St St John's Wort

Question: Is Having Nightmares A Common Side Effect For People Taking St. John's Wort Supplements? I started taking st johns wort tablets four days ago and since then I never stopped having nightmares during sleep. Is this a common side effect? and does it go away? or should I stop taking them?

Answer: I would say yes,it's quite possible. St Johns Wart acts in the brain similur to most antidepressants,it keeps Serotonin(the brain chemical) in your brain longer to help you "feel better" so to speak...but like ANY antidepressant,I'm sure it could cause nightmares and other things/side effects. I would say stop the SJW if you think it's giving you issues,and instead try "5-HTP",it's available in most herb/vitamin isles,and it is also a Serotonin "helper",however is a bit different than SJW. It's about the same price too...good luck!

Question: St John's Wort make you last longer in bed? Does st john's wort make you last longer in bed? Im 19 and healthy, could i take st johns wort to last longer in bed? and what brand is a good brand for st johns wort, that i could find at the vitamin shoppe? thanks.

Answer: At 19 you don't need a drug to make you last longer, you need to practice control, so you don't come so fast, it takes time and practice - be patient ( never heard of st.johns doing this )

Question: How effective/safe has St. John's Wort been when combined with other prescription meds? Basically I would be most interested in finding out if St. John's Wort is a SSRI or MAO inhibitor type of acting herb...research has been widely split from what I was able to uncover, with most uncertain of it's mechanism of action. Any insightful answers with facts/studies would be greatly appreciated.

Answer: St. John's Wort is a mood stabilizer and should not be used with anti-depressants or anxiety medications. It should also not be taken with any medications which are contraindicated while taking anti-depressants or anxiety medications. Blessings,

Question: Who has used St. John Wort for treating anxiety or depression? Can you use it along with an anti-depressant? Has anyone replaced using an anti-depressant with St. John's Wort?

Answer: You must tell your doctor if you are taking it and they want to put you on an antidepressant. Its not advisable to be on an antidepressant and st john wort. St Johns wort is only advisable for minor depression. If you are very depressed you should see a doctor. Also it interferes with the contraceptive pill so should not be taken if you are taking the pill for contraception use.

Question: Does the antidepressant, St. John's Wort , start working in just a few days? Im in basketball and the playoffs are starting in a few days..so this is very important too me..when i become depressed Im not on top of my game..its like im too depressed to even try.. and I really need something to help me out.. so if St. John's Wort doesnt kick in within a couple of days is there any other over the counter antidepressants that will ??

Answer: No, I don't believe it does. But I think in as little as a week you will feel the effects. This "natural" remedy has multiple interactions you NEED to know about. But PLEASE DO NOT take other peoples medications. The needs you have are not worth The interactions or allergic reactions (which include death) you can have from someone Else's medication. Someone who is giving you their medication may even inadvertently give you the wrong medication! HOW WOULD YOU KNOW?! There has to be SIGNIFICANT research on any medication OR supplement OR even a natural remedy if you are to take it without a doctors advice. I have seen the outcome of these bad choices, that is why I am writing so much.DON'T FORGET THAT A PROPER SLEEPING SCHEDULE CAN WORK WONDERS. It takes 2 weeks to make up for 2 lost hrs of sleep, out of a normal schedule. I will add that reading the Psalms in the Holy Bible (Psalm 1, Psalm 119) can renew your mind in ways that are truly supernatural. IT IS God's living Word. I speak about that from experience! I am sure any pharmacist will answer any questions you may have about St. John's Wort. I you want to know more about S.J.W. here is more information for ya.... Be well~

Question: Is it ok to take L'carnitine, Q10 and St John's Wort? I am desperately trying to get on top of my fatigue and have changed my diet to a healthy nutritious one but read the above may help. I am already taking St Johns wort and unsure whether it is safe to take all? I am also consider Black Cohosh for menopause? Replies from people qualified to answer would be great. Thanks.

Answer: Carnitine is a good choice because carnitine is essential for fatty acid and amino acid oxidation, mitochondrial ATP generation and overall energy production. Be careful though. While Carnitine supports fat burning it can also increase glucogenesis- an undesirable effect, that could lead to an increase in blood sugar. To counteract this effect of Carnitine you should probably add about 1 mg of biotin per 500 mg of Carnitine (Biotin seems to inhibit some of the enzymes involved in glucogenesis) Q 10 is another good choice. This vitamin like substance is an energy co factor central to the generation of ATP in the mitochondria and a lipid phase antioxidant. Statin drugs are known to reduce Q Co 10. St. John's Wort doesn't seem to have the quality of research behind it that the above 2 nutrients posses, despite claims to the contrary. I don't know that this would do you much good. By the way, try to get a good high dose vitamin B complex. These generally assist energy production and coherent nerve functioning.

