What is St. John’s Wort?
St. John’s wort is an herb from the plant species Hypericum perforatum and is also known as Tipton’s Weed. The plant is indigenous to Europe but varieties of the plant can be found worldwide and especially in subtropical regions of North America, Turkey, Russia, India and China where it thrives as an invasive weed making once productive land unviable for agricultural vegetation or livestock.
As an herbal product, St. John’s wort is grown commercially for the extract of the hypericum which is well documented as a viable herbal treatment for some forms of depression and has been in use since first being used in ancient Greece.
How is St. John’s Wort used as an alternative medicine?
St. John’s wort is an herbal product that can be purchased over the counter in most countries without a prescription, Ireland is an exception. The extract from the plant is usually found in tablet or capsule form but may also be found in some teabags and also in liquid form.
In some countries, it’s a cost effective treatment for mild cases of depression especially with children and adolescents. There are many conflicting reports to its effectiveness with cases of major depression and among adults.
Studies are being conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of St. John’s wort for treatment of somatoform disorders, which are mental disorders that have physical symptoms of diseases or injuries which have no identifiable cause. Other studies are testing for effectiveness with alcoholism, PMS, and also Parkinson’s disease.
What are the Side Effects?
The most common side effects reported when using St. John’s wort are gastrointestinal symptoms, dizziness, confusion, tiredness, sedation and photosensitivity (visual sensitivity to light and more rapid sunburns.)
It’s important to consult your doctor before taking any herbal products because they can and do interact with other prescribed medications. For example, St. John’s wort is known to interact with benzodiazepines, oral contraceptives, Opioids, and antidepressants like MAOI’s, TCA’s and SSRI’s and many more.
St. John’s wort has mood enhancing properties so do your research if you are taking ANY other prescription drugs.
My personal experience with the product
I have personally taken St. John’s wort in capsule form partly because I didn’t get the results I was hoping for after my eye surgery last year. I have type 2 diabetes and am on blood pressure medications but cannot report any adverse affects from taking this herbal product.
I can also say that within a couple weeks of taking the product friends and family were commenting on how chipper I was and I did become more active. It’s hard to say if the herbal product had something to do with my turn around since I am a pretty strong willed and determined person and I stopped taking it after my 60 day supply ran out.
