Can Chinese Herbs Help Clients with Depression?

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, April, 2001 by Andrew Gaeddert

Discussion

Bipolar disorder is characterized by major depression alternating between mania and excitement. The standard treatment, Lithium, was prescribed for Margret, but she did not like taking the drug, and through a good deal of trial and error including combinations of antidepressants and anti-anxiety agents, Tegretol was selected. A common side effect of Tegretol is abnormal liver function. Although standard tests revealed only slightly abnormal liver function, her symptoms, as well as her wiry pulse indicated liver imbalance according to TCM. Therefore the herbs we selected -- Ease Plus and Ecliptex -- were aimed at improving her liver. Valerian was selected because she had previously had an unusual reaction to Kava Kava; Flaxseed was selected as it treats constipation. Margret was very eager to try natural therapies, and during the time we treated her she also did a course often acupuncture treatments which probably helped improve her results. As she seemed responsible and was under the care of a psychiatrist, w e saw no reason not to try herbs, as an adjunctive therapy to medication and counseling.