St. John’s Wort And Depression

admin — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 15:15:38 +0000

St. John’s Wort Depression (Hypericum) At least one out of every 20 Americans gets depressed each year, and many rely on anti-depressants to help them cope. A new study shows the herb St. John’s Wort might be just as effective, and with fewer side effects. The August 3, 1996 issue of the British Medical Journal contains an analysis of approximately 25 studies that suggest that St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum) is just as helpful as commonly used drugs, without side effects such as headaches or vomiting. Dr. Cynthia Mulrow, one of the study’s authors, says the findings are not surprising. “Some of the commonly used medicines have a basis on herbs or have a basis in plants, and some of the ones were developed using plants.” Although not well known in the United States until recently, researchers in Europe have been studying it for decades. Doctors in Germany have been prescribing it for depression and insurance companies have been paying for it. It has available in herb shops in Europe and the United States, but recently has been increasingly selling out as word has been getting around about it effectiveness. It comes in liquid, capsule and dried form. Clinical Studies Not long ago, experiments were done where mice infected with viruses similar to HIV were given St. John’s Wort extract. The virus’ progress was halted. This led to testing on human HIV and AIDS patients. The results are inconclusive, though anecdotal information reports a significant improvement in some patients. St. John’s Wort contains hypericin that inhibits monoamine oxidase, a bodily chemical associated with depression. It appears that hypericin does not act alone. Like many herbal medicines, St. John’s Wort relies on the complex interplay of many constituents for its antidepressant actions. Patients suffering from depression received relief, increased appetite, more interest in life, greater self-esteem and restoration of normal sleeping patterns. St. John’s Wort is available as tea, tincture, decoction, oil, and in capsule form. Teas should be made with 1-2 cups of flowers per 1 cup of boiling water. This tea can be drunk three times daily. The dosage of the tincture is 1/4 to 1 teaspoon up to three times daily. Perhaps most notable regarding St. John’s Wort extract for depression has been favorable comparisons to standard prescription antidepressive drugs. These include maprotiline hydrochloride and imipramine. In a multicenter trial, 135 patients with depression were given either St. John’s Wort (900 mg/day) or imipramine (75 mg/day) for six weeks. Therapeutic success was determined using the HAMD, Clinical Global Impression (CGI), and Depression Scale according to Zerssen. HAMD score improved by 56% in the St. John’s Wort group versus 45% for the imipramine group. Differences on the CGI and Zerssen scales were slightly better for St. John’s Wort although not significantly different. Adverse reactions were reported in 16% of patients taking imipramine while only 12% of those taking St. John’s Wort experienced side effects. Precautions Dr. Donald Brown of Bastyr University recommends that persons with fair skin avoid exposure to strong sunlight and other sources of ultraviolet light when taking St. John’s Wort because of some cases of photosensitivity that have been reported. He also advises avoiding foods that contain tyramine, alcoholic beverages, and medications such as tyrosine, narcotics, amphetamines, and over-the-counter cold and flu remedies while taking St. John’s Wort. St. John’s Wort should not be taken while also taking prescription antidepressants. It is also Dr. Brown’s opinion that St. John’s Wort should not be used during pregnancy or lactation. According to Jonathan Zuess, MD (author of The Natural Prozac Program), tyramine seems to primarily be a problem if a person has high blood pressure. This is due to St. John’s Wort working in a similar way to drugs that are monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). However, studies done in the 1990′s have shown that the MAOI-like effect of St. John’s Wort is negligible when it’s used in normal doses. So it is unlikely that it would react with tyramine. In Germany, where doctors have had the most experience with St. John’s Wort, it is considered safe to use in patients with high blood pressure. Nonetheless, if you have high blood pressure, and your doctor agrees to your use of St. John’s Wort for depression, the following precautions should be taken:

Have your blood pressure checked at least weekly for the first six weeks, and at least monthly thereafter.
Do not eat foods containing tyramine.

Even if you do not have high blood pressure, do not take St. John’s Wort with amino acid supplements (especially phenylalanine and tyrosine). Amino acids are a form of monoamines, which can pose a danger when mixed with St. John’s Wort. The monoamines that you get in your diet (such as the amino acids in meat) are less concentrated and are not a hazard

Herbal remedies for depression – St John’s wort, but is it safe?

admin — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 14:57:47 +0000

Natural, wholesome, inexpensive and available over the counter, St John’s wort seemed to be the dream remedy for depression. Taken all over the world in huge quantities, it has become the pill to pop without guilt or fear, the herbal Prozac that dusted away the blues nature’s way.

The downside is only now emerging. Although studies show that it is effective for mild to moderate depression and two million British people are taking it, you do have to be careful.

The chief drawback is that the remedy, derived from the yellow flowering hedgerow plant, interacts with other drugs causing them to metabolise through the body too quickly. This is obviously very significant for people on the contraceptive pill or the blood-thinning drug warfarin, who are at risk of a stroke.

Herbal remedies for depression. Warnings issued

The Medicines Control Agency issued a warning on March 1st 2000 that patients who are on a long list of drugs should stop taking St John’s wort until they have consulted their GP or pharmacist. Medications for asthma, epilepsy, depression, migraine and heart problems are all implicated.

The authorities in the Irish Republic have gone further by banning the over-the-counter sale of the ancient herbal remedy since January 1st 2000. It is now available only on prescription.

In the United States, the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) issued a warning in February 2000 that the herb could interfere with drugs used to treat HIV-infected patients. It also raised the possibility of complications for other patients taking similar medication, including those undergoing heart transplants. The FDA cited research showing that for patients taking St John’s wort, the effectiveness of the antiviral drug Indinavir was ‘dulled’.

There have also been some reports from America that St John’s wort can cause nerve damage or cataracts when combined with bright sunlight. This is believable because herbalists have always known that when St John’s wort is used externally, you have to keep out of the sun. Combined with oil, it is used on the skin for paralysis or to treat pain from nerves or shingles.

Researchers have found that hypericin, the active ingredient in St John’s wort, does react with sunlight. This is particularly significant for people who suffer from the ‘winter blues’ or seasonal affective disorder, who might be tempted to combine a course of St John’s wort with light-box therapy – sitting for long periods bathed in bright light.

Herbal remedies for depression

A better alternative to St Johns Wort as an herbal remedy for depression would be high grade EPA fish oil.

EPA fish oil has been scientifically proven to be very effective for depression, bipolar – manic depression and related disorders, and unlike St Johns Wort the side effects are all positive, thick long healthy hair growth, good nails and fantastic skin. High grade omega 3 EPA fish oil taken in the correct dose and strength give count less benefits.

If you are going to use High Grade Omega 3 fish oil EPA as a natural remedy for depression it is imperative that you take the strongest concentrate of EPA fish oil (90%) and in the correct dose daily to give your self the best chance for the EPA to work and give the maximum therapeutic effect.

It has recently been reported that the Epa works best without the DHA , this notion came about from studies that have been performed on people suffering from depression, researchers found that the higher the EPA to DHA ratio the better the results have been.

Fighting Depression » st johns wort depression

St. John’s Wort And Depression

Herbal remedies for depression – St John’s wort, but is it safe?