Overview

St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) is a flowering shrub native to Europe. It gets its identify from the actuality that it typically blooms on the birthday of the biblical John the Baptist.

The flowers and leaves of St. John’s wort contain lively substances this kind of as hyperforin. St. John’s wort is readily available as a dietary supplement in teas, tablets, liquids and topical preparations.

Individuals use St. John’s wort to handle despair and menopausal symptoms.

Proof

Investigate on St. John’s wort use for precise conditions displays:

  • Melancholy. A number of experiments assistance the therapeutic benefit of St. John’s wort in dealing with gentle to reasonable despair. In actuality, some study has revealed the dietary supplement to be as productive as various prescription antidepressants. It truly is unclear no matter if it is effective in the remedy of intense despair. Because St. John’s wort interacts with lots of drugs, it might not be an ideal decision, significantly if you get any prescription medication.
  • Menopausal symptoms. Some proof implies that using St. John’s wort by itself or in combination with black cohosh or other herbs might cut down menopausal symptoms this kind of as scorching flashes.
  • Somatic symptom ailment. Some experiments reveal that St. John’s wort might be effective for the remedy of this condition that leads to intense anxiety about bodily symptoms this kind of as suffering, weak point or shortness of breath.

Our get

Yellow light: Caution

Warning

St. John’s wort can be productive for dealing with gentle to reasonable despair. Nonetheless, the dietary supplement interacts with lots of drugs and can lead to significant aspect outcomes. Seek advice from with your medical doctor just before using St. John’s wort if you get any other drugs.

Security and aspect outcomes

When taken orally for up to twelve weeks in ideal doses, St. John’s wort is typically regarded as safe. Nonetheless, it may possibly lead to:

  • Agitation and anxiety
  • Dizziness
  • Diarrhea, constipation and abdomen irritation
  • Dry mouth

Other aspect outcomes may possibly incorporate:

  • Exhaustion and sleeplessness
  • Headache
  • Enhanced sensitivity to daylight (photosensitivity)

There just isn’t enough details about the safety of making use of St. John’s wort topically.

Don’t use St. John’s wort throughout pregnancy or whilst breastfeeding.

Interactions

The listing beneath incorporates some recognized interactions. Nonetheless, other medication may possibly also interact with St. John’s wort. Test with your medical doctor just before making use of St. John’s wort in combination with any other medication, especially prescription drugs.

  • Alprazolam (Xanax). Having St. John’s wort with this drug employed to relieve symptoms of anxiety might minimize the drug’s outcome.
  • Antidepressants. Having St. John’s wort with antidepressants might raise the danger of the accumulation of high ranges of serotonin in your body. Also much serotonin can lead to gentle to intense aspect outcomes. Having this dietary supplement and an antidepressant demands a doctor’s supervision.
  • Barbiturates. Having St. John’s wort with a drug that functions as a central nervous method depressant (barbiturate) might minimize barbiturate-induced slumber time.
  • Bupropion (Wellbutrin SR, Forfivo XL). Having St. John’s wort with this antidepressant might minimize the drug’s outcome.
  • Specified chemotherapy medication. Having St. John’s wort with irinotecan (Camptosar, Onivyde), docetaxel (Taxotere) or imatinib (Gleevec) might cut down the chemotherapy drug’s outcomes.
  • Specified immunosuppressive medication. Having St. John’s wort with tacrolimus (Prograf, Astagraf XL, others) or cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune, others) might minimize the drug’s outcome.
  • Specified statins. Having St. John’s wort with simvastatin (Zocor, Flolipid) might cut down the drug’s success.
  • Contraceptive medication. Use of St. John’s wort with contraceptive medication might outcome in breakthrough bleeding, irregular bleeding or unplanned pregnancy. An supplemental or option kind of start handle might be essential.
  • Cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP1A2), Cytochrome P450 2B6 (CYP2B6), Cytochrome P450 2C19 (CYP2C19) and cytochrome P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) and cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) substrates. Don’t get St. John’s wort if you happen to be using a drug afflicted by these enzymes.
  • Dextromethorphan. Having St. John’s wort with this cough suppressant might raise the danger of the accumulation of high ranges of serotonin in your body.
  • Digoxin (Lanoxin). Having St. John’s wort with this heart treatment can cut down the drug’s outcome.
  • Fexofenadine (Allegra Allergy). Having St. John’s wort with this antihistamine might lead to far too much of the drug to build up in your body, worsening usual aspect outcomes.
  • Ketamine (Ketalar). Having St. John’s wort with ketamine might cut down the drug’s anesthetic outcome.
  • Narcotics. Don’t get St. John’s wort with methadone (Methadose). Having St. John’s wort with particular narcotics might cut down the drug’s success. Combining the dietary supplement with narcotics might also raise narcotic-induced slumber time and painkilling outcomes.
  • Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors. Having St. John’s wort with just one of these anti-HIV medication could cut down the drug’s outcome.
  • Omeprazole (Prilosec). Don’t get St. John’s wort with this drug employed to handle persistent heartburn. The dietary supplement can cut down the drug’s success.
  • Phenytoin (Dilantin, Phenytek). Having St. John’s wort with this anticonvulsant might outcome in decline of seizure handle.
  • Photosensitizing medication. Having St. John’s wort with a drug that increases sensitivity to daylight might raise the danger of a reaction.
  • Protease inhibitors. Having St. John’s wort with this variety of antiviral drug can cut down the drug’s success.
  • Triptans. Don’t get St. John’s wort with these drugs employed to handle migraines. The dietary supplement might raise the danger of the accumulation of high ranges of serotonin in your body. Also much serotonin can lead to gentle to intense aspect outcomes.
  • Voriconazole. Having St. John’s wort with this antifungal drug might cut down the drug’s success.
  • Warfarin (Jantoven). Having St. John’s wort with this drug taken to cut down blood clotting might minimize the drug’s outcome.