St John Worts.The Bad side?!


Question:

St John Worts.The Bad side?

Has anyone had any bad effects with st john worts.If so how did you get better?Did you reduce the dose or cut it out comepletly Whats a safe dose? Any info will appreciated.


Answers:

Hi Tiger, The dosage and content of St John's wort preparations vary greatly between formulations, because of variability in the plant source and preparation processes. The doses of St. John’s wort extract used in clinical trials generally range from 350 to 1800 mg daily (equivalent to 0.4 to 2.7 mg hypericin depending on the preparation). Because of the variable nature of herbal medicines, the clinical trial results using one product cannot be extrapolated to other products containing the same herb (just as a prize winning wine is not the same as everything else made from grapes). Only a handful of products made from St John's wort have been used in clinical studies (for example, Li 160 and Ze 117).

The recommended dosage for various forms of St John's wort as recommended by the British Herbal Medicine Association Scientific Committee (1983) are as follows:

* dried herb: 2-4 g or by infusion three times daily
* liquid extract 2-4 mL (1:1 in 25% alcohol) three times daily
* tincture 2-4mL (1:10 in 45% alcohol) three times daily

In markets where standardised extracts are not available, the content of marketed products can vary widely. Some brands of over-the-counter St. John's wort can have a totally different chemical profile than others. The same can even be true of two dosage units from different batches of the same brand. Even where extracts are standardised it is debatable whether using hypericin as the standard is useful, since other constituents including hyperforin are biologically active. Therefore the best way to ensure reliable results is to use the products which have been used in the clinical trials.

As with other antidepressants, Hypericum should be taken for at least four weeks before its effectiveness can be properly assessed.

Adverse effects

St John's wort is generally well tolerated, with an adverse effect profile similar to placebo. The most common adverse effects reported are gastrointestinal symptoms, dizziness, confusion, tiredness and sedation.

Since the St. John's wort mechanism is probably inhibition of Serotonin (5-HT) reuptake, much like the conventional SSRI antidepressants, it may be useful to review that information before using, particularly the complications. The link to the PROZAC Product Information is provided below.

St John's wort may rarely cause photosensitivity. This can lead to visual sensitivity to light and to sunburns in situations that would not normally cause them.

Some research shows that St John's wort may adversely affect fertility in both men and women.

St. John's wort does interact with birth control pills and may reduce the effectiveness of oral contraceptives.

Use caution when discontinuing use. While you may not notice positive effects while using St John's Wort, suddenly discontinuing use can be quite unpleasant.
(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
Jason Homan




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