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Polygala Tenuifolia Extract Review

YippeeKi YOW !!

Senior Member
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16,047
Location
Second star to the right ...
@SmokinJoeFraz93
I know when I’m feeling ‘GABA calm’ if that makes sense?
Total sense, and I know just what you mean. It took me a long time to realize that a lot of what's written about various supps and substances just doesnt seem to apply to my particular system, and that my own observations are more reliable.

I'm thinking the same goes for you.
 

Rufous McKinney

Senior Member
Messages
13,251
know when I’m feeling ‘GABA calm’ if that makes sense?

This body definately LIKES added GABA. It really works here for some of my issues....

My husband is into Kratom, for his inflamed joints. The problem he says is folks in the US are mixing it with Opioids and who knows what else, buying it in Truck Stops, and then showing up nearly dead in the ER.

He thinks I should try it, but I have not.

I just tend to stick with the traditional chinese herb system. I could ask my TCM person; however that mostly results in the following from him: DON:T TAKE THAT EVER. When you have a medical system based upon over 2000 years of direct application, you don't THROW in new stuff. A "new" chinese herb is one they maybe started using around 800 AD.

Short tale: I never told him I use THC products, all these years. A friend, who started going, informed me one day that I am to confess all of this to him. My view: NOPE. He is totally down on THC and CBD anything. He warns against having some Kombucha...it contains trace ALCOHOL. (wow, that sounds terribly dangerous). He does not trust western herb sources what so ever, and they are frequently untested and its just roullette.

He really disliked this Angelica angelensis I got form Iceland for the bladder (worked rather well) because he says it uses some different part of the plant than in TCM.

I understand based upon his training, that is his view and I tend to go with it, with "deletions".
 

YippeeKi YOW !!

Senior Member
Messages
16,047
Location
Second star to the right ...
@Rufous McKinney
@Rufous McKinney
You might email your TCM guy and see what he thinks, and if he can provide a reliable source for you. Nothing kills fun, or life for that matter, like the kind of severe pain you're in.
I totally retract that suggestion.
I understand based upon his training, that is his view and I tend to go with it, with "deletions".
Smart. What works, works.

And even highly knowledgeable and evolved TCM practitioners can occasionally have fragile egos.
 

Rufous McKinney

Senior Member
Messages
13,251
what's written about various supps and substances just doesnt seem to apply to my particular system, and that my own observations are more reliable.

So now I am experimenting with taking some drops.....during the daytime. Daughter has assigned. (Daughter is super mad her Momsy feels lousy and she wants it fixed).

I have a history of not eating THC products. I simply met too many people passed out on sidewalks intending to make it into that Rocky Horror Picture Show.

So taking drops is strange. This is not a CBD. So I found that it perhaps helped with some of the daytime brain inflammation....I seem to be willing to do a bit of thinking and pondering. The Cellophane in my brain and tintinitis thing seemed less intense on the drops.

The strange part is, the drops did NOTHING for the intensely painful sore throat I have and get when very run down. So here on day 30 of "the visit/vacation", my throat is gone at 1:30 pm .

So its the darndest thing that smoke- goes straight to the sore throat and it stops in 10 minutes. Its still inflamed, I still can hardly talk, but it does not HURT.
 

Rufous McKinney

Senior Member
Messages
13,251
To: @SmokinJoeFraz93 and other parties interested in THC experimentation for our symptoms..


I am working on a theory. WHAT is it that THC miraculously does within about 3-5 minutes of smoking a few hits?

I think I may be onto something. I'd be very interested if this occurs in others, and IF it might tell us a little something more about our illness.

Sickness Behavior: is dramatically somehow transformed within several minutes after use, here in this body.

By sickness behaviour, I mean that whole list of "things" that tell us to stay in the Cave. And ones' brain forever TROLLING over how yucky I am feeling.

The thing which seems to demand, in me, that I have to partake, is the SORE THROAT I cannot handle at all; and this rather nagging NAUSEA that seems to cling to the edges of everything. And the list of all the other stuff that simply DOMINATES MY ATTENTION most of the time.

