[kenc127]

Hey all

I'm just curious to know if anyone here has any success with St. John's Wort? I think I may have posted this same question a few months ago, but since then we have a lot of new folks in the forum.

Please discuss any successes and/or failures with SJW. Thanks.

Ken

 

[Guest]

I tried it last year (pre-DP/DR) for mild depression and I thought that it was effective but it might have been psychological in my case. I know that it's widely used for depression and some people are beginning to use it for anxiety as well. I started it when my DP/DR kicked in but didn't notice any improvement and discontinued it. I do however know that it takes about 2 months to notice its effects.

I was brought up in a hippie household so I'm prone to choose herbal remedies rather than "typical" medicine but I'm not sure that I'd use St. John's for anxiety. Are you using it for anxiety or depression? Have you ever read anything by Dr. Weil? This is what he says about St. John's Wart:

"St. John's wort. St. John's wort is an herbal remedy that has long been used in Europe as a treatment for mood disorders. Standardized extracts have shown an effectiveness equaling Prozac in the treatment of mild to moderate forms of depression. It should not be taken with anti-retroviral medications, birth control pills, or antidepressant medications, especially SSRIs like Prozac or Celexa. Try 300mg of an extract standardized to 0.3 percent hypericin, three times a day. It?s full effect will be felt in about eight weeks. "

 

[JasonFar]

Tidal,

I took St John's Wort (wart?) a long time ago, and it did help, primarily with depression. What I do know is that the brand you choose is very, very important, as many simply don't provide what the few best do. I know that "Perikia" is probably the most recommended brand by St. John's enthusiasts, and that was the brand I took, and definitely noticed a mood jump. I had a few side effects, but they weren't too bad.

The site to go to is:

http://www.sjwinfo.org/

Really good site. They've got a forum there and other info. Good luck.

~Jason

 

[Kelson12]

My most recent Psychiatrist told me to stay away from it. Reason being is that since it is an over the counter it isn't monitored by the FDA or some group. So, she said that each "pill" is unbalanced. Like one could have alot of the necessary stuff in it, while another could barely have any. Because it isn't monitored correctly.
But I am sure it can be effective, ya just gotta be careful with it I guess.

Kelson

 

[bat]

i have found st johns wort helpful with mild depression. when things got bad it didn't help me

 

[dakotajo]

Ive played around with the "wort" and in my opinion its very effective for both anxiety and depression. On top of it, it also has next to no side effects(unlike the ssris) and it also has no withdrawal syndrome. Some people believe its more effective than ssris. I believe that our mental health "experts" dont recommend it for the simple fact that makes them no money. Nobody knows the true mechanism but I do believe it lifts serotonin somehow because when I abruptly stopped taking it I had a very bad migraine which is a sign of plummeting serotonin levels.

Joe

 

[Guest]

i don't like it, it actually invoked depression for me.

 

[kenc127]

Ok. I appreciate all of your responses. I'm going to give it a shot and see what happens.

Dakotajo-

A few months back you had some success with an AD. I, like you, believe DPDR is strongly related to serotonin. What was your experience as far as DPDR and obsessional thinking once you started taking an AD?
I agree with your remark about doctors. They always default to the "Well, it's not approved my the FDA so don't take it" line.

Thanks.

 

[kenc127]

Double post.

 

[Guest]

yea i tried saint johns wort well its a mood stabilizer for me everytime my mind goes into bad thoughts i take a chill pill and it stabilizes it and i can function... dont take it anymore tho.