Has anyone here taken St. John's Wort for depression?

[Linda0818]

If so, did it work for you? And how long until you noticed results?

 

[JustJoel]

Linda, I have never taken St. John’s wort, but I do know that there are medicines that interact with it poorly (I don’t know which ones), so if you’re on medications, check with your doctor before you start taking it. That’s actually sound advice for any supplement.

CBD oil and other CBD products are currently in vogue for treating depression, among other things. You might want to check on those, too.

 

[Linda0818]

I've already checked with my doctor before taking it and she said it was okay for me to try it. I always check with her before taking anything.

I don't know what CBD products are. I'll look into it, though. I'm trying to find an alternative to taking SSRI's (Celexa, Lexapro, etc), as I have a serious issue with side effects.

 

[Cheryl J]

Linda, I have never taken St. John’s wort, but I do know that there are medicines that interact with it poorly (I don’t know which ones), so if you’re on medications, check with your doctor before you start taking it. That’s actually sound advice for any supplement.

CBD oil and other CBD products are currently in vogue for treating depression, among other things. You might want to check on those, too.

Agreed. I hope you feel better soon Linda, and glad you checked with your doctor.

 

[JustJoel]

I've already checked with my doctor before taking it and she said it was okay for me to try it. I always check with her before taking anything.

I don't know what CBD products are. I'll look into it, though. I'm trying to find an alternative to taking SSRI's (Celexa, Lexapro, etc), as I have a serious issue with side effects.

CBD is derived from cannabis, but doesn’t get you high (considering it’s price, I think that sucks, personally). I don’t think it’s illegal anywhere, but I really don’t know, state to state. It can be ordered online. It’s used to treat depression, anxiety, and chronic pain among other things. I understand you can cook with it as well!

Apparently, it’s works for dogs, too!

 

[caseydog]

As somebody who takes a prescription anti-depressant for GAD/OCD, not depression (I'm not shy about it), I take a daily low dose of an SSRI (Paroxetine, AKA Paxil), and it works. Some "authority" type people bad mouth them, but it works for me. I have found that herbal supplements/medications are garbage.

Find a doctor who truly understands how brain chemistry works. Then, work with that doctor. It will probably take some trial and error to find the right medication. That's normal. But, once you get dialed into the right medication, you will know it.

Again, the herbal medications are untested (by proper scientific processes), and unregulated. Snake oil, IMO.

CD

 

[GotGarlic]

Since herbal "medicine" and dietary supplements are unregulated, they can contain more or less of the so-called active ingredient, or even ingredients that are not listed on the label. I would suggest seeing a specialist about this. As good as my primary doctor is, he knows the limits of his knowledge and refers me to others as needed.

 

[Linda0818]

Agreed. I hope you feel better soon Linda, and glad you checked with your doctor.

Thanks, Cheryl

CBD is derived from cannabis, but doesn’t get you high (considering it’s price, I think that sucks, personally). I don’t think it’s illegal anywhere, but I really don’t know, state to state. It can be ordered online. It’s used to treat depression, anxiety, and chronic pain among other things. I understand you can cook with it as well!

Apparently, it’s works for dogs, too!

Interesting. I'll have to look into it.

As somebody who takes a prescription anti-depressant for GAD/OCD, not depression (I'm not shy about it), I take a daily low dose of an SSRI (Paroxetine, AKA Paxil), and it works. Some "authority" type people bad mouth them, but it works for me. I have found that herbal supplements/medications are garbage.

Find a doctor who truly understands how brain chemistry works. Then, work with that doctor. It will probably take some trial and error to find the right medication. That's normal. But, once you get dialed into the right medication, you will know it.

Again, the herbal medications are untested (by proper scientific processes), and unregulated. Snake oil, IMO.

CD

You're probably right about that.

I've tried different SSRI's and I'm done. I'm not putting anymore of that stuff into my body because my body just doesn't tolerate it well. I get horrific side effects that last for weeks and dizziness that lasts for months. No, make that years. I was on Celexa about 10 years ago and duked out the side effects until my body got used to it. But the dizziness never went away, even after weaning myself off of the stuff a few years later and that was a complete nightmare because of the withdrawal.

So never again on mind-altering medications. If I can't find something natural, then I'll just live with the depression. I'm getting used to being depressed anyway, so it doesn't really bother me as much anymore. It just seems like kind of a natural thing, as I've never been an overly-happy person in the first place. I just wanted to find something that would at least make me "a little happy" once in a while. That would be kind of nice

 

[Linda0818]

Since herbal "medicine" and dietary supplements are unregulated, they can contain more or less of the so-called active ingredient, or even ingredients that are not listed on the label. I would suggest seeing a specialist about this. As good as my primary doctor is, he knows the limits of his knowledge and refers me to others as needed.

