St. John's Wort

Question: Does anyone have any experience with taking St. John's Wort to relieve depression? I've read a few articles and they say that St. John's Wort can be used to relieve depression. I also noticed that fatigue and upset stomach were possible side effects. Has anyone taken this for depression? What was the outcome?

Answer: I tried it and noticed very little effect. You may have to take it over a period of time, or with cava cava tea (a relaxant) Melatonin and maybe try these combonations and give it a few weeks.

Question: Do you think there are any negative side effects of taking St. John's Wort vitamins? I've been taking St. John's Wort vitamins for a month now. I take one twice daily. It helps with a more positive mood balance because my mood has been down lately. The vitamins contain include gelatin but are purely St. John's Wort. They worked for a while but now my mood is going back to the way it was before I started taking them. Do you know if there are any negative side effects (like weight gain, causes cancer, etc.) ? Thank you.

Answer: The most common negative side effects include gastrointestinal upset, skin reactions, fatigue/sedation, restlessness or anxiety, sexual dysfunction (including impotence), dizziness, headache, and dry mouth. I have been taking St. John's wort for about two weeks now, and have had nausea, dizziness, and headaches. It also increases photosensitivity––so wear sunblock and sunglasses! I have also read that it may cause some physiological disorders such as bi-polar disease.

Question: Does anyone know anything about St. John's Wort? Does it really work for depression and anxiety? I just saw something on the internet about St. John's Wort for depression and I just wanted to know if it is really effective and how much it cost and can it be found at Walmart? Also Sam-e, does anyone know anything about that one?

Answer: No, it doesn't work as well as other medicines. I don't think it has approval from the FDA. You'll have better luck with SSRIs. Yes, you probably can buy it at Walmart. Tell your doctor if you decide to take it as it interacts with many prescription drugs. It probably costs about the same as a multi-vitamin. The multi-vitamin would probably be more effective.

Question: Can a tolerance be built up to St John's Wort? I want to take St John's Wort for my depression and anxiety, but I'm worried I will build up a tolerance to it and will end up having to take prescription drugs anyway. So, does it become less effective over time?

Answer: well i bought St Johns wort and it said on the packet i should only use it for up to six weeks....same thing with anti-depressants...you cant use them forever. what u can do is to improve your diet...eat healthier foods, it makes a big difference in your functioning.

Question: Is it safe or unsafe to take adderral and/or tranzene when I'm taking st. John's Wort (sp?)??? I take adderall (10 mg twice a day) for ADD and lo dose tranzene (3.75 mg 2-3 times per day) as needed for anxiety. I started taking St John's wort about three days ago with these meds because I have chronic depression but cannot tolerate side effects of any of the ssri's (I've tried at least ten meds for depression over the last 15 yrs). The SJW already seems to be helping my mood but I've been getting this weird sensation that feels like numb, tingly brain zaps. They come and go thru the day. It's the same feeling I got when I was withdrawing from effexor and others have described the same experience with effexor. Anyway, I asked my pharmacist and she said she didn't know about drug herb interactions which I find shocking since supplements and herbs are such a huge business, and isn't that her responsibility/job anyway???? : ( I would like to know if these zaps are from the SJW itself or if they're a result of mixing it with these two meds & is the mixture unsafe?Thanks Much..

Answer: That's something you'd be best to ask a pharmacist or doctor about... they both have access to a database of drug and supplement interactions. Of course, most pharmacists are more willing to take a few seconds to look than most doctors are ;-)

Question: does valarian roots or st. john's wort get rid of anxiety after a while or does it relieve it temporarily? i have anixety attacks everyday. i just bought valarian root pills and st. john's wort pills. if i continue to use them for a while will my anxiety go away forever or is the pills relieving it temporarily? if they do get rid of anxiety, how long will it take? also, how much and when should i take the pills?

Answer: i have tried both and both are only temporary, valerian root helped more than st. johns. i got tired of take narcotics for anxiety and gave those a try, less than a month later i was back on my meds by my doctors orders. if you are high anxiety you should talk to a doctor, its not the funnest thing in the world to be medicated but its better than suffering at some point, also anti-depressants can help to, depending on the person.

Question: I also need to know if St. John's Wort is available in the Dominican Republic? St. John's Wort is an alternative treatment for depression but is it available in the Dominican Republic? Please let me know as soon as possible!

Answer: Why wouldn't it be? They have stores. It may not be on every shelf but it is there.

Question: Is it really that bad to consume cheese, soy sauce, wine, etc. while taking St John's Wort? I read that you shouldn't, but is it really that harmful? I just started taking St. John's Wort and I'd really rather not cut all those things out of my diet...

Answer: The wine is not good for you because ethanol harms your liver and central nervous system. Soy sauce usually contains way too much salt to be good for you. Cheese is high calorie and can make you fat. The wine will also affect the way that St. John's Wort and any medication is transported in your body. In general St. John's Wort is a rather poor anti depressant because the concentration of the active ingredient is so low. If you have depression, you should see your physician. You need to get some serious help and you cannot do that by yourself. Seriously vigorous exercise can help with depression too.

