I have suffered from depression for some time and i have been on trazadone lately but its having nasty side effects including really bad drenching night sweats. I have read that st johns wart is really good and also for PMS.
Has anyone switched from a conventional AD to this and found it really helped them?
Nikkita
I tried it between antidepressants and it did nothing for me. I have read that it does help some people. I think if it's a mild depression it may help.
Here is a government website (& therefore okay to post) with alot of information about St John's Wort:
[url]http://nccam.nih.gov/health/stjohnswort/[/url]
Side effects associated with it include fatigue, dry mouth and dizziness.
Please note that it should NOT be combined with an antidepressant without first discussing it with your doctor. The interaction can be quite serious!
Another supplement (if you are wanting to go that route) that has shown *some* promise for depression and PMS is the Omega 3 oils as found in fish oils and flaxseed oil. I don't think either SJW or Omega 3 has shown alot of promise for major depression but some trials have been encouraging for the treatment of mild to moderate depression.
One must realize, of course, that supplements are NOT regulated in this country and, therefore, all the potential risks are not known.
Yes, St. John's Wort combined with prescription ADs can cause serotonin syndrome. But let's not ignore the major risks for serotonin syndrome. Combination of prescription antidepressants or even using ONLY ONE of these meds can cause serotonin syndrome. There's plenty of evidence for this in the Antidepressants Facts site I had posted earlier.
st johns wart 
