# Herb Rauwolfia serpentina



## nocturnalman (Nov 15, 2017)

It was one of the first natural anti-psychotic discovered sometime in the 1950's and has been used and still used in India for schizophrenia or what they call there "madness".It also contains the chemical called reserpine which is used for high blood pressure.Most doctors dont know about it or they dont care since it's "herbal".I did some genetic testing and it is believed that I have a slow working enzyme that breaks down dopamine, serotonin etc...which means I actually have enough but my brain cannot properly break them down for use.This enzyme is related to MAO-A.I did lots of research and found that actually this herb I mentioned speeds up Mao-a and my body is able to use dopamine and serotonin.An Ssri would not be good for me at all, as confirmed by my trial of St Johns wort.I have noticed that when I tried this rauwolfia herb, my libido became very high, wouldnt that mean that some of the neurotransmitter did their work ? But my main point in this post is that if your doctor recommended an antipsychotic to try and see if it helps with dpdr, you could first try this herb.Actually medical science back then knew how effective it was, but they replaced it with synthetic ones although all medical literaturw says it is as effective as clozapine but without side effects.


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## Phantasm (Jul 16, 2017)

I've heard of it, I think Ghandi used to take it recreationally as tea, but it is a licensed drug and not available to buy in many countries, so it's not just a herbal remedy. I think it can slow the heart fatally if taken in too high a dose (if I remember rightly, I'll have to look it up).


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## nocturnalman (Nov 15, 2017)

Phantasm said:


> I've heard of it, I think Ghandi used to take it recreationally as tea, but it is a licensed drug and not available to buy in many countries, so it's not just a herbal remedy. I think it can slow the heart fatally if taken in too high a dose (if I remember rightly, I'll have to look it up).


The slowing of the heart has more to do with the isolated reserpine.I don't know why western medicine has a love for isolating chemicals instead of using the whole herb.


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## Phantasm (Jul 16, 2017)

Western medicine tends to look for the most active part of a plant, isolate it, then magnify it. That can be beneficial in terms of effective medicine, but it can also disregard the complexities of the original source. Usually we don't really understand how something works. We do this with food production as well.

You mentioned St.John's wort. For me it's preferable to prescription anti-depressants. Not as strong, but kinder and more balanced.

Still, just as all meds come from nature, so do poisons, and a substance can be both a medicine and a poison. We just have to be informed.


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## nocturnalman (Nov 15, 2017)

Phantasm said:


> Western medicine tends to look for the most active part of a plant, isolate it, then magnify it. That can sometimes be beneficial in terms of effective medicine, but it can also disregard the complexities of the original source. Usually we don't really understand how something works. We do this with food production as well.
> 
> You mentioned St.John's wort. For me it's preferable to prescription anti-depressant. Not as strong, but kinder and more balanced.
> 
> Still, just as all meds come from nature, so do poisons, and a substance can be both a medicine and a poison. We just have to be informed.


How long until you noticed a difference on st johns wort ? Not sure how much I can trust these tests, but some genetic testing results say that I have this slow mao-a enzyme activity, which results in slower breakdown of dopamine, serotonin, and norepienphrine.Which logically would mean SSRis and SNris are not good for me.So I am trying to find medication that treats my anxiety other than antidepressants.


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## Phantasm (Jul 16, 2017)

If you don't like it after a few days - should calm you and lift your mood - then it might not be for you. It's not like meds that you need to take for weeks or months. You can stop any time without after-effects.

I think the best way to take it is raw in tea.


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## ThoughtOnFire (Feb 10, 2015)

Do you have a good source for this herbal medicine?


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## nocturnalman (Nov 15, 2017)

ThoughtOnFire said:


> Do you have a good source for this herbal medicine?


Himalaya brand, the herb is sold as pressed tablets.It is called "Himalaya Serpina"


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## Trith (Dec 31, 2019)

nocturnalman said:


> The slowing of the heart has more to do with the isolated reserpine.I don't know why western medicine has a love for isolating chemicals instead of using the whole herb.


There is a reason for this. The amount of active components in plants depend on conditions where the plant grows, it can depend on the season, and it can depend on the variety. That's why when you use St John's Wort for example, it is often advised to only buy products which concentrations in hyperforin and hypericin have been measured. But they are not the only active components.
One good reason for that is safety.
And also, for any medicin, it is hard to compare experiences. My experience with Saint John's Wort for example is that it did not affect my DPDR but gave me a better mood and helped me related better with people and have more pleasant interactions (kind of an extremely mild MDMA?). I could not quit immediately, though as I had strong withdrawal effects, which I understand isn't typical (headache (I never have headaches otherwise), body pain, light and sound sensitivity, but not bad effects on mood, the positive effects seemed to persist for at least two weeks). The effects of Saint John's Wort lasted only a few hours for me so it was very difficult to taper it down without breaking each capsule and spending a long time weighing them. As a matter of fact I spent two weeks to try to reduce the dosage without success, then I had to start a treatment with lithium and risperidone and the withdrawal stopped in one or two days. It was much more practical to stop my other treatment. If I had had to rely only on Saint John's Wort it would have been very difficult.


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