Hi. I've started taking St. John's wort. Anyone else taking this pls ?

[trisha1234]

[Binky1]

Hi trisha and nice to meet you

I took St. John's wort quite a few years ago when I had post natal depression, I didn't want to take meds with side effects

I must say that it really helped to lift the black cloud that follows us about .. I had no side effects at all and overall I thought it was great

Hope this helps

Best wishes

Lesley xx

[trisha1234]

Hi Binky

I've had it 2 days now. I feel really down and anxious

How long will it take to work ?

Thanks for replying

Xx

[TheEssexPrincess1994]

I have been taking it recently but I have had to stop on the recommendation of a member of staff at college as everytime I have taken it, I have thrown up so I haven't had the tablet since last Friday and according to what my line manager says, it's supposed to take up to 6 weeks before you feel any different

xx

[trisha1234]

Hi.

Sorry to hear that I hope it works for me. At the moment I feel dreadfully low anxious and just don't no what to do ? Xx

[oxytic]

Hi there trisha 1234 I don't take the St. John's wort . But I do know that St. John's wort interacts with hormonal contraceptives, It reduces the effectiveness of the contraceptives and increases risk of unplanned pregnancy .you can find out more on Google i.e. St. Johns wort Hope things pick up for you all the very best ...Eric

[trisha1234]

Hi Eric

Thankyou for your advice. It won't affect me that way just hope it helps me with my depression and anxiety x

[gardengnome]

i know it is very popular in germany, though from what i've read the docs in the u.k. disapprove as it might be difficult to get a standard dose in each tablet. It is supposed to work like ssri anti-depressants,---- so the two can't be used at the same time. The main thing i think is to stick to the official dose, Including a useful link, the references cited at the end might be useful to track down.patient.co.uk/doctor/st-joh...

[WantToChange]

Be careful with this stuff as it can have actually have side effects!

I remember my dad took it and it made him even more depressed.

As for it not having an effect after two days, give it some time as it is a herbal remedy and will take to build up in your system! It may even take longer than anti-depressant drugs.

I recommend that you keep an eye on your symptoms and stop taking it if you notice anything harsh (like the person who already mentioned it was making them vomit). Lastly, don't expect it to be miracle worker. Medications are designed to help us cope with mental ill health, they are not a cure.

[trisha1234 in reply to WantToChange]

Yes. Well I'm feeling more depressed but I'm willing to give it a few weeks

[WantToChange in reply to trisha1234]

I support that. Please be careful while taking it, that's just my view from experience. Take care

[Gambit62]

If I remember correctly one side effect to watch out for is skin sensitivity to sunlight - but I think that is a relatively rare one.

Took it years ago - think it helped a little but was put on SSRIs so had to stop it and never went back even after I stopped taking the SSRI

Hope it works for you.

[trisha1234 in reply to Gambit62]

Thanks

I no about that and will keep a check

[Hidden]

Hi you need to make sure you tell your doctor what you are taking as I have heard it can interfere with quite a few meds. x

[AnnaEvelyn]

Hey Trisha, I've had Depression for a couple of years and work at Holland and Barretts for a couple of months, if you are on any medication for depression then DO NOT take St. Johns Wort as it can really interfere! It can help with moods but if you have depression that needs meds then go to your GP, fill out the questionnaire (is it the IAPT or whatever? I can't quite remember) and they'll put you on what you need to be on, but St. John's Wort (along with a lot of sleeping pills) shouldn't be taken with antidepressants or beta blockers, as it can interfere and actually have an adverse effect. I hope this helps and I hope things get better!