Current Role of Herbal and Natural Preparations.

Depression remains difficult to manage, despite the many registered treatments available. For many depressed individuals, particularly those who have not responded to and/or had adverse effects from standard therapies, herbal and natural medications represent a potentially valuable alternative. This chapter will review several natural remedies used in the treatment of depression. Specific remedies covered include St. John's wort (SJW), S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAMe), omega-3 fatty acids, rhodiola, and others. We will begin by providing some historical and social context about these remedies. Then we will review efficacy and safety data, as well as biological mechanisms of action of these therapies. Finally, we will discuss the limitations of the current state of knowledge and provide suggestions for a productive research agenda focused on natural remedies. While many questions about these treatments remain unanswered and much work needs to be done before we determine their place in the psychiatric armamentarium, we believe that this chapter will give psychiatrists a good perspective on the pros and cons of herbal and natural antidepressants as part of the pharmacological armamentarium and sensible guidelines on how and when they should be used.

L-Methylfolate For Bipolar I depressive episodes: An open trial proof-of-concept registry.

BACKGROUND: L-methylfolate is a compelling candidate to treat bipolar I major depressive episodes. While approved as an adjunct for unipolar major depressive disorder, no studies have been done to assess the tolerability, safety, and efficacy of L-methylfolate for bipolar depression. As a first step, we developed a registry of bipolar patients treated with L-methylfolate to examine tolerability and outcomes. METHODS: Subjects (N=10) received treatment as usual plus daily L-methylfolate 15mg for 6 weeks in this open-label registry. Depressive symptoms were assessed with the Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and manic symptoms with the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS). Effect size was measured with Cohen's d to provide an estimate of potential efficacy. RESULTS: The pre-treatment mean (SD) MADRS score was 23.4 (4.34); the post-treatment score was 13.9 (8.24). Cohen's d was 1.19. At post-treatment, 6/10 patients had at least 50% MADRS improvement, and 4/10 patients exhibited remission with MADRS≤10. The pre-treatment YMRS score was 3.2 (3.0); the post-treatment score was 2.7 (5.2). Cohen's d was 0.17. LIMITATIONS: This registry was a small open-label clinical trial for a fluctuating disorder. We cannot rule out that our results are due to regression to the mean. A controlled trial is warranted. CONCLUSIONS: This first proof-of-concept open registry suggests that L-methylfolate in combination with treatment as usual has potential to treat bipolar depression.