St. John's Wort

Ralstonk2

Has anyone taken St. John's Wort for anxiety or depression? I have a lot going on right now and just need something to help stabilize my mood. I've been on anti-depressants before and will not go back on them again, so I want something more natural and that I can go get on my own. But I am also looking for opinions of people who have taken it! TIA!

FaithfulJewel

I used it for a while before being prescribed another AD (no longer on any medication).

The thing you have to watch with SJW is that, although it does work for some people, the doses are all over the place. If there's some way to find out what dose you should be taking (an informative website, for example) and you can find something that matches that, it may work for you.

Everyone is different, but I was always advised to use ADs, in any form, in conjunction with other methods. Hypnotherapy (even just to relax you if you're stressed etc), exercise, counselling, etc.

I can't actually remember what happened when I was on the SJW, but nor can I remember being on the other ADs, so I'm sorry I can't give more accurate, personal, advice. Good luck with it all.

venus_blue

Personally I have taken St John's Wort for mood and find it works relatively well for the moodiness and anxiety I felt around my TOM. One negative is that I spend a fair amount of time in the sun, and when I took St John's is the only time I suffered sunburn. Another is I seemed to become to accustomed to it, and it didn't seem to be as effective after a while.

That being said, herbal supplement blends or a combination of a couple of herbs, in my experience, work a bit better for overall mood than just St John's alone. Some to look for besides St John's are - L-theanine (a compound found in green tea that relives stress without a sedative effect), valerian (helps with sleep), lemon balm (great for anxiety), and kava kava (may be as effective as benzodiazepines and starts helping within a couple of doses).

Passion flower and chamomile teas can help you feel less anxious, are good if you need an extra boost of de-stressing after a particularly rough day.

I take tumeric for mild depression, it is said to be as effective as Prozac for mild to moderate depression. I can only say that it has been very helpful for me. And a plus has been that it has helped my mild knee pain too, due to the anti-inflammatory properties. I take the kind with black pepper included in the mix, it helps with absorption.

A combination approach may have better results in the long term. Do a little research and think about including some of these other herbs and supplements. Make sure you read up on side effects and such, because some are not for people with liver problems, others are dangerous for people with high blood pressure, etc. Also, eat fatty fish, or take fish oil supplements, omega-3 helps with anxiety and depression.

Good luck to you, I hope you find some relief. I know how difficult trying to live with anxiety and depression can be.

(I'm not a "certified" herbalist, but I have cultivated and used herbs for just about every purpose, have taken many classes and seminars on using herbs medicinally and have learned a great deal from herbalists I know.)

ETA: Almost forgot, some (myself included!) people find that upping their magnesium intake can help with depression symptoms. If you try this, take a magnesium supplement that does not include calcium and that does NOT say magnesium oxide on the label. You can eat foods that are rich in magnesium as well: bananas, beans, whole grains (like oats, quinoa and brown rice), lentils and spinach.

mank32

get out of here with that "turmeric for depression" business! are you kidding me? i knew about the anti-inflammatory properties, but not that one. looks like i need to hit the books again! :bigsmile:

tagged for the awesome, awesome notes. TYVM :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: