Does anyone else here take St. Johns Wort for depression or anxiety?

I have pretty much suffered with very bad anxiety and depression for probably 5 years. I previously had a bad alcohol problem before but recently quit. I also smoked for around 10 years but quit that also.

I could hardly go into public places without feeling somewhat nervous and really had no control over. I also got disgustingly nervous when I got in front of people to talk or etc. I never wanted to see a doctor for it because it is hard to admit you have a mental problem even if it is something mild.

So I came across an article in readers digest about st. Johns wort. It said studies showed that it was just as or more effective as prescription antidepressant drugs. Well to make a long story short I have been taking it for a week now and am amazed at the difference. My anxiety is still mildy there but is hardly as bad as it was. I am also much happier than I was and find myself smiling at the smallest of things that I never noticed before. Just driving with my windows down puts a smile on my face.

Well I just wanted to know if any others on here are taking it and to what effect. I think it is a wonder drug and doubt I will ever stop taking it. I am editing this and adding a link to a website with information about st johns wort and freqently asked questions for anyone interested. That way you can give it a try even if you are skeptical.

nccam.nih.gov...


[edit on 5-1-2005 by Hoppinmad1]

I think you're better off going to the doctor and getting Buspar. Its not addicting at all and it takes the edge off.
I tried St Johns and ended up throwing it away

That drug sounds exactly like what I need but the st. johns wort is amazingly working. I highly doubted it would but it did. It seems unlikely some over the counter herb could help someone so much but it actually does. I know they prescribe it in quite a few countries and that over 25 double blind studies have proven it to be effective.

But I will give what you said a thought. As I said my anxiety is still slightly there and I would like it to be completly gone. But I also want to give the herbal medication time to work.

Well i found them to work well, I had a few problems a while ago and life was so busy for me, i felt stressed and run down so a friend suggested i try them,

I felt like they worked very well for me,

Well, I'm glad its working for you

Maybe i'm just too far over the edge for it

Give it a chance to work, probably a good month of regular use will build it up in your system. Good luck.

HoppinMad

This look very interesting, and I'm always more willing to try natural medicine than any thing created in laboratories.

I've been having mood-swings and some moments of very deep depression for a while, I'm just wondering if u can give me an idea of what is the cost of stjohnswort medicine is? (approximatly)

Depending on who makes it and how many, it should be between $5 and $15 , thats all

Morbid, i know in the Uk its pretty cheap and you can pick it up at most health shops or drug stores even your local super market.

uk price is about �3.99 a bottle of about 40 tablets 1 a day,

Thanks Asala

Cool, that's really not too expensive, even for a guy who have yet to start working again. So u don't even have to get a prescription to buy this? (if I've read correctly) That's nice. I think I'll give it a try.

Yep over the counter to get them,

Yeah they are cheap to buy and they have worked well for me. I seem better everyday that goes by almost. My biggest problem was anxiety. I would sometimes get nerous in just simple social situations and it has negated that alot. You actually feel calmer when you take it just a little while after. I am going to buy the teas with it next and try them.

If it works for you over the next couple of days let me know. I am interested in how it works on other people. I don't know anyone else personally that takes it. Good luck.

I took it for about a year, and it did work for me, but then I started to brake out on hives and running to the emergency room as soon I stopped the st.johns the hives went away.

later I found out that I have to be careful with herbal compounds mixes, or I will brake on hives and is not funny, is quite uncomfortable and cortisone and prednisone are not good for you either.

Later I was prescribe paxil, and onces I found out the side effects I never even got the prescription, I deal with my problems in other ways.

I tried St John's Wort a few years ago...it didn't help, and made me feel tired all the time. Of course, these things affect different people in different ways.

Then I tried about 57 different anti-depressants, none of which worked either but all of which had bad side effects (some worse than others).

Whatever you do, don't let anyone talk you into taking Effexor. Bad, bad, kimshee. Coming off it almost killed me...

After 8 years of struggling, I've finally realized that the only way to beat depression is through personal effort. There's no magic bullet. (imho!)

It is still working well for me. I think it really depends on the person and what is wrong. I have some mild side effects like a slight feeling of medicine head you get when on cold medication and my stomach isn't used to it yet I belive. But the effect is well worth it. I wish more people who have taken it would respond but oh well.

I'll give it a go. Currently on Metazapine 45mg, still feel #e. Better appetite and sleep well though.

My doctor put me on vitamin B for stress, does anyone know the effects of Vitamin B?

Just like prescription meds for depression, herbal supplements should be used in conjunction with behavior therapy-which you can do yourself, or seek a psychologist trained in CBT

I highly recommend the book "Feeling Good" by Dr David Burns-I have known many people helped by what it teaches.

The first two chapters are all the details of the clinical side of things-by chapter 3 you will be well on your way to chanign negative thinking patterns you were not even consciously aware of.

What we think-be it an actual perception of things, or not will still trigger an emotional reaction-like anxiety-this emotional reaction/feeling then almost confirms itself because we believe what we FEEL..so it's a vicious circle to think if you FEEL anxiety there must be reason for it, which then makes you more anxious etc...

meds and herbals should be used as helpful adjuncts to behavior changes/thought processes but not a cure in of themselves-IMHO

[edit on 18-2-2006 by think2much]

think2much. i might be interested in picking up that book you recommend.

i suffer from serious anxiety.. especially in social situations. would it help me with this?

st johns wort has been known to help many people suffering from mild/moderate depression and one of the reasons it is not pushed heavily is because the pharmas (pharmaceuticals) survive by the drugs doctors prescribe to you and not by herbal remedies such as this.

If taking it though, people must be aware that it can affect some other medications that one may be on (if you're on anything else) so read up properly on it before going there.

Has a lot less side effects, plus they are not as bad as the prescribed drugs though.

I've tried St. John's wort, and didn't notice anything.

I'm on a bunch of prescription drugs that are mainly antidepressants but have off-label uses as pain killers since I broke my arm in a weird way (radial head fracture). I don't know if they're doing anything, it's hard to tell. The only thing that really worked to get rid of the pain was vicodin and percodan, but I have yet to find a doctor who'll give me permanent prescriptions for one of those.