Does anyone know  if St Johns wort works?
539834
There are some good studies to support its use, mostly done in Germany.  The findings suggest that it is effective for mild depression.  It also seems to have some effect of MAOI medications (which if you'll notice there are a ton of restrictions on other medications and MAOI's together).  Therefore if you are taking any other medication read the precautions carefully.
999944
It does not work - you need a conventional therapy. However, herbs, supplements and other alternatives can help in dealing with inevitable harmfull effects of conventional therapy.
1012657
I've heard that it works but don't actually know anyone who has taken it. I do know that if you are already on anti-depressants, you need to avoid St John's Wort as it has a bad interaction with them.\n\nAlthough I've been on anti-depressants myself for the past 7 years, I don't consider them a cure or a treatment in themself. I think we are often too hasty to pop pills for everything and expect the pills to do all the work. I think of my anti-depressants as an "assistant" in my healing from / dealing with my depression. \n\nEven if depression is caused by biological or chemical imbalances, there are a lot of personal and environmental things we can, and ought, to do to ease the symptoms. \n\nExercise is one of the best natural anti-depressants. Even if all you can manage is a five or ten minute walk in the fresh air, that's a good start. If you can walk in a pleasant environment like a garden or park or under an open sky (I sometimes go up on the roof of my building and walk there, it's beautiful to be among the clouds and the blue sky, I walk, think, talk to myself and sometimes even sing up there!)\n\nDrinking plenty of water helps, mainly because it's good for your health and fights fatigue - and when you're tired AND depressed it just feels worse. I drink 3 litres a day (it's also great for your skin,  and compliments about how fresh/young you look are VERY anti-depressing!!)\n\nDealing with your stress of course will make a difference - talking to a counselor or joining a support group can give you more comfort and confidence. \n\nAnd oddly enough, I find that de-cluttering, even just one drawer or shelf at a time, has a hugely uplifting effect. My favourite book on the subject is "Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui" by Karen Kingston. It's an amazing book and is more about why we clutter things up, the effects of clutter, and how to get over our psychological obstacles to de-cluttering. (It's not so much about wind-chimes and ceramic animals, in spite of the misleading name which might put some people off.) It's actually been the most impactful book I've read in the last two years (and I read a LOT) and de-cluttering my home has really had an amazing effect on how I feel about my self and my life. I really do recommend it. \n\nIf you're willing to make a holistic commitment to helping yourself in these simple ways, you can make a huge difference in how depression impacts your life. Good luck!
786858
Talk to your doctor if you can.  St. John's Wort is a natural herbal remedy and there are other natural herbs that are supposed to help, I'm not sure if they really do.  I felt the exact same way as you.  I took a couple of different anti-deppresants.  Although I did feel better, I felt apathetic & emotionless, like I didn't care about anything. My school work definitely surfered from it because I just didn't care if I did well or not.  I stopped taking anti-depressants because I would rather feel sad than feel nothing at all.   So antidepressants aren't always the best.  Try an herbal remedy or trying to changes omething in your life (exercise releases natural hormones that make you feel good, or get a fun job, hobby, club, sport - sometimes these things can make a big difference)
410268
A substantial body of scientific research has shown that St. Johns Wort is effective for the treatment of depression  (some studies have shown it is more effective and safer than prescription medications - SSRIs).\n\nEvery therapy has potential risks.  As for the photosensitivity noted by another 'answerer', this appears only to be an issue in animals and not in humans with reasonable doses.  A research study on this issue at the University of Freiberg, Germany published in the medical journal "Phytotherapy Research" in Feb. 2003 found no potential of phototoxicity in humans with daily doses up to 1800 milligrams.\n\nPlease note, if you have a serious enough problem to feel you need medicinal intervention (including herbal therapy) it might be a very good idea to work with an experienced health care professional.  They can guide you with dosages and other appropriate advice.\n\nBest wishes and good luck.
893267
there may be a clue on the xango website...\n\n\n\n*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.\n\n\n\nthats a no then :)\n\nthe science isn't barmy but we don't know yet how much these substances can help and if they do have no idea how much or which might be helpful......   If you like the taste fine but in general you are better of sticking to a balanced diet with a wide range of fresh fruit and veg! :)
43455
In a small study, and in cases where it did not respond to ther treatments, yes.  http://www.altabates.com/health/healthinfo/reutershome_top.cfm?fx=article&id=19740\n\nConsult with an MD who deals with many Chrohn's patients.  There are many treatment options and a specialist in this area is who you should be talking to!
111704
St. John's Wort is effective for depression; you may want to ask an herbologist to get a complete answer.