Question: Any side effects with taking ST.JOHN'S WORT? I have just started taking St. Johns Wort today actually since my mentor advised me to do so. Has anyone taken St. John's Wort and if so any side effects ? thanks a bunch !!

Answer: According to http://www.drugs.com/mtm/st-john-s-wort.html "Although uncommon, allergic reactions to St. John's wort have been reported. Stop taking St. John's wort and seek emergency medical attention if you experience symptoms of a serious allergic reaction including difficulty breathing; closing of your throat; swelling of your lips, tongue, or face; or hives. Other less serious side effects have been more frequently reported. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you experience * increased skin sensitivity to sunlight, * a rash, * a feeling of fullness in your stomach, or * constipation." Also, it lists interactions with a number of drugs (which is the main issue with St. John's Wort). Granted, the general rule of thumb with any supplement or prescription is that if you are taking any prescription or have any medical conditions, it's best to check with a doctor or pharmacist to see if any of those would interact with the new item before taking it. Good luck and I hope I helped!

Question: St John's Wort and 5HTP Tablets? I have bought some St John's Wort and 5HTP Tablets on the internet, they contain 200mg St Johns wort and 12.5mg 5HTP, it seems like a very low dose to me, I have had depression for 14 years and the SSRIs do not suit me. Do you think these herbal pills will work?

Answer: St. John's Wort is the antidepressant of choice in Germany. It works well for mild depression. It used to be, doctors thought St. John's Wort functioned like an MAOI, but this has pretty much been refuted. The general consensus is that it functions like an SSRI. Doctors recommend that you stop all other antidepressants (curtail under a doctor's care of course) for two weeks before starting St. John's Wort. 5 HTP acts to provide extra serotonin to the brain. The main concern with combining the two is possible serotonin syndrome. Familiarize yourself with those symptoms. Start with a low dose of 5HTP, and increase slowly. Since St. John's Wort helps the brain keep serotonin in the neural gaps, and 5HTP supplies additional serotonin other than from food (from protein), there is a possibility of serotonin flooding which if high enough can cause coma and death.

Question: How much St. John's Wort is safe to take? I am currently taking 900mg per day of St. John's Wort (three 300mg capsules, three times daily). I am having some moderate success treating depression with this. I am wondering if it is safe to try to increase the dosage to increase the beneficial effect. Can I safely increase this dosage, and if so, by how much?

Answer: No, My brother was oin the same medicine and he kept himself on the exact same dosage for about a year. H e asked a docter if he could raise the doasge he said no.

Question: Has anyone taken St John's Wort after tapering off of an SSRI? Has anyone taken St John's Wort after tapering off of an SSRI? How long did you wait? What was your experience?

Answer: St. John's Wort was for a long time believed to help depression but the latest scientific tests have proven that it has no effect. Don't let anybody tell you that there are natural cures for depression as they don't exist only what your psychiatrist can prescribe. I hope that your psychiatrist is weaning you off of your antidepressant as it is dangerous to do it alone. I hope that you will be okay>

Question: How do you prepare a tea with St. John's Wort capsules? I recently bought some St. John's wort capsules and the bottle said that the capsules could be opened and prepared as a tea as well. I was wondering how much water i should use and how many capsules per cup of water in order to make tea. I recently bought some St. John's wort capsules and the bottle said that the capsules could be opened and prepared as a tea as well. I was wondering how much water i should use and how many capsules per cup of water in order to make tea because the measurements are not specified on the bottle.

Answer: Empty the amounts stated on the packet. If it's 3 capsules a day then you empty 3 capsules a day and drink 3 teas.

Question: What would happen if you take an SSRI like Lexpro with St. John's Wort? I looked online, and found information that this combination should be avoided... but why? I know an SSRI should never be taken with an MAOI, but does that mean that St. John's Wort is a naturally occuring MAOI? Or is the warnings against combining the two anything to do with seratonin syndrome? ie: Would St. John's cause a boost in seratonin, and the SSRI prevent its reabsorbtion?

Answer: The real worry is that taking a naturally occurring serotonin enhancer such as St. John's Wort or MOOD-care with an SSRI antidepressant can cause too much serotonin. This could lead to a manic episode in people with Bipolar Disorder or simply an excess of serotonin in previously depressed people. It is important to have a good balance between all the neurotransmitters.

Question: Forms of St. John's Wort and Ortho Evra Birth Control Patch??? Needing to know any information about forms of St. John's Wort....does anyone know any forms of St. johns Wort.....I have been taking diet patches the past month....and they do not say in the ingredients that they contain St. John's Wort but, are there different names for it? PLEASE HELP ME!!! I NEED TO KNOW IF THE DIET PATCHES ARE CAUSING MY BIRTH CONTROL PATCHES TO BE INEFFECTIVE!!!!!!!! I did ask the nurse at the Dr.'s office if it was ok to take the diet patch with the birth control and she said she didn't see why not and that a lot of times they just add that warning, for people that take blood pressure medicine or have heart trouble....I am basically needing to know if the ingredients in the diet patches can have any effect on the Ortho Evra patch....the diet patches do NOT say that they contain St. John's Wort......the reason why I ask this question is because I started spotting or lightly bleeding last Monday that lasted until Saturday, while I was still on my week 3 patch...I wasn't supposed to take it off until this past Saturday....I took it off and I still have not started my "usual flow " period....I am wondering now if my birth control could have been affected by the ingredients in the diet patches...and if so If I could be pregnant....I already have a 1 year old son....and I never had these symptoms with him so I am clueless and to what is wrong with me!