I am talking about the ATTENTION paid to: the symptoms and the DESPAIR that I feel VERY commonly much of the time. And then I have three hits, and I am taking a shower and start thinking about SOMETHING ELSE and
I am no longer OCD on the SICKNESS.

THC reduces a number of symptoms...what I am referring to is this OTHER THING...this way this illness CAPTURES our attention. And the THC experience- seems to arrest this or alter it in some MEANINGFUL WAY.

Wish they would: figure this out.

To provide one example, I have alot of issues with eating. My daughter was on my case that it took me about 1/2 an hour to eat a tiny delicious guava. Anyone else would have consumed that in 3 minutes. Well: I see that ANOREXIA is a symptom in Sickness Behavior. (scientists used that term, not me). Here I am STILL LOSING WEIGHT. So after the THC, I can sit down and eat a meal and enjoy it. YES, MUNCHIES. BUT WHAT IS THAT...I was arguing that munchies is low blood sugar, and THC might be messing with my BS. But I go online and its mostly described as HELPING insulin resistence.

After THC, my throat stops hurting, but I am still horse. My eyes quit throbbing, I can kinda watch a movie. My other symptoms are all still there, but a bit less pain, a bit more energy, less inflammation..all that good stuff. AND YES: it will then help me go to sleep.

But what is this Sickness Behavior??...because I can TOLERATE my intolerable symptoms: on THC.
 

SmokinJoeFraz93

Senior Member
Messages
194
Location
United Kingdom
I definitely feel what you feel. Within minutes, my brain has calmed down and I’m able to step outside without feeling weak. I can relate to the munchies, although it’s reduced massively now. (Thank god :thumbsup:)

I wouldn’t say I have an OCD towards my illness. (At least I don’t think I do). The reason why my mind is filled with symptoms is because I’m trying to find a way to better the symptoms, as it’s them symptoms that are stopping me from living my life to it’s fullest potential.
 

YippeeKi YOW !!

Senior Member
Messages
16,047
Location
Second star to the right ...
@SmokinJoeFraz93
I wouldn’t say I have an OCD towards my illness
From my little perch on the hump of this sucking little wound of an illness, it's hard not to be a bit OCD about it all. It takes over our lives, moves in, invites some friends over, changes the decor, hangs up tiny curtains, takes over the cable remote, settles down for a long winter's stay.


So most of my attention, at least, is, like yours Smokin', focused on how to find work-arounds, ameliorations, improvements, ANYTHING that'll give me back some part of my life, or on the bad days, at least distract me from everything I've lost to the miserable little bugger.

So as far as I'm concerned, whatever helps you is A-OK by me.
 

Rufous McKinney

Senior Member
Messages
13,251
I wouldn’t say I have an OCD towards my illness. (At least I don’t think I do). The reason why my mind is filled with symptoms is because I’m trying to find a way to better the symptoms, as it’s them symptoms that are stopping me from living my life to it’s fullest potential.

Probably not the best choice of words.... Its the omni-present feelings of rather Wretched which seem to stop or transform into some tolerable alternative.... Since its Omni-present, it at times feels like a mental take over (OCD).
 

Rufous McKinney

Senior Member
Messages
13,251
takes over the cable remote, settles down for a long winter's stay.

Yeah- thats what I meant.

Pretty much, my will is able to muster a few molecules of attention regarding: this sucker.

I used to read New Yorkers cover to cover, except opera and dining. Can't read an article for the past year.

I was gonna write several novels and memoirs. Now, I'm not even keen on putting three sentences together.

I'm in my chair in front of something on the TV; I'm not actually watching it, most likely. I'm just vegetabling or puzzling what to do next to STOP this SORRY PLAGUE.

Yesterday: the description that our bodies might be HIBERNATING...was contemplated. I decided that its quite unlikely a Hibernating bear feels THIS WRETCHED.

