Condition
Neurasthenia
Neurasthenia is an older diagnosis for lingering fatigue, weakness, irritability and poor concentration, now often described as burnout or chronic fatigue. Bromantane has the most research, and trials found asthenic symptoms, meaning weakness and exhaustion, eased, including in one placebo-controlled study; a small reishi study also found fatigue improved. Those studies were few and fairly small, so the evidence is moderate for bromantane and limited for reishi.
Sources: PMID 20559263; PMID 21322821
- Supplements studied
- 3
- Graded outcomes
- 3
- Trials
- 2
- People studied
- 179
Evidence by supplement
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asthenia Symptoms PubMed-indexed clinical studies report anti-asthenic effects of bromantane in neurasthenia/psychogenic asthenia. A multicenter open-label study (n=76; PMID: 20559263) and a multicenter double-blind placebo-controlled study (n=156; PMID: 21322821) reported reduced asthenic symptoms with 50-100 mg/day for 28 days. An additional clinical report (PMID: 19491814) is directionally consistent. | Improves (the measure goes down) | Moderate effect | 3 studies | 232 people | ||
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anxiety Symptoms Moderate Improvement | Improves (the measure goes down) | Moderate effect | 4 studies | 47 people | ||
Studies that measured anxiety symptoms
| ||||||
| Sleep Quality | Improves (the measure goes up) | 5 studies | 47 people | |||
| Restlessness | Improves (the measure goes up) | 1 study | 47 people | |||
Studies that measured restlessness | ||||||
| Neurasthenia Symptoms | Improves (the measure goes down) | 47 people | ||||
| Subjective Well-Being | Improves (the measure goes up) | 47 people | ||||
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fatigue Symptoms Small Improvement | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect | 132 people | |||
| Neurasthenia Symptoms | Improves (the measure goes down) | 1 study | 132 people | |||
Studies that measured neurasthenia symptoms | ||||||
| Subjective Well-Being | Improves (the measure goes up) | 132 people | ||||
Key findings
- Asthenia SymptomsImproves (the measure goes down)
- Anxiety SymptomsImproves (the measure goes down)
- Fatigue SymptomsImproves (the measure goes down)
The Neurasthenia (Chronic Fatigue/Nervous Exhaustion) Support protocol
2 primary supplements · 7 supporting supplements
- Rhodiola Rosea200–400 mg standardized extract daily
- B-Complex VitaminsHigh-potency B-complex daily
Shop the evidence-backed picks
The supplement graded A or B for Neurasthenia. Each opens third-party tested products for that supplement.
- Grade B
Links to Fullscript, iHerb or Thorne carry our referral, so we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Grades come from the research and never change based on what we earn. Fullscript asks for a free account before it shows its catalog and prices. Full disclosure
Studies cited
39 studies from PubMed
- Clinical efficacy of ladasten in treatment of asthenic disorders in patients with neurasthenia.
- Psychopharmacological effects and safety profile of Ladasten in patients with psychogenic asthenia.
- [Ladasten as a means to treat asthenic disorders].
- Effect of bromantane on electroencephalographic power spectra in healthy human subjects.
- The psychotropic profile of bromantane, a novel anxioselective anxiolytic.
- Effects of bromantane on transcriptional expression of tyrosine hydroxylase and aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase genes in the rat brain.
- Effects of bromantane and bemitil on operant behavior and locomotor activity in rats.
- A comparison of bromantane and placebo effects on physical and psychophysiological capabilities of tired healthy operators.
- Effect of ladasten and bemethyl on physical working capacity and immunological resistance in animals under repeated extreme exercise loads.
- Effect of bromantane on synthesis, release and catabolism of dopamine and serotonin in rat striatum.
- Phase II trial on the effects of Silexan in patients with neurasthenia, post-traumatic stress disorder or somatization disorder
- The effects of lavender oil inhalation on emotional states, autonomic nervous system, and brain electrical activity
- A single-blinded, randomized pilot study evaluating the aroma of Lavandula augustifolia as a treatment for mild insomnia
- [Effects of lavender aromatherapy on insomnia and depression in women college students]
- The Sleep-Enhancing Effect of Lavender Essential Oil in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
- An olfactory stimulus modifies nighttime sleep in young men and women
- Silexan, an orally administered Lavandula oil preparation, is effective in the treatment of 'subsyndromal' anxiety disorder: a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial
- How Strong is the Evidence for the Anxiolytic Efficacy of Lavender?: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
- Ambient odors of orange and lavender reduce anxiety and improve mood in a dental office
- The effects of lavender scent on dental patient anxiety levels: a cluster randomised-controlled trial
- Lavender bath oil reduces stress and crying and enhances sleep in very young infants
- Effect of aromatherapy massage on dysmenorrhea in Turkish students
- Effect of aromatherapy on the quality of sleep in ischemic heart disease patients hospitalized in intensive care units of heart hospitals of the Isfahan University of Medical Sciences
- A multi-center, double-blind, randomised study of the Lavender oil preparation Silexan in comparison to Lorazepam for generalized anxiety disorder
- Topical lavender oil for the treatment of recurrent aphthous ulceration
- Lavender essential oil in the treatment of migraine headache: a placebo-controlled clinical trial
- Randomized clinical trial of an ethanol extract of Ganoderma lucidum in men with lower urinary tract symptoms
- Effect of an extract of Ganoderma lucidum in men with lower urinary tract symptoms: a double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized and dose-ranging study
- A randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of a Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide extract in neurasthenia
- Study of potential cardioprotective effects of Ganoderma lucidum (Lingzhi): results of a controlled human intervention trial
- Ganoderma lucidum ("Lingzhi"), a Chinese medicinal mushroom: biomarker responses in a controlled human supplementation study
- Monitoring of immune responses to a herbal immuno-modulator in patients with advanced colorectal cancer
- Safety and tolerability of Ganoderma lucidum in healthy subjects: a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial
- Effects of ganopoly (a Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide extract) on the immune functions in advanced-stage cancer patients
- Ganoderma lucidum suppresses endothelial cell cytotoxicity and proteinuria in persistent proteinuric focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) nephrosis
- Effect of Ganoderma lucidum capsules on T lymphocyte subsets in football players on "living high-training low"
- A water-soluble extract from culture medium of Ganoderma lucidum mycelia suppresses the development of colorectal adenomas
- Spore Powder of Ganoderma lucidum Improves Cancer-Related Fatigue in Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Endocrine Therapy: A Pilot Clinical Trial
- A prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the platelet and global hemostatic effects of Ganoderma lucidum (Ling-Zhi) in healthy volunteers