Shaklee's Stress Relief Complex for Anxiety?

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pandabear
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22 Feb 2008, 4:38 pm

My psychiatrist put me on Clonazepam for anxiety.

Previously I was on Lexapro, which I stopped because it made me dizzy.

I'm wondering whether anyone has any thoughts on Shaklee's Stress Relief Complex, as a possible substitute?

It would cost more than the Clonazepam, but I'm just wondering whether the possible side effects or potential for chemical dependency might be less, and whether this might be effective for anxiety.

The ingredients include:

L-Theanine 100 mg

Ashwagandha Root Extract (Withanea somnifera) 100 mg

Beta Citosterol 60 mg

L-Tyrosine 100 mg

Any opinions?



2ukenkerl
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22 Feb 2008, 4:59 pm

L-Theanine is supposed to help the main neurotransmitters
Ashwagandha Root Extract is supposed to help calm you
Beta-sitosterol is supposed to lower cholesterol, and help limit DHT production
L-Tyrosine gives the base material that L-Theanine needs.

Basically, they apparently don't know how Ashwagandha Root Extract is supposed to work, and I guess Beta-sitosterol CAN help level out testosterone(even women have SOME), and maybe help there (Testosterone is a chemical that helps PREVENT depression.), but it sounds, to me, like it basically works by trying to optimize neurotransmitters in the brain.

So I guess it can't hurt. Just don't go off of Clonazepam real quick. It sounds like a NASTY drug, and withdrawal symptoms sound SCARY!! !! !! !



pandabear
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22 Feb 2008, 5:09 pm

My psychiatrist upped my dose of clonazepam last time. I'm also in the process of trying to apply for a disability retirement, and one way to get that denied is not to comply with a doctor's treatment regimen. So, more anxiety for me.

Maybe I'll just tell her that I'm having side effects with clonazepam, and whether she would recommend the Shaklee product instead.

I remember trying it before, years ago, when I was in a stressful situation and did not go to a psychiatrist. It seemed to be helpful then. I still have a few pills left from then.



happybrats3
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23 Feb 2008, 9:49 am

Hi all!

I use the Stress Relief from Shaklee. It's a wonderful product.

LOL...I take one especially before those school meetings.

I am with Shaklee so if I can help just let me know.



V001
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23 Feb 2008, 11:06 am

Ask yourself does it work and how ? Do you want to be their test subject ? As for the way it is being peddled. Ask for more data bet they only have well it worked for me that is not good medical data. As for say you will sell them the product shame on you
happybrats3 it might work for you but you have only have it worked for you.



happybrats3
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23 Feb 2008, 11:13 am

Oh my. :? Not sure why you are so mean.

Well I give it to my Aspie son on tests days, lessens his anxiety. I also have quite a few customers who swear by it....they are customers not a Distributor with Shaklee. I can certainly email them and have them contact you.

All the ingredients are listed on the product page.

"Test subject" and "peddled"...why so harsh? Goodness.

It's an honest to good product that works. Unless you have specifically tried it, can you really give an opinion?

I was just answering the question that was originally posted.

Go to my site and you can read about Jake, my son. I am with Shaklee BECAUSE of Jake.



pandabear
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23 Feb 2008, 7:32 pm

Okay, where is your site?



happybrats3
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23 Feb 2008, 7:42 pm

You can click below my reply, the triple w, to get to it.

:D



pandabear
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23 Feb 2008, 7:52 pm

I came across this article:

http://www.supplementwatch.com/reviews/ ... ame=Stress

I've pasted it below. I'll look at your website, and maybe see what Swanson's might have to offer for similar ingredients. I know that the Shaklee Vitalea vitamins are good and competitively priced, but that other items (like their lecithin, fish oils and fibre) cost several times more than similar products in stores. The Shaklee price for the Stress Relief Complex comes to around a dollar per tablet, which is quite high. For my Clonazepam, I pay about $4 for 30 pills (with my Blue Cross insurance). The article concludes "Because of the low levels of ashwagandha and tyrosine, however, the value really needs to be gauged on the products content of theanine and beta-sitosterol - and there are certainly better values available for products that provide these ingredients (look for Moducare for your beta-sitosterol and Suntheanine for your theanine)."