Body feels poisoned, not asleep. With no energy to run body processes, poisoning seems to continue.
 

panckage

Senior Member
Messages
777
Location
Vancouver, BC
I've been experimenting with polygala tenuifolia the last few days. I don't want to say too much because I started improving before taking PT but it does seem to helping with brain fog. I have started being able to visualize things in my mind for the first time in a long time. I have started cleaning and rearranging my apartment which is new. I feel like my brain is becoming clean (similiar effect as psychadelics).

PT seems to potentiate cannabis quite a bit. My normal large dose of cannabis (0.1g) has been too large since taking PT. It gives intense anxiety and I feel very very high and psychedelic. Cannabis hasn't given me this effect for a long time! As a consequence I've been using smaller cannabis doses

Lastly my IBS has been acting up since I started dosing (like it does with 90% of food and supplements:mad:). Any chance PT can be used orally or taken by another route?

Like I said though I started improving a few days before starting PT. Its going to take a few months to figure if the PT is actually doing what I think it is
 
Messages
12
@panckage
Hi, Thanks for posting your experience. Could you please write a follow up on Polygala?
What form and dosage you used (I've read one report where user said he had to use much higher than advised dose of extract to get antidepressant effect)?
Any side effects? Like vasoconstriction or anxiety?

I already have whole dried herb (from TCM shop) but still hesitating as I am reacting badly to so many things since I've been damaged by last AD cocktail.
 

panckage

Senior Member
Messages
777
Location
Vancouver, BC
@voyteck I take 3 110mg doses a day. I use the same stuff the OP is from nootropics depot. Assuming my improvements are due to polygala, it very well may be an antidepressant effect. My anxiety and depression are so much better since I've started it. For side effects I believe it is causing food intolerance systems and issues that stem from that (like fibro pain). It may also make it harder to fall asleep. The antidepreesent effect makes me worried there will be withdrawal too

Again it'll take a few months to make a proper conclusion
 

Sidny

Senior Member
Messages
176
I’ve been taking a formulation of polygala as the main ingredient mixed with other herbs like eluthero and astralagus in a concoction called “will strengthener” by dragon herbs but haven’t noticed much of an effect positive or otherwise. (It’s only been for about 10 days though)

On paper polygala seems like a Miracle herb and people report benefits. Thought it would be nice to try for anhedonia but I haven’t noticed much so far. Might just keep taking it as it has a lot of other apparent positive properties (neuroprotective, etc.)

@panckage your musical anhedonia lifting is pretty amazing, I’ve been trying to overcome that without much success. If I can enjoy music (emotionally speaking) it’s usually a great indicator about my ability to enjoy everything else in life.
 
Messages
12
@Sidny Thanks for your report! You're lucky you don't see any side effects and can continue to see how it works in the long term.
I tried polygala only once (about 1/2 of tablespoon - about 1/4-1/2 recommended dose). Unfortunately, very quickly (15 min.?) I felt a bit of anxiety - both affective and somatic. Similar to too much caffeine.
So I am not going to try again in couple of weeks (many other substances waiting), unless in some formula which hopefully would contain some cushioning ingredient (though I read polygala itself is cushioning for ginseng).
 

panckage

Senior Member
Messages
777
Location
Vancouver, BC
Ok so I have been on polygala tenuifolia for about 2 months now. It does seem to have a clear antidepressant effect that occurs after 30min. Before I started taking it I was extremely depressed. After starting PT it got quite a bit better. I still get low at times , but not like before. When I have woken up in the middle of the night very depressed (panic attack?) after taking PT I would calm down after 30min.

Other than that I'm not sure. I don't believe my sensory overload has improved. I mentioned previously that I am taking smaller doses of cannabis since starting PT but unsure if it is related. I have been using cannabis almost daily for 7+ years now (<0.3g per day) and haven't had issues, but my anxiety has gotten worse. Lowering my dosage gets rid of the anxiety. I can't say whether this started before or after beginning PT.

