-IBIS-1.7.6-
tx
mental/emotional
depression
Botanicals
primary herbs
Anemone pulsatilla (toxic): with irritability, nervousness, melancholy, tendency to look on the dark side (Felter, 584.)
Avena sativa: depression, melancholy (British Herbal Pharmacopoeia, 37.)
Bryonia alba (toxic): tendency to delirium, cares little if recovers or dies (Harper-Shove,. 26.)
Cimicifuga racemosa: climactic depression (Ellingwood F, 144, Weiss RF, 319)
Ferula asafoetida: nervous irritation with mental depression, hysteria (Felter, 221)
Ginkgo biloba: especially in the elderly. (Schubert H, Halama P. Geriatr Forsch 1993;3:45-53.)
Hypericum perforatum: also sedates, use long term (Weiss RF, 296); as effective as standard antidepressants for mild or moderate depression.
(Harrer G, et al. J Ger Psychiatr Neurol 1994;7(suppl 1);S24-S28; Harrer G, Sommer H. Phytomedicine 1994;1:3-8; Vorbach EU, et al. J Ger Psychiatr Neurol 1994;7(suppl):S19-S23; Staffeldt B, et al. J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol 1994 Oct;7 Suppl 1:S47-S53; Ernst E.Phytomedicine 1995;2:67-71; Sherman C. Family Pract News. April 15, 1998, 17; Linde K, et al. BMJ, 1996;313:253; Vorbach EU, et al. Pharmacopsychiatry 1997;30(suppl):81-85; Wheatley D. Pharmacopsychiatry 1997;30(suppl):77-80; Chatterjee SS, et al. Life Sci 1998;63:499-510.)
Lavandula officinalis: combines with Rosmarinus officinalis, Sterculia acuminata, Avena sativa (British Herbal Pharmacopoeia, p. 129)
Panax ginseng: depressive states associated with sexual inadequacy (British Herbal Pharmacopoeia, 152.)
Piper methysticum: (Weiss RF. 298.)
Rosmarinus officinalis: depressive states with general debility and indications of cardiovascular weakness, with Avena sativa, Sterculia acuminata, Verbena officinalis (British Herbal Pharmacopoeia, p. 181)
Sterculia acuminata: great mental despondency, brooding, foreboding: more of a quiet or silent character (Ellingwood F, 207.)
Strychnos ignatii (toxic): melancholy, tendency to weep, hysterical, disposition to grieve (Ellingwood F, 162; Felter HW, Lloyd JU. 1044)
Turnera diffusa: combines according to indications, with Avena sativa, Sterculia acuminata (British Herbal Pharmacopoeia, 220.)
Valeriana spp.: depression, despondency due to worry or imaginary wrongs (Felter HW, 686.)
Veronicastrum virginicum: tenderness and heavy pain in the region of the liver with drowsiness, dizziness and mental depression, liver-associated depression (Felter HW, 443.)
Xanthoxylum americanum, carolinianum or fraxineum: with prostration in anemic patients (Harper-Shove, 26.)
complementary herbs
consider: as formula additions: Capsicum frutescens, Centella asiatica, Valeriana spp.
footnotes
Blumenthal M, Busse WR, Goldberg A, et al, eds. The Complete Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. Boston, MA: Integrative Medicine Communications, 1998, 214-215.
Bradley PR (ed.) British Herbal Compendium, Vol. 1. Bounemouth, Dorset, UK: British Herbal Medicine Association, 1992.
Chatterjee SS, Bhattacharya SK, Wonnemann M, et al. Hyperforin as a possible antidepressant components of hypericum extracts. Life Sci 1998;63:499-510
Ellingwood F. American Materia Medica, Therapeutics and Pharmacognosy, 11th ed. Sandy, OR: Eclectic Medical Publications, 1919, 1998.
Ernst E. St. Johns wort, an antidepressant? A systemic, criteria-based review. Phytomedicine 1995;2:67-71.
Felter HW, Lloyd JU. Kings American Dispensatory, 18th ed. Sandy, OR: Eclectic Medical Publications, 1898, 1983.
Harrer G, Hübner WD, Poduzweit H. Effectiveness and tolerance of the Hypericum extract LI 160 compared to maprotiline: A multicenter double-blind study. J Ger Psychiatr Neurol 1994;7(suppl 1);S24-S28.
Harrer G, Sommer H. Treatment of mild/moderate depressions with Hypericum. Phytomedicine 1994;1:3-8.
Linde K, Ramirez G, Mulrow CD, Pauls A, Weidenhammer W, Melchart D. St John's wort for depression--an overview and meta-analysis of randomised clinical trials. BMJ, 313:253, 1996.
Abstract: A meta-analysis of 23 randomized trials in a total of 1757 outpatients with mild or moderate depression found Hypericum extracts, after two to four weeks, superior to placebo and about as effective as standard antidepressants.
Schubert H, Halama P. Depressive episode primarily unresponsive to therapy in elderly patients; efficacy of Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb 761) in combination with antidepressants. Geriatr Forsch 1993;3:45-53.
Sherman C. St. Johns wort used in severe depression. Family Pract News. April 15, 1998, 17.
Abstract: In a study of 209 patients with severe depression, Hypericum at double the usual dosage was as effective as antidepressant medications. After treatment with the botanical remedy, the average score on the Hamilton Depression score fell by approximately 43%.
Staffeldt B, Kerb R, Brockmoller J, Ploch M, Roots I. Pharmacokinetics of hypericin and pseudohypericin after oral intake of the hypericum perforatum extract LI 160 in healthy volunteers. J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol 1994 Oct;7 Suppl 1:S47-S53
Vorbach EU, Arnoldt KH, Hübner WD. Efficacy and tolerability of St. Johns wort extract LI 160 versus imipramine in patients with severe depressive episodes according to ICD-10. Pharmacopsychiatry 1997;30(suppl):81-85.
Vorbach EU, Hübner WD, Arnoldt KH. Effectiveness and tolerance of the Hypericum extract LI 160 in comparison with imipramine: Randomized double-blind study with 135 outpatients. J Ger Psychiatr Neurol 1994;7(suppl):S19-S23.
Weiss RF. Herbal Medicine. Gothenhburg, Sweden; Beaconsfield, England: Beaconsfield Publishers, Ltd., 1988.
Wheatley D. LI 160, an extract of St. Johns wort versus amitriptyline in mildly to moderately depressed outpatientscontrolled six week clinical trial. Pharmacopsychiatry 1997;30(suppl):77-80.