St. John's Wort?
 

Have any of you tried SJW for depression? I sort of want to try it before I see a doctor for meds, but I wanted to see if I'm barking up the wrong tree...

i know people that have used it an it did help them but they eventually went to prescribed meds. Depends on what you are wanting it for and needing it for: just to stabalize moods, have anger issues (snap for stupid reasons), crying, or just plain depressed. If you are just having mood swings nothing big then I would say give it a shot but if you are past that and further into depression then I would say go to the drs. I actually was kinda ok REALLY hesitant about going to the dr to get help because my husband was totally against any kinds of drugs. Almost two years ago when i first started meds I was just snapping off the handle left and right for no reason and becoming worse the longer I waited so i got help and had wish i had got help a lot sooner. Now I am only on them because i was crying constantly over everything after my last baby...

I think a lot of things contribute to depression and the things that go with it...such as stress in your life, your weight, clutter in your house, not enough sleep, not enough vitamins, not eatin healthy. Sometimes all those things do not get fixed right away either. So if those things are causing your depression symptoms then I would suggest getting on something that is going to help you with deal with them so you can fix the things that are not going right. Because before this is what was happening I would get up and look at the clutter (not bad clutter just toys, clothes & papers) and just lay down on the couch cause it would depress me to even look at it therefore I was in a cycle of everyday being depressed automatically.

Ok I hope that I made sense and helped a little!!!

I would see how your doc feels about it

I did the st.john's wort before seeing a doc. And I did find one brand that actually helped me, but then they changed and that brand didn't do it anymore. One problem with herbs like that is that there isn't any regulations, so you never really know what you are getting. Unless you go to a naturalpath or herbalist its hit and miss. I tried a lot of different things from the health food store and I still ended up at the docs and getting a prescription. Plus you still have to be careful of side effects with St. John's wort, so its not totally risk free.
K

I tried looking to buy some in the health store but oddly they didnt have any...is this something I have to buy online?

I've used this on occasion and it works. I found it gave me a bad taste in my mouth though if I took it before bed.

It works wonders for my anxiety. I can focus more easily now and control my moods better. Also, it's easier to control my impuses when I take it. I really like it.
And I agree, it changes heavily depending on brands.

I was on St. John's Wort for a number of years. It was basically self-prescribed, although I told my doctor about it and she had no problem with it. She said it is more widely used to treatment of depression in Europe (I think she specifically quoted Germany) than in North America.

I have to say that SJW was a life-saviour to me. It helped me a lot but after a couple of years (I really don't recall how long I was on it - probably 3 years) I felt it was no longer working for me so I weaned myself off and then my dr. put me on Wellbutrin. I was on that for about 4 years and same story - it longer did nothing for me so I quit taking it. I have not been taking anything for depression since the beginning of 2007. I may have to start something again because I don't sleep well and my dr. says she would either have to put on an anti-depressant or sleep medication, so we will see. Otherwise, I feel fine and I actually feel that weight loss is the best anti-depressant. :D

Editing to add:
Somebody mentioned side-effects - I actually don't think there are that many. One known side affect is that you are more susceptible to sun damage if on SJW, so just keep that in mind if going to the beach is your thing. I am very fair-skinned, I have rosacea (although it is mostly dormant) and I have never been a sun worshipper. You will typically find me in the deepest shade that there is, so it was not anything I had to worry about. I can't remember if it somehow affects the pill but I was not on it so again a non-issue for me.

Also, stick to the same brand as there can be a big difference of how much you are actually getting when switching between brands.

SJW can also affect the contraceptive pill, so it's worth seeing your Doc if you're on the pill.

Boo x

Ditto's


Any OTC should be discussed with your doctor before taking. I'm not sure if SJWort is even regulated by the fda.. so BE CAREFUL.

Leenie

Check with your doctor before taking it if you are on any prescribed drugs. After I started taking a drug for my heart, I couldn't take SJW.

Why do people think that SJW isn't a med?