When I first started PT I noted my regular cannabis doses felt psychedelic, something I haven't felt for a long time. This effect hasn't continued though

I tried to stop taking it, but only lasted 1.5 days. The depression was unbearable so I went back on it. I am a bit worried about withdrawal symptoms, but I can't find anyone claiming WD from this . An antidepressant without WD seems too good to be true though... I would love to hear a Chinese person's view on this. In Chinese literature is there any mention of WD?

I'm pretty happy though overall, this is the first supplement in 4 years I've started that actually helps
 

Hip

Senior Member
Messages
17,824
I got hold of some Polygala tenuifolia root 10:1 extract from here on Amazon UK, and tried 100 mg of this, but the next day I felt mentally strange, with a touch of mild psychosis, mixed in with a sort of unease or anxiety. Maybe a co-incidence, but I've yet to try Polygala again (but I need to do so, because I am trying to find things that help depression, and more importantly my anhedonia, which Polygala is reputed to help).

Lots of threads about Polygala on Reddit.
 

Mary

Moderator Resource
Messages
17,335
Location
Southern California
Polygala reduces my sensory issues by a good 70-80%, and I rely on marijuana to fill the remaining percentage.
@SmokinJoeFraz93 - that's amazing, I'm so glad you found something that is helping you so much! :thumbsup: In general I don't have sensory overload issues, but I still have sleep problems. So I may give this a go! I do vape a THC/CBD combo which helps with sleep, but its effectiveness does wear off over time - I have to take a break periodically.

I got hold of some Polygala tenuifolia root 10:1 extract from here on Amazon UK, and tried 100 mg of this, but the next day I felt mentally strange, with a touch of mild psychosis, mixed in with a sort of unease or anxiety.
@Hip, can you explain what a "touch of mild psychosis" feels like? (It sounds a little scary . . .)
 

Hip

Senior Member
Messages
17,824
@Hip, can you explain what a "touch of mild psychosis" feels like? (It sounds a little scary . . .)

In terms of suffering and misery, I find it a horrible symptom.

I've suffered on and off with periods of very mild psychosis ever since a viral brain infection I had in 2005, which caused some brain damage (loss of some faculties), and also led to ME/CFS.

Psychosis (which you find in schizophrenia) is a disorder of thoughts and how you perceive and interpret reality. In full-blown psychosis, people may experience hallucinations, hear voices in the head, and have major delusions (unshakable beliefs in things that are untrue); fortunately I have not had those extreme symptoms. So that's why I think the psychosis I sometimes experience is very mild.

But during my periods of mild psychosis, reality seems harder to interpret and the world seems strange. For example, I may watch a TV documentary, understand it in principle, but have this very odd feeling that I don't grasp the real meaning of the subject. That creates a feeling of unease.

During these periods of mild psychosis I find that incoming words, ideas, concepts and images, as you try to mentally process them in the mind, can perturb or jolt the mind, creating horrible internal mental tension, such that I need to try to avoid exposure to conversation, and avoid even watching TV.

It's not like anxiety, where specific things can make you tense or worried; this mild psychosis feels like the rational information-processing part of the mind is frayed and not working right, and so that any word or concept that passes through the mind creates tension, consternation and is hard to process.

Perhaps the nearest ME/CFS symptom would be information overload, where when you have too much incoming info in the form of words, concepts or images, you just sort of peter out, and sink into brain fog. But information overload does not really capture the essence of psychosis.

It's hard to explain the mild psychosis, in part because one of the known symptoms of psychosis is a loss of the ability to introspect and examine your own mind and mental states. If I get depression or generalized anxiety disorder (which are two other mental health conditions I suffer from on and off), although these are also unpleasant, I don't have much difficulty describing the internal mental states to myself or others.

Whereas during the period of mild psychosis, my ability to perceive and understand my internal mental state is greatly reduced (and as mentioned, in psychosis, the ability to understand the external world is also reduced). So it is hard to get a clear picture of what mild psychosis is, and that only makes the psychosis harder to cope with. But in any case, it is definitely is very unpleasant.

I take very low doses of the antipsychotic drug amisulpride, and this helps keep the mild psychosis at bay.