[Coleus]

L-tryptophan, an amino acid, was used for years for mild to moderate depression.  The FDA took tryptophan off the market when the SSRIs were developed and started to be prescribed by physicians.  The Japanese made tryptophan and bypassed certain manufacturing procedures which led to the impurities in the pills.  It was the impurities in the pills and not the tryptophan which caused the eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome.

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Serotonin is made from tryptophan, an amino acid. If depression is caused by lack of serotonin, rather than insensitivity to it, SSRIs alone will not work well, whereas supplementing with tryptophan will. In 1989, the FDA made tryptophan available by prescription only, in response to an outbreak of eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome caused by impure L-tryptophan supplements sold over-the-counter. As the production error responsible for the contamination would have been easily correctable, some critics have suggested that this appears to have been done to make money for the manufacturers of SSRIs. Pharmaceutical grade L-tryptophan is currently available over the counter in the U.S.

[Coleus]

Health Experts Warn of Antidepressant Dangers for Children, Teens

[aimhigh]

It is logical that suicide would be more common with people taking anti-depressants. They are already in a mental struggle. Since no pill works on everyone, those it doesn't work on lose hope and go Oregon (the suicide state.)