St. John’s wort ...

[b_torrez]

Has anyone tried it ? And if so what are your thoughts? I have to return to work tomorrow and I am so riddled with crying and sadness that I almost want to throw in the towel I used to love my job I loved my life I feel just.. awful I know it’s going to be a struggle to get myself back but I really just want to give up.

[hypercat54]

Hi I haven't tried this so can't say if it works or not. I do know is generally only useful for mild depression. You have nothing to lose though so why not have a go,

If you are taking other meds it would be best to check this doesn't interfere with them by asking your doctor or your pharmacist. This can happen even with herbal medicines.x

[b_torrez in reply to hypercat54]

Thank you very much. I haven’t taken the celexa yet so I will post an update after taking sjw.

[hypercat54 in reply to b_torrez]

Please do. Good luck. x

[-scott-]

nccih.nih.gov/health/stjohn...

Here's a good looking article from the office of Health and Human Services.

I would say this is a place to start research. Even as a placebo it might be worth a try.

[fauxartist]

st. johns wort is not a good thing to use. I have been an herbalist for many many years and I will tell you it's very dangerous to use with antidepressants and many other prescription drugs, you can also have bad reactions with it.

Here is a very long long list:

Possible Interactions with: St. John's Wort

Interactions

St. John's wort interacts with a large number of medications. In most cases, St. John's wort decreases the effectiveness of the medication; in other cases, however, St. John's wort may increase the effects of a medication.

If you are currently being treated with any of the following medications, you should not use St. John's wort without first talking to your doctor:

Antidepressants -- St. John's wort may interact with medications used to treat depression or other mood disorders, including tricyclic antidepressants, SSRIs, and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). Taking St. John's wort with these medications tends to increase side effects, and could potentially lead to a dangerous condition called serotonin syndrome. Do not take St. John's wort with other antidepressants, including:

SSRIs: Citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluvoxamine (Luvox), paroxetine (Paxil), fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft)

Tricyclics: Amitriptyline (Elavil), nortriptyline (Pamelor), imipramine (Tofranil)

MAOIs: Phenelzine, (Nardil), tranylcypromine (Parnate)

Nefazodone (Serzone)

Allergy drugs (antihistamines) -- St. John's wort may reduce levels of these drugs in the body, making them less effective:

Loratadine (Claritin)

Cetirizine (Zyrtec)

Fexofenadine (Allegra)

Dextromethorphan (cough medicine) -- When taken at the same time as dextromethorphan, a cough suppressant found in many over-the-counter cough and cold medicines, St. John's wort can increase the risk of side effects, including serotonin syndrome.

Digoxin -- St. John's wort may decrease levels of the medication and reduce its effectiveness. Do not take St. John's wort if you take digoxin.

Drugs that suppress the immune system -- St. John's wort can reduce the effectiveness of these medications, taken after organ transplant or to control autoimmune diseases. In fact, there have been many reports of cyclosporin blood levels dropping in those with a heart or kidney transplant, even leading to rejection of the transplanted organ.

Adalimumab (Humira)

Azathioprine (Imuran)

Cyclosporine

Etanercept (Enbrel)

Methotrexate

Mycophenolate mofetil (CellCept)

Tacrolimus (Prograf)

Drugs to fight HIV -- St. John's wort appears to interact with at least two kinds of medications used to treat HIV and AIDS: protease inhibitors and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors. The Food and Drug Administration recommends that St. John's wort not be used with any type of antiretroviral medication used to treat HIV or AIDS.

Birth control pills -- There have been reports of breakthrough bleeding in women on birth control pills who were also taking St. John's wort, and it is possible that the herb might interfere with the effectiveness of birth control pills, leading to unplanned pregnancies.

Reserpine -- Based on animal studies, St. John's wort may interfere with reserpine's ability to treat high blood pressure.