Taking SJW for depression is NO different than taking a prescribed med - it's just self-prescribed. No, I take that back - it's different in that it's not a regulated dose, depending on where you buy it, the strength of the herb, etc.

People have this weird mindset that they won't go to the doctor and get a regulated, balanced, measured dose of medicine because that would be "taking meds" but they'll buy unregulated "herbs" and that's somehow not medicinal because it's "natural".

Meds are meds - whether you grow them yourself and self-medicate or whether you get them from a doctor and a pharmacy.

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I hope that's not directed to me. Like I said, I did start take it on my own decision but I did tell my doctor about it and had her blessings. I not a person who has an issue with depression - to me, it is an illness like any other. I do,however, prefer to take herbs than regular medication and that is why I started with St. John's Wort. But when I felt it was no longer working for me, off to my doctor I went and got a prescription for Wellbutrin.

It's not directed towards any one person ... just in general. But I will respond to this that you said:

Why? Do you think that taking herbs is different from taking meds?

.

I wouldn't say I suffer from depressions on a regular basis but sometimes I am a little down and have taken St. John's Wart and it works wonders. It has really helped me on some bad days... I used to take it a few times a year and always keep a bottle on hand.

BUT IT DOES make birth control not as effective so I stopped taking it. I never knew it effect the pill but when I found out I stopped taking it. But my depression was never bad, it is just a once in a while down in the dumps kinda thing.

For me, its natural versus man made. Yes sometimes man made is better... but why fill your body with chemicals if you don't need to?

http://www.disabled-world.com/artman...cription.shtml

I think it is the same debate as real sugar versus aspartame. One is natural one is not. Everyone has their personal preference. For me I would take herbal if I could but I am not against prescription medications either. I think we live in a time where doctors are over prescribing and people are filling themselves with medications they don't necessarily need... but maybe that is just me.

I got my appendix out in the US... yes I was sore but did I really need a huge dose of oxycodone? (for those of you who don't know, it is kinda similar to heroin) At the time I didn't know, so I was taking my prescribed dose of one pill every 4 hours - being only 14 at the time having no idea that there were millions of people HIGHLY addicted to this drug.

When I got back to Canada my doctor threw a fit, told me to throw the pills away and gave me some T3's. T3's was ALL I needed, I did not need ocycodone but I didn't know any better.

When I was in the hospital I asked for Tylenol and they gave me a shot of morphine instead...

Anyway, this is just my own personal experience and I realize now I was WAY WAY over medicated and this happens all the time... I think people are lead to believe that herbel meds are a joke and don't work... maybe that's true, but really what do you have to lose by trying them? With all the money they make off these prescription drugs why would they want us to think otherwise.

Really I'm not trying to pick a fight here ... but I do have a point. :)

Why do you say that st. johns wort isn't a chemical?
The thing that is in SJW that helps with depression is the EXACT SAME CHEMICAL that is synthesized out of plants and put into many other anti-depression meds.

Whether you're using herbs to self-medicate or using commercially made meds, you're still using chemicals to change your body.

There's this mindset that because it's "natural" it's better for you. But you know what ... belladonna is natural too. Arsenic is natural. Amanitas mushrooms are natural. All of them will kill you.

The difference is that a lot of people who take SJW because it's "natural" dont' think about the fact that it's still a medication and it *will* react with other meds they're taking, with sun exposure, with foods they eat - just like any prescribed medication. But because it's "natural" .. very few people consider that. They just pop pills and say "but it's natural".

This is a big hot button for me - as you might be able to tell. My husband suffers from clinical depression and takes meds for it - and will the rest of his life. We did a LOT of research into natural and herbal remedies when he was diagnosed ... and did even more when I was diagnosed with temporary depression a couple of years ago.

I'm not saying that people shouldn't take SJW. It's very effective for some people for mild depression, if taken with awareness. But I wish with all my heart people would quit saying it's an ALTERNATIVE to medication. It is as much a medication as any pill you get from the pharmacy, and it needs to be taken with that full awareness and consideration.

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