St John's Wort Pills

Question: How much of St. John's Wort pills should I take?

Answer: Firstly, it will take weeks to notice any effects if they do in fact occur. Secondly, and most importantly, St. Johns Wort interacts with a myriad of common drugs such as: oral contraceptives, benzodiazepines, antidepressants (TCA's and SSRI's), pain meds, digoxin, seizure meds, and the list keeps growing.

Question: What would happen if i took 5 pills of St. John's Wort Mood Enhancer? here's a link: http://www.epinions.com/reviews/CVS_Pharmacy_St_John_s_Wort_300mg_Mood_Enhancer

Answer: St. Johns Wort works, but I heard in some studies that at high dosage it can have some serious adverse side effects. So, be careful. There are other products that you can try, one in particular is Neuro Unwind R4 (www.neurounwind.com) . I heard great reviews. I use it before going to bed as it helps me with insomnia related to anxiety. I love the formula overall.Make sure you research the ingredients though. Some of the popular ingredients for enhancing mood are: GABA (Amino Acid which is naturally existing in your brain), L-Theanine (Amino Acid, extract of green tea , not only it is a relaxer and mood enhancer but also has some antioxidant benefits as well), Phosphatidylserine (an important phospholipid with many benefits and a lot of research behind it, it has been shown to reduce Cortisol levels which are your stress hormones thus helping reduce stress and anxiety), SAMe and 5-HTP have anti-depressant properties as well. Good Luck

Question: Depression, St. John's Wort, and BC pills? I had a mild case of depression, and have been taking 30mg/day of Cymbalta for two months. I have also been taking Orthotricyclen for almost five years. I would like to stop taking the Cymbalta, and try a more natural way of treating the depression, such as St. John's Wort. I have heard that St. John's Wort interacts with birth control pills, but I don't know how exactly. Does anyone have any advice/experiences with St. John's wort and bc pills?

Answer: Depending on how old you are and what you have exactly... You could try Sam-e. NOTE! • People with bipolar disorder should avoid SAM-e because it may bring on manic episodes. It’s not a good idea to use SAM-e to treat any form of severe depression. It can interact with anti-depressants. It is all natural and contains things that your body produces on its own anyway just less as you get older... It is in the Vitamin asile of your local pharmacy. Over the counter... No script needed! It is a fantastic product and a lot cheaper than cymbalta Even with Insurance! Your co pay is probably double what Sam-e costs... It is also great for Liver and joint health as mental health issues often come from starving or deprived internal organs... You would be surprised what a fatty liver can cause!

Question: I know it sounds crazy but I just took 3 St. John's Wort pills today, and I already feel better...? Is this normal? or am i just imagining it? What is placebo effect?

Answer: You are definitely psyching yourself into feeling better, which isn't a bad thing. St. John's Wort will, overtime, supposedly increase serotonin in your brain. This takes more than just a day. But enjoy yourself if you're feeling better! More power to you!

Question: Are there alternate ways of taking St. John's Wort than the pills? I can't swallow pills.

Answer: you can make a tea,or go to a health food store and get it in a tincture

Question: Something similar to St. John's Wort that won't effect my birth control pills? I'd really like to take a mood enhancing supplement but I know that St. John's Wort isn't recommended for those taking birth control pills. Is there anything else I could take that wouldn't effect my pills?

Answer: I take SAMe for joint pain. It helped me kick my cigarette habit, too. It has improved my mood and my ability to cope. Please, get the advice of your doctor ... I have done a great deal of research on SAMe and have read nothing about it impacting birth control ... I know you should take extra B complex vitamins when taking SAMe.... I am not a medical expert... just a "happy" user.... :) so check with your doctor!

Question: St John's Wort does it really work? Is there any other happy pills I can take not prescribed? I want to get out of my feeling of emptiness.

Answer: Someone else did say to be careful with the side effects-- this was the biggest for me. It interacts with hormonal birth control, so be very careful! The thing I suggest the MOST is a supplement called 5-htp, which is found anywhere you would find St. John's Wort. The difference is that this natural supplement is a precursor to seratonin, so it elevates your brain's production of it on it's own. 5-htp is cheap, and more standardized. It also is so much more reliable, and fast acting. Good luck!

Question: I took two pills of St John's Wort for the first time as prescribed, i didn't even take the other four that I was supposed to take during the day. I took the two at breakfast time. But my question is that by 4 pm I felt like I crashed! I felt the worst fatigue in the world, I was totally depressed, i actually couldnt leave work because I felt soooo extremely tired and the fatigue was unbearable. I took the pills to ease my depression but with only two pills I felt I was worst that i have ever been, is this normal? is this how it is at the beggining??? Or really maybe is not working for me??? I didnt take anything today and feel more normal..

Answer: yes it hasnt built up in your system yet. What you may need to do though is begin slowly. Like take one in the morning, and then one in the afternoon for a few weeks then you can increase if needed. As you took it all at one time . If you dont have any of it in your system. Then it's effects arent fully working for you yet. There are things you can take with it. Like at night take a valerian tablet, or a melatonin to sleep. Use tension tamer teas, or ginseng for a boost. Like a bottle of tea during the day with ginseng in it. Eat balanced meals, and drink enough during the day. To be sure that your body doesnt ight against you while trying to get better. Often when we are beginning something new or a new routine. We feel strange or uncomfortable. You just have to give it time.

