Is ST Johns Wort worth it?

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GlitterAway101
GlitterAway101 Posts: 24
in Motivation and Support
Hey guys im going thru alot right now because of my eating disorder and having depressions :-( i dont want to take antindepressants my doctor prescribed me serotonin 10 mg but Inreally dont want tontake that and gain weight its just too much anxiety.I heard about St Johns Wort and planning to buy it Im 18 years old so is there a certain amount of dosage I should take? Whatbgood brands are there?! Thank you.

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  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
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    Listen to you doctor and get into therapy!
  • iluvmpiche
    iluvmpiche Posts: 23
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    Don't know what to tell you. Some people react to natural remedies better than what's currently on the market in terms of medicine. Some are the opposite. You should discuss it with your doctor or seek out a homeopathic doctor.

    If you have these mental issues, you shouldn't be putting yourself at risk by consuming things you aren't sure about. I really suggest talking to a professional.

    I personally never take meds unless I have an allergic reaction. I have extremely bad anxiety and take various herbs that work FOR ME. I never tried St. John's Wort, but I do take valerian root and chamomile to calm myself down.

    Keep in mind that getting into healthy eating and exercise is a HUGE part of your mental health. Taking care of yourself will aid in dealing with depression in a lot of cases.
  • nomeejerome
    nomeejerome Posts: 2,616 Member
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    It is not a good idea to stop medications without consulting with your doctor. You are reporting dealing with an eating disorder and other related issues, you need to continue speaking with your doctor and other professionals. In addition, mixing supplements with medication is a bad idea and has the potential for harm. Go back to the doctor.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
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    Hey guys im going thru alot right now because of my eating disorder and having depressions :-( i dont want to take antindepressants my doctor prescribed me serotonin 10 mg but Inreally dont want tontake that and gain weight its just too much anxiety.I heard about St Johns Wort and planning to buy it Im 18 years old so is there a certain amount of dosage I should take? Whatbgood brands are there?! Thank you.
    St Johns Wort can react with many things before you try it I would speak to your Doctor about this.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    Here's a good link for the studies that have been done:

    http://nccam.nih.gov/health/stjohnswort/sjw-and-depression.htm


    Some people have found that St. John's Wort works much better than prescriptions. If you are able to find a counselor or therapist, that would help a lot. Let them know how you feel about anti-depressants. I had a counselor recommend antidepressants for me, and I found that they did more harm than good. They do seem to help some people, but they are not for me. I prefer herbs.

    I also have been working on "healthy coping mechanisms," such as going for a walk and listening to my favorite music or engrossing myself in comedies.

    Also, when I get depressed, I remind myself that i am in charge of how I feel, and I choose happiness, then work to try to get there. Laughing helps a lot.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    It is not a good idea to stop medications without consulting with your doctor. You are reporting dealing with an eating disorder and other related issues, you need to continue speaking with your doctor and other professionals. In addition, mixing supplements with medication is a bad idea and has the potential for harm. Go back to the doctor.

    The OP indicates that she wasn't going to take the meds that were prescribed. I could be wrong, but I interpreted it as, "I've not started taking them."

    But yes, if you have been on any antidepressants for more than two weeks, you will want to ween off. Some can be very detrimental to your brain chemistry if you abruptly quit taking them.
  • nomeejerome
    nomeejerome Posts: 2,616 Member
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    It is not a good idea to stop medications without consulting with your doctor. You are reporting dealing with an eating disorder and other related issues, you need to continue speaking with your doctor and other professionals. In addition, mixing supplements with medication is a bad idea and has the potential for harm. Go back to the doctor.

    The OP indicates that she wasn't going to take the meds that were prescribed. I could be wrong, but I interpreted it as, "I've not started taking them."

    But yes, if you have been on any antidepressants for more than two weeks, you will want to ween off. Some can be very detrimental to your brain chemistry if you abruptly quit taking them.

    We really do not know for sure, which is why I made the statement.
  • Sunflwer3
    Sunflwer3 Posts: 68 Member
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    I have battled depression most of my adult life and have found that exercise and fish oil is what works for me. When you exercise, your body naturally produces serotonin. I have tried St. John's Wort, but had to stop after finding out it messed with my birth control so I can't tell you whether or not it works and to be honest we are all different. I'd say if you aren't on any other medication then give it a try and make that decision on your own as to whether or not it works. Good luck!
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    It is not a good idea to stop medications without consulting with your doctor. You are reporting dealing with an eating disorder and other related issues, you need to continue speaking with your doctor and other professionals. In addition, mixing supplements with medication is a bad idea and has the potential for harm. Go back to the doctor.

    The OP indicates that she wasn't going to take the meds that were prescribed. I could be wrong, but I interpreted it as, "I've not started taking them."

    But yes, if you have been on any antidepressants for more than two weeks, you will want to ween off. Some can be very detrimental to your brain chemistry if you abruptly quit taking them.

    We really do not know for sure, which is why I made the statement.

    It was good to bring up! It wouldn't be the first time that a topic like this was started and key info was unclear or completely omitted in the OP. :laugh:
  • scraver2003
    scraver2003 Posts: 528 Member
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    I would like to second what the PP said about St John's interacting with other meds. If you are on birth control pills - St John's can interact with that. In my search for somehting that would not interact with The Pill, I came accross SAMe. It is expensive. I get a month supply at BJ's Wholesale for $40. But I find it makes a HUGE difference for me. I tried an anti-depressant years ago, which helped, but the side effects were annoying and the withdrawls where awful (even though I tried to step down slowly off them). I love SAMe b/c the only side effect I had was that my intestines needed a bit of time to adjust and then all was fine.

    *** DO NOT TAKE SAMe if you are already taking an anti-depressant/SSRI ***

    Talk to your Dr about it. See a therapist and talk about it. It really did help me a lot.
  • nomeejerome
    nomeejerome Posts: 2,616 Member
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    It wouldn't be the first time that a topic like this was started and key info was unclear or completely omitted in the OP. :laugh:

    True story!

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