St John's wort?going to try for depression is it worth it?

[WhatAMum01]

Posting here so I get some replies.im depressed due to very difficult family life mainly due to my severely disabled child.i need help as I'm now getting so low i think theres no point in anything. I'm not suicidal, just very sad and low.i dont want to go on medication and would be interested in trying a more natural approach. I do exercise but I cant bring myself to do it anymore so any mood enhancement this way is off the cards.ive read about st johns wort but would love to hear if it works for anyone?thanks everyone

Probably not. Generally, any drug that will make a significant difference to your mental state will not be allowed on supermarket shelves.

@analfloss I need something to calm my thoughts ,this came up alot online.my other option is sertraline which was recommended a year ago but I'm such a scardy cat worried about side effects when I'm looking after three young children

It did work for me but it may just have been the placebo effect. What I will say is that it interacts with pretty much every other medicine in the world, including the pill and any other hormonal contraceptive.

Research suggests it is more effective than a placebo

www.nhs.uk/news/mental-health/st-johns-wort-for-depression/

www.mind.org.uk/information-support/drugs-and-treatments/st-johns-wort/

Hi WhatAMum01. I used St Johns wort after the birth of my first child when I was suffering with PND. I didn't want to go down the route of anti depressants and I did find them effective at lifting my mood. I also combined it with doing more exercise(mainly walking) and most importantly I started to ask those closest to me for help when I was really struggling. Hope things improve for you x

you must not take antidepressants with this - check side effects on line or better still talk to your pharmacist & get their advice - just because something comes from a herb doesn't mean its harmless - & as pp said check whether it interacts with ANY medication or condition you take or have - again I would strongly suggest you talk to your own pharmacist & do not buy on line - you have no idea of the purity or dosage of a product, good old check your sources

For me SJW has been absolutely brilliant. Having taken fluoxetine, and others for years and finding the side effects unbearable I came off all meds and just took SJW for my mild/moderate depression. I feel a million times better after taking it for just a month, and no apparent side effects so far. The only thing is it does stop other meds working also birth control pills so do your research first.

I use a brand called karma mood and take 250 mg a day.

I found it very good but it left me with hyper pigmentation on my fore head so that I had to have a fringe cut in.

Yes, it works reasonably well.

I had quite a strong allergy to it, so do be aware of that as well.

im in the exact same position as i have the 2 of them with severe disabilities each and neither sleep,boys are 15 and 9 as we home educate they are with us 24 hours
we get no professional help or input off anyone so we are left to it,i do have a partner that shares it with me though

i tried st johns wart as i wasnt coping with the endless sleepiness nights and the fact that i need to be in the same room as youngest due to severe anxiety so hes still in my bed, so the nights drag on and on

been on them a week and they have helped me,i got them off amazon

If you take it please wear sunglasses and suncream/cover up in sunshine as it can cause photosensitivity (made my night vision very poor until I stopped, also hyperpigmentation on my neck/face as pp said ).
But yes. It has some effectiveness.

I am also tempted to try this as I don’t want to start on anything potentially addictive. I take the contraceptive implant not the pill so don’t know if this is ok?

Imo it us pretty strong stuff, and can really work

Do some research though

Also and because life can deal you some crap cards sometimes! Be kind to yourself

I'm such a scardy cat worried about side effects when I'm looking after three young children

St John's wort has side-effects. It also has numerous dangerous interactions with other medications.

If you do use it please note it makes certain types of birth control inneffective - i.e. the pill. You may need to find alternative contraception!

I take it and it seems to work for my moderate SAD. I’ve also found taking a strong effervescent multi vitamin helps too (think it’s the B vitamins that help) and vitamin D but that might be specific to SAD.

PS the side effects for me are that it makes my eyes more sensitive to light and it makes me sick if I take it on an empty stomach in the morning.

I need something to calm my thoughts Have to tried meditation?

It can interfere with the pill so you might want to consider that before taking it

Personally I'd take the prescription medication (which I do - sertraline), as it has more scientific research behind it

You can take it at night and sleep well - but can cause vivid dreams.

It takes a while to work so be prepared to take for a while without seeing the benefits

It does work, but once you find a brand you like you have to stick with the same one. Different brands have huge variations in the bioavailability even if they state they're the same dose, so don't chop and change.

Also, be very sure to tell your doctor you're taking it if you get any other prescription as it interacts with a lot of medications

It can make risk of pregnancy quite higher if you are on a pill.

You should go speak to a professional. Be safe