Yerba mate alternative?

[Ansel]

Hi there, i really like some of the effects of yerba mate tea but i think it interferes with an SSRI medication i take so i find after an hour of good effects i fall asleep easily ie. pretty much just pass out, whatever time of day.

Is there any other teas out there that can give me a similar MAOI buzz, yet won't make me fall sleep so easily?

I enjoy black tea, Lapsang Souchong being nice... i like Assam too... but i've never bought these loose yet. Does green tea or oolong give a nice buzz feeling like yerba mate?

Thanks.

[Warden Andy]

Maybe try working with the effect and drink it an hour before bed.

I've noticed skullcap has a similar effect to yerba, though it doesn't have any caffeine.

[AlexZorach]

I think of skullcap as being more of a sedative than Yerba mate, so if you're concerned about falling asleep that might not be the best choice. But you could try it...each person reacts differently to different herbs.

The most similar herbs to Yerba mate are Guayusa (which you can get from a number of companies, Runa is the main source) and Yaupon (which is easy to grow, but hard to find commercially). I've never tried Yaupon but Guayusa has a similar effect to Yerba Mate. It may be too similar though.

In terms of tea, I'd look into greener, high-grown oolongs, like Taiwanese High Mountain Oolong. I'd also look into aged sheng Pu-erh. These are the two types of tea that come to mind as being most likely to produce the sort of feeling you're describing.

[Ansel]

Thanks, i tried some mate de coca which seems to be what i was looking for.