St. John’s Wort Side Effects
Introduction
St. John’s Wort is the herb with the Latin name Hypericum Perforatum. Other names include Tipton’s Weed, Chase-devil and Klamath weed. This plant is indigenous to Europe, but has been introduced to many temperate areas around the world. It gets its name from the fact that it flowers and is mostly harvested on St. John’s day (June 24). Its flowers are up to 2.5 cm big and are bright yellow with black dots.
St. John’s Wort is widely used as an anti-depressant and this is definitely the greatest of all St. John’s Wort Benefits. Its use goes back to ancient Greece. Nowadays it is being used all over the world and in Germany, doctors prescribe it very often as a help in cases of light depression, especially in underage patients. Extracts are available in tablet or capsule form, and in teabags from any mayor herbal store. For your convenience, on our “Buy St. John’s Wort” page, we have listed several variants available from Amazon.
It seems this herb extract is also effective against muscle pains, insomnia, symptoms of premenstrual syndrome and somatoform disorders like Panic Disorder, although the latter is still somewhat inconclusive. In the past, it has been used to help cure wounds, against malaria, and to soothe insect bites and minor burns . St. John’s Wort Anxiety Relief is another application of the herb.
St. John’s Wort Side Effects
Do not take when pregnant or lactating ! Consult your doctor!
While tests on more than 5,000 patients have shown that St. John’s Wort is as efficient as other standard anti-depressiva, the rate of St. John’s Wort Side Effects is only half that of the latest Prozac-type (SSRI) antidepressants. When compared to the older TCA type of antidepressants, one finds that St. John’s Wort Side Effects are only one-fifth of those.
Then again, a sizable study funded by NCCAM resulted that the herb is as effective as a placebo in relieving moderate severity major depressions. Another large study co-sponsered by NCCAM and the National Institute of Mental Health concluded that neither St. John’s Wort, nor a standard antidepressant, bettered the symptoms of minor depression; results were at par with the group given a placebo. Remember that when depression is not treated the right and effective way, it can become severe. If you think you have a depression, you should definitely see a health care provider. They can prescribe an effective and proven therapy.
Most people will not show any side effects from taking St. John’s Wort. You might experience gastrointestinal upset (nausea, diarrhea, …) or feel dizzy, confused and/or tired. Some people report headaches and stiff neck problems. You might have an increased chance of high blood pressure. In some cases, patients reported a feeling of sedation. Also read our notes on the right St. John’s Wort Dosage.
If you suffer from any other symptoms after starting taking St. John’s Wort, or experience the above mentioned ones to a high degree, you should immediately consult your physician!
St. John’s Wort Side Effects: Photo Sensitivity
A very small amount of patients have complained of photo sensitivity as one of St. John’s Wort Side Effects. This included not visually tolerating light and unexplainable sunburns. There are indications that in these situations cataracts in the eyes could be caused. Although these symptoms have only been observed in a very small amount of users, you should be weary of these side effects. Immediately stop the use of St. John’s Wort and seek the advice of your doctor should you experience them. Remember that the cataracts could lead to permanent eye damage and partial to complete loss of vision!
St. John’s Wort, Implanon and Birth Control Pills.
You should not take St. John’s Wort if you use Implanon as your choice of contraceptive because the effectiveness of Implanon will be reduced and this could lead to undesired pregnancy. Please take note that there are reports of diminished effectiveness of other birth control pills too. Undesired pregnancy is definitely a risk of taking St. John’s Wort. To be safer, use non-hormone based contraceptive in addition to the normal birth control pills. Read more about this on our St. John’s Wort Pregnancy page
St. John’s Wort Interactions with other Drugs
St. John’s Wort interacts negatively with a great number of other drugs. Be very careful! If you are taking any medicine and consider taking St. John’s Wort, you should definitely first consult your doctor. Take especial precautions when taking Cyclosporine, Digoxin, Asthma Inhalants, Indinavir (and generally any drugs used to fight HIV infection), Irinotecan (and possibly other cancer-treatment drugs), Anti-Seizure drugs and Warfarin (and anticoagulants based on the same principle). The combination with some antidepressants may lead to increased serotonin-related negative effects, which might be very serious. For your convenience, this is a link to a table that lists most of the drugs interactions; however you should not solely rely on this table and still consult your doctor. Do not auto-medicate. Always consult a physician!
St John s Wort Side Effects