St Johns Wort

[Shakey1500]

How long before it kicks in?

Anyone have any good experiences (or bad ones!)

I couldn't keep going to see if it kicked in. It gave me an awful non stop headache. I didn't even know that was a known side effect untill I had been taking the stuff for a fortnight ...while scarfing nurofen like they were going out of fashion.

That was twenty years ago. Left an indelible impression becuase at the time I had no idea that something "natural" could have side effects just as real and unlovable as perscribed meds. And my head hurt. A lot.

Sorry to hear that Carpe

I'm only on Day 1 Hoping for a miracle really

Footle Foods? Eek... I did ask my GP if she recommended it and she said it was definitely worth a go. She knows I don't want Anti Depressants. I did say that it doesn't bother me if they have a placebo affect.

Thanks for that advice

But St Johns Wort is as much an antidepressant as Prozac. Don't be fooled just because you don't need a prescription.

Fair comment fedup. I'm wary that I need to watch my moods as I had a previous bad experience with Fluoxetine. Everyone is on guard. For what it's worth I've felt great today (Day 3) but that's probably more to do with that I've started my period and PMT been banished for another 2 weeks.

Day 6 and feeling great. Not convinced the SJW has kicked in yet or it's just the sunny weather, period nearly at an end, no discernible stresses at home/work/in general.

(just writing this for reference really so I have a sort of online diary type thing to track moods etc Feel free to either comment or ignore

That's good, that you're feeling better.

My mood picked up pretty quickly when I took St Johns Wort so it is possible.

My GP also recommended it and I think it's really helped me. I agree it's best taken on the advice of a medical professional but it sounds like that's exactly what you're doing.

I think it has an accumulative effect. I have just had to stop taking it for 10 days before an op and started taking it again last night. I hope it starts helping again soon because today I feel very down :-(

Oh sorry to hear that Judith, hope you're recovering well otherwise.

fedup yes, I do feel measurably better in a relative short space of time which has surprised me. Eitherway I'm not bothered if it is a placebo affect even

Day 7, woke feeling great, felt a bit tired around 3pm. That sort of "I could just close my eyes and fall asleep right this second. Only my desk is at the end and any colleagues walking past would spot me dribbling.

Hi

I have a long history of depression and at times anxiety (15 to 20 years ish) I have mostly been reasonably 'well' but at other times have been off work for longish periods and have taken prescribed antidepressants but have always found the side effects quite difficult to cope with (various depending on what I have been on but weight gain and intractable insomnia being the two worst ones ).

Started taking SJW about a year ago and I can honestly say it has made a big difference to how I feel and more importantly how I cope. It's not a magic answer of course (a lot of how I feel is due to the demands/ stresses of life with two young DC and a responsible job etc) but It makes things significantly easier.

A few times I have run out or forgotten for up to a week and I can feel my mood dipping then, not just the psychological side of things but the physical symptoms of the depression too.

I also work in mental health and I know that SJW has been tested quite rigorously overseas ( and in fact is available on prescription in some countries). It is equally effective in treating mild to moderate depression as some other well established antidepressants although there is not much evidence available for severe depression for various reasons.

The main things I would say if someone is considering taking it is

Absolutely tell / discuss with your Gp as SJW can and does interact with a lot of other medications and for example can cause big issues with the contraceptive pill to name one. It is also very very important NOT to take it alongside any other antidepressants as it can cause a dangerous rise in one of the neurotransmitters in the brain.

Also it is well worth looking for a reputable brand with the THR certification mark ( well known stores such as boots, lloydsts etc only carry them I think) as its a mark of quality / purity.

Most brands give a dosemof one tablet at around 250 to 500 mg, personally I would go for one at the upper end ( I must confess I sometimes take more but I am not recommending that!)

Good luck, hope it works for you!

Ooh thanks for that information

Glad it's working for you. I did ask the GP and also did some research online. Fortunately I'm not on any type of medication for it to interact with/against so knew that was ok. I've picked a Boots one and it's one tablet a day at 425mg. It did say max strength on the pack and I did wonder if I'd done the right thing. I probably should have started lower and increased if necessary.

I feel ok though, not manic or any of the other listed possible side effects as yet.