St. John's Wort
St. John's Wort is a traditional herbal remedy, and there is a growing body of research showing the benefits of St. John's Wort for treating mild depression and anxiety. Indeed, in mild depression, it can be more effective than conventional antidepressants (which are more effective in moderate-severe depression).
Because St. John's Wort is readily available without prescription from chemists, health food shops, supermarkets and online, many people with mild depression may choose to use it rather than seek medical treatment. While this course of action can help, you need to be aware of the potential risks involved:
- Self-diagnosis
- Side effects
- Mixing with medication
- Finding a reputable supplier
Self-diagnosis
Self-diagnosis of depression arises because of the stigma and discrimination that is often experienced by people who disclose the fact that they have mental health problems, and because of the fears many people have about what will happen to them if they are formally diagnosed with depression. Rather than risk being given the label "mentally ill", most people with mild depression will choose to find non-medical means of dealing with their condition. While this can - and often does - work, there will be problems if the symptoms continue to worsen. There are also several physical illnesses that have similar symptoms to depression, including diabetes, thyroid problems and liver disease - it is essential that these are treated at an early stage. So it is worth visiting your GP for a straightforward blood test to rule these illnesses out (especially if your symptoms do not appear to have started following some kind of stressful life event).
Side-effects
Like any other active medicine, St. John's Wort can have side effects which some people find distressing. The most common of these are stomach upsets and digestive problems, headaches, dizziness and allergic reactions. Some people with fair skin also experience extra photosensitivity resulting in sunburn symptoms in response to ultraviolet light.
Mixing with other medicines
As with any herbal remedy, you should seek advice before mixing St. John's Wort with any other medicine. There is a long list of medicines that should not be mixed with St. John's Wort, the most important of which are: blood-thinning drugs, cancer drugs and chemotherapy, contraceptives, HIV drugs, thyroxine, and antidepressants.
Finding a reputable supplier
As with other herbal remedies, St. John's Wort is sold either as capsules containing dried leaves from the plant or as a tincture (an alcohol based-solution of the plant). Although some of the larger manufacturers of St. John's Wort have developed processes to standardise the active ingredients, smaller and less reputable manufacturers may struggle to achieve this. As a result, there may be considerable variation in dose between two boxes from the same manufacturer, and even between two capsules from the same box. This, in turn, may lessen the effectiveness of the preparation and exacerbate any side effects you may experience.
Latest Research
A recent study indicates that St.Johns Wort is no more effective for mild depression than citalopram (an ) or placebo. While this is just one study, it is always important to remember that there is no single “best way” to treat depression because it can be a very individual experience and different things work for different people. Other studies including a meta-analysis has indicated that St.Johns Wort is more effective than a placebo, so the jury is still out.
