herb- rhodiola ???

[sick and tired 47]

Hi! Is anyone  familiar with the herb Rhodiola?? I starteted taking from homeopathic nutritionist for high cortisol/ some anxiety issues.
First week, great... but now into 2nd week and I feel like I am on caffine. Very wired, TONS of energy yes but today noticed my heart rate and BP are really up!!! I decreased dose ( 3 pills to 2) earlier in week to see if that helped but it hasn't. The product I am using is called Purecalm PRT by neuroscience.
   The nutritionist says taking  3 pills a day is the usual dose, but I am taking two, considering stopping for a day... I do not like this feeling. I have SVT of the heart so I want to be careful... my PCP approved the herb before I started taking it.
I am at a loss, I have read that sometimes it causes this problem as your body gets used to it... but I don't want to feel this way.... its like I drank a GIANT espresso.... and could go and go. Advice/ help with this is appreciated.
Thanks all.

[Paxiled]

Sassy -- howdy!  The contrary effects you get, that's what happened to me after I stopped Paxil.  Since then, it's really hard, when I tried GABA and 5HTP, they put me a previous even worse state of withdrawal.  Valerian makes me nervous now, it's so odd what's happened to me.  This has been going on for three they-ll-censor-me years now.

To sick and tired -- holy basil isn't an energetic like rhodiola, so it shouldn't have similar effects at all.  However, it does also lower blood sugar, so be on the watch for tiredness or spaciness.  And of course, if you successfully lower cortisol, it does also decrease energy, though in a positive way.  Good luck to you!

[sick and tired 47]

Thanks all... you will never know how much I appreciate the info I get here.

paxiled,
Thanks for the upbeat post.. sometimes being sensitive is so hard. I react to things and think is it in my mind?? I guess my body is just "selective" of things entering into it. I got the holy basil, I hope it does not do the same as the rhodiola. ( little nervous).

Sassylassie,
so how did you get high cortisol levels down?? and you too had problem with rhodiola?? Did you ever use holy basil?? yes, I have been told I am a difficult patient to work with since I am so sensitive to different things. And it seems like it take some time for me to react unlike you... and then several weeks for it to exit my system completely and I feel better.

Deepdiver,
thanks . I will check out consumer labs. I subscribe to small magazine called Nutrition Action, put out by Center for Science in the public interest group/. It rates food/vitamins, resteraunts,ect... different topic each month. Really interesting to me. Website is:
www.cpinet.org
Check it out.


And thanks again to all!!!

[SassyLassie]

Oh yes, LOL, I forgot to mention, there is no way I can take Valerian, it really sends me through the roof as does GABA, I think GABA gave me one of the worst anxiety attacks that I have had in a long time. The one thing that does help, at least now, is L-Glycine, so far, so good.

[SassyLassie]

My Naturopath prescribed the Rhodiola for my high cortisol levels. Well, I took it and NO WAY it made me so nervous, it was awful and I could not sleep. You see, almost everything I take works opposite on me, so, I really have to watch what I take in regards to things that calm you do or give you energy. I can not handle any Ginsengs, actually, any of the adaptogenic herbs make me really anxious. I, too, am extremely sensitive to things, and my doctors now know that if something is going to work for me or not, it will show itself within the first dose or second. I have multiple food sensitivities too, so, that does not help with my anxiety and such.  My Naturopaths tell me I am one of their most challenging patients due to the fact that I react so differently. Oh yes, another thing, sometimes something will work for awhile, then, bingo, not work anymore, now, that is really frustrating.

Lots of ladies in the peri-menopausal years are helped by natural progesterone cream, the best I have found is called "Fem-Gest" it is derived from wild yam, I can not take anything from soy as I am so allergic to it, but, guess what, the cream is not all the great for me, in fact, most of the time it does not help, again, it makes me nervous and does not help the female problems I have. Gee, oh well, such is life.

[Paxiled]

If it proves useful, the two best companies for holy basil are New Chapter and Gaia.  And it's good to be sensitive -- it means you don't have to take as much, it's much cheaper that way.  I'm a slow metabolizer, have to take a lot.  More side effects if it's medication, and often things don't work at all.  It's an asset!

My information comes from 18 years in the health food business, so I had to learn and read a lot.  But for the best information, try out, as well, sites from companies that were started by actual herbalists!  Herb Pharm is a great one.  New Chapter is a great one.  Gaia is a great one.  Herbalist and Alchemist.  Herbs etc.  Planetary Formulas.  Just a few great companies, started before this was much of an industry, by real herbalists and naturopaths.  And all of them put out pamphlets and other information.  Good places to call, too.  

[deepdiver]

check www.consumerlab.com If I recall it's about $15 per year