Answer: St Johns wort is used for an antidepressant and for dieting. Anytime you use something over the counter you need to talk to your doctor or pharmacist to be sure it is ok to use the product with whatever meds you already take such as the birth control patch. If you are having problems contact the doc and get his opinion. This is one of the main reasons you constantly hear the warning not to start taking supplements or other products without first checking with your doctor to be sure it is ok to use with your current medication.

Question: How effective is St. John's Wort in dealing with depression? After months of trying 4 different drugs, I am giving up...I have decided to stick with therapy along with exercise. However, I have heard that St. John's Wort is supposed to be helpful, Is this true?

Answer: Yea, there is something to it, but probably not as effective as pharmaceuticals. It works on your brain similarly to an MAOI. So if any of the drugs you tried were MAOI's, it's not likely to work. If you haven't tried that class of antidepressants, it may be worth a go. Just know that there are dietary restrictions that you have to follow when you take it. You have to stick to a low tyramine diet. Here's webmd's article about it: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/maois/HQ01575 I've had a couple patients come in (when I was working at the hospital) who were having heart palpitations, heart was racing, etc. who turned out to be taking St. John's wort and drank a bunch of beer. It can make your blood pressure soar. I took a medication a few years ago that wasn't an antidepressant, but was an Maoi and had the same restrictions and I tried it (dumb, I know, but in the spirit of full disclosure) and it did nothing. It doesn't have that effect on everyone, but some people do react like that so just be aware. Also, another thing you might try is gluten free. I had terrible depression and anxiety for years and it worked in less than a week on me. Apparently gluten intolerance has all kinds of crazy symptoms. Depression is one. I would definitely try it at least once in your life. I haven't been depressed or anxious in about a year. Let me know if you have any other questions! edit: here's another link to an article about it. Strange placement of this article under atheist, but whatever. I found it to be accurate and informative: http://atheism.about.com/library/glossary/paranormal/bldef_stjohnswort.htm

Question: Can anyone tell me about personal experiences using St. John's wort for anxiety/cognitive inflexibility? I am always anxious and obsessively/negatively thinking about something, to the point where I can't think clearly or see my options. I have OCD and panic disorder as well as a specific phobia that interferes with my life. Should I start with St. John's wort, or would you recommend Prozac or some other medication? Also, how long did St. John's wort take to work for you? To what extent did it improve your mindset?

Answer: I suspect strongly that I have OCD. I THOUGHT that I also had depression, so I took St. John's wort and this helped calm me down almost immediatley, for the full benefits, it took about two months and I was doing very well in the depression department. BUT it did NOTHING for my anxiety, I was on it four months and by the end of the fourth month, all I did was visit WebMB and diagnose myself with all kinds of deadly diseases and I was completely consumed by anxiety by that time, so much that it;s benefits for depression were obsolete becasue I was so freaking anxious that I was getting depressed. I saw the dr. and she gave me Buspar and klonopin to take as needed. Klonopin helps so much, I am still waiting for the Buspar to kick in, though I know it isn't going to help me much because it is useless for OCD. The proven methods to treat OCD are SSRI's like Zoloft, Paxil, Lexapro, etc. And that is the route I would suggest. The SJW made me a more positive person and DID help a bit with unwanted thoughts, but it made my general anxiety shoot through the roof, I had to stop taking it. Good luck, I would NOT recommend SJW for anxiety, it didn't do crap for mine. Get on an SSRI and ask for xanax or klonopin to help you deal with the initial side effects of the SSRI because they can seriously increase anxiety at first.

Question: Citalopram and St John's Wort? I have been prescibed Citalopram 10 mg once a day, starting today, I have been taking st john's wort for 2 weeks, took my last one last night. Is there a big risk with this? I wont take any more st johns wort again, im just worrried

Answer: The usual starting dose for Citalopram is 20 mg, and people can eventually go as high as 60 mg. So 10 mg is a very small dose. Also keep in mind that Citalopram and these kinds of meds (SSRIs, like Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, etc.) usually take about 3 to 5 weeks to start to have any positive effect. Probably you did not experience much from St. John's Wort yet since it also takes 3 to 4 weeks to kick in. So there is almost nothing to worry about. If you are still concerned, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. A phamacist has almost as much medical training as a regular doctor. Be well.