Posted by Sulpicia on June 18, 2001, at 22:05:43
In reply to ST JOHNS WORT SIDE EFFECTS, posted by dana on June 18, 2001, at 19:24:06
> I have just come off Zoloft after two years..... but felt a bit vulnerable without some sort of support. I tried half a tablet a day of St. Johns Wort for nearly two weeks, and was prepared to build up the dose gradually, however I found they seem to cause DIZZINESS !!......... the day I stopped taking them, the dizziness left.
>
> Has anyone experienced side-effects from using it ?Here are some of the side effects:
Herbal experts have warned for some time that combining St. John's wort with
drugs in the Prozac family (SSRIs) might raise serotonin too much and cause a
number of serious problems. Recently, case reports of such events have begun
to trickle in.47,48,49 This is a potentially serious risk. Do not combine St. John's
wort with prescription antidepressants except on the specific advice of a
physician. Since some antidepressants, such as Prozac, linger in the blood for
quite some time, you also need to exercise caution when switching from a drug
to St. John's wort. (See Transitioning from Medications to St. John's Wort.)The antimigraine drug sumatriptan (Imitrex) and the pain-killing drug tramadol
also raise serotonin levels and might interact similarly with St. John's wort.50,51Perhaps the biggest concern with St. John's wort is the possibility that it may
decrease the effectiveness of various medications, including protease inhibitors
(for HIV infection), cyclosporine (for organ transplants), digoxin (for heart
disease), warfarin (a blood thinner), chemotherapy drugs, oral contraceptives,
olanzapine or clozapine (for schizophrenia), and theophylline (for asthma).52–62
Furthermore, if you are taking St. John's wort and one of these medications at
the same time and then stop taking the herb, blood levels of the drug may rise.
This rise in drug level could be dangerous in certain circumstances.These interactions could lead to catastrophic consequences. Indeed, St. John's
wort appears to have caused several cases of heart, kidney, and liver transplant
rejection by interfering with the action of cyclosporine. Also, many people with
HIV take St. John's wort in the false belief that the herb will fight the AIDS virus.
The unintended result may be to reduce the potency of standard AIDS drugs. In
addition, the herb might decrease the effectiveness of oral contraceptives,
presenting a risk of pregnancy.63The bottom line: We recommend that individuals taking any critical medication
should avoid using St. John's wort until more is known.It is probably advisable on general principles to discontinue all herbs and
supplements prior to surgery and anesthesia, due to the possibility of
unpredictable interactions. However, there does not appear to be any specific
foundation to publicized claims that St. John's wort interacts with anesthetic
drugs.
The site [www.tNp.com] recommends getting all prescription ad meds out of your system.
Read the full discussion for more info.
feel better soon,
S.
poster:Sulpicia
thread:67005
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010618/msgs/67017.html