Anyone take St Johns Wort?

Marjayhan
Marjayhan Posts: 59 Member
edited November 28 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all, I bought some St Johns Wort as I have lost my mojo for most things in life and looking for a kind of pick me up,
where diet etc is not really making any impact. I can't take meds for depression as I'm sensitive to medication and suffer all the extreme side effects with them. So I ordered this St Johns Wort 300 mg quick release. I'm not on any medications at all atm. Just wondering if anyone has taken them before and found them effective? Cheers :smile:
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Replies

  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    After reading 20 years or so ago that St Johns Wort was prescribed in Germany for depression, I tried it, but didn't find it particularly effective. I may have read this exact article: https://www.nytimes.com/1997/09/09/science/in-germany-humble-herb-is-a-rival-to-prozac.html

    My mood is really affected by sunshine and exercise, or the lack thereof. It was so miserably hot this summer I hid inside for a lot of it, and this depressed my mood. We've had more moderate days recently, and getting back outside has perked me back up.

    Of all the pharmaceutical ADs I've tried (probably a half dozen), Wellbutrin is the only one that didn't give me negative side effects.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    edited September 2018
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    After reading 20 years or so ago that St Johns Wort was prescribed in Germany for depression, I tried it, but didn't find it particularly effective. I may have read this exact article: https://www.nytimes.com/1997/09/09/science/in-germany-humble-herb-is-a-rival-to-prozac.html

    My mood is really affected by sunshine and exercise, or the lack thereof. It was so miserably hot this summer I hid inside for a lot of it, and this depressed my mood. We've had more moderate days recently, and getting back outside has perked me back up.

    Of all the pharmaceutical ADs I've tried (probably a half dozen), Wellbutrin is the only one that didn't give me negative side effects.

    I had a similar experience. One thing about St. John's wort is that you should stay out of the sun while taking it because it causes a higher sensitivity to UV rays. I get my mood lifted more by sunshine than I ever did with the herb.

    ETA: Viibryd is the AD I ended up with. Effective for me and minimal side effects.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    earlnabby wrote: »
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    After reading 20 years or so ago that St Johns Wort was prescribed in Germany for depression, I tried it, but didn't find it particularly effective. I may have read this exact article: https://www.nytimes.com/1997/09/09/science/in-germany-humble-herb-is-a-rival-to-prozac.html

    My mood is really affected by sunshine and exercise, or the lack thereof. It was so miserably hot this summer I hid inside for a lot of it, and this depressed my mood. We've had more moderate days recently, and getting back outside has perked me back up.

    Of all the pharmaceutical ADs I've tried (probably a half dozen), Wellbutrin is the only one that didn't give me negative side effects.

    I had a similar experience. One thing about St. John's wort is that you should stay out of the sun while taking it because it causes a higher sensitivity to UV rays. I get my mood lifted more by sunshine than I ever did with the herb.

    ETA: Viibryd is the AD I ended up with. Effective for me and minimal side effects.

    Ah yes, good point about sun sensitivity - I'd forgotten about that!
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Marjayhan wrote: »
    Thanks for the replies, i'm not taking any medications for anything at all atm so im not worried on that aspect but theres also no threat from the sun either , as I live in Ireland and you know what they say about this place lol rain is second nature. i really need a boost of something . I fluctuate between feeling over whelmed for no reason to feeling tired and meh throughout the day. Trying to mask things by being smiley and enthusiastic on the outside to others but thats not how i feel on the inside, sadly.

    Are you getting regular exercise? I often have to force myself to start, but am always glad I did.

    I have a tough time in the afternoon if I didn't get any exercise at lunch, so doing that has become a routine.

    Also, what I eat at lunch effects me in the afternoon as well - I need a reasonable amount of protein and I have to avoid bread made from flour. (I'm fine with bread made from sprouted grains.)
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    Marjayhan wrote: »
    Thanks for the replies, i'm not taking any medications for anything at all atm so im not worried on that aspect but theres also no threat from the sun either , as I live in Ireland and you know what they say about this place lol rain is second nature. i really need a boost of something . I fluctuate between feeling over whelmed for no reason to feeling tired and meh throughout the day. Trying to mask things by being smiley and enthusiastic on the outside to others but thats not how i feel on the inside, sadly.

    I guess that, unless you see a reason why St. John's Wort may not be safe for you, it wouldn't hurt to try. Just go with a brand that has a good reputation. You might also want to consider talking to a therapist who can give you some strategies to deal with the overwhelmed feeling when it happens.

