St Johns Wort to cure mild depression.

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I get the winter blues, but its just enough depression that I don't realize its actual depression alot of times. But a few weeks ago I started taking st johns wort and it is great. I used to feel good *most* of the time, then I would wake up and feel really depressed. but since I've been taking st johns wort, I haven't felt that at all, except maybe twice.

studies show it doesn't work for severe depression, but its been proven on mild depression, and it worked for me so I thought I'd say that it really did in case anyone was thinking about trying it. It is certainly better to try it first before getting a prescription for some strong stuff if this stuff will do the trick

and its a herb you can get at a CVS or health store and isn't expensive.

Bonne chance

Yep, it works.

Try combining it with 5-htp, fish oil, evening primrose oil and zinc.

Careful, it can cause other drugs not to work well or not at all.

St. John's Wort is an MAOI. I like it but I don't like the dietary restrictions. When taking an MAOI, naturally brewed soy sauce, some beer, wine , and cheese, and most OTC cough medicine, to name a few, will cause an extremely dangerous, sometimes fatal rise in blood pressure. You'll know it when it happens by the mother of all headaches.

I've tried it over the last few months. I'm afraid I didn't really notice enough difference in my psychological state to say whether it had done much.

However, it is also meant to be a natural anti-viral and I have been cold / flu free all year, which is quite amazing working at a college. Usually by Christmas, I've been hit really badly. So who knows, perhaps it does have some anti-viral effect.

Whats an MAOI? I was not aware of dietary restrictions.

MonoAmide Oxidase Inhibitor. MAOI blockz Monoamide oxidase, which destroys serotonin, the happy-chemical in your brain.

I have some St John Worts seeds from many years ago. I used it a few times over the years and bought some for my nephews girl friend but its is only a mild anti-depressant.

St. Johns wort tasts nasty and it makes me sick.

I take it in a capsule, never have to taste it.

Please do not ever take an SSRI antidepressant at the same time. It can make you very sick.

Another thing I've read about St John's Wort is that it makes birth control pills less effective. There are other treatments for mild depression that are just as effective, yet doesn't affect the Pill.

Another problem with herbs, is getting the same dose twice. It is not regulated in the States. The Germans have standards and have been doing it for a very long time, maybe in other places to now. I can't overstress the interactions with other meds. I go to the Vets Admin here in the states. In one of the waiting rooms they have a computer that you can very easily look up all sorts of meds, including herbs. The list that came out for St Johns Wort was a long one and the interactions scarey. I couldn't take it nor my wife. I'd like to because there is some slight evidance it helps fight Hep C. But it's a no no for me.

i'm always depressed and have never tried any kind of "cure" for it cause when i have me fall outs with me Dad and Sister + Lonelyness and boredom due to lack of a job and either one of em' causes make the depression happen, i just hate feeling so depressed all the F'ing time.

I put the warning thing in there as strongly as I did for a reason. It's kind of like me watching a tv ad for a medicene, they have to put the warning part up. I just know I'm going to get every one of the side effects. St Jhons Wart is precsribed more in Germany then some of the best selling big company meds. It is a mild anti depressent. I'm a firm believer in any port in a storm. Depression and I go hand in hand. Believe me when I say I know something about it. I've had good anti depressants and some very bad ones. Never be afraid to talk to a doctor about it. It's a freaking killer and I mean that in every sense of the word. I know the doctors have a different out look at the use of them now. The down side is at one time everybody in the world, it seemed, wanted the new ones, so some doctors are a little more leery of handing them out. It might take some trial and error to get the right one. It might take a mood stablizer to do what is needed. Not my call. It's yours, with the help from some knowledgable person. I don't like any meds, but counsiling doesn't help with all of my general my make up, it's chem thing in the brain. There is no "cure", but there is help. It's not our fault. The very nature of depression tends to make us think it is.