St. John Wort

[jaxnbreeze]

Due to the stress I have under for past two years I am beginning to feel depresssed. I don't want to take NHS meds. so was wondering if it is OK to take St. Johns Wort. I take 75 levo. a day. Thanks. Jax

[Marz]

I understand B12 and VitD levels are also important in low mood - how are yours ? It would be good if something simple could help.... Sorry do not know anything about St Johns Wort in its role with depression...

[humanbean]

I take 5-HTP - 50mg per day taken about an hour before bed - available over the counter at supplement shops or online, without prescription. Works brilliantly. Go and look at the reviews on Amazon and do your own research. Bear in mind that it must not be taken with other anti-depressants. This is true for any anti-depressant - they must never be mixed, whether they come with or without a prescription.

[Hidden]

I may be wrong but I think you have to be careful what you take with St Johns wort. I know you cant take pain killers and antibiotics with it. Best do some research into it first. I know that B vits are good for low mood and a family member who has clinical depression and has taken many different meds for it but now takes a multi vit for men and is much more stable with no side effects on this than the prescribed meds which he no longer takes. Hope this helps. Gentle hugs Joolz.x

[Spareribs in reply to Hidden]

Yes I agree, you do have to be careful with St Johns Wort (hypericum) it can mess with heart rate for instance.

Sometimes I wonder if people remember/realise that herbal remedies were often analysed to produce patented drugs? J

[jaxnbreeze in reply to Spareribs]

Thanks to everyone for your helpful replies. I have booked an appointment to see a consultant herbalist, allery consultant and biochemist who also specializes in nutritional therapy, aroma therapy. He is highly recommended and I am looking forward to my visit. Best wishes, Jax.

[helen0701]

St johns wort cannot be taken with underactive thyroid, it may not be written on the box but I found it on the information leaflet

[jaxnbreeze]

Thanks everyone for the information. I have had a blood test in the last few weeks and everything was fine. I know exactly why I am feeling a bit blue as I have kept going for a long time through grief, worry and illness but it has finally caught up with me. I will give 5HTP a try. Thanks again Jax

[Hidden in reply to jaxnbreeze]

Jax, what do you mean by "everything was fine"? Are your thyroid levels optimal? I only ask, because T3 is occasionally used as an anti-depressant (one that can work wonders!). My rather cynical take on that is that depression in someone who responds well to T3 meds may very well have been due to underactive thyroid problems rather than as a result of endless stress and anxiety.

Don't be too quick to rule out undermedication as a cause for feeling blue. We all go through horribly stressful periods but many can deal with them if they don't have thyroid problems. Those of us who do often seem to suffer rather more!

Incidentally, I think you're right to steer clear of prescribed antiDs. Many of them reduce thyroid function even further, especially fluorine containing meds like Prozac (fluoextine).

[jaxnbreeze]

Thank you for your reply Lillymay - I had a a complete check incl. T3 and everything is well within range. With regards to dealing with stress we all have our limits - hypo. or not and believe me the stress I have been under has been MASSIVE and unrelenting and my euthyroid friends are amazed at how I have coped. So perhaps I am entitled to feel a bit sad at the moment. Far better to admit it I think than to try and soldier on.

[Hidden in reply to jaxnbreeze]

Oh--I didn't mean you weren't entitled to feel low. I'm really sorry if it came across that that way and I hope things calm down soon. I simply meant that being hypothyroid can make it even harder than usual to cope.

It's just you've referred to things being within range--and being within range is often not enough. To feel well many people need their TSH to be below 1.0 and their FT4 and FT3 to be nearer the top of the range, rather than simply "in the range". Of course, I realise that might be what you meant anyway, but just wanted you to know there was a small possibility that an increase in medication might help more than any "happy pills". xx

[Hypopotamus]

Meditation can help. But I would strongly recommend finding somebody to help you learn rather than trying it on your own.

[jaxnbreeze]

Thanks Hypotomus - I have meditated and praticed yoga for years, I also practice level 2 reiki and I agree they do help. At the moment I am grieving for my Mum who died holding my hand earlier this year aged 93. Her passing was very fraught esp. as it closely followed my husband's diagnosis for cancer and my own major op. This was followed by other deaths of family and friends and my son's marriage breakdown plus the ending of my much-loved job. 'Phew it's been a bit mad to say the least!

[greygoose]

I have never taken St John's Wort but was recently involved in a rather heated discussion on the subject which came to no conclusions! lol Except that some people said it made them feel ill, and some said it helped them sleep. But here are the links that people posted :

ehow.com/how_2119658_use-st...

medscape.com/viewarticle/43...

rxlist.com/st_johns_wort/su...

Hope this helps.

Hugs, Grey