Care at Cleveland ClinicFind a Primary Care ProviderSchedule an AppointmentContents彩神IIV登录首页 - St. John’s Wort: Uses, Safety & DosageWhat Is St. John’s Wort. Additional Common QuestionsContents彩神IIV登录首页 - St. John’s Wort: Uses, Safety & DosageWhat Is St. John’s Wort. Additional Common QuestionsWhat Is St. John’s Wort? St. John’s wort is a plant that’s used as an herbal supplement V体育官网 . It’s an over-the-counter (OTC) medication. That means you don’t need a prescription from your healthcare provider. You can get it at your local drug store.Advertisement
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People most commonly take St. John’s wort to treat the symptoms of depression. But healthcare providers don’t recommend using it for several reasons, including: V体育安卓版 .
Not enough reliable evidence of effectiveness Wide range of available products on the market Lack of regulation of herbal supplements in the U.S. Potential for interactions with other medications The St. John’s wort plant is a wild shrub. Another name for the plant is Hypericum perforatum. It has clusters of yellow flowers with five petals each. People have used the plant’s flowers and leaves for medical purposes for thousands of years. But that doesn’t mean it’s safe or effective V体育ios版 . You should talk to your healthcare provider before taking it.
What is St. John’s wort used for? There aren’t any true St. John’s wort benefits. People take it most often to relieve symptoms of depression VSports最新版本 . Studies have suggested that the supplement may be as effective as some traditional antidepressants for treating mild to moderate depression. But other studies have found that St. John’s wort is no better than a sugar pill (placebo) for treating major depressive disorder.
Researchers haven’t studied the effectiveness of St V体育平台登录 . John’s wort at length for other symptoms and conditions. There’s not enough evidence to know if it works. But other possible St. John’s wort uses may include:.
Relief of menopausal symptoms, like hot flashes Management of insomnia, when you take St. John’s wort before bed Help with wound healing, when you apply lotion directly onto your skin Treatment of somatic symptom disorder What dosage of St. John’s wort should I take? In the U. S. , preparations of St. John’s wort tablets have different amounts of the active ingredient. So if you decide to use the supplement, be careful to note how much you’re taking. The most common dosage of St. John’s wort is 300 to 400 milligrams (mg) taken three times a day with meals VSports注册入口 . Beyond tablets, people also use:.
Tinctures, teas or liquid extracts Ointments or gels Oils and lotion What are the side effects of St. John’s wort? St. John’s Wort side effects range from minor symptoms, like fatigue and dry mouth, to serious reactions, like increased blood pressure and confusion. St. John’s wort side effects range from mild to severe. One adverse effect is a new sensitivity to sunlight V体育官网入口 . This is especially true for people with light skin. It may also occur if you take higher doses of the supplement. You can develop a serious skin reaction to sun exposure.
Other St. John’s wort side effects may include:
Extreme tiredness (fatigue) Nausea and vomiting Dry mouth Dizziness Frequent need to pee Swelling Sexual dysfunction High blood pressure Fast heartbeat Confusion Scientists know a lot about the short-term adverse effects of St. John’s wort. But they know much less about the long-term effects.
Does St. John’s wort cause weight gain? There’s no evidence that weight gain is a St. John’s wort side effect. It may help improve symptoms of depression, like loss of appetite. But it won’t cause any weight gain directly.
"VSports最新版本" Who shouldn’t take St. John’s wort? Healthcare providers typically don’t recommend the use of St. John’s wort for anyone. But there are some groups of people who definitely shouldn’t take it. This includes people who are:
Pregnant : St. John’s wort increases the muscle tone of your uterus during pregnancy. This could lead to miscarriage or birth defects.Breastfeeding : If you’re taking St. John’s wort while breastfeeding, your baby may experience fussiness, colic and drowsiness.Having surgery : You shouldn’t take St. John’s wort within five days of any planned surgical procedures. This is because of the risk of medication interactions.Taking certain medications : St. John’s wort interacts with many different prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications. That includes birth control pills, blood thinners, transplant medication and HIV medication.Do I need to worry about any interactions while taking St. John’s wort? (VSports最新版本) St. John’s wort can affect the way your body processes many other common medications. It can cause serious and potentially dangerous interactions. St. John’s wort can also weaken how well other medications work. These interactions can make your medications ineffective.
