[StephSmall]

Has anyone here tried Rhodiola Rosea for coping with depression?

I first stumbled across it a few years ago when I was dealing with some anxiety issues after a breakup. It definitely seemed to help. Later that year, I had a bout of cluster headaches (or something like them, I haven't been officially diagnosed yet) and again, the rhodiola seemed to help, since within a couple of days of taking it, the headaches stopped.

I've never taken it for depression, per se, but there's been research that says it may be almost as effective as antidepressants for cases of mild depression, only without the side effects (I had none).

From wikipedia:

While animal tests have suggested a variety of beneficial effects for Rhodiola rosea extracts,[13] only for depression is there scientific evidence for Rhodiola components having anti-disease benefits in humans. A clinical trial showed significant effect for SHR-5 Rhodiola extract in doses of 340-680 mg per day in 18-70 year old male and female patients with mild-to-moderate depression.

I'm generally not big on taking supplements, but this is one that's been the real deal in my experience, and has some research to back it up. If you're having mood issues and don't want to go the SSRI route, it may be something worth looking into (check with your doc first, of course).

Hope that helps!

P.S. The band I took was Rhodax, although other brands may work better for you (different brands have different concentrations, purity, etc.). Back when I researched it before I first took Rhodiola, that was the brand that seemed to get the best reviews, and I've tried other kinds that didn't seem to have quite the same effect. As always, do your own research before purchasing. You can get different brands at places like GNC or Vitamin Shoppe.