can st johns wort be taken at the same time as valerian?

Question

for feeling down/stressed? also, is there anything else i could take thats a little stronger, over the counter? thanks

Answer 1

St Johns Wort is a herbal antidepressant and Valerian is a herbal
which people use as an anteanxiety agent or for insomnia.. The two together are incompatible and will make you more depressed. You should not try to self medicate. Go see your doctor who will be able to suggest medications which are more appropriate for you.

Answer 2

I find no contraindications between the two herbs. But the proper use of alternative medicine is to get to the root of the problem, not just treat the symptoms like aleopathic medicine does.

Could you be deficient in B vitamins? This can lead to anxiety AND depression. If you are taking estrogen (sorry I didn't look at your bio), or use anything that's diuretic, like coffee, tea or soda, this can lead to B deficiency. Vegetarians have to be especially careful with this.

There are tons of things to look at for your causes: too much sugar or simple carbs? low thyroid? not enough exercise? overuse of caffeine? alcohol abuse? some meds you're taking? (look up the possible side effects - beta blockers are notorious)

For depression combined with nervousness, I would take Lemon Balm during the day & California Poppy at night, while I looked into the root of the matter.