[euphoria]

Rhodiola has been speculated to have the following mechanisms of action:

1. Prolyl endopeptidase inhibition (increasing various substances, including oxytocin)
2. MAO inhibition (increasing serotonin, noradrenaline, adrenaline, dopamine, and more)
3. COMT inhibition (increasing dopamine, noradrenaline, adrenaline, etc.)
4. Antioxidant
5. Beta-endorphin increase (presumably giving opioid effects centrally)
6. Increasing neurotransmitter precursor brain penetration (very vague, but could increase various NTs including serotonin)

Some of those have been experimentally confirmed, but I really can't be bothered to find all the pubmed links.

I know a lot of members here consider rhodiola to be one of the best (if not the best) supplements available, and I am very much inclined to agree. What is everyone's experience with rhodiola, and specifically for what purpose? Also, which brand is best, and what dose? Some drugs/supplements work well for general anxiety but not social anxiety, for example, so it'd be useful to know what rhodiola works for out of the myriad disorders visitors to SAS may have. Also, what other drugs or supplements have you combined it with? Final question, how long does it take to work / do effects change over time?

My own experience with rhodiola is that it effectively elevates mood and reduces anxiety of all kinds, unless you go too high with dosage and get the jittery effect. It generally makes me more relaxed and a bit more sociable. Interestingly, it darkens my vision and constricts my pupils -- not that much, but still reminiscent of opioids. This would agree with the idea that rhodiola increases beta-endorphin.

 

[Micliph]

Most herbs may work somehow, but they are all far too weak I think..

 

[millenniumman75]

Talk about roadie-what? :lol

 

[n1kkuh]

I like rhodiola, mostly because it gives me a small stimulant type effect, without producing anxiety. I've taken a few different brands, but the most effective brand so far, has been GAIA herbs, only problem is its expensive.

I usually take mine in the morning and it lasts for about 4-5 hours i think, but its really hard to tell. I think its a great mixer, as in it mixes great with other drugs like pot, alcohol, ativan, etc. To me, it has the effect of bringing a brightness to my day, it has a pretty good effect on uplifting mood when my mood is neutral to begin with, not when I'm in the depth of depression, but it can help me get out of that too.

And I think the effects Do change over time, the more you take it, the more effective it is, there may be a tolerance issue, but I think it works like an ssri, you gotta let it build up in your system and then reap the benefits, but I think its also important to take a break from it everyonce in a while to keep your system guessing.

And not that this has anything to do with rhodiola, but ginseng is also a very effective herbal supplement. It energizes it a good libido booster, it even helps me concentrate sometimes, the only problem is is that it can cause me to be pretty anxious and jittery, which is why I like taking it with booze or ativan

 

[feelalone]

I'd like to know if rodhiola is taking effect from the first time, or if you need to take it for days before you can take effect.

 

[bruno2006]

I've been on rhodiola a few days and it has helped a lot with energy and low mood. The anxiolytic effects are pretty good as well, but not as strong as I'd like. Likewise, I read that it helps support the adrenal glands so this can help your response to stress and I am very sensitive to stress. Pretty good herb so far. Hopefully I don't build a tolerance and hopefully it keeps working. I use the NOW brand and just bought it cause it was sitting next to 5htp which I also take. As an anxiety and depression sufferer, I can say that this is a pretty good treatment option, although I can't say how long the effects will last.

 

[Zerix]

Been using it for about 3 or 4 days now... 250mg in each cap so twice a day.. I can't tell if it's working yet, but if not, then it could most definitely be a bad source! Gaia Herbs is quality that's why a little pricey and that's what I'll try next, one more time, in case Nature's Way brand doesn't do it lol..

 

[AlyCreek]

When is it going to work, though???

I've been taking Rhodiola (500 mg, twice a day) for six days now. Goodness knows that I am a nut case (the general/social anxiety, depression, insomnia, headaches, it's-not-a-disorder-it's-a-personality--OCD/P) , so I'm really hoping this stuff is going to help all that. I read about rhodiola in an article while searching for anything to help me with my generalized stress and depression. It really seems like all of my problems have been spiraling downward in the last two years and it's reached a point where I just really have to do something about it.

So I read about the miracle herb that is rhodiola. I ordered the NOW brand and started. Oh! And the kicker is that it lowers your blood sugar. I'm a pre-diabetic and control it by carb-counting and a few other herbs. All that work, and I barely keep it in the normal range, so I thought to myself, 'Self...YAY!' The first two days, my blood sugar was on the low side of normal--HOORAH! But since then, it's been high...and I can't get it low no matter what I do. So I can only assume that my body is fighting it? Do y'all know??? A friend of mine who owns a GNC told me that it could take up to 3 weeks to work, so I'm hoping that it will kick in again soon.

In the meantime, however, my mood has been WAY better and my mental clarity has improved. I attended a wedding yesterday and I felt great! My headaches are still present (due to the high blood sugar) but I'm sleeping really well.

 

[MushroomMan]

Rhodiola alone doesn't do much for me, and neither does phosphatidyl serine, but the combination of the two gives me a good mood boost that lasts for the whole day. It stops working if I do it for more than 3 days in a row, so its just something I use every now and again.

 

[Sacrieur]

Always wait for actual experiments.

After all, pharma companies have a list of drugs the length of my arm that will work in theory but are dropped from the list completely before they even begin phase I trials.