Question: Open St. John's Wort 300mg pill and pour inside in hot water, like tea? I have some St. John's Wort, 300mg pills (Spring Valley brand), and I was wondering if I could open up the pill and pour the inside of the pill into a cup of hot water (like tea), add some Splenda, and drink it that way?

Answer: Yes, you can, assuming it is a capsule and the contents are pure herb. After the tea has steeped 5 minutes, you may want to strain it through a coffee filter. However, Spring Valley may have diluted the herb with a filler, like magnesium stearate. Read the label. Most gelatin capsules will hold 500 mg of powder and they fill the rest up with rice powder, etc. Next time, if you want the herb in a tea, buy Alvita or some other reputable brand of tea from your health food store.

Question: How quickly does St. John's Wort work? I am just wondering, how quickly does a pill of St. John's Wort take to kick in after you take it? I took a pill with my lunch an hour ago and I'm not sure if the pill is working or if I'm just having a nice and stress-free day. Does it work about as quickly as pain relievers do? 20-30 minutes?

Answer: You are expecting miracles. Perhaps you really are having a 'nice and stress-free day. I think that is the answer as... How quickly does St John's wort work? Like prescription antidepressants, it takes 2-4 weeks for the effect of St John's wort to build up fully. I hope your days remain stress free.

Question: Does St John's Wort interact with Vitex? Hi I take Vitex pills 2 X a day (morning & night) and St John's Wort pills 3 X a day (morning, afternoon, and night). I wanted to know if St John's Wort interacts with Vitex in any way or lessen its effects? thanks

Answer: Google had a massive list of possible interactions betwixt Vitex and prescription meds. You can check below if you're interested. http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rlz=1T4GGLL_enUS336US336&q=vitex+interactions&btnG=Search&aq=f&aqi=g1&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai= On the other hand, google mentioned nearly zero interactions betwixt Vitex and herbs (like St. John's wort) and natural supplements. Check out http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GGLL_enUS336US336&q=vitex and http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GGLL_enUS336US336&q=vitex+st.+john%27s+wort So my non-medical conclusion is that Vitex and SJW would have little or no interaction. Of course, consult with a doctor, nutritionist or other health professional if you want to be sure.

Question: Anyone ever gotten pregnant while taking the pill and St. John's Wort at the same time? I've read great thing's about St. John's Wort and it's treatment of depression. However, I've been reading up on its interaction with oral contraceptives.(it's briefly mentioned in the literature included with the pill) Apparently it ups the function of your liver and the hormones don't stay in your system long enough. A reputable study found that this didn't make women ovulate more often, but increased the risk of breakthrough bleeding, and a very small percentage of women could become pregnant. Anyone ever get pregnant or know anyone who got pregnant while taking the two? Is it worth the risk? Don't get me wrong, if I realize there is ALWAYS a risk of pregnancy and I accept that but is it worth increasing that risk?

Answer: Not that I have ever been aware of.

Question: Can I take St. John's Wort and sleeping pills? I just started taking SJW 2 days ago. I have insomnia so I take Tylenol PM. Can I continue to take the Tpm along with the SJW? Anyone know if it is dangerous? I can;t find any information that says that it is. Thanks.

Answer: Not sure about that, however taking Tylenol PM has acetaminophen in it which is for pain and in high quantities on an every day basis is bad for your liver and kidneys. Tylenol does make another sleep aid called Simply Sleep which is the same as Tylenol PM without the acetaminophen in it.

Question: Open a St. John's Wort 300mg pill and put into hot water, like tea? I have some St. John's Wort, 300mg pills (Spring Valley brand), and I was wondering if I could open up the pill and pour the inside of the pill into a cup of hot water (like tea), add some Splenda, and drink it that way? @Doctor Rosen: I'm a man, thanks.

Answer: You'll probably destroy any active ingredients, so no.

Question: st. john's wort? i took 2 st. john's wort pills last night and couldn't sleep, my heart was beating fast . has this happened to anyone else. i think it is because i took 2.

Answer: My daughter took St.John's Wort for years, and so have I. I have never had the reaction you seem to have had, but that doesn't mean YOU didn't. Everyone reacts to herbals differently, and if you are taking any other meds or herbals, that could have something to do with it, too. Cut back to just one capsule, and try again tonight. If you have the same heart palpitations, don't take it again without consulting your doctor.

Question: St. John's Wort 300mg pill tea? I have some St. John's Wort, 300mg pills (Spring Valley brand), and I was wondering if I could open up the pill and pour the inside of the pill into a cup of hot water (like tea), add some Splenda, and drink it that way? @ julieann: Okay, hon, St. John's Wort isn't used for warts, it's a natural medicine used for mood health... It's just called St. John's Wort.

Answer: I've done it before. It doesn't taste all that good, so there's really no point. Better to just take the capsules.