Episode Summary
In my research to understand what antidepressants did in the brain so I could identify natural alternatives, I kept coming across references in St John’s Wort. In this episode I share the results of my research into St John’s Wort. I look at what it is, the research about its’ effectiveness and the side effects people might encounter.
Episode Show Notes
00:13 – Background to why I am looking at St John’s Wort.
01:33 – I decided I didn’t want to take antidepressants and researched what they did in the brain to see if I could find natural alternative remedies to do the same.
01:49 – It is important to acknowledge that lives have been saved by conventional antidepressants.
03:00 – The latin name for St John’s Wort is Hypericum Perforatum (sounds like a Harry Potter spell!). It is a plant with a 5 petal yellow flower that grows to 50-100cm tall in Europe, The Americas, Australia, New Zealand and East Asia.
03:42 – The active ingredients in St John’s Wort are hypericin and hyperforin (see references below for detailed explanations of these compounds).
05:30 – The NHS website in the UK cites a 2008 study and reports:
The herbal remedy St John’s Wort can be as good at lifting depression as drugs like Prozac.
Daily Express, 2008
06:19 – The 2008 study was a systematic review of double blind randomised conducted trials that looked at 29 studies researching the impact of St John’s Wort on the mild t0 moderate depressive symptoms of 5489 people.
06:59 – This study found that St John’s Wort was superior to a placebo. It also found it was as good as the antidepressants it was compared against with fewer side effects. This is the best evidence to date that it might be a viable treatment.
07:58 – Other studies conducted in 2002 and 2011 were less conclusive with one study finding St John’s Wort had similar impact to an antidepressant and a placebo. Another found it to be no more effective than a placebo.
09:23 – The American College of Physicians and the American Society of Internal Medicine guidelines suggest St John’s Wort for short term treatment of mild depression.
09:46 – St John’s Wort is not licensed as a medicine in the UK and so can’t be prescribed. However it is registered with the Medicines & Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and should carry a Traditional Herbal Remedy mark:
10:21 – St John’s Wort is not recommended by NICE (National Institute For Health and Care Excellence) and so it is not prescribed in the UK.
10:56 – Not everyone who takes St John’s Wort experiences side effects, but those that do have reported:
- Nausea
- Headaches
- Allergic reactions
- Tiredness
- Dizziness
- Confusion
- Dry mouth
- Skin problems
11:10 – The biggest alarm bells for me are the “serious interactions” with some medications, especially:
- Antidepressants
- Sleeping pills
- Contraceptives
12:17 – St John’s Wort affects the production of serotonin and so if taken with medications that have a similar effect, there is a risk of Serotonin Syndrome which is potentially fatal.
12:29 – The verdict on my research:
- First of all if you are struggling with the symptoms of depression, seek professional medical advice. Whilst I didn’t want to, I recognised I wasn’t making good decisions with my state of mind. Going to my GP kick started my recovery even though to date I have received no help at all from the NHS.
- NICE say using St John’s Wort to treat depression isn’t consistently effective [but then neither are antidepressants!]
- However some research has shown it to be as good as antidepressants and better than a placebo and that it is potentially a viable treatment.
- It has side effects (though fewer than conventional antidepressants) and there are serious potential (lethal) interactions with some medicines.
- I am going to stay true to the sentiments I expressed in Episode 093 Should I Take ANY Substance (Natural Or Manufactured) To Help With Depression.
Sources Used To Compile The Information Discussed In This Episode
[1] Hypericin–the facts about a controversial agent – (National Center For Biotechnology Information).
[2] Hypericin – (WikipediA).
[3] Role of hyperforin in the pharmacological activities of St. John’s Wort – (National Center For Biotechnology Information).
[4] Hyperforin – (WikipediA).
[5] – St John’s wort for depression – (www.NHS.uk).
[6] – St. John’s Wort: Uses, Side Effects, Interactions, Dosage, and Warning – (www.WebMD.com).
[7] – About St John’s wort – (www.Mind.or.uk).
[8] – St. John’s Wort and Depression: In Depth – (National Centre For Complimentary and Integrative Health – NCCIH).
[9] – ST JOHN’S WORT | Drug | BNF content published by NICE – (National Institute For Health & Care Excellence).
[10] – St John’s wort | Complementary and Alternative therapy – (Cancer Research UK)
