Has anyone tried 5-HTP or St. John's Wort to treat their depression

[Vintage_Rabbit]

I'm considering using either 5-HTP, St. John's Wort or a type of homeopathic or another type of herbal or natural remedy for my depression instead of paxil.  I've been on paxil for over 10 years now, on and off, and right now I'm in a major depression relapse.  I was majorly depressed as a teen and the depression has come back full force.  The paxil helps a little bit but it just isn't helping enough.  Has anyone tried these or any other natural remedies?  Thanks

[fushinickens]

I have been taking 5-htp and st johns wort together and they seem to be working well.

I have tried prescription anti depressants before in the past and always decided to stop taking them after a while because the withdrawl would be horrendous when I would miss a dosage much worse than my depression in the first place.

I would say my depression is mild because I haven't been extremely suicidal or anything before getting help. I would say it has changed my life. Just making it possible to smile( was impossible for me before) and more likable and confident has been enormous. It has also given me energy to be able to function during the day. Before I was so exhausted I went to the doctor repeatedly getting labs and things looking for answers for why I was exhausted all the time.

I'm not sure why there are so many negative comments up here but they seem like they are mostly from people that haven't even tried it.

[birdie0907]

No idea why you are convinced they work on mild depression. It has never even been trialled. Read the link I provided. http://www.medhelp.org/user_journals/index/676326?personal_page_id=890501

[4Maddie44]

I have tried both, but as I have bad clinical depression, they did not help, and I had to go back onto anti-depressants.  I think they work on mild depression, but not severe depression.  Perhaps you need to take a higher dosage of Paxil, or talk to doctor about changing your medication.  Some people say your body gets used to a drug and after a time it is not so efficient.  I have been on many, many different anti depressants over the past 20 years.

[birdie0907]

It has never run clinical trials either.
Read my journal of Nov 23, 2009. http://www.medhelp.org/user_journals/index/676326?personal_page_id=890501

[Vintage_Rabbit]

really - the potency could be different for each batch? i didn't even know that or think of that.  that is something to look into, thank you

[birdie0907]

I would ask a pharmacist what they think. My doc didn't recommend them to me, but she has told me of 2 OTC remedies to use for a different problem, so she is not against OTC if proven to work. Ergo, she doesn't think you should mess with OTC antidepressants.
As an example of how natural cures are not always safe, you can make natural herbal cortisol and drink it for sore joints but a physiotherapist told me there is nothing natural or safe about self controlling your cortisol levels.
OTC have not gone through trials, so the manufacturers can make any claim. There is not even a purity standard so you can't tell if one batch has the same potency as another.