Natural Antidepressants II
St. John's Wort II
St. John's Wort Side
Effects.
St. John's Wort Side Effects.
St. John's Wort, a European favorite for
treating depression, is shown to have fewer and milder side
effects than pharmaceutical antidepressants. In addition to having
far fewer side effects, St. John's Wort is also shown to be highly
effective in relieving depression symptoms.
St. John's Wort side effects have been studied extensively in
Europe. Twenty-three clinical studies found that St. John's Wort
is both safe and effective for treating mild to moderate
depression. St. John's Wort showed fewer side effects than
standard antidepressants. St. John's Wort is shown effective for
mild to moderate depression but not severe depression.
Common St. John's Wort side effects include dizziness, dry mouth,
nausea, diarrhea, fatigue and light sensitivity. Some people have
also reported the following St. John's Wort side effects: skin
rashes, stomach upset and changes in weight.
Compared the St. John's Wort side effects to those of
pharmaacuetical antidepressants; sexual side effects, weight gain,
deepened depression, increased risk of suicide, withdrawal,
blurred vision, nausea, dry mouth, dizziness, insomnia...
St. John's Wort is, by far, a safer alternative for depression
treatment.
One recent study published in the British Medical Journal studied
over 300 patients with mild to moderate depression. Half were
given St. John's Wort to treat depression and half were given the
antidepressant Tofranil. Both groups reported improvement in
symptoms of depression during this six-week trial. However, only
39 percent from the St. John's Wort group reported side effects
compared to 63 percent of those in the Tofranil group reporting
side effects. In addition, only 3 percent from the St. John's Wort
group had side effects strong enough to discontinue use, compared
to 16 percent of those in the Tofranil group. This study showed
that St. John's Wort side effects occured in far fewer patients
and the side effects were milder than those of antidepressants.
Although a small percent of people experience side effects while
using St. John's Wort, you should be aware of the St. John's Wort
side effects before using the herbal remedy.
One of the St. John's Wort side effects is light sensitivity.
Therefore, if you take St. John's Wort, you should wear protective
sunglasses when outside in the sun.
Fatigue is one of the St. John's Wort side effects that generally
can be avoided if you take St. John's Wort at nighttime before
bed. In that case, it may help you to sleep.
Some people have reported that one of St. John's Wort side effects
is that it causes high blood pressure. This has not been
demonstrated in clinical studies.
Drug interactions should be taken into account when taking St.
John's Wort, as St. John's Wort can make certain drugs less
effective. St. John's Wort can lessen the effectiveness of certain
HIV medications, certain anticancer drugs and certain drugs used
to prevent transplant organ rejection. Therefore, if you have
specific health issues, it is important to see your doctor before
taking St. John's Wort.
If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, you should not take St.
John's Wort due to unknown side effects to the child.
Also, you should not suddenly discontinue antidepressants to take
St. John's Wort without the direct aid of your health care
provider. Many antidepressants cause severe withdrawal symptoms
and require a tapering.
It is important to carefully investigate antidepressants and their
side effects, along with exploring alternatives like Deprex when looking for
depression relief. A therapeutic strategy involving natural
antidepressants is at
the discretion of the individual and their health care provider.
In all cases of clinical depression, always seek a your health
care provider's guidance first.
