Best meds or herbal remedies for depression??

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I have tried these to no avail:
Magnesium Taurate
Vitamin D
Fish Oil
Vitamin B
Vitamin C
L-Dopa

Still depressed.. Dunno what to do.. I'd go to a doctor but I can't really do that without my parent's nosing into my business. I know a lot of meds have bad side effects.. I was wondering if there is a good supplement for depression.

Things about me:
I'm in college. (3rd year)
Have no social life. (When I do, I spend more time around people then my classes which makes me procrastinate a lot and sorta disorganized thus leading to more stress and depression)
No job.
Live with my parents.
Spend most of my time on the computer/ curled in a ball on the floor thinking about things in my life for more then 5 hours every day. (Not all at once but if you add it up it probably amounts to that)

Marijuana!

I use 375mg venlafaxine, once daily, although that's a bit harsh.

If chemicals haven't helped your depression, then maybe chemicals can't help your depression.

Or maybe the person who prescribed those chemicals for you to take needs his own head examined.

I have found St. John's Wort extract works best for me.
There are some people who should NOT take it as it can alter how some important medications work in the body. You also have to be aware of sunlight as this interacts with it too.

For me it is an excellent mood stabiliser and is available in tablet form in most chemists/drug stores and even supermarkets in the UK., including Lidl.

Years ago, after a serious suicide attempt which left me hospitalized for two months, they put me on Sinequan and Lithium. I gained weight. These days I'm on Risperdal. It seems to be working because I'm not depressed to the point of suicide. Frustrated maybe, but not depressed. I've read about St. John's Wort but never tried it. I also drink beer every night which helps me sleep which, in effect, helps me feel better the next day.

I'm on 375mg of venlafaxine just like Londongeek. But he's right it's a large dose.

I also agree with Fnord's opinion that medication doesn't help all kinds of depression. I'm not sure that venlafaxine prevents my depression, but it limits its affects. I don't feel comfortable going off it at this point.

My advice would be to see a doctor, I know it might make life more complicated. But if you see a good one, they should help you. It could be the best thing you've ever done. I think any drugs which change your brain functions or behaviour should be used with caution. Also when starting and changing medication, be careful, some are required to be introduced or stopped slowly over a period of weeks. Stopping a medication suddenly can have horrible affects, like intense suicidal lows or health problems. They also interact with other medications, so if you're on other medications don't mess around with any supplements or drugs.

Sometimes, getting outside and absorbing some sunlight helps me. Also playing with animals or having a creative outlet.

I'd strongly advise that you see a doctor. It might be difficult, but it may benefit you in the long run. Think about it.

I've tried a Chinese medicine called "bu nao wan" which in English is labelled "cerebral tonic" and it's sort of OK as an anti-anxiety. Traditional Chinese Medicine pills are quite cheap, you can usually get about 2 weeks worth of pills for $3-7. I've had good success with them. You can get them from most Chinese markets, just ask them for them behind the counter, and if you can't pronounce it, just write down the formula you want.

You gotta look at holistically, though. Think of it this way. You have high blood pressure, for example. What's more effective? Going on blood pressure meds forever, or losing weight or changing your diet to have lower blood pressure? Herbal medicines are the same way, I don't think they're really meant in most cases to be taken longterm. But, use them in the meantime to figure out stuff. Diet and exercise is quite important. You gotta figure out a decent diet, go outside and exercise. Even just take a hike or something. Hiking you very rarely see anyone else, great activity.

As far as other herbs, though, this isn't so much for "depression" but just being able to like...do more. I've had the most positive effects from Rhodiola Rosea. Astragalus is good, too, though mild. Ginseng is great, but it and Rhodiola aren't meant to be taken longterm. Rhodiola is super effective, though, at least for me. Rhodiola and Ginseng belong to a class of herbs called "adaptogens" which allow the body to handle more stress. There's a Chinese tea I drink, eucommia bark, which affects hormone levels, and makes me feel a lot more confident and whatnot. Rhodiola you'd have to go to GNC for, and shell out some cash. Red Ginseng you can buy at Dollar Tree for a buck for a bottle of pills. If you're really cheap, and don't care about convenience, you can buy raw roots or root powder of various herbs off ebay, and make tea with them. But then your dosage isn't standardized.