Question: Does St John's Wort react badly with alcohol or cannabis? I was thinking about taking St John's Wort supplement and was wondering if this will cause a negative effect when drinking alcohol, either just one drink or when drinking more, or when using cannabis?

Answer: St John's wort is today most widely known as a herbal treatment for depression. In some countries, such as Germany, is commonly prescribed for mild depression, especially in children, adolescents, and where cost is a concern. Standardized extracts are generally available over the counter – however, in some countries (such as Ireland) a prescription is required. Extracts are usually in tablet or capsule form, and also in teabags and tinctures. Avoid alcohol consumption with St John's wort. It has been suggested that foods or substances that contain tyramine (present in some foods s.c. as wine, yogurt, cheese, ripe bananas, yeast, meat extracts, smoked or pickled meats) should be avoided.

Question: Is it safe or dangerous to take adderall and or tranzene with St John's wort??? I take adderall (10 mg twice a day) for ADD and lo dose tranzene (3.75 mg 2-3 times per day) as needed for anxiety. I started taking St John's wort about three days ago with these meds because I have chronic depression but cannot tolerate side effects of any of the ssri's (I've tried at least ten meds for depression over the last 15 yrs). The SJW already seems to be helping my mood but I've been getting this weird sensation that feels like numb, tingly brain zaps. They come and go thru the day. It's the same feeling I got when I was withdrawing from effexor and others have described the same experience with effexor. Anyway, I asked my pharmacist and she said she didn't know about drug herb interactions which I find shocking since supplements and herbs are such a huge business, and isn't that her responsibility/job anyway???? : ( I would like to know if these zaps are from the SJW itself or if they're a result of mixing it with these two meds & is the mixture unsafe?Thanks Much..

Answer: I would ask your pharmacist about possible drug interactions as well as taking herbal supplements such as St. John's Wort.

Question: Can St John's Wort (and other antidepressants) be taken with Lamictal? I've suffered depression a couple of times in the past and couldn't take antidepressants as I was on Phenytoin at the time. I've now been weened of of that drug and onto Lamictal instead. I know St John's Wort can be bought over the counter so is it safe for me to take? Sorry, I should have mentioned that Phenytoin and Lamictal are anticonvultants for epilepsy.

Answer: Don't ask us! Ask either 1) Your Doctor or 2) Your Pharmacist, who is going to be even more knowlegable about drug interactions than an MD. But don't ask people here. Probably not to many Pharmacists about. You could get in trouble if some doofus says "Oh, yeah, sure, I used tons of St. John's Wort with Lamictal and didn't hurt me none."

Question: Is it safe to put St. John's Wort and Ginkgo Biloba in tea? I put one capsule of St. John's Wort (uncapped powder) and Ginkgo Bilboba. I have been taking both for about two weeks now. I put splenda in my tea and I am wondering if it has any interactions with the tea/splenda?

Answer: probably not...why don't you try stevia as a sweetener instead. All you need is a few drops...and it is natural

Question: What is a good brand of St. John's Wort and/or fish oil for depression? I want to use natural depression remedies and want to buy them online but have no clue which to buy - there are so many brands!! Can you recommend some? Thanks!!

Answer: the best natural depression remedy I ever used was SAM-e. Its used to improve mood and joint pain. I have bad arthritis in my ankle from a bad break years ago as well as depression so I tried it for a few months. My mood was better than any prescription anti-depressant I'd used, everything literally seemed brighter. Unfortunately its expensive, about $30 for a month's supply. I had to go back on prescriptions mostly because of cost.

Question: How should I start off buying St. John's Wort? I've looked up different websites where you can buy St. John's Wort medicine, but I don't know how many milligrams to start out with? I've seen them at 300mg, 350mg, 900mg, 535 mg tablets, etc. What should I buy for my first time use?

Answer: You should start by finding something else to buy. St John's Wort does not do what the manufacturers claim, and can contribute to depression and other serious conditions. Since the manufacture of St John's Wort products is not regulated, there is no gaurantee that there is even any St John's in the supplement. The manufacturers have no reason not to hype the product...they want your money, and won't be fined for lying to you. Try Valerian, Catnip w/honey, or even (trust me here) tylenol instead.

Question: How long after a person starts taking St. John's Wort does it start to help with their depression? (That is, of course, presuming that it will work.)

Answer: About 6 weeks Try this for more info http://www.sjwinfo.org/

Question: How long to St. John's wort herbal supplement capsule take to kick in and what do they feel like? I found them in my pantry an thought id try them out if anyone has experience let me know they have 300 mg and .3 hypericin

Answer: They're supposed to have an anti-depressant like effect, but this is very weak and you may well feel nothing at all. Do check they have not expired.