kizzie, sorry it took so long, here is some info on Rhodiola. Hopefully if you show it to your dr it will be enough info for her to make a decision.
Also I found out that sjw is mow thought to act like an ssri...maybe that is why it was no good for you (just a thought!)
If you are allowed to take the rhodiola, I strongly recommend getting a good brand, it can make such a difference. my first choice would be Solgar and my second choice would be Quest. If your health shop doesnt do these, you can get them online at www.nutricentre.com
RHODIOLA:
Herbal remedy which acts as an adaptogenic. This means it inceases the body's tolerance to stress and change. It mainly acts on the hypothalmus to normalise the way in which the body responds to stress.
It also acts as an anti-depressant. It enhances the transport of serotonin precursors (trypyophan and 5-HTP) into the brain, and through an MAO/COMT inhibiting effect it also reduces the degredation of mood-elevating neurotransmitters. Studies show a 30% increase of levels of serotonin in the brain.
Serotonin and dopamine are normally broken down by the enzyme COMT and rhodiola inhibits the activity of COMT by 60%.
My information doest say "avoid if on medication", it just says to check with GP first...so this sounds promising for you.
I have also discovered that my people who suffer from depression have very low levels of omega 3 (so you could take fish oil) and they have too much omega 6(so avoid evening primrose oil). this is a bit over-simplified but I didnt have time to look into it. it is worth thinking about. again using a good quality fish oil can have good results that may not be seen with a poor quality one. Eskimo oil is great, although quite expensive. Higher Nature is petty good too and is quite cheap. And of couse Solgar and Quest are the oher 2 brand i think are good!
Hope all of this helps. If I have time I'll see what else I can find.
Good Luck and I hope you're feeling reasonably good today