Can I stop taking St. John's Wort cold turkey?!
Question:
Can I stop taking St. John's Wort cold turkey?
I have been taking 300mg 3 times a day now for 5 weeks, I'm probably gonna continue for a bit longer but i was wondering if i can just stop taking it cold turkey or will i have side effects similar to anit-depressants? Has anyone done this and had any effects?
Answers:
My first reaction to your question is in agreement with Kelani. Even though stopping an herbal product is not going to bring with it the dangers of cold turkey ending some prescription medicines, or in some cases OTC medications taken for an extended period, the questions that remain to be clarified are these:
Why stop? It isn't like SJW is going to hurt you unless you are taking it with some other medicines, which obviously you are not.
If you do stop, why not ease yourself off of the SJW, simply because you will notice some changes in your serotonin level, and this could impact your emotions to some extent, depending on your circumstances. So ease off, and avoid the shock of that possibility.
In the meantime, boost your intake of foods and beverages high in the antioxidants that can alleviate the changes, and continue that consumption forever, because there are many benefits to increased levels of serotonin, including avoiding heart disease. (Depleted serotonin can cause an increase in negative cholesterol.)
Feel free to interact by email, if you wish.