Taking St. John’s wort with other medications that affect your serotonin levels can be especially dangerous. Serotonin is a brain chemical produced by your nerve cells. Certain antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) work to increase the amount of serotonin in your brain.
Mixing St. John’s wort and SSRIs can lead to a life-threatening increase in serotonin. This can cause a condition called serotonin syndrome . The effects of serotonin syndrome can occur within minutes or hours.
In addition to SSRIs, many other medications can have dangerous interactions with St. John’s wort. If you’re taking any of the following medications, check with your healthcare provider before you take St. John’s wort. St. John’s wort interactions include:
Benzodiazepines, a medication for anxiety Reduced effectiveness in treating anxiety; increased risk of side effects, including drowsiness Birth control pills (oral contraceptives) Increased metabolism of the contraceptive, which can reduce its effectiveness Blood thinners, like warfarin Reduced amount of the blood thinner in your blood, which makes it less effective and more likely to form clots Cyclosporine, a medication that prevents your body from rejecting a transplanted organ Reduced amount of the medication in your blood, which makes it less effective, potentially causing dangerous results Digoxin, a heart medication Reduced amount of the medication in your blood, which makes it less effective, potentially causing dangerous results Imatinib, a chemotherapy medication Reduced effectiveness of the medication Iron supplement Reduced iron absorption Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), an antidepressant Increased effects of the MAOI, which could cause life-threatening high blood pressure Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, an HIV medication Increased metabolism of the inhibitor, which can reduce its effectiveness Omeprazole, an acid reducer Decreased serum concentrations of the medication, which can reduce its effectiveness Oxycodone, a pain medication Reduced effectiveness of the medication Phenytoin, an epilepsy medication Reduced effectiveness of the medication Photosensitizing medications Increased risk of sun sensitivity Protease inhibitors, an HIV medication Reduced amounts of the inhibitor in your blood, which can reduce its effectiveness Some antipsychotics, like clozapine Reduced effectiveness of the medication Tricyclic antidepressants Reduced effectiveness of the medication Medication Benzodiazepines, a medication for anxiety Interaction Reduced effectiveness in treating anxiety; increased risk of side effects, including drowsiness Birth control pills (oral contraceptives) Interaction Increased metabolism of the contraceptive, which can reduce its effectiveness Blood thinners, like warfarin Interaction Reduced amount of the blood thinner in your blood, which makes it less effective and more likely to form clots Cyclosporine, a medication that prevents your body from rejecting a transplanted organ Interaction Reduced amount of the medication in your blood, which makes it less effective, potentially causing dangerous results Digoxin, a heart medication Interaction Reduced amount of the medication in your blood, which makes it less effective, potentially causing dangerous results Imatinib, a chemotherapy medication Interaction Reduced effectiveness of the medication Iron supplement Interaction Reduced iron absorption Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), an antidepressant Interaction Increased effects of the MAOI, which could cause life-threatening high blood pressure Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, an HIV medication Interaction Increased metabolism of the inhibitor, which can reduce its effectiveness Omeprazole, an acid reducer Interaction Decreased serum concentrations of the medication, which can reduce its effectiveness Oxycodone, a pain medication Interaction Reduced effectiveness of the medication Phenytoin, an epilepsy medication Interaction Reduced effectiveness of the medication Photosensitizing medications Interaction Increased risk of sun sensitivity Protease inhibitors, an HIV medication Interaction Reduced amounts of the inhibitor in your blood, which can reduce its effectiveness Some antipsychotics, like clozapine Interaction Reduced effectiveness of the medication Tricyclic antidepressants Interaction Reduced effectiveness of the medication