606767
yes, and its a great alternative to todays medicines.\ngo to an herb store and ask about it. there willing to help in anyway. good luck
353415
I actually have my son on it right now.  Yes, I think it's working.  It's NOT going to replace an anti-depressant but if you need a little help dealing with stress it can do wonders.  I didn't tell him what it was but he noticed a difference in just a couple of weeks.  \n\nI started taking it and noticed a difference in less time  than that.  I started taking it to deal with some added stress that left me with symptoms of chronic fatigue and find that while I didn't actually notice it so much while taking it, I noticed a real drop in my overall mood after about a week of not taking it.  By constast, St. John's Wort didn't work for me AT ALL.\n\nIt's not a miracle by any means, but I'd recommend it.
23753
I've heard this before and have tried it.  It seems to work.  \nI used to work at a florist and we used a 1/2 aspirin everytime we changed the water in a floral arrangement (every 3 days or so.)
730219
According to the PDR of herbal medicines, St. John's Wort does work as a mild anti-depressant that should not be used longer than 4 weeks. After that, if it's not working, you may need something stronger. Not knowing your particular situation, I would recommend working out the details with your doctor. The key reason for this is that there could be a negative counter-reaction between the anti-depressant you're taking and the herbal supplements.\n\nGood Luck!
287972
Drink Ultra Slim Herbal Tea made by Tripple Leaf Tea Inc.\nFollow the directions and dont pass gas inless you are on the John. Stay near facilities untill you are safe. It works for me.
223459
The best person to see would be a qualified and reputable Naturopath who deals with women's issues - not your GP. Modern medicine only goes so far with candida and isn't a permanent soloution.\n\nThe best natural things to do that have worked for me are to :\n\n* Cut down on your sugar intake - sugar encourages yeast to grow in your body\n\n* Avoid ANYTHING with yeast - especially bread! Check all processed foods ingredient lists to make sure they're ok.\nEg. Original flavour doritos are fine but Nacho Cheese doritos have yeast plus a whole heap of other things.\n\n* If you must eat bread try corn tortilla's or eat sourdough bread that creates it's own yeast and doesn't have any added. Always avoid white starchy processed bread.\n\n* Avoid any foods that may have mould in them, aged cheeses (stick to younger ones like mozzarella) mushrooms etc\n\n* Take acidpholous tablets (available at your chemist in the refrigerated section) They help to promote good bacteria in your body.\n\n* Drink heaps of water\n\n* Avoid alcohol - it does the same thing as sugar\n\n* Avoid any cured or pickled foods - eg ham, salami - essentially the more processed food is the worse it is for candida\n\n* Not sure where you live but I'm in Australia where we have a priduct called Vegemite which is essentially made out of a yeast extract - avoid anything like this (similar to marmite and promite)\n\nFinally, eat heaps of vegetables! \n\nHave a look at the sites listed in the sources section. Good Luck!
1021380
In the 5 years I have been treating patients, and the 15 years my father has been treating patients via non-surgical methods, I have yet come across anything that yet works. \n\nI have read a few cases in which acupuncture has helped, but it hasn't worked on any of my patients.  \n\nIf you find the answer, let me know.
894481
a few years ago i tried to commit suicide. i have a very serious clinical depression. the doctors gave me 5 different drugs to use and they made me feel horrible. i started taking st johns wort and several multivitamins instead and after about 4 months i was feeling much better. i used them for several months and am now no longer on them at all. i still take my vitamins and a st johns wort every so often when im feeling blue. DO NOT STOP taking any medicine you may be on without telling your doctor first if you are taking any. i had no side effects from the st johns wort like i did while on the depression meds.
692044
1)  Depression -- St. John's wort is helpful in the therapy of mild to moderate depression with fewer side effects than conventional pharmaceutical antidepressants. The effect of St. John's wort may be noticed the first day, but often it takes a few days or weeks for the full benefits of St. John's wort to occur. Some studies indicate that St. John's wort may be as good an antidepressant as some of the SSRIs such as Prozac and Zoloft. A 6 week double blind study using a combination of St. John's wort, valenian, and passion flower was found the combination to be effective in treating mild depression. The dosage used was 360 mg for St. John's wort, 160 mg for valerian, and 190 for passionflower taken once daily. Other supplements used for depression include 5-HTP, SAM-e, and Tryptophan.\nhttp://www.raysahelian.com/stjohn.html\n\nSome researchers have argued that the mixed results of clinical studies of St. John’s Wort as a treatment for depression are due to the fact that most commercial supplement formulas are standardized for hypericin, but not for hyperforin. The recommended dosage for St. John’s wort is 900mg per day (300mg taken 3 times per day) of a 5:1 extract of the flowering tops and leaves standardized to contain 0.3% hypericin in a complex of other natural compounds, or 3-5% hyperforin (the main constituent which is thought to inhibit neurotransmitter re-uptake). Minimal treatment time is 4-6 weeks. \n\nhttp://www.biopsychiatry.com/hyperforinmech.htm\n\nLook for brands that contain at least 3% to 5% hyperforin in St John's Wort\nhttp://www.raysahelian.com/stjohn.html\nhttp://www.mayoclinic.com/health/st-johns-wort/NS_patient-stjohnswort