Good idea, thank you.

 

[GotGarlic]

So never again on mind-altering medications. If I can't find something natural, then I'll just live with the depression.

Linda, if St. John's wort really does improve depression, then it's a mind-altering medication, with the potential to cause side effects. It's just not tested for safety and effectiveness because dietary supplements are classified differently from prescription medications; check out the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994, enacted in part by Orrin Hatch because a lot of supplements are made in Utah: https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/dshea-a-travesty-of-a-mockery-of-a-sham/

Natural does not automatically mean safe. Tobacco, for example, is perfectly natural

 

[Linda0818]

Linda, if St. John's wort really does improve depression, then it's a mind-altering medication, with the potential to cause side effects. It's just not tested for safety and effectiveness because dietary supplements are classified differently from prescription medications; check out the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994, enacted in part by Orrin Hatch because a lot of supplements are made in Utah: https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/dshea-a-travesty-of-a-mockery-of-a-sham/

Natural does not automatically mean safe. Tobacco, for example, is perfectly natural

Good points all around. So far I've had no side effects or anything, but it doesn't seem to be doing much of anything else, either.

I recently tried buspirone. That did nothing.

 

[Linda0818]

I'd also like to add that when I was on Celexa about 10 years ago, once I got past all the side effects, the medication served its purpose and did what it was supposed to do. That's back when I had really bad anxiety/panic disorder and Celexa gave me my life back. But I was 10 years younger then. I don't think I could handle all the side effects again. I have a bottle of the stuff sitting in my cupboard. Started out with a low dose (5 mg) and less than a week in, those old familiar side effects were starting to surface. I stopped taking it and I'm afraid to continue. Lexapro, my gawd, made me so dizzy I couldn't even drive to work. And buspirone did nothing at all. Too bad. It was the only anti-anxiety medication I've ever taken that didn't make me miserable.

I just want something to make my mood a little better and to stop me from obsessing over my own mortality since losing my SO. My 19 year old son is doing the same thing. When cancer and death hits that close to home, it scares you and every little ache, pain or abnormality makes you think "omg, I have some horrible disease and I'm gonna die in 6 months."

I'm so tired of living in fear. And I thought maybe an anti-depressant would help make that go away.

 

[GotGarlic]

Linda, maybe some talk therapy would help. You're experiencing natural reactions to the loss and pain you've suffered. Cognitive behavioral therapy is designed to help with that.

 

[Linda0818]

My doctor has suggested the same thing. She thinks I need grief counseling. I'll have to give it some thought.

 

[JustJoel]

My doctor has suggested the same thing. She thinks I need grief counseling. I'll have to give it some thought.

I started counseling about a year before my dad passed away. Both mom and dad were in their 80’s and not getting any healthier. When Dad was diagnosed with congestive heart failure, I knew that when his time came, I’d be devastated. It did help prepare me.

 

[JustJoel]

Linda,
I found this article on the web, from Food and Wine. I thought you might it interesting, if not useful. Of course, Food and Wine isn’t a medical journal, so take it for what it’s worth!

The only CBD product I’ve used was topical - lotion. And I only bought it because it was 1. On sale and 2. It had a really lovely grapefruit fragrance. I did notice that it seemed to be somewhat beneficial for some skin issues I was having, whereas the the non-CBD moisturizers weren’t efficacious.

And of course, check with your doctor!

https://www.health.com/pain/what-is-cbd

 

[Kayelle]

My doctor has suggested the same thing. She thinks I need grief counseling. I'll have to give it some thought.

Please give it more than some thought {{Linda}}. It's your first step to recovery, and can do no harm. There are many choices for grief counseling.
My choice certainly helped me in my grief recovery, and there's the right choice for you out there too.

 

[Linda0818]

Linda,
I found this article on the web, from Food and Wine. I thought you might it interesting, if not useful. Of course, Food and Wine isn’t a medical journal, so take it for what it’s worth!

The only CBD product I’ve used was topical - lotion. And I only bought it because it was 1. On sale and 2. It had a really lovely grapefruit fragrance. I did notice that it seemed to be somewhat beneficial for some skin issues I was having, whereas the the non-CBD moisturizers weren’t efficacious.

And of course, check with your doctor!

https://www.health.com/pain/what-is-cbd

Please give it more than some thought {{Linda}}. It's your first step to recovery, and can do no harm. There are many choices for grief counseling.
My choice certainly helped me in my grief recovery, and there's the right choice for you out there too.

Thank you so much, guys, I appreciate the advice