This is something I sorta study quite a bit. The thing you have to remember with herbs is, they're not magic or anything. They work like regular medicine. Take ephedrine and amphetamines as an example. Ephedrine comes from the Chinese ma huang plant, and a few other plants also contain ephedrine and psuedoephedrine. Then from those two isolated compounds from the plants they eventually make amphetamines. They make opiates from poppy flowers.

If you have anymore questions, feel free to ask. Just study it a bit.

Most of the things you have tried are dietary supplements. These will only work if you were already deficient in these substances in the first place. If you have a balanced diet, then it will supply all of the nutrients you need.

Generally for depression doctors will prescribe Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs eg prozac, zoloft), or Serotonin Norepinephrine Reputake Inhibitors (SNRIs, eg Venlafaxine). These control the levels of neurotransmitters in the brain. They take some time to work and may cause side effects, at least at first. Also if you think you might have bipolar disorder (manic or hypomanic episodes) then do not take these medicines.

Simultaneously to this you might try cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT). This is a skills based therapy which helps you to control your own thinking and behaviour. The combination of SSRI medication and CBT is the most effective treatment for depression generally.

From the sounds of it you need to get out of the house and socialising a little more. Start slowly with a walk around the block every day, or a phone call to a friend. Even talking to your mum might have some benefit. Set small, achieveable goals. Improve your personal hygiene by making sure you shower and brush daily and tidy your room. Do not be hard on yourself, give yourself a pat on the back for every small thing you achieve. When you have got a daily routine going, start to examine some longer term career goals etc.

A little sunlight daily improves melatonin. Take your laptop outside for ten minutes, or a book. Close the door of your room and dance away to your favourite music.

There has been a ton of clinical trials and medical research and the majority of them are saying that herbal supplements such as St Johns Wort do not have a significant effect on depression compared to placebo. Even if you forget about any trials, you really truly dont know what exactly your getting when you buy a herbal supplement. They are not regulated nor do they have any sort of approval from the FDA. It depends on where you get it but even from a reputable source you have 0 guarantee that what your buying is the right strength or even if its really the formulation the bottle says it is.

Your definetely gonna want to see a doctor so they can get you going on what hopefully will be the right med for you. As for getting suggestions from WrongPlanet members, when it comes down to it everyone is different and my 20mg of Prozac might not have any effect on your depression. Unfortunately there really isnt any science to pick one med over another, its really just guesswork but if your doctors any good, finding the right med for you shouldnt be too difficult.

Ive gotta agree with AspieOtaku. For me smoking pot is the best medicine for my depression.

+1

Effexor and Abilify. (and marijuana.) Talk to a doctor, though. Everyone's different.

God works best. Put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Dont do drugs. Its illegal most places. If a person just gotta..yes reefer works somewhat. When it wears off if puts us back to square one. That can be a challenge which lead a person deeper into cigarettes..and whiskey and wild wild wimmen. None of it has a happy ending sorry.

This... Seriously, it always relieves anxiety and depression for me. I'll have an absolutely terrible day, and I'll come home and smoke a bowl... And as soon as it hits me, I just feel so relaxed and at ease... it's exactly what I needed.

Who pays for the trials, and who actually does them? I keep hearing about how herbs and vitamins don't do anything, but then I take herbs and vitamins, and I feel a hell of a lot better. There's a reason people took them in the past though... Pharmaceutical companies don't want you to take herbs or vitamins because then you won't need their much more expensive medicine.

There are several dodgy advices given as replies here, and I won't start a war by arguing with each one individually. All I can say is, please consider what I have told you as it is fairly mainstream but you will need to apply it to your case. This is a brief bio of me so you can see where I am coming from:
I was a fairly bright kid, and read lots. IQ is about 135.
At University I studied speech language pathology. I am NOT a mental health practitioner, I have a solid understanding of neuroanatomy and neurophysiology, as well as basic psychology. During my four year career I worked with adults and children with a range of disabilities including comorbid mental health problems.
After this my difficulty in managing my own emotions escalated into bipolar disorder. I was hospitalised twice and went through EVERYTHING that bipolars generally go through. After diagnosis I have managed to stabilise my self, but am not yet back to full potential.
The other thing is, while at university I worked part time in a health food shop. During this time I learned a lot about 'natural' products and supplements. In the western world at least, 99% of the industry is completely dodgy and tell blatant lies to sell their products. They are also masters of manipulation, like any good retail industry.

I can not really advise you what to do, the doc will need to do that. I can just tell you what I know. I don't like to see people going through the same thing I did and making the same mistakes.