Sedatives -- St. John's wort can increase the effect of drugs that have a sedating effect, including:

Anticonvulsants such as phenytoin (Dilantin) and valproic acid (Depakote)

Barbiturates

Benzodiazepines such as alprazolam (Xanax) and diazepam (Valium)

Drugs to treat insomnia, such as zolpidem (Ambien), zaleplon (Sonata), eszopiclone (Lunesta), and ramelteon (Rozerem)

Tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline (Elavil)

Alcohol

Theophylline -- St. John's wort can reduce levels of this medication in the blood. Theophylline is used to open the airways in those suffering from asthma, emphysema, or chronic bronchitis.

Triptans (used to treat migraines) -- St. John's wort can increase the risk of side effects, including serotonin syndrome, when taken with these medications:

Naratriptan (Amerge)

Rizatriptan (Maxalt)

Sumatriptan (Imitrex)

Zolmitriptan (Zomig)

Warfarin -- St. John's wort reduces the effectiveness of warfarin, an anticoagulant (blood-thinner).

Other drugs -- Because St. John's wort is broken down by certain liver enzymes, it may interact with other drugs that are broken down by the same enzymes. Those drugs may include:

Antifungal drugs, such as ketoconazole (Nizoral), itraconazole (Sporanox), fluconazole (Diflucan)

Statins (drugs taken to lower cholesterol)

Some calcium channel blockers (taken to lower blood pressure)

Drug Interactions

Warfarin

[b_torrez in reply to fauxartist]

Thank you so much for all the information. I am not on any of those EXCEPT some cough medicine over the counter for this stupid cold I have. I’ll think about my options

[_Denise_ in reply to fauxartist]

As an herbalist, is there anything you would recommend? Not just for depression but also anxiety/stress.

[fauxartist in reply to _Denise_]

yes, chamomile and lavender tea, and honey if you like, or also if you have teabags, make a bath and brew the tea in the bath, even a bit of sea salt as well. Mainly though a nice cup or two at night. there are also Valerian night time sleep tablet form you can get. Valerian is very bitter and kind of stinky, so the tablets would be better, plus you have to be very careful to regulate the amount used of Valerian, don't over do any herb, moderation is always the best.

[_Denise_]

Hang in there girl!! I dont know too much about you, but what I do know is impressive!! For you to be in the situation you are in and still getting up, still trying, still pushing is admirable. You have more strength than you know & youve clearly still got fight left in you.

Ill tell ya what.... Ill hold depression down, & you kick a man-size mudhole right in its ugly face! I know its scary, I know that bia hits HARD, (believe me I know) but I also believe that w help pert'near anything is possible. Ill keep fighting, if you keep fighting!!

[Unknownd]

Omg I can totally relate. I just started taking St John’s Wort last night based on my dad’s recommendation. He said it, along with b complex, has worked wonders for him. I know everyone’s experience with it will probably not be the same but I have decided to give it a shot to help me cope with work related anxiety as well. I’ll check in with you in another few days to let you know how it’s working.

[Unknownd in reply to Unknownd]

Sorry for not checking in sooner. Have been so busy. How have you been?

[hurtingheart1]

I worked a while in natural health food industry a while -it's so interesting and theres lots interesting info to learn on this, I tried St. John's wort actually some time ago -don't take any other medications so not an issue Im pretty sure it's safe in this case and only other issue was some extra sensitivity to the sun but it did kind of take the edge off the saddness the other thing that helps me is good quality fish oil and also b vitamin im still learning on this but it really does matter the type you take -the best quality and bio available I believe it's called- methylated? because some of the cheaper ones can actually be harmful to some people! Same with St.johns wort you want best quality standards! I also see that people are not 1size fits all each is so unique like our finger prints so we have to figure out what works for us but it's great to get helpful ideas and info. from everyone you can!

[hurtingheart1]

by the way if you do try it please let me/us know on here how it's working out I know herbs are not super quick or work overnight they take little time but can be perfect nudge for some people? Also I've read& heard you don't take St. John's wort continually it's something you take for maybe few weeks/month on then off couple then on again! do your research don't get to concerned unless as others mentioned you're taking other medications and or are very sensitive to sun? oh which reminds me also learned that many are lacking vitamin d3 do to not enough healthy sun exposure this can contribute to depression such as SAD seasonal affective disorder-especially in cold climates those indoors a lot! There's so much to discover& learn I've also heard about possible thyroid issues causing depression as well something to consider as well!