Yohimbine acts as a monoamine oxidase inhibitor, or MAOI, so is theoretically useful for treating depression. However, yohimbine can have significant side effects, worsen some mental conditions and worsen numerous other health conditions. If you suffer from depression, consult your doctor before trying yohimbine -- especially if you take medication or have additional health conditions.
Effects
As an MAOI, yohimbine works by raising the amount of the brain chemical norepinephrine. This is believed to boost mood by improving communication in your brain cells. Yohimbine has other effects on your body. It is a stimulant that blocks alpha-2 adrenoceptor receptors and affects your central nervous system. It also acts as a vasodialator that increases blood flow to the genital area, according to "The Health Care Professional's Guide to Dietary Supplements," by Shawn M. Talbott and Kerry Hughes.
Use
Though it has a theoretical use for combating depression, yohimbine is not normally used for this purpose. More research is needed in this area. The National Institute of Mental Health is proposing a study to investigate whether yohimbine given during your sleep cycle will improve symptoms of depression -- and to determine whether this improvement occurs within a matter of hours. Yohimbine is most often used to treat male impotence.
Mental Health Considerations
Yohimbine can worsen mental health conditions. If you have bipolar disorder, taking yohimbine with certain drugs can worsen your condition. These include lithium and carbamazepine. If you take valproic acid to treat mania, yohimbine can raise your risk for manic episodes. Yohimbine can raise the adverse or therapeutic effects of MAOI drugs like phenelzine and selegiline. It also can have additive therapeutic or adverse effects when taken with other herbs that have MAOI potential such as St. John's wort and ginkgo biloba. Using it with drugs used to treat anxiety or panic disorder, such as alprazolam, may interfere with the action of the drug. Yohimbine also may worsen post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety, trigger suicidal thoughts if you have endogenous depression, and increase psychoses if you have schizophrenia. Common side effects for yohimbine taken alone include anxiety, increased blood pressure, rapid heart rate and nausea.
Other Warnings
Taking yohimbine with many drugs can increase stimulation of your central nervous system. These include albuterol, levalbuterol, naloxone and venlafaxine. Taking yohimbine with certain drugs can be harmful. Combining it with sibutramine increases your risk for heart problems. Taking it with prochlorperazine increases your risk for abnormally low blood pressure, dizziness and rapid heartbeat. Using yohimbine with a host of drugs such as acebutolol can interfere with blood pressure control. Combining it with tricyclic antidepressants like amitriptyline and doxepin raises your risk for serotonin syndrome, a potentially fatal condition. Combining yohimine with other drugs like ibuprofen, naproxen, ketoprofen, rifampin and others can increase or cause kidney damage.
References
- "The Health Care Professional's Guide to Dietary Supplements"; Shawn M. Talbott and Kerry Hughes; 2006
- MayoClinic.com: Depression -- Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs)
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Rapid Antidepressant Effects of Yohimbine in Major Depression
- "The Essential Herb-Drug-Vitamin Interaction Guide"; George T. Grossberg and Barry Fox; 2007
- "Pharmacopsychiatry"; Psychological and Neuroendocrine Responses to Social Stress and to the Administration of the Alpha-2-Receptor Antagonist, Yohimbine in Highly Trained Endurance Athletes in Comparison to Untrained Healthy Controls; M. Sommer, et al.; 2011
- "Neuroscience Letters"; Novelty Response of Rats Determines the Effect of Prefrontal Alpha-2 Adrenoceptor Modulation on Anxiety; B. Uzsoki, et al.; 2011
