St Johns Wort - myth or magic?

St Johns Wort - myth or magic?

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Discussion

Turn7

Original Poster:

23,500 posts

220 months

Wednesday 8th April 2015
quotequote all
Placebo or usefull ?

Coming off Cilatopram after a couple of years and not enjoying it currently.

Have heard various ideas about this and looking for some user experiences.

ETA - Im on Warfarin for life and this may also be an issue....

Edited by Turn7 on Wednesday 8th April 20:01

K77 CTR

1,608 posts

181 months

Wednesday 8th April 2015
quotequote all
St John's wart is contraindicated with a lot of medicines, I'm pretty certain it's a no with warfarin

Farmerpalmer

273 posts

163 months

Wednesday 8th April 2015
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i assume you are coming off citalopram with guidance from your GP??????
this should be done gradually over a period of weeks, to prevent rather unpleasant withdrawal symptoms.

Personally i would avoid st johns wort for several reasons. it is not regulated, therefore you do not actually know how much to take/ quality of the product. Some patients do find it works, but not everyone.
Also, st johns wort interacts with warfarin, so for this reason alone, i would strongly advise to avoid it.

if you are clinically depressed, but want to avoid "medication", then speak to you GP - they may be able to recommend some other form of therapy.
Good luck - you will be surprised on how many people are in a similar situaton

Turn7

Original Poster:

23,500 posts

220 months

Wednesday 8th April 2015
quotequote all
Farmerpalmer said:
i assume you are coming off citalopram with guidance from your GP??????
this should be done gradually over a period of weeks, to prevent rather unpleasant withdrawal symptoms.

Personally i would avoid st johns wort for several reasons. it is not regulated, therefore you do not actually know how much to take/ quality of the product. Some patients do find it works, but not everyone.
Also, st johns wort interacts with warfarin, so for this reason alone, i would strongly advise to avoid it.

if you are clinically depressed, but want to avoid "medication", then speak to you GP - they may be able to recommend some other form of therapy.
Good luck - you will be surprised on how many people are in a similar situaton
Thanks for the reply.

Sadly, my Surgery is pretty much next to useless on 98% of things medical. I watched a GP actually google a question I asked her once and during another consulatation with a differnt GP they answered their mobile to their daughter who phoned to ask if she buy new tennis shoes?!?!?!

To say I have no faith in them is an understatement.

captainmatt

475 posts

165 months

Wednesday 8th April 2015
quotequote all
Then get another GP. Seriously, coming off it off your own back isn't going to be a barrel of laughs at all, and St Johns Wort + pretty much anything isn't a recipe for success. It's a natural antidepressant, but is heavily contraindicated with most drugs. Don't use it, find another surgery.

Turn7

Original Poster:

23,500 posts

220 months

Friday 17th April 2015
quotequote all
Had to seE the Doc today as struggling big time. Sadly now back on Escilatopram.

Talking with the quack, she said there is distinct possibility I may need to take it for life as something in my head has come unwired.

Am I a living TVR?

tonyvid

9,869 posts

242 months

Monday 20th April 2015
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You could be hehe

I was on citalopram in about 2006/7 and really struggled with it, I was then moved on to prozac(which had a lot less side effects) and very slowly reduced the dose over about 4months - it really did take that long as every slightest drop made me so dizzy and feeling like a drunk. I stuck it out though and got there in the end smile

I have used SJW over the years to help with SAD and the winter - it works for me with no side effects apart from sun sensitivity. As others have said though, it interacts with loads of medications so you have to be careful(or even pregnant if on the pill!). Don't mix SJW with any antidepressants, that can cause some serious problems.

curlyks2

1,028 posts

145 months

Tuesday 21st April 2015
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Don't take SJW and (es-)citalopram at the same time. Both together (with or without other things as well) may raise serotonin levels to dangerous levels ( serotonin syndrome).

See this information, or check interactions between things yourself here.

The risk of serotonin syndrome is the reason I had to stop taking tramadol (for back pain) when I started on citalopram. Pity, because nowt else they've given me has got close to being anywhere near as effective for the pain.

minerva

756 posts

203 months

Wednesday 22nd April 2015
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The fact that you are not happy with your GP is a real shame. I am a GP and if I heard that about me or my colleagues, I would be devastated.

I would avoid SJW. There is no evidence that it will help and some evidence that it will alter the metabolisation of warfarin.

Escitalopram has been shown to be superior to citalopram, certainly, and others depending on the problems you have and the diagnosis you have received.

I am stabbing in the dark here, due to the limited information you have so far shared but:

1) have you got a diagnosis?
2) have you looked at online tools such as mood gym?
3) has the GP recommended CBT?


Turn7

Original Poster:

23,500 posts

220 months

Wednesday 22nd April 2015
quotequote all
Minerva ,no diagnosis whatsoever.

And no to the other q's as well..

And yes,I am in Escilatopram not cit.