Stress Relief Complex, from Shaklee, is one of the few anti-stress products that take a stab at being more "holistic" in its approach to controlling stress. In this regard, it goes beyond the basic "Stresstab" approach of providing a slug of B-vitamins (which is not very effective) and it avoids the common "tranquilizer" approach of using valerian, melatonin, or kava to knock you out (all of which are good choices for a sleep aid, but poor choices for daytime stress relief). Shaklee's approach, with Stress Relief Complex, is a cutting edge approach to controlling cortisol (the primary stress hormone) as a way to modulate the devastating effects of stress on the body (other products in this category ate Cortitrol from Pharmanex and Relacore from Klein-Becker). Among the primary claims for Stress Relief Complex are: · Promotes a tranquil state of mind · Blunts the cortisol response to stress · Helps you quickly relax and stay calm without drowsiness · Provides quick relief from tension while promoting alertness · Enhances the body's ability to adapt to continuing stress Each of these claims is well-substantiated by the scientific literature - and we love the multi-pronged approach to dealing with the issues of stress-management, mental function, and cortisol-control in the same product. For those interested in reading more about the cortisol-control concept, we highly recommend the recently published book on the subject - The Cortisol Connection from Hunter House Publishers.
Theory Score
Science Score
Science When we compare this nice theory (which it is) to the scientific evidence for a reality check, we're not disappointed. Each of the 4 ingredients found in Stress Relief Complex is well-substantiated for its claimed effects in modulating the stress response and/or the effects of an overzealous stress response. For theanine, the scientific and medical data shows effects in balancing brain wave patterns (fewer beta waves and more alpha waves - suggesting a shift from agitation to relaxed alertness) as well as general relaxation benefits. The level of theanine provided, at 100mg, is sufficient to deliver the desired effects. Ashwagandha, on the other hand, has solid evidence to support it benefits as a general relaxing agent with specific anti-anxiety effects - but effective levels are more in the range of 400mg (4 times higher than that provided in Stress Relief Complex). Levels of beta-sitosterol are in the appropriate range for cortisol-control. Tyrosine, while certainly showing benefits in modulating the stress response during periods of elevated stress (even during some of the most extremely stressful events imaginable - combat stress in soldiers), this amino acid is needed in multi-gram doses for optimal effect (or more than 20-80 times higher than what we see in Stress Relief Complex). Bottomline? This is a tough one - because here we have a product that is very well-substantiated with scientific evidence in 2 out of 4 areas (good support for theanine and beta-sitosterol and problems with the levels of ashwagandha and tyrosine) - but those other 2 areas would also get good science scores if Shaklee just decided to use effective levels of these ingredients. Alas - one of the biggest problems in the supplement industry raises its ugly head yet again…
Safety Score
Safety As mentioned above, Shaklee makes a big deal out of the fact that they do not use kava in their Stress Relief Complex (but its really less about the safety issues surrounding kava that they make it out to be and more about the fact that theanine simply does a better job of providing the same anti-stress effects - and without any of the drowsy side effects that plagued kava users). None of the ingredients found in Stress Relief Complex are likely to represent any significant risk of adverse reactions or side effects - but even at this small dose of ashwagandha (which can cause drowsiness in some people), we'd recommend a prudent avoidance of combining this product with prescription antidepressants, anxiolytics (anti-anxiety drugs), tranquilizers, and heavy machinery (whether said machinery is prescribed by your personal physician or available over-the-counter).
Value Score
Theory As mentioned above, we love the multi-pronged attack on stress provided by Stress relief Complex - and we applaud Shaklee for avoiding the "obvious" approaches to stress management. Shaklee's marketing material makes a big deal about the fact that Stress Relief Complex does not contain kava (one of the most popular natural tranquilizers used in dietary supplements until questions surfaced about possible liver problems in a handful of kava users). Instead, Stress Relief Complex combines 100mg theanine, 100mg ashwagandha, 60mg beta-sitosterol, and 100mg tyrosine in each caplet to help control stress/anxiety (ashwagandha), control cortisol (beta-sitosterol), and boost brain/mental function (theanine & tyrosine). Very nice.
Value We found Stress Relief Complex selling for $27-$32 - a which is a fair price for a multi-pronged attack on stress. Because of the low levels of ashwagandha and tyrosine, however, the value really needs to be gauged on the products content of theanine and beta-sitosterol - and there are certainly better values available for products that provide these ingredients (look for Moducare for your beta-sitosterol and Suntheanine for your theanine). Two things would change our ranking for Stress Relief Complex - either an elevation of ashwagandha and tyrosine to clinically effective levels, and/or the publication of a study showing that the existing 4-ingredient formulation had the desired anti-stress effects.



happybrats3
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23 Feb 2008, 8:02 pm

.....and you are saying...in a nutshell?

I love the product and have many customers that love it.

We have had major school/IEP meetings this year for my son Jake. I could not have held my temper or be as "cool" as I was if I had not taken the product. I did not take it for a meeting and I could so tell the difference.

I have a customer who has triplet boys....EEK! LOL! Her and her husband swear by the product. Can you imagine triplet toddler boys?? LOL!

It's a good solid product from a good solid company. This product has a stellar reputation.

It's 100% guaranteed even if you use the whole bottle. Yes, even if you use the whole product and are not satisfied, you get a refund.

