Hi all, I know that some ladies here take St. Johns Wort for anxiety issues and since I don't want to be on antidepressants for my anxiety I am thinking of trying it but not sure how to take it. Do you take it on a daily basis or just when the anxiety hits.
Hi I would say it's on a daily Basis it's the only way you would get enough of it to be of benefit to you I have a friend that takes it and she's sags it really helps her
Yes you should. The usual dose is 5-10ml a day if it is a tincture or just follow the instructions on the label of your purchase. You will start to feel the difference in a few weeks as such doses gently accumulate in your system and the body starts to regulate itself then. Feel free to ask me any questions as I am a practising medical herbalist.
I would suggest that you come of it after 3 months max and then decide if you want to go on to another natural remedy to support your body continuously.
I hope it works for you. I don't know where you live, but you have to be very careful with this one if you get a lot of sun. Sunlight naturally hightens our mood and is good for our bones, so you need to weigh up the benefits.
Hi just read ur post there and hope u dont mind if I ask u wht u wud recommend for low mood and tiredness apart from St John's wort.. I can't take it due to being on Bp tablets. I already take fish oil, vit b complex, vit d, also buckthorn. I see other ladies on this site take magnesium but unsure 8f I can take this with my bp tabs. I'm on ramapril 10mg also lercanidipine 10mg.
Thank u x
Hi Ola thanks so much for the info....just wondering why only three months is it not safe to take this on an ongoing basis
Hi Alison I live on Vancouver Island in British Columbia we have nice sunny summers but the rest of the year we get a lot of overcast and rainy days...I try and get out in the sun as much as possible and definately feel the positive effects from it.
The usual length of time herbal practitioners prescribe St John's Wort is 8 weeks. This is enough time for the herb's constituents & actvities to enable the regulation of the body's GABA receptors, 5-HT, interleuken-6 and Substance P. Over or under function lnked to them has depressive effects.
I don't know how you will be taking St John's Wort or in what format but if it is low dosage then the period can be extended to another month if necessary.
In general it's shown to be effective when taken in the following dosage:
2 to 6 grams of dried herb tea x 3 daily
2 to 4ml of tincture x 3 daily
240 to 1800mg daily in capsule/tablets (with good concentrations of hypericin and hyperforin) for a minimum of 4-6weeks. If the latter is how you will be taking it then there's no harm in taking the herb for some months.
St John's wort is generally well tolerated. Some people experience tiredness, mild skin rash, lucidity (dreams, light) and see that as adverse effects. Herbalists' approach to health is not to keep people on medicine but support the body get itself back to balance unless the circumstances are chronic. Anything can become toxic to the body if it is no longer required but is allowed to accumulate.
I hope that helps. Feel free to ask any questions.
You are very lucky to live in such a beautiful part of the world. Enjoy. I hope you can find a balance
thanks so much for this info I will most likely be taking the capsules
I took St. John's wort for a while off and on, I would say take it until you start to feel better. Once you start to feel better take it only when you feel a symptom coming on. This is how I took it and it eventually worked to level off my hormones and where I have had to rarely take it again. It stopped the anxiety and heart palps.
I took it in pill format.
My husband is Bipolar disorder 2.. He takes Depakin 500mg (twice a day) and Lamictal 100mg (twice a day). But about an year now he is having anxiety and panic attacks very frequently.. Doc recommend revotril 0.5mg but the effectiveness of it has reduced significantly.. So he was asked to take Cyprelex.. As I read, it is a nasty drug with many side effects..
So I am thinking of st.john wort.. Does this interact with mood stabilizers?? And will this help with his anxiety and panic disorders?
Shift, St. John's wort should not be taken with mood stabilizer. For someone with bipolar disorder, finding the most effective bipolar medications is key for treating and preventing episodes of mania or depression. Of course, it's important to take them as prescribed. And it's also important to be aware of what else you are taking when you do. Taking bipolar medications with over-the-counter herbs and natural supplements may be dangerous. Some herbs and supplements can cause dangerous interactions with medications or make bipolar drugs less effective. In addition, these natural therapies may also sometimes cause more serious health problems, always consult with your doctor before taking anything herbal.
Hi i been on klodipin for 3 yrs the doctor just took me off n my anxiety is through the roof !! Will st johns wart work for me plzzz help
Hi can u plzzz tell me if st johns wart will work for me ibwas on klodipin n i didnt know the dangers of it plzzz let me know ill go today to get it i need help
Jennifer, as long as you're not taking any blood pressure medication or any type of mood stabilizer, you can certainly try St. John's Wort.
In the USA I have found major variability in the quality of the St. John's Wort and that the strength listed on the supplement is simply not to be believed. I have found that if the color of the supplement herb is a very dark green it works for me. But if the color is a lighter color it is completely ineffective for me. Unfortunately because it takes a week or so to take effect, you do not always notice that you have a bad batch until your mood has deteriorated.
i suspect that the major problem with the variability of St John's Wort is due to the common use of UV light to "standardize" the strength. If the herb is stronger than usual the manufacturer exposes the herb to UV light that breaks down some of the active portion of St John's Wort and that this is why the lighter colored versions are ineffective. I suspect that either the process goes further than the manufacture intended or that the breakdown products interfere with the action of the herb. I have had cases where one brand worked for quite a while and then later purchases drift lighter in color and become ineffective for me. The other possibility is that the manufacturer uses a different variety of plant - but I suspect the real problem is usually the standardization. There is also a slight difference in smell between the good and bad versions. When I buy capsules I always buy a version that uses clear capsules so I can see what I am getting. Unfortunately the bottle has to be dark to protect the contents from light.
My own history with depression has been that I started with St John's Wort at my doctor's reccomendation. I was having variable results until I notice what I shared with you about some batches being better. After doing that I had more predictable results. Unfortunately I went through some life issues that made things much worse and went onto a prescription antidepressant Celexa for several years along with psychological help. I changed my situation to get out of a bad marriage and moved on with my life. Years later I got off the antidepressant with some difficulty and went back on St John's Wort and am at a much better place. I still find I have to be careful about the St John's Wort that I buy due to the issue I mentioned.
i learned from my psychologist that depression can have different symptoms. In some people, especially men, the underlying depression can turn you into a cranky a-hole mad at the world. In some people it makes you want to just hide under the covers and avoid the world. Or you can exhibit the full range of these symptoms at different times.
While depression and anxiety are not the same thing, I have found that depression can make you unusually anxious at times.
I hope this helps someone. Figuring out why some manufacturers worked and some didn't and why sometines a good brand stopped working for me was not easy. It takes a lot of self awareness to figure out what works for you and what doesn't. It also requires attention to details you might not connect at the time.
Do you mean klonopin, the benzo?
After benzo anxiety will go away. It takes a lot of time tho. Just hang in there, you will be normal!!! This goes away, you have to be strong.