St. John's Wort, a European favorite for
treating depression, is shown to have fewer and milder
side effects than pharmaceutical antidepressants. In
addition to having far fewer side effects, St. John's
Wort is also shown to be highly effective in relieving
depression symptoms.
St. John's Wort side effects have been
studied extensively in Europe. Twenty-three clinical
studies found that St. John's Wort is both safe and
effective for treating mild to moderate depression. St.
John's Wort showed fewer side effects than standard
antidepressants. St. John's Wort is shown effective for
mild to moderate depression but not severe depression.
Common St. John's Wort side effects
include dizziness, dry mouth, nausea, diarrhea, fatigue
and light sensitivity. Some people have also reported
the following St. John's Wort side effects: skin rashes,
stomach upset and changes in weight.
Compared the St. John's Wort side effects
to those of pharmaceutical antidepressants; sexual side
effects, weight gain, deepened depression, increased
risk of suicide, withdrawal, blurred vision, nausea, dry
mouth, dizziness, insomnia...
St. John's Wort is, by far, a safer
alternative for depression treatment.
One recent study published in the British
Medical Journal studied over 300 patients with mild to
moderate depression. Half were given St. John's Wort to
treat depression and half were given the antidepressant
Tofranil. Both groups reported improvement in symptoms
of depression during this six-week trial. However, only
39 percent from the St. John's Wort group reported side
effects compared to 63 percent of those in the Tofranil
group reporting side effects. In addition, only 3
percent from the St. John's Wort group had side effects
strong enough to discontinue use, compared to 16 percent
of those in the Tofranil group. This study showed that
St. John's Wort side effects occurred in far fewer
patients and the side effects were milder than those of
antidepressants.
Although a small percent of people
experience side effects while using St. John's Wort, you
should be aware of the St. John's Wort side effects
before using the herbal remedy.
One of the St. John's Wort side effects
is light sensitivity. Therefore, if you take St. John's
Wort, you should wear protective sunglasses when outside
in the sun.
Fatigue is one of the St. John's Wort
side effects that generally can be avoided if you take
St. John's Wort at nighttime before bed. In that case,
it may help you to sleep.
Some people have reported that one of St.
John's Wort side effects is that it causes high blood
pressure. This has not been demonstrated in clinical
studies.
Drug interactions should be taken into
account when taking St. John's Wort, as St. John's Wort
can make certain drugs less effective. St. John's Wort
can lessen the effectiveness of certain HIV medications,
certain anticancer drugs and certain drugs used to
prevent transplant organ rejection. Therefore, if you
have specific health issues, it is important to see your
doctor before taking St. John's Wort.
If you are pregnant or breast-feeding,
you should not take St. John's Wort due to unknown side
effects to the child.
Also, you should not suddenly discontinue
antidepressants to take St. John's Wort without the
direct aid of your health care provider. Many
antidepressants cause severe withdrawal symptoms and
require a tapering
It is important to carefully investigate
antidepressants and their side effects, along with
exploring alternatives like Deprex when looking for
depression relief. A therapeutic strategy involving
natural antidepressants is at the discretion of the
individual and their health care provider. In all cases
of clinical depression, always seek a your health care
provider's guidance first.
