St John's Wort is a popular and widely available herb. It may be used for several functions as cited in the Herb Health Guide, St John's Wort [1] entry. Its wide availability reflects the demand for the herb, which in turn of course, reflects the number of uses to which it may be put and its general effectiveness.
When you follow the link above you will notice the following list of cautions:
- This herb can cause sensitivity to sunlight.
- When taken internally this herb can cause stomach upset, dizziness and fatigue.
- St John's wort reacts with some medications (including warfarin, immuno-suppressant drugs, some HIV and anti-epileptic medications and other antidepressants). So always check with your health professional before taking this herb.
- It increases the production of liver enzymes that break down medications. This means that it can decrease the effectiveness of some medications, including the contraceptive pill.
- It is not recommended that it be used in cases of marked depression.
- If using the herb for its mood-elevating effects you need to be patient as it takes 4 to 6 weeks to take effect.
I recently posted on the topic of polypharmacy and confined most of my comments to pharmaceutical agents. If you missed that post you can easily find it on The Health Gazette site. I did also mention that a contributor to polypharmaceutical related problems is the widespread use of over-the-counter medications.
I do also regularly point out that herbal medicines are real medicines and, though far safer than pharmaceuticals generally, must still be used with care. A reminder I received today of some actual data on this topic promted this cautionary post.
A large number of people take St John's Wort to relieve depression. Since depression is the second most common condition seen in general medical practice (after hypertension) this is not surprising.
The reminder I received is that over 50% of depressed patients try a natural product and only half tell their physician. With many herbs this would present no problem. However, St John's Wort contains particularly active components that have been well documented as interacting in some way with other medications.
Clearly, the potential for the widespread use of St John's Wort and its higher than average potential for causing unwanted interactions and effects is a real concern. I advocate the safe use of herbs and believe in educating people on health matters. Please remember thses cautions and pass the information along to anyone for whom you consider it relevant.