    BTW: I spent 2 weeks in Ireland and was ready for a lot of rain. In the entire 2 weeks it rained for a half day once and a full day once. Otherwise, the weather was beautiful. Loved visiting your country.
  • whitpauly
    whitpauly Posts: 1,483 Member
    I've used it in the past and it seemed to work ok for me,it can be a little stimulating tho so if you're prone to anxiety it's not a good supp to take,however that was just my experience everyone is different,try it but start with a small dose,keep us posted <3
  • Marjayhan
    Marjayhan Posts: 59 Member
    Yes i will start small, i'm gonna try. It can't hurt. I am prone to anxiety sometimes yea so thanks for the advice on that. I try to exercise but i suffer with back problems and swollen legs and ankles. But i do try to walk an hour at least a day any exertion , i will be in dire pain. I know it's not the same but better than nothing. But i do force myself to walk at least an hour outside. During the summer it was too humid i couldn't breathe. But now the country seems back to normal so i can start back up again.
  • aokoye
    aokoye Posts: 3,495 Member
    Marjayhan wrote: »
    Thanks for the replies, i'm not taking any medications for anything at all atm so im not worried on that aspect but theres also no threat from the sun either , as I live in Ireland and you know what they say about this place lol rain is second nature. i really need a boost of something . I fluctuate between feeling over whelmed for no reason to feeling tired and meh throughout the day. Trying to mask things by being smiley and enthusiastic on the outside to others but thats not how i feel on the inside, sadly.

    Are you seeing a therapist? While I'm very biased, I would try psychotherapy before St. John's Wort.
  • garber6th
    garber6th Posts: 1,890 Member
    I actually had a doctor recommend that I take it for PMS but I didn't really notice that it did anything for me.
  • vanmep
    vanmep Posts: 410 Member
    I take SJW related to travel anxiety. I suffer from heightened anxiety in the weeks prior to a trip and did not want to go on a regular anti-anxiety med as the anxiety is not bad the rest of the time. I find it helps to take the edge off - it helps me not to ruminate on negative things, it helps me to sleep and it helps
    Me maintain more calmly. My understanding is that I should not be taken long term though I can’t remember the reason why.

    Just a note that I recently started the couch to 5 k program. I have never been a runner before but I noticed a definite improvement in both my mood and my anxiety and I think I will continue running just for that purpose.
  • kami3006
    kami3006 Posts: 4,979 Member
    earlnabby wrote: »
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    After reading 20 years or so ago that St Johns Wort was prescribed in Germany for depression, I tried it, but didn't find it particularly effective. I may have read this exact article: https://www.nytimes.com/1997/09/09/science/in-germany-humble-herb-is-a-rival-to-prozac.html

    My mood is really affected by sunshine and exercise, or the lack thereof. It was so miserably hot this summer I hid inside for a lot of it, and this depressed my mood. We've had more moderate days recently, and getting back outside has perked me back up.

    Of all the pharmaceutical ADs I've tried (probably a half dozen), Wellbutrin is the only one that didn't give me negative side effects.

    I had a similar experience. One thing about St. John's wort is that you should stay out of the sun while taking it because it causes a higher sensitivity to UV rays. I get my mood lifted more by sunshine than I ever did with the herb.

    ETA: Viibryd is the AD I ended up with. Effective for me and minimal side effects.

    I'm another with a similar experience. Zoloft was what I landed on with no side effects. Since I started lifting and running several years ago, I've been able to cut it down to 50mg/day. The sun definitely helps too. Spending time in my pool this summer has been energizing.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Marjayhan wrote: »
    Yes i will start small, i'm gonna try. It can't hurt. I am prone to anxiety sometimes yea so thanks for the advice on that. I try to exercise but i suffer with back problems and swollen legs and ankles. But i do try to walk an hour at least a day any exertion , i will be in dire pain. I know it's not the same but better than nothing. But i do force myself to walk at least an hour outside. During the summer it was too humid i couldn't breathe. But now the country seems back to normal so i can start back up again.

    Don't knock walking! And an hour a day is great!
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
    It sounds like it's inconsistent as far as effectiveness, so you'll probably get anecdotes going both ways in this thread if anyone has taken it: https://nccih.nih.gov/health/stjohnswort/sjw-and-depression.htm

    I would let your doctor know if you do decide to take it even if you aren't taking medication right now, just in case you do get put on medicine in the future and forget to mention it, as it can interfere with the effectiveness of some medications.

