their own!

good luck! =)

Answer 7

they never have for me, and I've really tried