8 replies to this topic

[OneScrewLoose]

I am 5'11" @ 140 and currently take two of NOW's Rhodiola supplement twice a day. I've heard this is too much for my size, but it seems to be working well for me. Does anyone have any recommendations?

[health_nutty]

I am 5'11" @ 140 and currently take two of NOW's Rhodiola supplement twice a day. I've heard this is too much for my size, but it seems to be working well for me. Does anyone have any recommendations?

What is the size of the caps and what is the %?

[edward]

so that is 2 x 500 mg 3% caps, twice daily.... 1 gram twice daily... seems a little much, but I don't see any problems with Rhodiola, as in I don't think such a dosage is going to hurt you it just might be a waste. Have you tried 1 capsule twice daily like NOW recommends? How long have you been taking it? Did you get a good result at a lower dosage at first but then the effect lessened so you increased it (some have noticed this). Have you tried a day or two off of it say on the weekend and then add it back and see the effects?

[ajnast4r]

so that is 2 x 500 mg 3% caps, twice daily.... 1 gram twice daily... seems a little much, but I don't see any problems with Rhodiola, as in I don't think such a dosage is going to hurt you it just might be a waste. Have you tried 1 capsule twice daily like NOW recommends? How long have you been taking it? Did you get a good result at a lower dosage at first but then the effect lessened so you increased it (some have noticed this). Have you tried a day or two off of it say on the weekend and then add it back and see the effects?

if youre under 200lbs i would say 500-600mg would be your max daily

rhodiola tends to be more effective at lower doses

Edited by ajnast4r, 25 February 2008 - 08:25 PM.

[zoolander]

there are 2 way s that you can take rhodiola.

1) acute dosing. You using this dosing method to counter imminent stress (dose:1000mg [ish])
2) chronic dosage. This is for everyday use as an adaptogen (dose:250-500mg/day)

[OneScrewLoose]

Oops, type-o. I only take 1 capsule twice daily. I've heard this is too much for me. Sorry about that, I don't take 2g a day.

[edward]

rhodiola tends to be more effective at lower doses

ajnast4r, do you have a reference for the bolded statement above or is it your personal experience?

there are 2 way s that you can take rhodiola.

1) acute dosing. You using this dosing method to counter imminent stress (dose:1000mg [ish])
2) chronic dosage. This is for everyday use as an adaptogen (dose:250-500mg/day)

zoolander, what are your 1 and 2 based on?

[graatch]

The stress-relieving, adaptogenic qualities seem pronounced at the lower doses, while the stimulation is pronounced at the higher doses, also nervousness often appears at the higher doses. Just personal observation.

[ajnast4r]

ajnast4r, do you have a reference for the bolded statement above or is it your personal experience?

both what i said and what zoo said are based on the studied effective doses... and also quite a few years of personal & shared experience with the herb. tap shr-5 into pubmed or google and you'll find plenty more studies...

The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of standardized extract SHR-5 of rhizomes of Rhodiola rosea L. in patients suffering from a current episode of mild/moderate depression. The phase III clinical trial was carried out as a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study with parallel groups over 6 weeks. Participants, males and females aged 18-70 years, were selected according to DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for depression, the severity of which was determined by scores gained in Beck Depression Inventory and Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD) questionnaires. Patients with initial HAMD scores between 21 and 31 were randomized into three groups, one of which (group A: 31 patients) received two tablets daily of SHR-5 (340 mg/day), a second (group B: 29 patients) received two tablets twice per day of SHR-5 (680 mg/day), and a third (group C: 29 patients) received two placebo tablets daily. The efficacy of SHR-5 extract with respect to depressive complaints was assessed on days 0 and 42 of the study period from total and specific subgroup HAMD scores. For individuals in groups A and B, overall depression, together with insomnia, emotional instability and somatization, but not self-esteem, improved significantly following medication, whilst the placebo group did not show such improvements. No serious side-effects were reported in any of the groups A-C. It is concluded that the standardized extract SHR-5 shows anti-depressive potency in patients with mild to moderate depression when administered in dosages of either 340 or 680 mg/day over a 6-week period.

Background: Rhodiola rosea is an herbal supplement that many in the general population in Russia and elsewhere in the world have used for decades to alleviate everyday anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Whether R. rosea is effective in reducing similar symptoms in clinical samples is unknown. The goal of this pilot study was to evaluate whether R. rosea is effective in reducing symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Method: Ten (10) participants with a DSM-IV diagnosis of GAD, recruited from the UCLA Anxiety Disorders Program and between the ages of 34 and 55, were enrolled in this study from November 2005 to May 2006. Participants received a total daily dose of 340 mg of R. rosea extract for 10 weeks. Assessments included the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS), the Four-Dimensional Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Clinical Global Impressions of Severity/Improvement Scale. Results: Individuals treated with R. rosea showed significant decreases in mean HARS scores at endpoint (t = 3.27, p = 0.01). Adverse events were generally mild or moderate in severity, the most common being dizziness and dry mouth. Conclusions: Significant improvement in GAD symptoms was found with R. rosea, with a reduction in HARS scores similar to that found in clinical trials. These preliminary findings warrant further exploration of treatment with R. rosea in clinical samples.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group clinical study with an extra non-treatment group was performed to measure the effect of a single dose[*each capsule of shr-5 is 170mg -ajnast4r*] of standardized SHR-5 Rhodiola rosea extract on capacity for mental work against a background of fatigue and stress. An additional objective was to investigate a possible difference between two doses, one dose being chosen as the standard mean dose in accordance with well-established medicinal use as a psychostimulant/adaptogen, the other dose being 50% higher. Some physiological parameters, e.g. pulse rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, were also measured. The study was carried out on a highly uniform population comprising 161 cadets aged from 19 to 21 years. All groups were found to have very similar initial data, with no significant difference with regard to any parameter. The study showed a pronounced antifatigue effect reflected in an antifatigue index defined as a ratio called AFI. The verum groups had AFI mean values of 1.0385 and 1.0195, 2 and 3 capsules respectively, whilst the figure for the placebo group was 0.9046. This was statistically highly significant (p < 0.001) for both doses (verum groups), whilst no significant difference between the two dosage groups was observed. There was a possible trend in favour of the lower dose in the psychometric tests. No such trend was found in the physiological tests.

Edited by ajnast4r, 03 March 2008 - 12:37 PM.