How long does st johns wort take to get out of your system?!
Question:
How long does st johns wort take to get out of your system?
i've been prescribed anti-depressants but on reading the label i shouldn't use it with st johns wort which i took yesterday. how long should i wait before starting the new medication?
Answers:
A day or two would be long enought, I would have thought.
But why do you want to take anti-depressants instead of St. John's wort?
All the evidence says that they are both as good as each other - St. John's wort is just as effective as conventional drugs, such as tricyclic and the newer SSRI anti-dpressants such as Prozac. All of them - including St. John's wort will take 2 - 4 weeks to kick in, and probably 6 weeks or longer in some cases.
But, St.John's wort is far safer, has less side-effects and less long-term effects such as dependency.
Of course, I am biased, having practiced Complementary and Alternative Medicine, including herbal medicine, for over 12 years. Before this I was a GP. At the end of the day the choice is yours, but don't discount St.John's wort just for the sake of it.