Does St.Johns Wort For depression work?

Question

I was taking fluoxetine for 18 months but stopped as i didn't want to rely on chemicals anymore...

Is the natural remedy St.Johns wort clinically proven to relieve the symptoms of depression?

x

Answer 1

In my experience, you cannot 'cure' depression - you can make it easier to live with though. Medication works for some, but not for others. Maybe you'd benefit from forgetting about the pills for a while and trying other things? I tried St.Johns Wort, but it didn't help. These are the things that help me live with my depression.

1) Talk - bottling things up doesn't help. Externalise your emotions. Work through your thoughts, and try and understand why you are having them, and if they are helpful or not.

2) Keep a diary - work out what 'triggers' you have, make lists of things that make you feel good and things that make you feel bad. Look at your lists often.

3) Eat healthily - don't drink, avoid caffeine and sugar. Lots of fresh food, fruit and vegetables.

4) Stick to a sleep pattern. Go to bed at the same time each night and get up at the same time - even if you don't sleep at all in the night. Stick to 8 hours and don't sleep in.

5) Get outside for an hour a day - walk in the fresh air and clear your head.

6) Socialise - keep in touch with friends and family. Get out and meet people.

7) Set goals. Set realistic, achievable and positive goals. This are personal - I set goals such a doing a course, joining an exercise class, sticking to my diet etc.

8) Give yourself a break - you aren't going to get better overnight, you are allowed slip ups. Remember that no one judges you as harshly as you judge yourself.

9) Talk to your doctor - ask what help is available and take it! Talking therapies help a lot of people, and CBT or counselling or something similar may help you.

10) Talk to people who understand - it can be isolating feeling like you are the only person in the world with this awful illness. Talk to people who understand that some days it is too hard to get dress and who understand the reason why you stand in the supermarket crying over which tuna. It is liberating to know that other people are in the same boat - share tips on how to keep positive.

Answer 2

Had taken for several years but still struggled most of the time, also i used to get a nasty rash in the summer, as sunlght will affect your skin more than normal,, then again i have just tried Fluoxtine and did not agree with me at all, now waiting to try something else.
I suspect if you have been on somthing like Fluoxtine then i doubt St Johnswort will help,except in mild cases, Talk to the Doc first, i have come to the conclusion that if i have to have chemicals in me then so be it as the other option [none ] is not worth thinking about. Good Luck

Answer 3

It can take the edge off of the nastiest emotions without giving you a drugged feeling.
It's like poking yourself repeatedly with a pin. Then you dull it slightly with sandpaper and poke yourself again. The pin still hurts and you're still very aware of the pin that's poking you, but the tip doesn't hurt as much any more. I guess it's like aspirin for the broken emotions.
Valerian Root, although costs more, gives the same results, but personal experience leads me to believe that it works a little better.

Answer 4

Yes there is controlled evidence that it does. However it is often not potent enough nor suitable for all patients. It also has a well known interaction with fluoxetine and they MUST NOT be taken together.

Such a change is a big step and you should not do it without chatting to your GP. Be warned he might consider it inadvisable.

Answer 5

stay with the fluoxetine i tryed the st.johns wort and it made me a lot worse

Answer 6

you really should keep taking the prescribed drugs if u dont want your symptoms to come back probably worse, st johns wort is supposed to be good but it can be harmful and shouldnt be taken all the time seek medical advice this is what i know on it.

Answer 7

it can do on mild depression but i and my husband have found that get just getting out there and doing things like going for long walks starting new hobbies eating well and laughing alot helps loads more than any tablets

Answer 8

A few years ago it was promoted a lot, but then side effects were discovered. Since then it has been advised best left alone.

Answer 9

Didn't work for me. My sister in law said it worked for her, but she's on anti-depressants now, so obviously, it didn't work that well for her, either.

Answer 10

Yes it is....but only very mild depression.