    It can affect the effectiveness of oral contraceptives (render them less effective). Please be aware.
  • Marjayhan
    Marjayhan Posts: 59 Member
    Thanks for all the replies. I'm on day 2 but only taking one capsule when it recommends 1 capsule 3 times a day but i'm a bit wary. Maybe i will increase to 2 a day in a week or so. We don't really "do" therapy in this country, I can imagine it being expensive. I suppose I could go back to the docs and talk to him he's good. I don't want to be put on any SSRI's though cos i had them before (Paxil) and they made me go nuts lol
  • Kalex1975
    Kalex1975 Posts: 427 Member
    Examine.com has a write up on it. The headline...
    Hypericum Perforatum (St. John's Wort) is an anti-depressant herb that is commonly used for its neurological effects. While it appears effective, it is well known to adversely interact with a variety of pharmaceuticals.

    Lots more here: https://examine.com/supplements/hypericum-perforatum/
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    Other than hypomania (which is common if you have bipopar 2 and take an AD without a mood stabilizer) I have never really had any negative side effects with most ADs (I have tried quite a few)
  • Fuzzipeg
    Fuzzipeg Posts: 2,301 Member
    I wonder if I can raise the flag for the use of vit D. I don't have links at my finger tips to support the increasing understanding of its role in our health, now being thought to function more as a mineral than a vitamin. Here in the UK it is suggested we should take year round vit D because our position on the globe and we don't all spend enough time outside.

    All the very best.
  • kami3006
    kami3006 Posts: 4,979 Member
    My husband had extreme effects to SSRIs and cycled through several before being diagnosed as bipolar 2. Once he got on meds for that, no issues. Sometimes reactions to medications means the diagnosis is wrong.

    *not saying this is the case here...just some food for thought.
  • CarvedTones
    CarvedTones Posts: 2,340 Member
    Other than hypomania (which is common if you have bipopar 2 and take an AD without a mood stabilizer) I have never really had any negative side effects with most ADs (I have tried quite a few)

    Mood stabilizer (lamictal in my case) doesn't stop the ADs from triggering me. I was able to titrate wellbutrin to a level where it didn't do that but then it wasn't effective. Increasing the lamictal helped though. The depression sied of BP2 really sucks but for some reason they are a lot better at treating the euphoria.
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    edited September 2018
    kami3006 wrote: »
    My husband had extreme effects to SSRIs and cycled through several before being diagnosed as bipolar 2. Once he got on meds for that, no issues. Sometimes reactions to medications means the diagnosis is wrong.

    *not saying this is the case here...just some food for thought.

    That's how I got my bipolar 2 diagnosis. I would become hypomanic. It took many years to figure it out. I was told I was too "happy" to be depressed. Crazy as hypomania in response to antidepressants is a major sign of Bipolar 2.
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    Other than hypomania (which is common if you have bipopar 2 and take an AD without a mood stabilizer) I have never really had any negative side effects with most ADs (I have tried quite a few)

    Mood stabilizer (lamictal in my case) doesn't stop the ADs from triggering me. I was able to titrate wellbutrin to a level where it didn't do that but then it wasn't effective. Increasing the lamictal helped though. The depression sied of BP2 really sucks but for some reason they are a lot better at treating the euphoria.

    My current Dr (not a psych) refuses to give me a mood stabilizer at all unfortunately. I've tried so many ADs but the only time they don't cause hm is when the dose is so low it doesn't help. I was on an AD specifically for weight gain, appetite and nausea control (Mirtazipine) and it worked well for that but I couldn't handle the hm. I really wanted to stay on it so I started taling heavy duty sleeping pills to counteract the 1 hour of sleep a night I was getting but eventually has to go off of it. There's only 1 thing that helps my mood without hm but I'm not allowed to mention that here lol
  • You may find a D3 supplement to be better mood support than St. John's Wort...particularly since you live where there is not a lot of sunshine, and you are probably low if you don't already supplement.

    yeah I was going to tell op to have her vitamin D checked as that can make you feel like she is
  • Marjayhan
    Marjayhan Posts: 59 Member
    Other than hypomania (which is common if you have bipopar 2 and take an AD without a mood stabilizer) I have never really had any negative side effects with most ADs (I have tried quite a few)

    I wish i could take them, i bet it would help but the last time i tried i couldn't get past day 2, i had 50 panic attacks, vomited 13 times and was threatening to jump off a bridge. I had tried 2 different ones before i was scared shitless to ever try again.
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