I wouldn't give this to my 8 year old Aspie son if I didn't know that it worked. He asks for it on tests days and will only take it on test days. Just his thing.

It is just a good product that works for us and many others.



2ukenkerl
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23 Feb 2008, 8:40 pm

V001,

I would be the ******LAST****** to even APPEAR to recommend such a product, but you really SHOULD research things better before saying such garbage. The ingredients HAVE been tested(at least 2 are PROVEN). Frankly, it has more REAL evidence than a lot of the garbage pharmacies peddle! I was put on CYMBALTA! After getting dizzy, etc... I went off of it, and on to stuff similar to shacklees product. I got all te promised benefits, with NONE of the garbage. Heck, look at my last post. I'm NOT trying to sell anything, etc....



pandabear
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23 Feb 2008, 11:35 pm

Okay, looking at Shaklee's product, at about $1 per pill:

L-Theanine 100 mg
Ashwagandha Root Extract (Withanea somnifera) 100 mg
Beta Citosterol 60 mg
L-Tyrosine 100 mg

Swanson has L-Theanine, 100 mg, 60 capsules for $7.49

http://www.swansonvitamins.com/webapp/w ... 54&R=23946

Swanson has a standardized Ashwagandha extract:

450 mg capsules, 60 capsules for $6.39

http://www.swansonvitamins.com/webapp/w ... 33&R=21482

Swanson has Beta Citosterol, $3.19 for 60 tablets of 120 mg

http://www.swansonvitamins.com/webapp/w ... 54&R=23946

And, Swanson has L-Tyrosine, 500 mg, 100 capsules for $5.39.

So, if I went with Swanson, I would be getting basically a 60-day supply for $22.46, but with bigger doses of everything but the L-Theanine.

Then, we have to look at taxes and shipping (I know that Shaklee usually hits you up pretty hard for the taxes and shipping).

But, it looks like I would be coming out ahead by buying each ingredient separately from Swanson.

Unless there is some important difference between the Shaklee pill and the Swanson pills for any of these specific ingredients?



IsThatAFact
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24 Feb 2008, 4:56 am

I have found 5-htp to be the best anti-anxiety non-prescription drug I have tried; it is made from the seeds of an African plant. It is available quite cheaply from plenty of Internet providers (including in bulk powder form), but the dose seems to vary a lot depending in the source I vary from 2 x 50mg/day to 4 x 200mg/day.



2ukenkerl
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24 Feb 2008, 8:25 am

pandabear,

That IS one problem with MLM products. They have to have a high enough price to encourage everyone and stay in business. :cry:

BTW regarding the statement IsThatAFact made, I used 5htp ALSO. It works. And YES, it IS scientifically proven trough STUDIES! It only works through serotonin and melatonin though.



pandabear
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24 Feb 2008, 9:01 am

The 5-HTP sounds a bit scary to me

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5-HTP

It sounds worse than Clorazepam:

Risks and Side Effects
5-HTP raises blood serotonin levels, and because of the risks associated with elevated levels it should only be taken under the advice of a medical professional (See Chronic diseases resulting from serotonin 5-HT2B overstimulation). For instance, elevated blood serotonin levels are associated with cardiac valve failure and acute or chronic pulmonary hypertension.

Comprehensive clinical data on other side-effects of 5-HTP are not available. Nevertheless, some product marketers claim that it causes fewer side effects than traditional antidepressants. The basis for these claims are anecdotal and have not been verified scientifically. Side effects of 5-HTP may include nausea, constipation, gas, drowsiness, decreased sex drive, anxiety, numbness, paresthesia, breathing problems, palpitations, chest pain, hallucinations and insomnia. 5-HTP can also have adverse interactions with other natural and traditional drugs.



happybrats3
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24 Feb 2008, 9:01 am

LOL....well. If you want to pay for shipping for 4-5 bottles then...okay.

Shaklee charges shipped based on weight, the lowest shipping is $6.50, and everything is sent UPS. Tax is also based on where you live.

So they do not "hit you hard on taxes and shipping, " LOL..they charge actual shipping based on weight and tax based on where you live.

If you went to the SRC (stress relief complex), product page, you would see Kosher Certification, the actual product label , and a product info sheet. Everything is there for you to see.

The price is not because it's "MLM", the price is due to all the testing Shaklee does. In the search box on my Shaklee page, type in Shaklee Science. You will see all the testing done on our products.

Shaklee has been around for 53 years and again, has a stellar reputation for quality products.

If you want to try this product, I will give you Member price without joining Shaklee. You will have to email me, [email protected].

I didn't post to debate about Shaklee, I posted because the original poster was asking about the product....since I use it and know a lot of people that do use it, I replied.

It is a solid product. All in one, not 4 bottles.